Tech Tip – Big Healey, Stop Smoking

From Moss Motoring 1986

by Norman Nock Stockton, CA

Does your Austin Healey smoke? Burn oil? Have less than 15 pounds oil pressure at idle? Have less than 45 pounds oil pressure at 55 mph?

If you have the smoking and oil pressure problem, here is a diagnostic procedure that could save you an engine rebuild and a few thousand dollars. Drive your car for 30 miles or more to bring the oil up to operating temperature. As soon as you return, remove the valve cover before the oil cools down. With the valve cover removed, start your engine and run it at3000 rpm and notice the quantity of oil coming from the side of each rocker arm. An engine in good condition will have only a very small amount of oil coming out of the top center of the rocker, or if it spurts out of the small hole making a gusher of 6 inches or more, you have now found a major cause of low oil pressure and smoking in the Big Healeys.

A fresh rocker arm assembly is the solution, including a new shaft, new bushes, and reground rocker arm faces.