Tag Archives: intake manifold

Carburetor Swap to HIF 44

Posted on by

The Bugeye originally had 1 1/4″ twin SU carburetors. We upgraded to twin 1 1/2″ HS2 carbs shortly after purchasing the car. With the current restoration we are going to try a single 1 3/4″ HIF44 carb. We hope to attain equal performance without the need to balance twin carbs. The single HIF carb was routinely used on Minis with essentially the same engine. The HIF 44 is SU’s most modern carb of the period. The float bowl is integrated into the bottom of the carb body rather than a separate float bowl as with the HS2s. 

Using the HIF carb requires the use of an appropriate heat shield with integrated securing points for the throttle and choke cables. I ordered this one https://www.ebay.com/itm/163969687994  not only is it polished stainless, it also provides an angled extension under the bottom of the carb (where the float bowl is located) to provide a little extra heat protection. This is a very nice piece.

Modified stainless HIF 44 Heat Shield

 A custom intake manifold is also required on the Bugeye. Sourced from Maniflow in the UK. This manifold lowers the carb so that it will not foul against the bonnet.

Maniflow 1 3/4″ Intake Manifold Jet-Hot Coated

After purchasing the HIF44 we sent it to A.C. Dodd in the UK to have him modify it slightly. The biggest change was converting the unit from manifold vacuum to ported vacuum. Bugeye Restoration Video Episode Fifty-nine reviews the features of the HIF 44 and explains the modifications made to it by A.C. Dodd to prepare it for use in the Bugeye.

https://vimeo.com/924772088/d53a91b278?share=copy

Episode Fifty-nine includes the following content:

0:05 – HIF 44 carb documentation

0:45 – Applications of the HIF 44 carb in other cars

1:37 – HIF 44 carb needle

2:20 – Manifold and Ported vacuum

2:26 – HIF 44 Carb heat shield

2:32 – Maniflow intake manifold

2:50 – Choke cable retaining clip

3:23 – A.C. Dodd HIF 44 modifications

5:33 – HIF 44 Hose fitting legend

5:39 – HIF 44 Throttle and choke cable connections 

Setting up the HIF 44 for initial running is really quite simple. (more info to follow shortly!)

HIF 44 Carburetor (RH Side)

HIF 44 Carburetor (LH side)

Setting the fuel mixture is the first step. This is accomplished by turning the fuel mixture screw shown in the image above. The image below shows the proper level of the jet:

HIF 44 Proper Jet Height for Start-up

Turning the adjustment screw to the left will lean out the mixture by raising the jet thereby letting less fuel enter the manifold. Turning it to the right will enrich the mixture. This screw should only be adjusted to effect a change in the idle. It should not be adjusted  to improve the drivability of the car at speed.

The fast idle, or choke, is set by adjusting the fast idle screw against the cam. The images below show the proper setting. The fast idea screw is turned down until it just touches the throttle lever. Once in that position it can be turned down one full turn. A feeler gauge with .018 blades is then inserted between the fast idle screw and the throttle lever. The choke lever is then rotated to line up with the center of the throttle adjusting screw. This is achieved by turning the adjusting screw until it just touches the arrow.

HIF 44 Adjusting the Choke

A small spring clip is used to secure the choke cable end fitting to the heat shield choke bracket. It is a friction fit and is just pressed down over the end of the cable ferrule.

HIF 44 Choke Cable Clip

A two piece cable stop is used to secure the choke cable to the choke lever:

HIF 44 Choke Cable Stop

 We also decided to improve air flow into the carb by installing an aluminum stub stack sourced from M.E.D. Engineering in the UK.

MED Stub Stack

Their site describes the billet stub stack this way:

The MED aluminum stub stacks have been extensively tested on our 110 Superflow flow bench to optimise the elliptical radius on the stub stack. The result is improved air flow to the carburettor/throttle body and a proven increase in performance – on a wide range of different engines and rolling roads.

The stub stack is temporarily mounted in this photo. Eventually the K&N air filter back plate will be installed first with the stub stack mounted inside the filter assembly.

