Throttle Cable Modification

Posted on March 15, 2020 by valv8988

Throttle Cable Modification

The information below was originally posted in 2009 and modified in 2014. I have since updated how my throttle cable system works (2020) and information on the update is found in a post in my ten-year renewal blog. For example, I no longer us the Denis Welch intake manifold cable bracket. I decided to leave the entry below to provide the reader with history of the progression of this conversion process. This link will direct you to my latest post on the subject. https://valvechatter.com/?p=10123

Owning a Austin-Healey “Bugeye” Sprite always made me wonder about the somewhat arcane mechanical throttle linkage system in my BT7. The Bugeye has a very simple accelerator control system whereby the accelerator pedal and the carburetors are connected via a cable. This provides a direct and immediately responsive system assuming that the carburetor throttle shafts and components are in good condition. Having great respect for DMH and all that he did, I was hesitant to convert my Big Healey accelerator controls to a cable approach. I quizzed all of the Healey experts I could think of, and no one could give me a satisfactory explanation for the mechanical linkage. I suppose the most common response was “the linkage must have been around and used on other cars, so it was cheap to adopt.”

In 2005, my wife and I attended the Conclave held in Winston Salem, NC. There I saw John Trifari’s BN1 that had a throttle cable installation.

John Trifari Throttle Cable 1

John Trifari Throttle Cable 2

About that same time I was emailing back and forth with Jack Brashear a Healey owner from Arkansas who had also come up with a throttle cable approach to accelerator controls in his Healey. Jack did not modify anything at the accelerator pedal inside the interior, choosing instead to use a modified pedal shaft lever as shown in the image below. I will explain the lever modification a little later in this article. Both John and Jack used a little fitting that I believe came from an MGB through which the cable routes at the top of the driver’s footbox.

Jack Brashear Throttle Cable Install

Also in 2005, I attended several of the races in the Australian/U.S. Healey Challenge series. Many of the Aussie’s cars had throttle cables instead of the mechanical linkage. Of course, the Australian cars are RH drive so the design is somewhat different (actually easier) than for LH drive cars. I noticed too that the Australian cars almost always incorporated some type of throttle stop mechanism. I suppose especially important in a race car.

Australian Racer with Throttle Cable and Throttle Stop

These examples and others that I came across about the same time convinced me that the use of a cable to control accelerator action to the carburetors was the approach that I wanted to take. However, everything that I had witnessed first hand was typically one-off, and custom designed, and I wondered if there was an easier route to my end game. I started checking vendors.

Cape International had a conversion kit http://www.cape-international.com/capeshop.php?parttypes=19&thepart=TC2# I actually tried this kit but wasn’t thrilled with it. I am sure it has been installed successfully in many cars, it just wasn’t my cup of tea.

Cape International Throttle Cable Kit

DMD from Australia also made a conversion kit. It is now available (as of August, 2014) from The Healey Factory. http://www.healeyfactory.com.au/dmd/components/ I did not personally try the DMD kit.

The Healey Factory DMD Throttle Cable Kit

I began to work on my own throttle cable kit using ideas I had seen on other cars or in the kits available from the vendors named. The narrative that follows chronicles my installation. It does not describe a right or wrong approach – it is just my approach. In fact, I am sure that others can improve upon my design. Comments and suggestions are certainly welcome.

Accelerator Pedal Swing Arm Lever

I decided to modify the throttle swing arm lever used on a BJ8 to suit my needs. I like this one better than the BT7 swing arm as it is a bit more substantial and in my view seemed a little less likely to slip on the pedal shaft once tightened. I have now used this arrangement since 2009 including an 8,000 mile cross-country trip without any problems. Jack Brashear suggested lengthening the arm so that it would swing perfectly in line with the firewall cable bracket and I followed his lead. I have headers on my car and a Toyota Supra Five-speed (not overdrive components on the firewall) so if the reader is planning a modification to the lever just make sure you have sufficient room. The following diagram illustrates the modification:

Throttle Swing Arm Lever Modification

Rose Throttle lever modified 1

Rose Throttle lever modified 2

Firewall Bracket

I then made an “L” shaped bracket to mount to the firewall. I used the welded nut on the firewall (see above) for one of the securing points and drilled a hole for a nut cert for the top securing point. My final bracket looks slightly different than this one, but this is the best image I have to illustrate the mounting of the bracket to the firewall – note that it mounts through the firewall insulation panel.

Rose Firewall Throttle Bracket Version 1 – Not Final

The image below is not from my car but it shows a bracket similar to mine mounted on the firewall. I apologize that I do not know who owns this car. I just snapped the image at a show.

Firewall Throttle Cable Bracket – Unknown Owner

The following image is of my car and shows the relationship between the swing arm lever and the firewall bracket with the cable.

Relationship of Swing Arm Lever to Firewall Bracket and Cable

Carburator/Manifold Bracket

I tried numerous approaches to fabricating a bracket to get the cable to the right place to control the carburetor throttle shaft lever. You must decide if you want the cable to run down from the firewall, below the carbs, and up to the carburetor throttle shaft lever, or alternatively, do you want the cable to run up and over the carbs and manifolds? With my approach I chose to have it do the latter. It can be done either way.

About the time I was trying to figure all of this out, Denis Welch came out with a LH drive throttle cable conversion kit that in my view is very well done. It contains a cast aluminum bracket that bolts to the intake manifold and runs a double cable from the pedal lever to the carburetor’s throttle shaft.

http://www.bighealey.co.uk/content/throttle-cable-conversion

Denis Welch Throttle Cable Kit

Because I had already begun my work and had my firewall bracket in place I decided to use the Welch cast aluminum bracket for my car, but not the rest of the kit. It has a swing mechanism built into to the cable housing that takes all alignment pressure off the cable. The kit is designed for racing cars and as such has a double cable. The double cable probably provides a somewhat smoother action and some security. I only use one cable, but I will probably switch to two at some point.

