Buyer's Guide: Drivetrain

5)  Clutch, Transmission, Driveshaft & Differential: these were individually assessed and rebuilt as necessary. 

a) Clutch: This appeared to be an area where the existing components were useable- the existing clutch, pressure plate and throw-out bearing all appeared to be in relatively good condition and did not appear to have been too heavily worn. Nevertheless, I've elected to replace them. It seems a false economy to reuse parts whose history I really do not know despite their apparent acceptable condition. The cost and effort to replace them as part of a major overhaul is modest, while the disruption of having to do it later would be substantial. The clutch slave cylinder was frozen solid and the amount of corrosion made rebuilding or re-sleving it unattractive. This will be replaced too. This is one area in which having a non-running car allows a more complete inspection of the components- everything is accessible for inspection. More commonly, though, a car would be all bolted together and no such opportunity for direct inspection would be possible.

A buyer's guide would focus on assessing clutch performance in a running car- how well it functions, slippage, wear, noise, etc. With a non-runner such as mine there is little that can be told from an external inspection, apart from obvious leakages or broken components.

The clutch slave cylinder was heavily corroded and the seized up. A replacement was readily found and will be used. Rebuild kits too are easily acquired but the corrosion of the cylinder walls made that option unworkable. Note too that the shaft between the slave cylinder and the throwout bearing lever needs to be kept and reused. A further point to note is that the flexible hoses in the hydralic system are susceptible to aging and internal breakdown- thus a hose that appears good from the outside may be crumbling inside, with the loose material liable to blocking fluid flow and clutch (or brake) operations. They too should be replaced as part of a major overhaul.

b) Transmission: The transmission was checked for worn synchronizers, chipped teeth and loose bearings and was found to be in good order. It was re-assembled with new bearings and seals.

A buyer's guide for a running car would focus on assessing how well the transmission functions, synchroniser smoothness, wear, noise, etc. With a non-runner there is little that can be told from an external inspection.

The driveshaft with a balancing plate welded on

c) Driveshaft: This appeared in good shape. The U-joints did not seem overly worn and were potentially useable. They were replaced anyway and the whole shaft sent for re-balancing. It was found to be quite imbalanced and a plate was welded on. Given the Healey's reputation for "Scuttle Shake" the balancing of all rotating components (driveshaft and brake drums) is appropriate where necessary. (UPDATE: This has been done with the driveshaft having a balancing weight added and one of the drums machined slightly for balance.)

Again  a running car would offer opportunities for checking the driveshaft for wear- whether the u-joints clunked or made other noises while shifting or slowing down/speeding up. With a non-runner they can be checked manually for slackness too. The driveshaft itself seldom suffers faults- the need to re-balance mine may be just plain bad luck, but it was faultless otherwise.

Note too that if you suspect that the driveshaft has ever been removed from the car (as it might be to change U joints) and split apart into its two halves (no idea why anyone would do that other than masochism) it would then be very easy to reassembly it with the font half slightly out of alignment with the rear. Unless marked it is not hard to be a spline off-center when reassembling them- it will look right enough, but....

d) Differential: These are robust and seldom experience difficulty. Nevertheless I elected to have it stripped and inspected to assure myself that the bearings were sound and the gears in good shape  and to replace  the  seals with new ones.

The differential showed no external signs of any problems- there were no obvious leaks from any of the seals. The shafts all turned smoothly and silently without any looseness. I would have been reasonably comfortable in re-using it as it was, but again, found that costs of checking it out thoroughly were modest. It seemed reasonable again to renew the seals too. (Update, 9/2004: The checking of the differential was money well spent. I was told that the bearings were very bad and that it would have been both noisy and potentially troublesome, and I was able to obtain a Quaiffe limited slip differential too....)

6) Overdrive: the overdrive was a challenge I did not wish to take on myself- this required specialized tools and test equipment as well as being unfamiliar. It was sent to specialists to be rebuilt and uprated and have a new solenoid fitted. In a non-running car it would have been difficult to judge whether the overdrive was working properly, and again, the effort involved in putting it all back together and then undertaking the trouble-shooting and repair or replacement of defective components was not attractive. The re-build also offered the possibility of "uprating" the overdrive with heavier springs for a quicker action.Replacing the clutch components would cost roughly £180, rebuilding the overdrive around £300 and balancing the driveshaft, stripping and re-assembling the transmission and differential another £250. Had I chosen to simply trust that the existing components were useable I might have saved a tidy sum that could have been invested elsewhere, but.... The driveshaft imbalance would have needed correction at some point, and the other drivetrain components may well have required attention far sooner than the new and rebuilt ones I feel I can more comfortably rely upon. In effect, all the running gear on the car will be new or have some certain assurance of being functional, rather than trusting in 35+ year old items of uncertain character.