Stub stack temporary installation

Much of the tuning of the HIF 44 carb is accomplished through needle adjustment, spring choice and variations in damper oil weight. Our carb came with a BFY spring loaded needle. Upon initial running (but before we have connected an AFR gauge) the engine seemed to run well at higher rpm but lugged a bit at idle and required the use of the choke for longer than expected. We wondered if the BFY needle was the cause of insufficient fueling at idle, so we decided to try a BDL needle. 

The .100″ jet needles (the middle needle below) are measured in 16 increments:

Needle Metering Increments

The following chart depicts the difference between the BFY Needle and the BDL Needle. As can be seen, the needles are very similar. The only differences are in positions 2,3,4 and 5. This should leave us with a slightly richer condition at idle and maintain the same fuel condition in the higher rpm range. Hopefully we will not need as much choke this time. Additional running will tell us if we have improved our running at idle or not.

BFY and BDL Needle Comparison

Finally, we are using a K&N Cone-type air filter for the carburetor. We sourced this one from Moss Motors:

K&N Air Filter

K&N Filter Packaging

 

 

 

Preparing for Engine Start

Posted on by

As has been stated previously, our plan is to start the engine and getting it running reasonably well before we put it back in the car. We were experiencing an oil leak from the front of the engine and suspected the timing chain cover or the crank seal, so we decided to pull the cover and replace both the gasket and seal. While we were at it we freshened up the paint and upon reinstalling the cover we used a custom reinforcement plate for the cover that serves to spread the load evenly to create a better gasket seal. 

One has to remove the water pump fan pulley to loosen and remove the fan belt. Alternatively, the same could be accomplished with slacking off the alternator but in our case the water pump pulley was easy. The tab on the crank bolt tab washer was bent back and an impact driver was used to loosen the bolt. After the bolt and washer were removed the pulley slipped right off. 

The 1275 “A” series engine originally came with a crank pulley but at some point in time that pulley was replaced with an harmonic balancer that is commonly sold by the major parts vendors. The balancer has a rubber component that helps with vibration and it is, obviously, balanced. Evidence of the balancing is clear in the drilling of the balancer face. The harmonic balancer is deeper than the original pulley which results in the tab washer not having any purchase or key to retain it. To compensate, there is a flat on the balancer face that permits the punching downward of the washer face to create a flat to prevent rotation.  This is demonstrated in the accompanying video.

A combination of 5/16″-24 and 1/4″-28 hex bolts with lock washers is used to fasten the timing cover to the engine.

Timing Chain Cover Mounting Bolts

The video also shows the “massaging” of the bolt holes in the face of the timing chain cover to ensure a flat surface before mounting to the engine. A steel flat edge is used to determine that a flat face is realized. The old crank shaft seal was removed and a new seal was installed with the open “spring-side” of the seal toward the engine. A light smear of oil on the seal was all that was required and it was tapped into place with a piece of wood and light hammering. The face of the engine was carefully cleaned with a razor blade and brake cleaner.

The oil slinger was never removed but if it is in your case, it should be reinstalled properly. There is an “F” stamped in the face of the slinger and it faces “front” toward the radiator – away from the engine.

The gasket was then secured to the cover with Gasgacinch and a black RTV was lightly used on the face of the gasket to the engine. A couple of the upper short bolts were then loosely mounted and the cover was lightly pressed against the engine face. Before tightening the cover the pulley was reinstalled on the crank shaft and the cover was adjusted a bit to ensure that it was centered.

The timingchain cover reinforcement plate sourced from John Howell at Britcarfixes https://www.britcarfixes.com was then installed. This is a very nice high-quality product with very complete instructions.

Britcarfixes Reinforcement Plate

We found it easiest to put a little grease on the bolt spacers to hold them to the face of the cover and we could then easily hold the plate in place and insert the mounting bolts. Our ignition timing pointer was used in place of the bolt supplied by John. After wiggling the cover again to make sure it was centered on the crank shaft, each of the bolts was tightened by hand and the torqued to 8-10 ft. lbs.