Approaching the carburetor throttle shaft lever from the manifold side of the carbs means you are pulling the carburetor throttle shaft lever up and there is not a great deal of room for that swing. I ended up cutting a notch out of my heat shield to remove any encumbrances. The image below shows the Denis Welch manifold-mounted bracket and the cut-out in the heat shield.

Welch Throttle Bracket

The Cable

The kits provide cable and fittings. I decided to use a Lokar cable and fittings only because I liked the braided cable appearance in the engine bay. Other’s may prefer black and in fact, Lokar now makes this same cable in black with black fittings. http://www.lokar.com/product-pgs/throttlecables-kickdowns/tc-kd-pgs/throttle-cables.html

Lokar Throttle Cable

The Total Package

This image shows the engine bay with the throttle cable installed. I now run a stainless heater pipe rather than the copper, and my fuel hose routes differently on the front carburetor, but other than that things today are pretty much what you see in this image.

I cannot make meaningful comparisons between the functionality of the original throttle linkage and the new throttle cable. My mechanical linkage was fifty years old and worn out so comparisons are not appropriate. I do know that the cable has worked quite well, is very responsive, and much easier to get to than the original mechanical system.

My Bloody Beast Engine with Throttle Cable

Another’s Installation

I don’t know who owns the car, but I recently came across some images of a throttle cable conversion that is accomplished quite well in my view. There is a long cable run, but it is well executed. This car uses Webers instead of SUs but the approach is the same. Apologies to the owner if he/she is unhappy sharing this nice work:

Throttle Cable Routing

Manifold Mounting

Firewall Mounting

I hope this description has been useful to readers who are interested in taking a similar approach. Just as I borrowed from the work of others and modified to my own tastes I would expect others to do the same. Please comment, offer suggestions as you like.

While the article does not format as well in a pdf document. for those readers who want to save this as a pdf or for those who want to print it as a pdf, this is the link:Throttle Cable Modification – Valve Chatter

Exhaust System

Posted on March 15, 2020 by valv8988

The Original Exhaust System

The exhaust system consisted of two exhaust manifolds connected to the silencer by two downpipes ending with flex tubing. A dual tailpipe assembly was used exiting on the left rear of the vehicle.

Exhaust System Modifications

I replaced the standard exhaust system with a Phoenix Big Bore 2″ stainless steel exhaust pipe, silencer, and long branch headers. The headers were Jet-Hot ceramic thermal coated to keep them looking good and to reduce heat.

The system consists of the clutch, gearbox, overdrive, and propshaft. The original driveline system included the following: Clutch: 10” Borg and Beck hydraulic Gearbox: “side-shift” 4 speed Overdrive: Laycock de Normanville electric Propshaft: Hardy Spicer universal joints Flywheel: 28 lb.

Jet-Hot Headers

Phoenix Headers

Phoenix Headers Installed

I used flexible stainless pipe to link the headers to the silencer.

Flex Pipes

2″ Big Bore Stainless Pipes

Engine

Posted on March 15, 2020 by valv8988

Engine installed

Engine Number

29D/RU/H5677

The engine was a development of the 100/6 2.6-litre unit and now had a capacity of 2912cc, which produced 124bhp. B.H.P.: 124 @ 4,600 r.p.m. (B.H.P. per ton laden 97.4)

Engine Modifications

Modifications affecting the engine may also be found under the categories of “ignition,” “fuel” and “electrical,” but the following items represent the enhancements made to the stock motor:

Spin-on Oil Filter

Oil filter adapters permitting the use of a contemporary oil filter are available from a number of sources. I purchased mine from Healey aficionado Don Lenschow who, unfortunately, is now deceased. Don fabricated the adapter himself. Instructions for the installation of the adapter are found here: Oil Filter Adapter. I chose to use a K&N filter #HP2009 with the adapter.

Spin On Oil Filter

Aluminum Cylinder Head

I chose to replace the very heavy original cast iron cylinder head with a new aluminum head sourced from Denis Welch. I selected the fully prepared head with new valves, springs, studs, valve seat inserts and etc. Various head preparations are available, I chose the “fast road” version. This pdf file certifies the head: D Welch Head certificate.

D. Welch Aluminum Head

Alloy Rocker Cover

After shopping around for a rocker cover to dress up the engine, I concluded that the cast aluminum cover offered by CapeSport International was the best choice. Creating a positive seal to the cylinder head has been a challenge. The Cape makes a rubber seal designed to be used with the cover, but even that one has been difficult. The polished cover does look very nice and with the aston type oil filler cap it does look like one of the early racing cars.

Engine Bling

Alloy Oil Sump

For strength and durability, I knew that I would switch to an aluminum oil sump, but finding the right one took some shopping around. After consulting with others on the Healey email list I decided on the sump offered by British Parts Northwest. Other pans required shortening of the oil pump filler pipe, but the BPN pan fit without modification.

Alloy Oil Sump

Rear Main Oil Seal

All original Healeys leak oil from the rear main. Several manufacturers provide a seal kit to help solve the problem. Installation does require modification of the engine backplate. I decided on the Denis Welch kit and installed it while the engine was out of the car during rebuild.

Denis Welch Rear Oil Seal

PCV Valve

The original engine provided a vent hose from the block and the rocker cover to the rear carburetor air cleaner to assist breathing. With my air cleaner set up I do not have an inlet to the air cleaner to provide ventilation. I installed a PCV valve to address this issue and vented it to the inlet manifold for vacuum. The kit was available from British Car Specialists. The image below shows the installed valve and piping.

PCV Installed

Camshaft Grind

I sent my original camshaft to Delta Camshafts for a regrind to BJ8 specs and was pleased with the work.

