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Pretty Please - add it to our Events forum(s) and add to the calendar! >> 
suggestions please [ On-Board Spares ]
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Re: sugestions please
[ QUOTE ]
Bruce,
Here in the UK unleaded and high octane petrol is no longer obtainable, so if your head is unmodified you need to have a lead replacement additive. The one I use has manganese to give the anti-knock properties and also an octane booster.
[/ QUOTE ]
Andrew,
A couple of comments on fuel octane;
There are two fuel octane rating/measuring systems in use. The Motor Octane Number - MON), & the Research Octane Number (RON). The pump octane number as used in North America is the average of the two ratings. Eg. (R+M) divided by 2. European countries use the RON.
The octane "translation";
NA - 87 Europe - 91 RON - 91 MON - 82.5 R+M / 2 - 86.75
NA - 89 Europe - 95 RON - 95 MON - 85 R+M / 2 - 90
NA - 93 Europe - 98 RON - 98 MON - 88 R+M / 2 - 93
With few exceptions, the same actual octane ratings are available world wide. A fuel with a RON of 98 will easily handle an engine with 9.5/1 compression ratio ( maybe higher) without the need for "doping" . When the R+M/2 rating system was first adopted in North America folks were dismayed at the "apparent" drop from 98 octane to 92 octane. Some still haven't figured out that they are the same.
The problems & questions about removing lead from the fuel came up in North America long before they did in the rest of the world.
The need for lead supplements & special valve seats has NOT been supported by several rigorous long term reliability tests. The only people touting additive benefits are the ones who sell them, but there are many of them. Of course auto machine shops profit from selling hard seat conversions & so push them.
These topics have been discussed previously on the BCF forums. If it makes you feel better to use these products, by all means do it. The "need" is just not supported by the facts.
D
[ QUOTE ]
Bruce,
Here in the UK unleaded and high octane petrol is no longer obtainable, so if your head is unmodified you need to have a lead replacement additive. The one I use has manganese to give the anti-knock properties and also an octane booster.
[/ QUOTE ]
Andrew,
A couple of comments on fuel octane;
There are two fuel octane rating/measuring systems in use. The Motor Octane Number - MON), & the Research Octane Number (RON). The pump octane number as used in North America is the average of the two ratings. Eg. (R+M) divided by 2. European countries use the RON.
The octane "translation";
NA - 87 Europe - 91 RON - 91 MON - 82.5 R+M / 2 - 86.75
NA - 89 Europe - 95 RON - 95 MON - 85 R+M / 2 - 90
NA - 93 Europe - 98 RON - 98 MON - 88 R+M / 2 - 93
With few exceptions, the same actual octane ratings are available world wide. A fuel with a RON of 98 will easily handle an engine with 9.5/1 compression ratio ( maybe higher) without the need for "doping" . When the R+M/2 rating system was first adopted in North America folks were dismayed at the "apparent" drop from 98 octane to 92 octane. Some still haven't figured out that they are the same.
The problems & questions about removing lead from the fuel came up in North America long before they did in the rest of the world.
The need for lead supplements & special valve seats has NOT been supported by several rigorous long term reliability tests. The only people touting additive benefits are the ones who sell them, but there are many of them. Of course auto machine shops profit from selling hard seat conversions & so push them.
These topics have been discussed previously on the BCF forums. If it makes you feel better to use these products, by all means do it. The "need" is just not supported by the facts.
D
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Re: sugestions please
[ QUOTE ]
,
I used to work with a guy that commuted 600 miles round trip every weekend. He was obsessed with "being prepared". Carried every imaginable spare part, supplies, & a large assortment of tools. D
[/ QUOTE ]
Dave--
No doubt those parts and tools gave him the confidence to make the commute. Whatever it takes....
[ QUOTE ]
,
I used to work with a guy that commuted 600 miles round trip every weekend. He was obsessed with "being prepared". Carried every imaginable spare part, supplies, & a large assortment of tools. D
[/ QUOTE ]
Dave--
No doubt those parts and tools gave him the confidence to make the commute. Whatever it takes....
