Last time I covered a few of the major sources of oil leaks coming from a four-cylinder Austin-Healey engine. This time we’ll continue with some other potential leakers, like the rocker cover, the oil filter assembly, the engine front cover, and the head itself. When fitting the stock steel rocker cover to the engine, be…
I’ve been wanting to replace my original 17-inch steering wheel with a wood-rimmed one for some time. For those of us of ample build, or belonging to the “seismically stable” set, the additional clearance of a smaller wheel can make a lot of difference in driving pleasure. Yes, I know that there is just an…
When my ’68 Jaguar XKE needed a new clock battery, which is a small mercury cell 1.5 volt, I was informed that the EPA had banned the sale and disposal of mercury cells in California! Determined to have a working clock in the Jag, I modified the circuit, grind two pieces of insulated wire, approximately…
Having in my classic car collection several British cars, I note that nearly all of them have one feature lacking. In spite of the accepted Lucas practice of intermittent off/on, there is no switch for hazard blinkers. While a lever is provided for (hopefully!) left or right turn trafficators, it would be nice sometimes to…
FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS The condition of front wheel bearings is of vital importance to your safety, but is often overlooked. Main concerns are cleanliness, lubrication, and adjustment (where adjustment is possible). Bearings which have suffered a lack of any of these will usually need to be replaced. While reference to a good workshop manual specific…
VALVE TRAIN BASICS Valve train condition is of vital importance at all times to the correctly running engine. Unfortunately, many of the factors involved are often neglected in “do it yourself” engine rebuilding and in normal maintenance. The simplest and most common valve train operation performed is valve lash (clearance) adjustment. Yet even this common…
I enjoy getting your newsletter very much and when it arrives I devour it cover to cover! I especially enjoy the Tech Tips and Under the Bonnet features and get a lot of useful information from them. Owning a 1976 MG Midget can be quite a challenge at times! Recently every 50 miles or so,…
A couple of weeks ago, a friend loaned me several books dealing with building and modifying cars. Lots of good advice, but there was one outstanding theme which threaded its way through all of the manuals: research and advance planning! Heavy emphasis was made that the research/plan phase of a major automotive project is at…
There are a number of good reasons why you should consider replacing your Lucas distributor with a Mallory Dual-Point distributor. First, accurate ignition timing is often one of the most overlooked areas of engine performance and tuning, and your car’s original Lucas distributor might just not be up to the task anymore. MG T series…
I admit to being a scrounger, cheapskate, skinflint, and hand-me-down king! I have shelves of worn out Triumph parts I just can’t throw away. Anyone out there need a TR3 brake caliper with a ruined hydraulic fixture, drilled out by a ham-fisted mechanic? Or a worn out water pump, or…the list goes on. In the…