Cruise Control

Posted on March 15, 2020 by valv8988

Installing the Audiovox CCS-100 Cruise Control in a 1960 BT7

April, 2008

I decided to install a cruise control system in my car near the end of a complete restoration. The engine was in place, but the front shroud, wings and doors were yet to be installed. It seemed like the perfect time to add cruise control. Having seen the Audiovox unit installed in several cars at some recent Conclaves and Encounters, I knew it was the one for me simply because I love my modifications to be discreet when possible (my car has many “personalizations”). The Audiovox control module fits inside the gearbox cover chrome ash tray, and can be completely concealed. Knowing that other Healey owners had reported that the Audiovox unit performed in a satisfactory manner, I placed my order from J. C. Whitney and started thinking about how I would install it on my car.

My car has been converted to negative ground.

I have prepared this “tutorial” to try to be of help to those who might be interested in adding cruise to their Healeys, but a word of caution is appropriate. My notes are no substitute for the very comprehensive instructions provided in the kit, especially when it comes to the wiring. As I mentioned, my car has a number of modifications and that means that your experience may well be different than my own.

First, I want to thank a few people who provided responses to my enquiries concerning the addition of cruise control. Alan Teague and Carl Brown were both particularly helpful, as were Len Hartnet and Bob Slater. Al Malin shared some images of installations he had seen at the Vermont 2007 Conclave. They are included below; however, I am afraid I don’t know the owners of the cars so I cannot give proper attribution. The October 2002 issue of Healey Marque contains an article entitled Healey Cruise Control, by Dick Lunney and John Jones that I also found of great assistance. I definitely recommend reviewing the article before you undertake adding cruise control. Dick installed the cruise on his BN2 and John on his BN7. Everyone I consulted used the Audiovox system with the exception of Bob Slater, although I do not know what brand he used. All of my commentary is in reference to the Audiovox CCS-100 only.

Audiovox Cruise Control Image 1

As one will quickly deduct from a preliminary review of the instructions, this unit is designed for a multitude of vehicles, but as you might guess Austin Healeys are not listed in the various brands and models of cars identified in the packaging. Because of the somewhat universal application, the kit comes with quite an array of fittings, brackets and linkages that are of no use with our car and they can therefore be set aside.

The primary components of the system are: 1. The vacuum canister and vacuum connection; 2. The magnet and sensor for the propshaft; 3. The throttle linkage; 4. The control module; and 5. The wiring of the system.

I will attempt to describe each.

I began my installation with the magnet and sensor for the propshaft. This necessitates the removal of the gearbox cover. I aligned the magnet and the sensor with the propshaft in the car, but after locating both components, I actually found that I could do a much better job of wiring the magnet in place with the provided safety wire if the propshaft was on my workbench. The Healey requires the use of only one magnet (two are supplied).

Cruise Control Propshaft Image 2

It is installed with a double-sided sticky foam pad on the propshaft. My propshaft was new and freshly painted. If yours is not, you will need to clean it with sandpaper, brush and solvent.

Safety Wire Twister Tool Image 3

If you want to do a nice job, I highly recommend using safety wire twisting pliers. They make the job much easier and result in higher quality work. I got my pliers from Aircraft Spruce, but I am sure they are readily available from other suppliers as well.

Cruise Control Propshaft Image 4

Cruise control Propshaft Image 5

Note that when you secure the magnet to the shaft that you have the two “ears” in the proper position to be wired in place. The wire “snaps” into the ears and you can hear it “click.” Pulling the wire apart at the joint helps to tighten the assembly on the propshaft, and really does function much better than I ever would have suspected. You may have noticed I am using a propshaft yoke for a Toyota gearbox as I have installed the Smitty 5 speed conversion in my BT7.

Cruise Control Propshaft Image 6

Your installation may be different, but in my case I was able to simply drill a hole into the side of the gearbox tunnel and fasten the magnet sensor with the nut and washer provided. Depending upon your situation you may need to use one of the brackets provided in the kit for the sensor. The sensor must be pointed directly at the center-line of the propshaft with a 3/8” gap between the sensor and the magnet.

Cruise Control Propshaft Image 7

Cruise Control Propshaft Image 8

Cruise Control Module or Panel

My next step was to install the cruise control module or panel in the ash tray. You may elect to place it on your dash fascia, console or a custom panel. The routing of the wiring needs to be considered in determining the best location for you and your car. I decided that I wanted to run all of the wiring associated with cruise control under the gearbox cover and the gearbox extension. Others have simply run the wiring under the carpet.

I drilled a ½” hole in the center of the bottom of the ash tray and in the ash tray bracket that is part of the gearbox cover. I carefully smoothed the edges of both holes with a file. You will note that my ash tray is mounted backwards and the bracket has a couple of extra holes (that is a long story, unrelated to the cruise control installation). The control module can then be inserted into the ash tray with the wiring connected to the module pulled through the two holes.

Modified Ash Tray for Cruise Image 9

Modified AshTray for Cruise Image 10

You will need to form some type of spacer to sit in the ash tray below the control module otherwise it will “float” in the space. Styrofoam, or a small block of wood will work. The module has a two-sided sticky adhesive pad on its rear side for location on a flat panel. The size of the module does make for a very neat installation. My BT7 installation ended up looking like this:

Cruise Control Panel Installation Image 11

Alan Teague’s BJ8 Console install:

Alan Teague’s BJ8 Console Install Image 12

Herb and Bonnie Chrestie’s Dash Fascia Install:

Herb and Bonnie Chrestie’s Dash Fascia Install Image 13

Programming and Installing the Servo Canister

This is the next task. On the back of the vacuum canister there is a small plastic cover that is removed to reveal seven dip switches. The instructions provide more detail on the dip switch settings, but for the six cylinder Big Healey three switches are set to the “on” position and four are set to the “off” position.

