Special Healey Tools
Healey Journal
Every car presents odd little problems of its own. These can be frustrating, and may take considerable effort to resolve. Often, these problems may be much reduced and the annoyance eliminated by the application of a little effort to fabricating a tool especially for the job at hand. A few that I've found useful are:
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This shows a simple tool made from a 1/2" bolt and two nuts. One nut is threaded onto the bolt leaving a small gap of a few threads exposed at the end onto which the next nut may be threaded. The first nut is then tightened down onto the second, making a firm and unmovable combination. The bolt may then be used to reach into the hubs and the second nut screwed onto the threaded shaft on the grease cap. It is then an easy job to simply pull the cap free. If the grease has hardened and the cap is firmly fixed a little heat will often loosen it- a little heat may also cause the hub to expand and not grip the cup so tightly. If not, a cross-bar may be fabricated for the bolt and another nut threaded onto the bolt above the cross-bar and that may then be tightened down onto the bar to provide a greater mechanical pressure to pull the cap if necessary.
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Removing the pins from the wishbone bushings is one of the more onerous tasks an Austin Healey presents. If you're lucky a sufficiently long pry bar may allow you to push the pins out and free the wishbone arms. More typically the pins have corroded and become inseparably attached to the bushings. A tool that may work (cross your fingers) involves using a heavy bolt, and a washer and nut to fit it. The suspension towers conveniently have holes located just beside the wishbone brackets. These may be used to provide clearance for a simple press that may apply substantial pressure on the pins and press them from the bushings. The nut is first threaded onto the bolt and the washer then placed on the outside of it. The bolt head is then placed against the free end (NOT the head) of the wish bone pin, with the bolt shaft extending into the suspension tower. The washer is then pushed against the tower to provide a surface for the nut to press against as it is unscrewed. As the nut is unscrewed against the washer and suspension tower, the bolt head will be pressed against the wishbone pin. Very substantial pressure may be exerted using this method. The pin should be soaked in penetrating oil. It may also be useful to allow several days and tighten the bolt a little every day. This will maintain pressure over a long period of time and may prove successful.
If not, fire up the old cutting torch and burn it out.
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The differential filler and drain plugs occasionally need to be removed. These plugs present an odd problem for although they're square the size does not match either a 3/8" or 1/2" drive. For whatever reason known best to the boffins at Austin the plug requires a 7/16" square driver for their removal and replacement. Since the standard drives do not fit a simple tool may be easily made to suffice. The photo shows a simple tool made from a 1/2" drive extension ground down to fit.
The Healey head can be difficult to remove- it is heavy to begin with and a sticky head gasket just makes matters worse. One solution is to use the pistons to help push the head free. A length of thin rope may be feed into the combustion chamber (WARNING: leave a loose end hanging out!). The starter may then be used to "bump" the crank around pushing the piston until it compresses the top against the head and pushing it free. Ideally, rope should be feed into both the #1 and #6 cylinders. This hint is due to the British Car Forum.
Temperature Sensor Removal Tool
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The temperature sensor housed in the head can be difficult to remove. The sensor is a cylindrical bulb connected by a long capillary tube to the gauge. The sensor is positioned in the cylinder head beneath the thermostat with a externally threaded nut. The cylinder head's water jacket extends out over the sensor and leaves very little clearance. A special tool may be useful for removing the nut if flare wrenches are not available. The tool is described at: Temperature Sensor Removal, which also provided the picture used.
Crank Nut Removal (Socket)
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The nut holding the front pulley to the crankshaft is a large and somewhat odd size. Its a WHITWORTH 1 1/8 inch nut. A "standard" AF size 1 11/16 may be used. But it is rather better to have the right tool, if possible. A Britool Socket is shown- its for a 3/4 drive set but I've got a 3/4 -> 1/2 drive reducer for it, and it seems to work as well as necessary. I've also used a giant crescent wench too with great success. In fact the wrench would work very well in the confined engine bay for it is much "thinner" and the projections from the front of the nut do not matter for clearance isn't needed for them, its handle may be set against a chassis rail and the starter motor used to break the nut free. Having both socket and wrench is useful one works well with the engine in the car, and the other is ideal for bench work.
Copyright© 2005 James M. Wilson All rights reserved.