Congratulations. Was about to suggest the point-pivot isolator in the distributor. Rookie mistake we have all made at one time. Good news is that you wont ever get it wrong again.
Surprised you did not take it for a run down the driveway.
Pete
Congratulations. Was about to suggest the point-pivot isolator in the distributor. Rookie mistake we have all made at one time. Good news is that you wont ever get it wrong again.
Surprised you did not take it for a run down the driveway.
Pete
AxeHealey said:Short story.
Long story.
Longer story. I went over to the shop yesterday around 11:30 and proceeded to berkeley around with the Miata because, well, I guess I was nervous. I put taillights and the driver's side headlight cover on. Then I finally got myself wrangled in and working on the Healey. Tighten lower radiator hose. Check. Fill will coolant. Check. Realize I didn't buy enough and ask my dad to grab some on his way over. Check. Tape off all non-used electrical connections (heater and wiper circuits). Check. Put gas tank in. Check. Plop battery in trunk. Check (ok enough of the list). I hooked up the battery as Pete suggested and no blowy-burney things happened. YAY! Remove in-line fuse and still no burney. I then poured about 2.5 gallons into the tank and proceeded to try to prime the system. I took a cheap electric pump and hooked it to the line at the carbs, grabbed the battery from the Miata and let her eat. I did this for about 2-3 minutes without any fuel getting to the carbs. It then occurred to me that when I turned the key on earlier, I didn't hear the trusty clickety clacking from the SU fuel pump... Hm. Pulled off the LR wheel and what do I see, moist connections at the fuel pump! So at least I got it primed. Oh! I had forgotten a ground for the fuel pump.
I also obviously tightened the connections.
At this point, my dad had arrived and we figured it was time to give it a shot. I disconnected the coil so that it wouldn't fire - I wanted to crank it to at least try to get some oil moved around, if not pressure built. The battery I pulled from Elmore died. Off to the parts store for a brand new one. Crank it some more and decide it's time. Cranking nicely, fuel at the carbs. No spark. I take a look at the points. Yuck. Nasty. Replace the points and condenser (to be safe). No. Freaking spark. Test for 12V at coil. Yep. per-berkeleying-plexed. Grab a good coil. No spark.
We have family dinner's at my parent's house so my dad heads out. I'm hopping in the Miata to fill it up and I get a return call from my Healey buddy in FL. We go through about 8 min of troubleshooting in which he is confused as well. Finally he says, take a look at where your condenser and coil wire are plugged into the points. What's the order. Isolator, points, isolator, condenser and coil. BINGO. Dummy. The condenser and coil wire need to be in contact with the points.
Switched it around, got off the phone and took that first video at the top of this post. HELL YEAH. The second video is after a couple minutes of running but clearly it wasn't up to temp yet. I let it run until it was warmed and it smoothed out real nice, even with the open downpipes.
Pumped.
BERK Yeah!
Awesome!
Indy-Guy said:BERK Yeah!
My thought exactly. Thanks guys!
I went over last night with my dad so he could hear it run. We also planned to bleed the brakes/clutch. It started right up and we had it idling for about 15-20 minutes with the radiator cap off. Some good bubbles came out and it certainly had some big glugs as I was filling it but I'm surprised that's all it took. The BMW cooling system is much more of a pain to burp. In that 20 minutes of idling, however, it only reached 160. I think if there were a big pocket that would have shown up in a quicker climb in temp.
Either way, this is how it starts up at 160. It's hard to tell with the open downpipes but with some little revving, you really can hear that distinct Healey note. I do think i've got a little exhaust leak where the manifold meets one of the downpipes. I don't think the old brass nuts tightened down as they should have.
We then half-assed started to bleed the brakes but quickly decided it was a better idea to go grab a couple beers.
On a different note. I'm learning more about the Miata. It's got less than ideal wiring to the battery which results in an intermittent no-start situation! See: taking it last night to fill with gas and Stabil and having to wriggle the wiring at the battery 4 times (hopping in and out of the car) to get it started again. Another thing I learned is that my wife doesn't hate it. I guess I hadn't shown her a picture yet and her reaction was actually positive overall.
With no heater core there is no place for air to hide in the Healey's cooling system. So long as the heater core hasn't been drained they always fill right up, just as you experienced.
That engine makes a good sound.
slowbird said:That engine makes a good sound.
I have to agree with you there. It'll be even better with some semblance of an exhaust.
Last night was one of "2 steps forward and one back". I got fluid to all corners of the braking system. I realized I had the pivot, and in turn the arms, for the e-brake backwards. Whoopsie. Fixed that. I made up some slick, tiny cotter pins out of safety wire because I didn't have any small enough. These were for the hood release mechanism. I'm legitimately proud of this hackery. Should have taken a picture.
Remember that brake line I had shortened and re-flared? It leaks. That's the step backwards. It's the only leak in the entire system and it's about impossible to remove that line now that the engine is in place. Hopefully a friend can come over with a flaring tool and we can get it sorted.