Servo Switch Image 14

Those that are set to the “on” position are numbers 1, 3 and 7. For all manual transmission cars, the small black jumper connector located on the left side of dip switch #1 is removed. The 10-pin plastic wiring harness connector is then plugged into (snapped) place on the dip switch panel, and the wires are folded back. The plastic cover is then replaced with two small self-tapping screws.

Servo Switch Image 15

Servo Switch Image 16

Locating the Vacuum Canister

Locating the canister in the vehicle was the most challenging part of the project for me. As I mentioned previously, I have a number of modifications on my car that meant places that were used by others who have installed this unit were not available to me because something was already located in the spot where the canister might go.

Vacuum Unit Install Image 17

Al Malin took the photo to the above at the Vermont Conclave that shows the canister mounted to the right firewall brace. That didn’t work for me because I already had placed a radiator overflow tank there. This location might work for you, but then again you might wish to make the canister less visible.

Vacuum Unit Install Image 18

Several people have reported mounting the canister on the fresh air box beside the steering column. Carl Brown and Alan Teague selected that location. It might also be mounted below the left wing, but you cannot get too low due to heat from the exhaust.

Alan Hendrix of Hendrix Wire Wheel installed the cruise control on Devin William’s car. He chose to mount the canister along the LH frame rail and then routed the cable up into the engine bay. In my case I wanted the canister hidden as much as possible (of course, this means it will be harder to get to if you need to access the canister again!), and I was somewhat restricted as I have mentioned. I ended up removing the curved metal bracket on the canister and used plastic ties to mount the canister to the dash fascia brace to the right of the steering column.

Vacuum Unit Install Image 19

This was easy for me since the front shroud was not on the car at the time, but I could still get to it from under the dash if needed. Pardon the wiring mess in the image above, I had not yet “cleaned-up” the wiring when I took the photo.

My BT7 Vacuum Unit Install Image 20

In the end, inside the engine bay, inside the cockpit, or along the frame is a matter of personal preference. The instructions emphatically state not to mount the vacuum canister on the engine itself. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. Inside the cockpit means it is probably easier to hide the 10-pin connector and the wiring harness, but it also means that you must route the throttle control cable and the vacuum line from the canister through grommets on the firewall. Inside the cockpit the canister is more easily hidden, but you also can hear the unit working (not objectionable levels to me) since you don’t benefit from getting the unit on the other side of the firewall. You just need to experiment. Let me know if you come up with another location and send me an image and I will include it in this little write-up!

Once the location of the canister is determined, the vacuum line needs to be installed. In their Healey Marque article, Dick Lunney and John Jones described using copper tubing for the vacuum line rather than the rubber hose included in the kit. Whatever you choose to use, the tubing or hose needs to get connected to the intake manifold. Depending upon what you have connected to the manifold already (brake servo, pcv valve and etc.) will determine whether you can use a fitting already available on the manifold, whether you will us a “T” splitter provided in the kit, to take advantage of a vacuum line already in place, or whether you might even drill and tap another hole in the manifold for a fitting as Dick and John did.

In my case, I am using the small original fitting on the manifold for a pcv valve, the vacuum line to the distributor is routed from the rear carb (I am using HD8 BJ8 carbs on my BT7), so that left the original large blanking plug (7/8” I believe) on the manifold to be used. I drilled a hole through the center of the plug. Tapped it, installed a radiator drain valve I had laying around, soldered the fitting to seal it and presto I had a nice little connector for my cruise control canister. I used what I had, I am sure you can come up with something that will work equally well! These are images of the fitting and the installation of the hose:

Homemade Vacuum Fitting Image 21

Cruise Control Vacuum Fitting Image 22

By the way, the stainless cable in the right photo is my throttle cable routed from the accelerator pedal lever – not to be confused with the throttle cable for the cruise control assembly.

So far we have installed the magnet and sensor, the cruise control control module and the vacuum canister with its vacuum line. It is now time to turn to the wiring for the cruise mechanism.

Cruise Control Wiring

Caution: Follow the wiring instructions included with the cruise control kit! I have simply provided a guide that reflects how I wired my car, but remember yours may be different. My car has been converted to negative ground.

Turn “off” the battery switch in the boot or disconnect the battery before undertaking the wiring to avoid the potential of unpleasant results!

There are a number of wires to connect for the cruise control, but the task is really fairly easy. As typical of most Healey projects, patience is required. I will proceed with the wiring by source location and color. Before actually connecting any wires, I advise figuring out what your routing will be. The harness has a generous length of wire, but you do need to figure out the path of each.

The BT7 gearbox cover is in two parts, the cover itself and the gearbox cover extension between the cover and the firewall. The speedometer cable is routed between the firewall and the cover extension. I decided to run most of my wiring immediately next to the speedometer cable, behind the gearbox extension and to route the wires along the gearbox. In this manner, the wiring is hidden from view. The down side is to access the wiring you must remove the gearbox cover or approach the wiring from under the vehicle. Others have routed the wiring under the carpet. Of course, if you mount the cruise control module on the dash then you will have an entirely different wiring plan. Therefore, again, you will need to map out your wiring plan in advance.

This is an image of the wiring once connected as routed on my car. I left the wiring loose for the photo so the various color wires could be seen. I then encased the wiring in a black plastic tube (provided in kit) to give a neater installation. Remember, I am using a Toyota 5-speed gearbox.

