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Aug 14, 2017 11:31:15 GMT
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Figured this might warrant a thread of its own. This 1954 Healey has arrived as a house guest to be got back on the road after 7 years. The car was running well before it's break, but has since developed a need for a few bits like brakes and a need to flush out the fuel system and carbs. The car has a unique charm in that despite the scruffy paint, the body is rock solid and never been welded on. One of the most honest cars I have seen in a long time.  Bit more crowded in the shop.  |
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tristanh
Part of things
Routinely bewildered
Posts: 990 
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Aug 16, 2017 23:26:50 GMT
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Glorious.
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Whether you believe you can, or you cannot, you're probably right.
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Aug 16, 2017 23:28:02 GMT
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love it had a drive in one 20 years ago , EPIC
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Aug 17, 2017 12:57:03 GMT
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Finally got a chance to get a start on this project. Now, realize that this is a struggle for me. The tendency built into my DNA wants to tear this car down to the last nut and bolt and restore it to much better than new. The car is in such great shape bodywise that it would be a pleasure to refurbish the coachwork without having to do the endless task of welding and panel fitting. But that is not what this project is about. This car has a history. It was passed on from one brother to another when the owner passed. All the stuff that makes me scratch my head; like: why are the windshield post painted red?" Have a reason and a story. If I tore it down, it would be like erasing the pages in a book, and starting my own book from there. Som on task, goal is to make it run and be safe. Ignore the wiring that is entirely made up of white wired. Ignore the battery in the trunk. Ratty but untorn interior is not on the "To Do" list. Got the bonnet open finally and after finding the SUs trully gummed up, off they came.  Likewise the fuel tank; it was 3/4 full of what smells like varnish. Hard to believe it holds fuel with all the fiberglass patching going on outside. The good news is that the trunk floor is solid despite looking like the rats nest that it is.  I will put her up on stands tonight and see what lurks behind the drums. I already know that new brake lines are going to be required. |
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 Pulled the front wheel to see what kind of shape the drum brakes were in. Pretty bad I would have to say Not only are they messed-up to the point where they had turned into disc brakes, but it looks like the calipers were new when the car was parked. No rust on the exposed part of the puck, no rust on the hardware and the pads are full thickness. As a bonus, the suspension bushings, shocks and kingpins are all tight. Someone took care of this car. The rear drums on a Healey 100 are a royal PITA to get off. The stud has to go through a boss in the drum that is over 1" thick, and of course it will always be rusted in the bore. Once it did come off, same story as up-front; brakes look like they were fresh when the car went down for it's nap.  I am going to pull everything apart for cleaning and inspection, but it does look promising. |
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tristanh
Part of things
Routinely bewildered
Posts: 990
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Aug 18, 2017 11:40:37 GMT
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Is work on your own car postponed til this one is done?
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Whether you believe you can, or you cannot, you're probably right.
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Aug 18, 2017 11:45:44 GMT
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Is work on your own car postponed til this one is done? For the most part. I have a full time day job and it is summer, so stuff like fishing, house-projects and socializing are in play. But cheer up, winter is coming and in about 150 days I will be retired and have plenty of time ( but little $) to work on the Molvo. |
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Aug 18, 2017 17:11:10 GMT
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Beautiful, they are so good looking. Looking forward to more!
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OK, I am about ready to smack something with my mini sledge thato is NOT a left rear brake drum...mostly thinking about the moron who though of putting a wheel stud through a 1.356" boss so it can rust weld itself to the stud. Seriously...who does that? I managed to get the RH one off with a puller, but the LH one has barely moved. Afraid to put more force on it with the puller because I suspect it would be very expensive to replace. Going to let IT soak in a mix of acetone and transmission fluid and I am going to go soak in beer.  |
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Aug 19, 2017 10:05:03 GMT
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Thats a nice car you are having there. Can't be that many around in good unrestored condition.
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Aug 19, 2017 19:17:03 GMT
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OK my fellow car loving rust hating friends...I am here to TESTIFY! I am going to testify about the miraculous powers of 50/50 acetone and ATF! HALLELUJAH!!!