Apropos of nothing except maybe a chuckle and some motivation, I just remembered this video of the last Healey to escape from my shop! Just waking up from a 7 year slumber.
Nice example of a car that has never been restored.
Excuse the loons driving the thing, I seem to attract the breed in my shop. I am hiding behind the camera.
Pete
Love it! Thanks for sharing. I'm really itching to have it move under it's own power. If my friend can't come by tomorrow or Friday with his flare tool, I'll be going the rental route first thing Saturday.
Tonight was another wonderful one with my daughter so, yep, another at-home project once she went to bed.
It's far from good but it'll do the trick for now. I actually only held on to it for wall art and planned to use one of the stainless mesh grilles the racers have but just recently my dad made it clear he prefers the stock grille.
Spent literally 4 hours on Saturday attempting to get a good flare on the line. Even went out and bought a bubble flare tool. Finally got what I thought was a pretty good flare and it leaked worse than it ever had. Studied the MC for a bit and I think it was the problem all along. From the beginning it never felt right and I think it was just a bum part.
New MC will arrive tomorrow and I'll just be reusing the original line.
Considered setting fire to the garage before leaving Saturday evening but decided against it.
Considered setting fire to the garage before leaving Saturday evening but decided against it.
Having been faced with that choice more than once....I often wonder if I made the right decision!
Pete
NOHOME said:I often wonder if I made the right decision!
Pete
I'm not sure either.
Got myself over to the shop tonight. First things first I cleaned. Tomorrow is trash day, I needed to clear my mind and there is a lot of E36 M3 scattered around the shop. That felt good.
Second was painting up a number of little brackets that I had forgotten about.
Third was mounting the battery box.
Fourth was this.
All the holes line up but the bottom is a bit iffy considering there's now paint on it and it probably won't want to flex much. It'll be what it'll be.
Tomorrow the new MC should show up. I'll get over there after work, toss it in and there will be no leaks *runs around the house and knocks on every piece of wood*.
Yesterday ended with the driver's quarter partially in place. Today ended with both quarters done. It's far from perfect but it looks damn good if you ask me. Threw the wheel on for effect.
That chrome beading is a real pain in the ass.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Seeing it on the car, Yes, you absolutely nailed the color. Looks great, and I imagine it has lifted your mood 
Looks amazing. It will stand out in the field of red, green and black Healeys at the shows.
Pete
Thanks guys! Yesterday after the 6th family event of the weekend (there was a 7th last night and an 8th and 9th today), I met my dad over at the shop for him to see color on the car for the first time. He was pleased. After he left I painted up two little brackets that hold the grille on then headed over to Patrick's to pick up the primo, free rear bumper for the Miata that he and Slowbird made happen. After chatting for a few, I met a friend over at Backstreet where he was doing some Hondata thing. I also got to poke around a super clean spec Miata, an LS swapped FD RX-7 and found a non-smashed trunklid for the Miata lying around. Great afternoon.
Today was back to business.
I started with the rear again. From the factory the shroud is riveted to the trunk floor. I started with full intentions of doing that today and put three self tapping screws through some of the existing/original holes in the shroud to affix it to the floor. I then realized that if I ever need to remove the shroud, I'll have to drill out all the rivets and surely destroy the paint. I ended up with all zip screws. Some of me feels strange doing that but most of me knows that sheet metal screws were used all over this car from the factory so I don't feel bad at all. After that was the screws that hold the quarters to the shut panel. On to the front shroud.
Long story short, the way the grill mounts is just silly and because the painter filled 4 holes that he shouldn't have, it took a while. There are pieces of metal that stick up from each of the front wheel wells that bolt to two pieces of metal that are riveted to the shroud. One was fine, one I had to remake.
The shroud mounts with a number of screws above the dash, those pieces of metal referenced above, to two extensions off the frame rails and these little thingamabobs.
Anyway, it looks sweet.
In reply to AxeHealey :
mmmmmmm disc brakes mmmmm
Seriously, love the color and the progress.
Good luck with the fenders and doors.
Take a deep breath... lol.
On the grille are you going to use the lower trim too, or as is?
Might help with some of the gap.
In reply to a_florida_man :
Yeah, I have that piece sitting on the floor. It has a small crack and really needs to be replaced anyway. Those rivets I used also didn't compress to be flush so I'll have to notch it.
That's a gorgeous blue color and it really suits the car. Can't wait to see it finished.
slowbird said:That's a gorgeous blue color and it really suits the car. Can't wait to see it finished.
Thanks!
I had a post going and then my computer froze. Wonderful.Cut down version...
Here is where I left it last night around 11. The driver's side went on no problem but the passenger gave me fits from the beginning. Once I realized I was losing my patience, I packed it up and went home.
We've got a birthday party to go to Saturday night. My wife has requested we go to the shop beforehand to bleed the brakes and clutch. Yeah, she's that cool.
Last night was a good one. Passenger fender is on and the driver's side is all together. Just need to mount the striker.
Now that, that looks like a Healey.
I love the blue.
Patrick said:I love the blue.
Thanks man. I'm really happy with it too.
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