Cruise Wiring Along Gearbox Image 23

Black wire with eyelet terminal from vacuum canister to an earth (ground) point. I used a screw and nut on the interior side of the firewall.
Blue wire to the negative terminal on the coil. For me, this was a fairly long run and I routed the wire through the clips on the firewall brace that hold the original wiring harness wires to the brake switch and the ignition.
Grey and black wires encased in heat shrink tubing are connected to the magnet sensor in the tunnel next to the propshaft. It doesn’t matter to which terminal the wires are connected.
Purple wire to the brake light switch wire that is hot when the brake pedal is depressed. In my case, for the BT7 that is a green wire with a purple stripe. I use a Watson’s mechanical brake switch rather than the original hydraulic pressure switch, so my wiring actually connected close to the fuse block on the firewall. My wires were routed through existing rubber grommets. Again, your wire routing will depend upon the model of your car and whether it is as original or modified.
Red wire to the constant positive 12 volt battery source to the brake light switch. This is the wire that remains hot whether or not the brake pedal is depressed. In my case that is a solid light green wire.
Orange fused wire with switch connector needs to be loaded with the brown, green and yellow wires from the main harness into the 4 pin connector. Both ends of the plastic connector are color coded to match the wires. Each wire should be pressed in until you hear an audible “click.” After the connectors are loaded then route your wires and press the pieces of the 4-pin connector together (the other side of the 4-pin connector originates with the cruise control module). In my case that was behind the gearbox extension and along the top of the gearbox. The orange wire needs to be connected to a source with positive 12 volts after the ignition switch is turned to “on.” Just as an aside, I later inserted a four-way bullet connector in the orange wire, after the in-line fuse, to allow for the addition of a grey wire to the gearbox “back-up” switch terminal so that I would have “switched” power to the reverse terminal.
Grey wire from control module to the light switch on the dash fascia. The terminal that is hot when the parking lights are turned “on.” This connection provides illumination for the control module.
Black wire from the control module to an earth (ground) connection. In my case a screw on the side of the gearbox.
Yellow wire from the control module is routed through the molex connector to the yellow wire to the servo.
Green wire from the control module is routed through the molex connector to the green wire to the servo.

Trouble shooting: The instruction booklet provides a test sequence for the wiring if for some reason your unit is not functioning as it should.

Throttle Control Linkage.

The final step is to determine where you will attach a new lever on the throttle shaft and then locate a bracket for the throttle control cable from the vacuum canister to the throttle linkage. Throughout my restoration I have avoided drilling any new holes in the car unless it was absolutely necessary. In all but just a few instances I have been able to work out a solution to mounting various components by taking advantage of screws or bolts already on the car. To do so with the cruise throttle control, I designed a bracket, that while a little complex for the purpose did allow me to use the two mounting bolts for the pedal box found on the top of the firewall diagonal brace. The images below show the bracket before and after painting. After painting it red it virtually disappears from view. I routed the cable from the vacuum canister through the firewall and mounted it to the fabricated bracket.

Cruise Control Bracket Image 24

Cruise Control Bracket Image 25

Cruise Control Bracket Image 26

Cruise Control Bracket Image 27

If the integrity of the original structure is less important to you, or if you are connecting the throttle cable in a different location on the throttle shaft (I used a lever on the very end of the shaft for the rear carb) then you can use one of the several brackets provided in the Audiovox kit or you can create your own as I did.

The kit directions indicate that there should be between 1 ½” and 2” total linkage travel. The servo throttle cable and the carb shaft lever are connected with a bead chain supplied in the kit along with couplers for each end of the chain. It is cut to the length required. A minimum of 5 beads should be used. In my case 10 beads were used. The number will of course vary depending upon the set-up in your car. The chain connection should provide for straight and free travel of the linkage when operated.

After the chain connection is made from the servo cable to the carb linkage, nothing remains of the assembly process other than taking the car out on the road and testing the system. I found the Audiovox cruise control to work quite satisfactorily. Perhaps not quite as smooth as the systems found on our vehicles today, but certainly functional and well worth the moderate expense.

Good luck with your installation. Just let me know if in your experience something could be made clearer in these instructions.

Click this link for a pdf file of the Audiovox Installation process: Installing the Audiovox CCS (low res)

Cheers and happy healeying!

Lin Rose

1960 BT7 “The Bloody Beast”

1959 AN5 Bugeye

[email protected]

Adding a Reverse Gear “Back-up” Light

Posted on March 15, 2020 by valv8988

I use a Toyota 5-speed gearbox in the Bloody Beast, but I have never taken advantage of the “back-up” light switch feature that is available on the transmission. Our Healeys did not have a “back-up” light. Steve Gerow discovered a LED light made for the job designed to be mounted on the lower holes of the license plate. So, thanks to you Steve! I have borrowed another one of your ideas. I could have used a number plate lamp from a Jaguar that incorporates a reverse light, but while period correct, the light would not have been nearly as bright and therefore noticeable, and that is the whole point.

LED “Back-up” Light

I visited my local Toyota dealer to see if I could locate a pigtail and plug for the reverse switch terminal located on the LH side of the gearbox, but had no luck there. I found some very small wiring terminal connectors on the internet and made up my own wires to fit the small spade connectors at the switch.

Wire Terminals for Toyota gearbox reverse switch

Wiring attached to the Toyota gearbox reverse switch

Wiring leads from Reverse Switch

The forward wire needs a switched power source and I decided to use the fused wire from the ignition switch to the cruise control conveniently located on the RH side of the gearbox. I simply used a four way bullet connector to “splice-in” in the grey wire to the reverse switch. I will never be using the cruise control while in reverse gear so no load issues, although the load requirement of the LED light strip is miniscule anyway.

Four Way Bullet Connector for switched power source

I used an 18 gauge green wire with an orange tracer (sourced from British Wiring) for the wiring from the grey lead to the LED light at the rear of the car. A disadvantage of adding electrical items post-restoration is that is not easy to add the necessary wiring without it being visually obvious. In this case it is either under the car or in the boot hidden by the armacord lining so not too bad.

