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Healey 3000 Mk1 engine Vs Wolseley 6/110

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Cooperman

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Hi - I'm fairly new to the Healey scene having recently acquired a 59 BT7. Its not been on the road since 1971 so in the main very original and untouched although definitely shabby chic..... My plan is to "preserve" it as a barn find car rather than restore it but it will be needing a full mechanical overhaul. Most of which is now done but the engine has just come out and being stripped. The short engine has been transplanted from a Wolseley 6/110 (29W engine No) at some point but it still has the original 3000 head, gearbox, carbs etc fitted) and hence my following questions.

1) What parts in the short engine will be different to the MK1 3000?
2) How would i identify the cam to be 3000 Vs 6/110 or are they the same?

Thanks
 
Hi, welcome to the forum.

My understanding, and its not great, is that the A110 had a BMC C series engine of 3 litres. It came with an integral head similar to the early 100-Sixes but it your case it has been swapped for a 3000 which is obviously good news. It probably has a milder cam than even the basic 3000, and I'm unsure if there are other minor internal differences in the engine. I would upgrade the cam to BJ8 spec. This is the simplest upgrade and will provide a noticeable improvement in performance and is excellent for normal road use. What SU model carbs does it have?.

What do you mean by the 'short' engine? I've not heard that before.
 
From memory, I think Derek is right and I expect even the camshaft is the same, so you won't notice any difference in power if you fit the Healey head, which was on the later cars anyway. The MK 1 & 2 engines are very very torquey and will pull from tick over in top whereas the BJ8 cam sacrifices a bit of that for some more revs and 15 more bhp, which also means more noise and gear changing, especially with the earlier exhaust (it's louder). You'll also need to fit new tappets if you change the cam or it'll wear quickly.

Everybody seems to tune Healeys up these days, which seems daft to me except for competition. They're a lovely touring car in standard tune, the steering at over 80 or 90 is a bit wayward and the front underdamped and anyway they corner more slowly than the most mundane modern, so I like them as they are or were. Just an opinion, but to me BMC got that car right and its still a joy to own one and drive it.

I put a slightly hotter cam in my TR3A and it spoiled it IMO. it's a real pain to change too.
 
Hi thanks for the response. A short engine generally means block crank pistons and cam and does not include any ancillaries head etc. car is running twin HD6s in standard form.
Thanks again Richard
 
Hi. I'm much of the same opinion on keeping it fairly standard and mild. It's not a racing car and I think I would prefer it as a nice driver. I have a couple of early cooper S's, one highly tuned and one practically standard..... Guess which one is better to drive and gets used most!
so it sounds like the Wolseley block crank pistons etc are same parts as Healey from the BMC parts bin but cam may be different. Is their any identifying marks on the cam? On the minis different cams have a series of rings cast on the shaft for ID purposes. I see my cam has a single ring and wondered if this meant any thing.
Thanks again - Richard
 
It's worth making sure the oil pump is good, they wear and oil pressure can get low when there's nothing really wrong. Is there a part number on the camshaft you can check? I don't believe the Sprites or Midgets got a different cam, so I doubt the Healey did, but it'd be nice to know for sure.
 
If you go to the Other British forum here and go to the Princess thread you can scroll through the photos of the car on eBay to see the 3 Litre engine. It is now in N.J. and it's main attraction was the Healey engine. 29 series with the early head.
Bob
 
The 6/110 engine would have dished pistons (if original) as opposed to the Healey flat tops, in other words lower CR.
6/110 can have two types of cam grind;(Neither of which I believe appear in a Healey).
Inlet opens 5* BTDC
Inlet closes 45*ABDC
Exhaust opens 51*BBDC
Exhaust closes 21*ATDC
OR
Inlet opens TDC
Inlet closes 50*ABDC
Exhaust opens 35*BBDC
Exhaust closes 15*ATDC

Danny
 
Yes we refer to his "Short Engine " as a short Block
 
Thanks Danny. That's good info. Good news is that it has flat top pistons fitted, so if they have gone to the trouble and changed them hopefully the cam will be healey too. I'll get the cam checked and reprofiled if necessary. Thanks again
Richard
 
Yeah, sounds like they just sourced a different block and fitted it with Healey 3000 stuff. If it has the standard 3000 cam then it matches the twin HD6 set up you have, which was standard for the 3000.
 
Where in Australia are you Dan? Obviously not in Perth for the National Rally.
 
Last edited:
pan said:
Where in Australia are you Dan? Obviously not in Perth for the National Rally.
Click to expand...

I am in Sydney but not actually a Healey man, I just know a bit about the 'C' series engined stuff due to owning larger BMC Barges most of my life.

Danny
 
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