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Re: sugestions please
I guess the ultimate in security would be a chase truck equipped with everything. But then you would need a chase truck for the chase truck. Where does it end?
D
I guess the ultimate in security would be a chase truck equipped with everything. But then you would need a chase truck for the chase truck. Where does it end?
D
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Re: sugestions please
[ QUOTE ]
I have been taking my BJ7 farther from home each time, but I still don't have total confidence that there isn't something ready to quit or break on a 41 year old car.
[/ QUOTE ]
Nor should you ever have complete confidence that there isn't something ready to quit or break. The distinct possibility that you will suffer a breakdown is just part of being a British car owner.
As a former Army Aviator, this situation reminds me of what Harry Reasoner said about us, about helicopter pilots:
[ QUOTE ]
"The thing is, helicopters are different from planes. An airplane by it's nature wants to fly, and if not interfered with too strongly by unusual events or by a deliberately incompetent pilot, it will fly. A helicopter does not want to fly. It is maintained in the air by a variety of forces and controls working in opposition to each other, and if there is any disturbance in this delicate balance the helicopter stops flying; immediately and disastrously. There is no such thing as a gliding helicopter. This is why being a helicopter pilot is so different from being an airplane pilot, and why in generality, airplane pilots are open, clear-eyed, buoyant extroverts and helicopter pilots are brooding introspective anticipators of trouble. They know if something bad has not happened, it is about to."
[/ QUOTE ]
So please don't let those doubts prevent you from driving your Healey far and wide. And when something breaks or quits, and you deal with it and get back on your way, you will have shared an experience that most of us have had many times. And we're still here to talk about it...
[ QUOTE ]
I have been taking my BJ7 farther from home each time, but I still don't have total confidence that there isn't something ready to quit or break on a 41 year old car.
[/ QUOTE ]
Nor should you ever have complete confidence that there isn't something ready to quit or break. The distinct possibility that you will suffer a breakdown is just part of being a British car owner.
As a former Army Aviator, this situation reminds me of what Harry Reasoner said about us, about helicopter pilots:
[ QUOTE ]
"The thing is, helicopters are different from planes. An airplane by it's nature wants to fly, and if not interfered with too strongly by unusual events or by a deliberately incompetent pilot, it will fly. A helicopter does not want to fly. It is maintained in the air by a variety of forces and controls working in opposition to each other, and if there is any disturbance in this delicate balance the helicopter stops flying; immediately and disastrously. There is no such thing as a gliding helicopter. This is why being a helicopter pilot is so different from being an airplane pilot, and why in generality, airplane pilots are open, clear-eyed, buoyant extroverts and helicopter pilots are brooding introspective anticipators of trouble. They know if something bad has not happened, it is about to."
[/ QUOTE ]
So please don't let those doubts prevent you from driving your Healey far and wide. And when something breaks or quits, and you deal with it and get back on your way, you will have shared an experience that most of us have had many times. And we're still here to talk about it...
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Re: sugestions please
[ QUOTE ]
I guess the ultimate in security would be a chase truck equipped with everything. But then you would need a chase truck for the chase truck. D
[/ QUOTE ]
Now there ya go being negative, Dave.
Surely one chase truck will do.
[ QUOTE ]
I guess the ultimate in security would be a chase truck equipped with everything. But then you would need a chase truck for the chase truck. D
[/ QUOTE ]
Now there ya go being negative, Dave.
Surely one chase truck will do.
Healey 100
Jedi Warrior
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Re: sugestions please
We travel extensively with our Healey and a few other cars we have that are much older and less reliable than a Healey.
I used to carry a lot of spares. No more. You just plain cannot predict what is needed and the overhead of carrying all that stuff is real. If you have a part you think is marginal, Dave R is right -- you should replace it before you travel.