Wiring Along Frame Rail

Up and over the Fuel Pump and Through the Boot Bulkhead

Wiring Through the Boot Bulkhead and under Armacord and out the Shroud Number Plate Wiring Grommet

The LED light red wire was connected to the green/orange wire for +12 volts and its black ground wire was connected by a self-tapping screw into the rear frame.

LED Reverse Light

Assorted Electrical Modifications

Posted on March 15, 2020 by valv8988

The Original Electrical System

The electricals were a 12 volt positive ground Lucas system. The battery with an interrupt switch was located in the boot. The system consisted of the following: Fuel pump: SU AUA72 Voltage Regulator: Lucas Type 106/2 Single Fuse Box: Lucas Type FS6 with 50 and 35 amp fuses Electric Overdrive: Laycock de Normanville Two horns: Lucas Type HF1748 Dynamo: Lucas No. 22530 A or B

Modified Electrical System

Battery

I decided to go with a modern battery and replaced the original style with an Optima gel battery. Part Number: 34 (8002-002) RedTop®; Battery; Group 34; Cold Crank Amps 800; Crank Amps 1000; Reserve Capacity 110; Ampere Hour 50; Top Terminal; L-10 in.; W-6 7/8 in.; H-7 13/16 in.; UNBOXED.

Optima Battery

Battery Master Switch

Numerous owners have reported failures with the original Lucas voltage interruption switch located in the boot. While these switches can be renewed, I decided to replace mine with a modern equivalent, sourced from Pegusus Racing.

Battery Master Switch

Negative Ground and Alternator

I made many “personalizations” in the Bloody Beast that required modifications to the electrical system. To accommodate these changes, conversion to negative ground and exchanging an alternator for the original dynamo or generator were in order. Alternator Conversion Big Healey. Alternator conversion wiring instructions.

Conversion to Negative Ground

Alternator Mount Kit

Delco Alternator

Supplementary Fuse Panel

To support the additional electronic functions I would be adding to my BT7 I thought it might prove helpful to add a supplementary fuse panel. The original electrical system was “under-engineered” when it came to protecting the electrical components and wiring. The unit I added was a “Painless” brand, available at most auto parts stores. It utilizes modern blade fuses. ACCY 1 Yellow Ignition Hot – Two speed heater; ACCY 2 Blue Ignition Hot – Amplifier; ACCY 3 Purple Constant Hot – Accessory power (cigar lighter) and the windscreen washer via a red wire. I mounted the panel below the dash fascia on the firewall interior. Accessory Fuse Block

Extra Fuse Block

Gear Reduction Starter

In the engine bay, in addition to replacing the dynamo with a modern alternator, I opted to go with a gear reduction starter. It is a little difficult to see in the image below. It is to the left of the oil filter. These are the installation instructions that came with the starter: Gear Reduction Starter.

Gear Reduction Starter

Fuel Gauge Dampener

Healey owners know that the fuel gauge needle tend to bounce around making it difficult to get an accurate read on fuel level. Steve Gerow found an answer. A small device ordered from Zim’s Autotechnik, http://www.allzim.com/acatalog/Fuel_Gauge_Stabilizer.html a Porsche parts vendor, helps to steady down that needle, minimizing but not eliminating fluctuations. Thanks, Steve!

Fuel Gauge Stabilizer

Remote Control Courtesy Lamps in Interior and Boot

I wanted to install courtesy lamps in the interior footwells and in the boot. However, I did not want to drill holes in the doors for typical courtesy lamp operation, so I decided to modify a remote security key fob to actuate my system. Upon clicking a button on the fob, the floor and boot lamps illuminate for 40 seconds and then extinguish. I also installed a toggle switch on a panel under the dash that permits continuous power to the lamps until switched off. To look “period,” the lamp I used in the boot is actually an original-type Lucas license plate lamp with the chrome metal shroud removed. The system works quite nicely. At night when I approach the car, I can simply hit the key fob button and Viola, I have interior lights!

Courtesy Light Wiring

RH Footwell Courtesy Lamp

LH Footwell Courtesy Lamp

Boot Lamp

Lucas SLR-570 -5″ Driving Lights

I like the looks of the 5″ driving light, while others will certainly prefer the 7″ option. I mounted mine with a combination tie down hook and lamp bracket sourced from Cape International. Wiring guidance was proved by an excellent article written by John Trifari. Details of the installation are provided in the restoration blog.

Lucas Driving Lights

Rear Reflector Conversion to Halogen Lamps

Other Healey drivers recognizing that we have very little illumination in the rear of our cars discovered a neat conversion of the rear reflectors to additional lamps. I modified mine for the safety improvement. I don’t recall the source, but this is a “how to” article on the conversion as I did it. Reflector conversion. A more recent conversion using LED lights is referenced here: Conversion of Reflector to LED Again, details in the restoration blog.

Rear Modified Reflectors

Intermittent Wiper Control and Electric Washer Pump

Healeys have wipers that operate at one speed – slow! As original, they were not particularly effective. To address the problem, some Healey owners installed a later Lucas two-speed motor. I came upon an article by Ed Esslinger on a Sunbeam Tigers site who put together a kit to provide unlimited variable control of the speed of the Lucas wiper motor. I got in touch with Ed and purchased his kit and installed it in the Bloody Beast. I installed the control knob for the rheostat under the left hand corner of the dash fascia – hidden out of the way, but easily accessible. The kit can even be wired to accommodate most state laws that now require your lights to be on when the wipers are functioning! The lights come on automatically. On those misty days or when there is light snow the intermittent feature is really nice. This is the instruction sheet: Wiper Control and a wiring diagram:

Wiper Control Diagram

Intermittent Wiper Kit

Wiper Rheostat

Another suggestion I picked up from a web site was to convert the manual washer pump into an electric pump by placing a micro switch inside the little aluminum canister. I made this conversion, and then mounted a late model AH Sprite electric pump on the interior side of the firewall. One light touch activates the pump! I know, silly, cute and bordering on absurd, but then was the time to do it! Outward appearance is completely stock. Here are the directions: Rose Elect. Washer Pump Comp.