Praise the lord after a night of soaking in the brew the rear drum came off like a lamb to slaughter. It was AMAZING!
Seriously, I had heard of this wiches brew, but as a life-long manual shifter, who has ATF kicking around? So, with this bleeping drum refusing to come off even with a puller cranked as tight as I dared, I realized that I had ATF and Acetone in the garage at the same time. Without much hope I mixed some up, hit the studs with a liberal dose of the stuff, and went in for the night. Damn if the drum did not come off this morning with little effort from the puller.
I am a believer!
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Aug 24, 2017 22:50:09 GMT
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  Got the rear brakes all de-gunged, de-rusted and POR coated. Ready to go back together. The front has run into a snag in that one of the hubs has been damaged by a bearing gone wrong. Not sure where to go from here as I am not even sure what Model Healey the hubs are from; recal that this car should not have disc brakes. |
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mk2cossie
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,948
Club RR Member Number: 77
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Love the condition of this  And the acetone and ATF mix is a new one on me! Seems to have worked a charm though. Are the front hubs from a 6cylinder mkIII? We have a couple of them in at work through the year and they have front disc brakes |
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Welcome to the weird world of Healeys! That is a great car to restore and with such a history - well done to try and not "make like new"......will watch this with great interest.
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Aug 25, 2017 11:31:25 GMT
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Welcome to the weird world of Healeys! That is a great car to restore and with such a history - well done to try and not "make like new"......will watch this with great interest. No danger or over-restoring this one; it is going out looking exactly like it came in except for some rust clean-up in the trunk area. The ATF- acetone mix worked again to free up the rear brake adjusters. I have always resorted to heat to free those things up but two days of soaking did the trick. The Healeys got disc brakes with the 100-6 model. The calipers have a number 14 in the casting and I think that might be a clue. I plan to pull the calipers apart, but not before I can identify what they are and get parts. |
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Last Edit: Aug 25, 2017 11:33:15 GMT by bjornagn
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Aug 26, 2017 20:14:16 GMT
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So, got the rear brakes and e-brake buttoned up and off the list. Nothing terrible going on, just needed to de-rust and clean everything up. Ran new rear lines made of cupro-nickel just to be safe.  Going to need full brake-line replacement as these are representative of what was on the car: I did not mangle the lines taking them out, this is how they were routed and not held in by anything. The one that runs to the rear brakes was the worst as it hung way below the chassis. The front junction block was plugged solid with crud. Need to do a bit of research to see how they are meant to be routed. I think I can do better!  |
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Last Edit: Aug 26, 2017 20:18:30 GMT by bjornagn
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Aug 27, 2017 23:42:10 GMT
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Today was all about brake lines. I re-made the front ones so that they followed a rational path. Wanted to pass on a trick for those that are working with rolled stock brake-lines. Trying to make it nice and straight is a PITA. Here is the run as unrolled for the front to rear line:  What I do is to measure and cut a generous length. I clamp one end in the vice. The other end I clamp in a vice-grip pliers. I then administer a generous whack to the pliers with a small sledge hammer, See how nice and straight that comes out?  Here is the new line compared to the one that was crammed in and under the car:  |
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Aug 31, 2017 12:47:31 GMT
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Big lot of parts on order so in a holding patern for the most part. Decided that the boot could use a scuff and coat of POR rust encapsulator. Will finish off later with an IH red that looks a bit like what is in the reat of the trunk.  |
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tristanh
Part of things
Routinely bewildered
Posts: 990
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Aug 31, 2017 14:03:50 GMT
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Today was all about brake lines. I re-made the front ones so that they followed a rational path. Wanted to pass on a trick for those that are working with rolled stock brake-lines. Trying to make it nice and straight is a PITA. Here is the run as unrolled for the front to rear line: What I do is to measure and cut a generous length. I clamp one end in the vice. The other end I clamp in a vice-grip pliers. I then administer a generous whack to the pliers with a small sledge hammer, See how nice and straight that comes out? Here is the new line compared to the one that was crammed in and under the car: Did you ever try the roller for straightening brake lines? goo.gl/images/DvMAsm |
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Whether you believe you can, or you cannot, you're probably right.
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