I do carry a cell phone, AAA premier towing service, a tow rope, spare tire, jack, and a small box of tools. And a copy of Hemmings, a shop manual and several car club member directories, just in case I need some help or need to order parts.
We have broken down here and there, but we have always managed to get back on the road pretty soon -- usually with parts we bought at one of those ubiquitous chain autoparts stores like AutoZone.
See you on the road, Healey's are fun to travel in!
We travel extensively with our Healey and a few other cars we have that are much older and less reliable than a Healey.
I used to carry a lot of spares. No more. You just plain cannot predict what is needed and the overhead of carrying all that stuff is real. If you have a part you think is marginal, Dave R is right -- you should replace it before you travel.
I do carry a cell phone, AAA premier towing service, a tow rope, spare tire, jack, and a small box of tools. And a copy of Hemmings, a shop manual and several car club member directories, just in case I need some help or need to order parts.
We have broken down here and there, but we have always managed to get back on the road pretty soon -- usually with parts we bought at one of those ubiquitous chain autoparts stores like AutoZone.
See you on the road, Healey's are fun to travel in!
Re: sugestions please
I highly recommend towing a "cute" trailer behind the beast with all the parts that are listed! Seriously, several of the above comments are right-on in that you really cannot take half of the Moss inventory with you! However, a spare clutch slave cylinder would have come in handy on one of my cross-country trips in 1973! However, parts are mucho more available now "overnight", etc! Flashlight, fuses (for the inline fuses you hopefully have ADDED to your wiring...., a can of oil in case the flex line at the rear of the engine decides to finally 'go', spare radiator hose, distributor rotor, etc. that Dave and the others mention above should do it. Most important is the credit card and a sense of humor and adventure - which if you don't have you shouldn't have a Healey. Good luck on your trip!!! [Seriously, be sure to have added the inline fuses!!]
I highly recommend towing a "cute" trailer behind the beast with all the parts that are listed! Seriously, several of the above comments are right-on in that you really cannot take half of the Moss inventory with you! However, a spare clutch slave cylinder would have come in handy on one of my cross-country trips in 1973! However, parts are mucho more available now "overnight", etc! Flashlight, fuses (for the inline fuses you hopefully have ADDED to your wiring...., a can of oil in case the flex line at the rear of the engine decides to finally 'go', spare radiator hose, distributor rotor, etc. that Dave and the others mention above should do it. Most important is the credit card and a sense of humor and adventure - which if you don't have you shouldn't have a Healey. Good luck on your trip!!! [Seriously, be sure to have added the inline fuses!!]
Johnny
Darth Vader
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Re: sugestions please
Okay can't resist posting to this one. Recently I attended the AHCA conclave in San Antonio Texas. Interestingly there was an older couple from Canada that DROVE to Texas from there home in Canada, I think Ontario. I asked them "what spares did you bring along for their 5 day drive?" I remember there answer was "only a rotor, points, condenser, and an after market fuel pump" there car had just undergone a complete restoration and that's all they felt they needed. Although in conversation they added, "along with a good cell phone and a good credit card, what else do you need?"
Okay can't resist posting to this one. Recently I attended the AHCA conclave in San Antonio Texas. Interestingly there was an older couple from Canada that DROVE to Texas from there home in Canada, I think Ontario. I asked them "what spares did you bring along for their 5 day drive?" I remember there answer was "only a rotor, points, condenser, and an after market fuel pump" there car had just undergone a complete restoration and that's all they felt they needed. Although in conversation they added, "along with a good cell phone and a good credit card, what else do you need?"
w. scott brunkhurst
Jedi Hopeful
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Re: sugestions please
Don't forget that little plastic piece that the accelerator linkage rod rides in coming from the rubber bush on the firewall. I had one break and I was dead in the water.
SB
Don't forget that little plastic piece that the accelerator linkage rod rides in coming from the rubber bush on the firewall. I had one break and I was dead in the water.
SB