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New Austin Healey owner

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saabmp3

saabmp3

Jedi Hopeful
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Hello all, I've been looking at LBC's for about 10 years now, finally stumbled across one about 2 months ago that seemed hopeful. It's an Austin Healey Sprite Mark 4 (or so I think, more later). After mulling about it for a while, I made a deal for it last night and drove it home today. When I made the deal for it, it was running. Here comes my first Lucas electrical issue (now I'm a true LBC owner, in the first 12 hours!).

While we were putting the car on the tow dolly, the solenoide went out. By putting the key in and shorting the two connections on the solenoide I can get it to start (and boy does she purrrr). However, I don't want to be doing this any longer than absolutly necessary. I have not had a chance to pick up the maintenance manual, shop manuals, etc from amazon.com (my weekend plans), but can somebody tell me the proper part that I need and somewhere I can find it easily? I'd like to put it in there soon to get it running without my chisle.

Second, I purschased what I thought is a Mark 4. It looks like a mark 4, has all the proper parts of a Mark 4. The title that the seller gave me says "SPRCV" as the "series and body style". Now, SPR seems to be obvious to Sprite, C somehow for Mark? and the V? I am under the impression that the 5 never made it's way to the US (I am on the west coast, pacific northwest specifically). What are some identifying numbers I can look for on the chassis to find out if this is a Mark 4 or 5?

I've got big plans for this car, but think listening and adding to current discussion is the wise choice for now. I know I'll have tons of questions coming up.

Thanks,

Ben
 
Welcome, Ben.
You may not really need any parts for your problem. Since you imply the car was working OK before the tow, I'd guess you had a wire diconnect somewhere between the key switch terminal and the small terminal on the solonoid. But that's just a guess....you might need a solonoid or key switch. First thing you need to do is to look a a wiring schematic (from that book you're ordering) and trace the small wire that connects the solonoid to the key switch. You can get those parts from Moss Motors or Victoria British (do a Google search to find them).

As for the "Mk 4", that's the end of the line for the Sprite. The extra letters on your registration probably stand for "convertible".

Also, Basil has set up a "Spridgets" forum here at British Car Forum. As you probably know MG Midgets and A-H Sprites are basically the same car (thus "Spridgets"). You have posted this note on the "Austin-Healey" forum which is really meant for "big Healeys" (100-4s, 3000s, etc). It's an easy mistake to make. You'll be better off to post questions (and an introdution) on the Spridgets forum.
Someone there might have a link to a wiring schematic.
G'luck!
 
Welcome to the forum Ben.

As aero says you will probably get a lot of info on the Spridget forum, but the Healey world incorporates all Healeys so there's no discrimination on this forum. Sprites are more than welcome, we need more in fact. You will just get the benefit of two forums!
 
Well, 24 hours into my Healey adventure and I've already overcome Lucas once. The solenoid was indeed bad, it had a big chunk missing. In addition to having to replace the solenoid, once I got under the hood, I noticed the air intake tubing was missing most of it's clamps and sitting with lots of gaps. Figuring this was probably a very bad thing, I went to home depot, picked up some hose clamps, screws and put it all back together.

I found an excellent MG shop in Tacoma, WA (very close to where I live) which had the solenoid that I needed. After talking to the guy there (who seemed pretty good) I got news that these things break pretty often.

I'm finding out more and more about this car as I diver deeper into the innards. First, the compression reads 160 - 160 - 100 - 160. I'm looking into the possability that there are some clogs in the heads, carbon build up or worst, extensive rust /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif. The rest of the car has only minor surface rust on the inside of the engine and under the car, I can't find any structural rust at all (but I'm not the expert to find it all). I'm going to ramp up my projects on the car, electrical being the easiest for me (I'm an EE), flushing the brake system being the next one (I have to drive it on lots and lots of steep hills to get it from my place to the garage to the water front).

I guess I never noticed the Spriget forum until now, that might explain my low search results when only selecting Austin Healey.

The most intresting thing that I found on this car is that somebody already reversed the polarity of the ground.....and then didn't bother to hook up most of the lights. I have excellent hallogen running lights in front and regular tail lights (plus brakes) but I'm quite sure that the reverse lights, blinkers (only outside, inside indicators work) and license plate lights are not operational. In addition to that, there's a zip tie holding down the spedometer cable....which obviously isn't working because the spedometer doesn't work! I guess I really don't need to know how fast I'm going yet because it's only a city car for the time being.

From my eye, it looks like somebody pulled the engine at one point (maybe bored it out and the could explain the high compression?) from the paint job. Orginally my car was orange, and you can see it all over the place. The painters did a decent job on the outside (it's got lots of character to say the least), but a lousy job on the inside. The door jams still have orange paint on them and the paint is withering (not peeling) in the trunk. However, the entire engine compartment has been painted red.... which seems fishy to me. I don't think they would do a lousy job on the rest of the car and then mask off the engine bay and do a supurb job on it. I'm under the impression right now that the engine was pulled, work done on it and the car painted at the same time. Otherwise, why not leave the engine compartment orange like the rest of the sloppy paint job. Somebody correct my if I'm wrong here. I guess that's all for now, I've got my work cut out for me, then it's on to diagnoising and fixing the engine and transmission.

Ben

PS. The VIN is HAN9U72069G
 
Before taking the engine apart, check the valve clearances, it might be that one of the valves on the low compression cylinder isn't fully closing (ie there's no clearance between the rocker and the valve). If not, you need to take the head off to check valves and head gasket, and maybe take the bottom end apart to replace rings.

Although the imbalance in compression clearly shows there's a problem, if it runs OK, why not leave the engine alone until after the summer, so that you get to drive it for a while before taking it apart?
 
[ QUOTE ]
Before taking the engine apart, check the valve clearances, it might be that one of the valves on the low compression cylinder isn't fully closing (ie there's no clearance between the rocker and the valve). If not, you need to take the head off to check valves and head gasket, and maybe take the bottom end apart to replace rings.

Although the imbalance in compression clearly shows there's a problem, if it runs OK, why not leave the engine alone until after the summer, so that you get to drive it for a while before taking it apart?

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, that's the plan right now. I'm not engine expert, so I'm waiting for the shop manual to get here before I attempt any work on the block. Unfourtunally, with the extensive travel schedule I carry, the Sprite is going to be sitting in storage for the fall, winter and maybe even spring months /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif. That will have to serve as my planning stage while I'm on the other coast of the country.

I'd like to let it sit and use it while I can, but I just want to make sure I'm not doing any damage to the engine while I have my fun. Once I get the brakes stopping a little more reassuringly, I'll feel more comfortable running the engine a little more rough to try and blow out some carbon.

Ben
 
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