Drats

[Patton]

It is a beautiful Spring day here in SW Houston with a clear, dry day in the mid 70's!!!

I was planning on working on the Healey today to get it ready to take it to the Spring Tune-Up hosted by the Gulf Coast Healey Club.

I haven't run the car in about a month, so I was going to let it warm up a while in the garage (opened) to let the car warm up before I drove and let the battery charge up. It started without a problem, and I left it runnning while I was working nearby.

After about 15 minutes, I looked and the water temp was at 190 degrees and running fine, so I went to move my wifes car out of the drive. As I was walking up to the Healey, I saw the exhaust puff a little grey exhaust smoke and the car stopped.

I got in the car and after a couple of turns, the car started up. I backed the car out of the garage, turned it around in the driveway, headed toward the street, and it died again. I smelled a little gas, so I thought that the car flooded, so I waited a while and tried it again. The car kept acting like it was about to start but wouldn't.

Finally it started again, but not smoothly. I looked at the exhaust and it had grey smoke out of one exhaust for a few seconds, but not the other. I decide to get the car back in the garage, but it died after moving a couple of feet.

By this time, I had spent a lot of time turning the car over so I put the charger on the car and left it for an hour.

I came back out and tried starting it again, but no luck. I got my neghbor and his kids to help me push it into the garage.

I am pretty sure that the car is getting fuel as the fuel pump is not constantlly clicking, and when I took the sparkplugs out, they were wet (presumably from turning over).

While I had the plugs out, I checked the pressure. I put my tester in #1 and the pressure was 150 like the last time I checked it. As I was taking the tester out, the bottom part that goes into the head came unscrewed at the base of the hose. I had to go get a 11/16 socket and get it out.

Once the base was out I screwed the parts back together and tested #2. It came out at 130! OK, I start to worry. I test #3 and get almost the same, then #4, #5, and #6 all between 130 and 140.

I start wondering what happened, then I thought that when the tester came apart, something may have changed with the tester. I rechecked #1 and it was down with the rest of them. I guess that something about the gauge did change. It is a relief that the pressures came up in range.

Now I still have to figure out what is going on with the car and why it died.

Patton

 

[Dave Russell]

Patton,
While the plugs were out, did you dry them & check for spark at each one?
D

 

[Stretch]

Check the rotor in the distributor. I had the rotor plastic break on the underside, and it behaved as though it was about to start but wouldn't.

 

[Patton]

No fire at the plugs!

This car had a problem with starting the day the car was getting sent down here when I bought it.

I haven't ever seen the problem once it got here, but the quality of the plug wires are VERY questionible, the LT wire is acient and needs replacing and the coil gets hotter than I think it should after a run.

I ordered every ingnition side electrical part on Friday in anticipation of next weekends spring tune up. I'm going with Bumblebee wires, genuine Lucas ends, and Bosch platium plugs. I thought that it was going to be preventive maintence, I guess not.

 

[Bugeye58]

Good call, Dave.
Patton, I'll bet if you ever looked under the bonnet on a dark night, you would have seen a light show!
I just got a set of Magnacor wires for one of the Sprites, and have been very happy with them.
Jeff

 

[Dave Russell]

Stretch makes a good point. The most likely part to fail in a Healey ignition is the rotor. There apparently was a large batch of defective rotors manufactured & sold under the Lucas name. These rotors had a mechanical defect which allowed the rotor to short circuit to the distributor shaft on which it is mounted. This defect is believed to be a microscopic crack in the insulation material that is caused by improper installation of a rivet used to secure the brass rotor arm.

It cannot be determined by inspection which rotors may fail. There are a very few rotors around which do not have this rivet. The older types didn't have the rivet. if you can't find the old style without rivet it would be best to keep a known "good" rotor as a spare & try a couple of the newer production rotors to see if they fail under use. Better to know ahead of time. Even if the problem has been recently cured, there are probably many of the defective style still in suppliers & parts vendors pipe lines.

Patton,
You could try replacing the rotor before doing all of the rest. It may be the only problem. As above, you might have to try a couple of new rotors to find a good one.
D

 

[Patton]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Dave Russell:
You could try replacing the rotor before doing all of the rest. It may be the only problem. As above, you might have to try a couple of new rotors to find a good one.
D<hr></blockquote>

I had ordered all of those parts before the car died on Saturday. I really think that the plug wires are inadequate, and the LT wire is cracked and brittle. Also, I want to buy a dist cap when I can find one since they are no longer being made.

Patton

 

[Johnny]

A lot has been written lately about the defective rotors, and indeed that may be your problem. However, I have also read that no Healey should have carbon core spark plug wires. Only stranded wire should be used. Including the wire to the coil. Also recommended is moving the coil to a cooler place, not up North, just somewhere away from the motor. I keep a spare rotor in the spare tool roll, just in case. BTW we have a St. Louis club member that wishes to attend Conclave in San Antonio this June, but needs someone there to accept delivery of a 100/4 until the owner arrives by plane. know of anyone in San Antonio willing?

 

[Patton]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Johnny:
no Healey should have carbon core spark plug wires.<hr></blockquote>

The Bumblebees are copper core wires. I think what is in there is carbon core.

Have your friend call conclave host committee, they may be able to help. I'm about 120 miles away and plan on taking my car or I would step up.

Patton

 

[bradal]

Patton: I hope you thought to order a condenser with the other items. They are insidious little devils and should be changed regularly. AL Bradley

 

[Dave Russell]

Al,
I moved my coil from the engine mount location to the inside of the RH foot well. Cooler, less vibration, & the wires still reach. Not concours but I think more reliable. It's a BN2 with a different layout than the sixes but I agree with a cooler place.

Patton,
"Also, I want to buy a dist cap when I can find one since they are no longer being made."

Holden has a large stock of ignition parts including distributor caps. I ordered one on line & had it in less than a week.
https://www.holden.co.uk/
D

[ 03-08-2004: Message edited by: Dave Russell ]</p>

 

[Patton]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by bradal:
Patton: I hope you thought to order a condenser with the other items. They are insidious little devils and should be changed regularly. AL Bradley<hr></blockquote>


Here is what I ordered before this happened!!! This is the stuff I was getting for the tune up day.
<ul type="square">Distributor Cap
Ignition Rotor
Points & Condensor
Bumblebee Ignition Wire
OE Style Wire Ends
Copper Coil Washer
Wire Holders
Wire Number Set
Platinum Spark Plugs
Low Tension wire, ring ends
Lucas Sports Coil, screw on cap and terminals
Valve Cover Gasket
Oil Filter
[/list]

I was about to order SU kits, but haven't gotten to it yet. Now I figure get the ignition fixed, then hit the fuel.

Patton