Washer Pump

Audible Turn Signal

I had installed a little Radio Shack “beeper” in the Bugeye because the run signals are not self-cancelling. Although the Big Healey control head or trafficator is self-cancelling, I thought I would go ahead and add it to the Bloody Beast as well. It is hidden on the fascia support bracket near the steering wheel shaft.

Turn Signal Buzzer

Toggle Switch Panel

I needed a few additional toggle switches, but did not want to add any to the dash as I wanted to keep it looking original. So I made up a little panel from a piece of aluminum angle, painted it red, and to avoid drilling any new mounting holes, I mounted it to two of the three legs of the wiper motor. The panel includes a warning light for when the driving lights are operational, a toggle for my redundant fuel pump (See Fuel System), and a toggle for the interior and boot courtesy lights.

Toggle Switch Panel

Sound System

Initially, my plan was to install an amplifier and “hidden” speakers to use with an iPod or iPhone. I was not interested in adding a radio to the mix. However, after reading about Roger “AUSMHLY’s” installation of Creative self-powered computer speakers in his car, I decided to go that route instead. The system supports and iPod and does not include a radio. Similar speakers are now available from Creative that work wirelessly using Bluetooth technology. http://us.store.creative.com/Creative-T12-Bluetooth-Wireless-Speakers/M/B00408GUNY.htm The speakers are hidden under the dash. One above the parcel tray and the other to the left of the steering wheel.. The speakers sound great around town at lower speeds, but their output is overwhelmed by road noise at higher speeds. To help with improved output I added a sound booster “Boosteroo T794” from Upbeat Audio to my system. http://www.amazon.com/Upbeat-Audio-T794-Connection-Applications/dp/B000EES34W The Booster was well worth the small investment. For a discussion of sound systems and speaker placement, see this British Car Forum thread:

http://www.britishcarforum.com/bcforum/ubbthreads.php/topics/534047/10.

Creative Speakers

Boosteroo

Cooling/Heater

Posted on March 15, 2020 by valv8988

Managing the heat generated by the operating engine, whether in the engine itself, in the engine bay, or in the interior is an issue in the Big Healey. What may not have been an issue in more temperate Great Britain, is a different story in the U.S. Over the years Healey owners have gotten progressively better at managing the heat issues. I made a number of enhancements to The Bloody Beast to help with cooling or at least improved insulation from the heat.

The Original Cooling System

The capacity of the cooling system, excluding the heater, is 21.6 U.S. pints. The original thermostat was 158 degrees.

Cooling System Modifications

Aluminum Radiator

Recoring the original radiator with a more efficient tubing system is one option pursued by many enthusiasts, another is replacement of the original radiator with an aluminum alternative. I chose the replacement route with an alloy radiator sourced from Cape International. In addition to the benefit of improved cooling, the polished aluminum header tank looks great in the engine bay! I painted the core with black radiator paint so that the “X” brace in the front of the car would “disappear” when looking through the grille.

Aluminum Radiator

Air-Intake Deflectors

The Healey has a multi-piece air-intake deflector assembly as original equipment; however, I was not happy with the gap that exists between the assembly shrouds and the radiator. This permitted air to escape around the radiator into the engine bay. The original deflectors are also a bit of a pain to install. I decided to fabricate some deflectors from aluminum stock. After constructing cardboard patterns I had the aluminum bent at a metal working shop. The deflectors are slotted to fit alongside the radiator in the standard radiator mounts to the frame. The image below shows the fitting of the deflectors before the radiator core was painted. As you can see this produced a tight fit around the radiator sides – no air escapes now!

Radiator Baffles

Upper Radiator Shroud

My friend, Mick Nordquist, had an upper shroud made for his Healey radiator to keep the air coming through the grill directed to the radiator rather than escaping over the radiator. He supplied the pattern for me and I had one cut with a plasma cutter from 2mm aluminum plate and installed it with four stainless steel #8 self-tapping screws. In addition to improving cooling, I think it also offers a nice cosmetic improvement.

Radiator Top Shroud

Coolant Recovery System

The original cooling system design provided for no ability to capture coolant whether just an expansion tank or a true pressurized recovery system. Healay owners, particularly if they have filled their radiators to maximum capacity are use to their car’s “burping” in the parking lot after being driven. I purchased my coolant recovery system components from Cape International.

Coolant Recovery System

Six Blade Stainless Steel Fan with Spacer

A number of alternatives to the original fan are available to the Healey owner today. The “Texas Cooler” and the variable pitch stainless steel fans are probably the most popular. I initially decided to go with the stainless fan available from British Car Specialists. However, the fan is pretty noisy so I switched the fan in 2020 for a nylon/plastic asymmetric fan similar to the “Texas Cooler” fan. The new fan was sourced from AH Spares. Time will tell but the new fan seems to keep the engine temperature under control and it is quite a bit quieter than the stainless steel fan.

Stainless Fan

AH Spares Fan

Fan Shroud

The custom air deflectors improved air control on the intake side of the radiator. To help channel the air on the fan side of the radiator and to add a safety component (those stainless fan blades are very sharp!!) I added a two piece shroud also available from British Car Specialists. It did not fit exactly as it would to the stock radiator, but a little tinkering and it fit beautifully. Since it was added after the restoration of the Bloody Beast was completed, I can say that the shroud was definitely responsible for some additional temperature reduction.

Radiator Shroud

Radiator shroud

The Original Heater/Interior Cooling

The original heater was a Smith’s hot water circulating unit, part # 8G9048. It was assisted by a fan blower secured to the right front wheel arch assembly. Fresh air was supplied to the driver’s side of the interior by a 4” paper/metal hose controlled by a fresh air assembly mounted at the front of the car.

Heater/Interior Cooling Modifications

Sealing all of the holes in the firewall is the first thing to be done if one is to keep the heat and fumes out of the interior. A helpful tip someone shared with me was to wait until dark and put a light in the engine bay. This way any holes or leaks can be easily spotted from the interior.

Dynamat Extreme and Aluminum Duct Insualtion

A number of products are on the market to help reflect heat and offer both heat and sound insulation. Dynamat Extreme is certainly on of the most popular. I applied Dynamat Extreme heat reflective and sound insulation material to my interior first. I then applied aluminum duct insulation on top of the Dynamat and under the carpet. All seams were sealed with aluminum tape. These two together have proven to be very effective in keeping the heat out!

Dynamat Extreme

Aluminum Duct Insulation

Modern Heater

For those (rare) occasions when I would choose to have more heat in the interior spaces, I chose to replace the Smith’s Heating unit with a contemporary unit supplied by Cape International. This unit has an internal two speed fan.

Cape International Heater

Fresh Air Supply

The original design of the car provided for some fresh air being delivered to the LH driver’s side of the car. Given that the Cape International Heater has its own fan, that left the original Smith’s blower to be used to blow fresh air into the passenger side of the car. I installed an air intake valve (upside down) just like the one on the LH side of the car, on the RH side, and then wired the blower to provide fresh air on the passenger side when desired. To be honest, I have found this to be useful for some ventilation when one has the hardtop in place, otherwise I am not sure that it was worth the effort! There are more details about this project in the restoration blog.

Ventilation Hose Assembly

Clutch/Gearbox and Propshaft Assorted Modifications

Posted on March 15, 2020 by valv8988

The system consists of the clutch, gearbox, overdrive, and propshaft. The original driveline system included the following:

Clutch: 10” Borg and Beck hydraulic

Gearbox: “side-shift” 4 speed

Overdrive: Laycock de Normanville electric

Propshaft: Hardy Spicer universal joints

Flywheel: 28 lb.

Driveline Modifications

Toyota 5 Speed Conversion

Although I always enjoyed the Laycock de Normanville electric overdrive in my car, I knew my tranny needed to be rebuilt. Rather than go that route, I took advantage of Smitty’s five speed conversion kit and installed a Toyota gearbox in the Bloody Beast. The Toyota Gearbox is quite a bit lighter and folks say that it runs a bit cooler than the original box.

Gearbox and Bell Housing Installed

You can use a number of different Toyota gearboxes from the non-turbo Supras or from several of the 2 wheel drive pick-ups. I used a W57 1998 Toyota Tacoma 4×2 VIN# 4TANL42N2WZ094878. Details are available in the restoration blog, but this pdf document put together by Tracy Drummond is very helpful. Drummond Five speed gearbox conversion.

The kit includes several custom components including a bell housing casting unique to the conversion.

The kit is no longer available from Smitty, but Pete Delaney now handles the product. His contact information is as follows as of July 10, 2012:

Stephanie & Pete DelaneyHealey 5 Speed
P O Box 561
Harrisburg, NC 28075
704-455-2585704-455-8504 FAX
Healey5Speedaol.com

Clutch Conversion

Many who have the early 3000s and who complete the 5 speed conversion also adopt the BJ8 9/12″ diaphragm clutch. It is less demanding on the left leg muscles. I went ahead and made this conversion while I was at it. This also requires using a BJ8 flywheel. I obtained a 24lb. lightened flywheel from Bill Bolton.

BJ8 lightened Flywheel

Slave Cylinder Bleeder Pipe Extension

Anyone who has bled a Healey slave cylinder knows that the bleed nipple is not exactly easy to get to. Doug Reid aka “Mr. Finespanner,” fabricated an extension for me that makes the job much easier with the bleeder actually accessed from the engine bay. This has now become a popular item used by many aficionados.

Slave Cylinder Bleeder Extension

Custom Propshaft

Installing the Toyota 5 Speed does require making up a new propshaft, which I had done at a local speed shop. The propshaft does need to be balanced prior to installation.

Propshaft

Jule Enterprises Frame

Posted on March 15, 2020 by valv8988

The Original Chassis/Frame

The car’s chassis had been lengthened for the rear seats in the production of the 100 six BN4. Other than the change for disc brakes, there were no significant changes for the 3000. 100-6_3000 ChassisDesign.

Modified Chassis/Frame

Storage in damp surroundings plus over forty years of life left BT7 L4422 with substantial rust and corrosion. It was a difficult decision, but since I was building a “driver”, I decided to use Martin Jansen’s Jule Enterprises frame. My sons and I visited Martin’s shop just outside Toronto, Canada before making the final call. http://www.jule-enterprises.com/Martin is a great fellow with whom to work. He and Don Stewart substituted Martin’s new frame for mine and reinstalled the tub superstructure, including the replacement of several panels such as the floors in the interior and in the boot.

Martin Jansen’s Frame Building

Martin Jansen’s Tub Reconstruction

The Jule frame uses 1/8″ wall by 3″ x 4″ steel rectangular tubing for the frame rails. The frame has a static bending strength 40 percent greater than the original, reducing frame deflection. Torsional strength of the Jule replacement is a 140 percent improvement over the original. The downside of the modern substitute is 80 additional pounds: 135 vs. 215 lbs. http://www.jule-enterprises.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/asurefoundation.pdf

Arrival Day: Marty, Scott, John, Lin

The purists ( I don’t use that term in a disparaging way at all), will not like Marty’s frame, and the hobbyist may be confounded by finding the proper alignment of mounting holes in the frame or in replacement superstructure panels; but, it is hard to dispute the improvement in ride quality. My car is now rock solid, no creaks and twists, just great handling with a firm solid ride!