The harmonic balancer tab washer was then reinstalled and the crank bolt was finger-tightened to the crank. The tab washer was then wiggled a bit to ensure that it was centered on the lip of the bolt and the bolt was then tightened to 70 ft. lbs. To do so, we removed the starter and slid a pry bar between some teeth in the ring gear of the flywheel. This held the crank in place while we tighten to the 70 lbs.

Holding the flywheel to prevent crankshaft turning

 

We then used a punch and hammer to press down the washer along the harmonic balancer flat (pointed out in the video) and then used a chisel to bend part of the washer up against a flat on the bolt to keep everything in place. Finally, we reinstalled the water pump fan pulley, the fan belt, the radiator and its hoses and the electric fan.

The following Bugeye Restoration Video Episode Forty-seven shows the process involved in replacing the timing chain cover gasket and crank seal:

https://vimeo.com/867751162/aeb5d81346?ts=0&share=copy

Moving on to Fueling and Ignition

Next we moved on to some other aspects of preparing the engine for starting. To use the single HIF 44 carburetor we obviously had to change the intake manifold and that was sourced from Maniflow in the U.K. https://maniflow.co.uk/index.php?view=category&category=162

This particular manifold must be used to lower the carb thus preventing it from conflicting with the Sprite bonnet when closed. After receiving the manifold, we sent it to Jet-Hot Coating https://www.jet-hot.com/thermal-barrier  to receive their classic ceramic finish and it looks amazing!

Maniflow 1 3/4″ Intake Manifold Jet-Hot Coated

Just to see how things will look we installed the new intake, the tired exhaust headers (that will get the Jet-Hot treatment eventually), as well as the carb heat shield, gaskets and spacer. These will be featured in a future video that will be included in this post once we receive the carb from the U.K. As shown in the photos below, the sequencing order of the gaskets, spacer, and heat shield is incorrect but will be changed before the carb is mounted. The proper sequencing beginning at the manifold is gasket, phenolic spacer, gasket, heat shield, gasket, carb.

New Intake Assembly Mounted

New Intake Assembly Mounted

After receiving the new HIF 44 carb from the UK it was installed and set up for initial running. The carburetor and its settings are detailed in another post under “personalizations.” 

We then began preparations for actually starting the motor. The first step was to get oil into the engine and water into the radiator.

 

Carb Removal and Intake Manifold Replacement

Posted on by

So, here is a step-by-step of the process from tear down to completion. More than anyone (except me) would want to know. I first removed the air cleaner that I have been using for ten years from the carbs. Next was removal of the throttle return springs with a note about orientation of the springs on the lever and the intake bracket:

I had installed a fuel filter in the fuel line to the front carb. I removed the nut securing the filter bracket to the intake stud and then loosened the clamp at the front carb banjo and lifted the fuel line out of the way:

Front Throttle Return Spring

Then the hose connecting the two carbs could be removed:

Fuel Hose Filter Mount

Banjos and Connecting Hose

I then removed the choke brackets from each of the Carburetters and loosened the cable retaining nut on each of the chicken levers, so that the cables were free. There are three (3) ballpoint pens springs in the cable to make the cable retract. I left the spring-loaded cable in tact.

Rear Choke Cable and Bracket

The rubber hoses from the overflow pipes at the float bowls were then removed. The float bowl banjo nuts are removed with a 1/4 inch Wentworth wrench. The hoses run through a hole in the insulated het shield.

Overflow tubes removed from float bowl drain pipes

I then disconnected the vacuum line at the rear carburetor that connects to the distributor.

Carb Ported Vacuum Line

The next step was to disconnect the throttle cable from the throttle lever located between the carbs.

Throttle Cable and Lever

Throttle Cable and Lever Orientation

The cruise control chain was then disconnected from its throttle shaft lever. The relative clock location of the cruise control lever and the throttle shaft lever were noted.

Cruise Control Lever and Chain

With all of those components disconnected, it is then possible to remove the carbs from the intake manifold. This is done by loosening and removing eight 5/16″-24 hex head nuts, flat washers and lock washers from the manifold studs. By the way, getting to the lower studs can be a challenge! Before lifting away the carbs and float bowls check to see if the float bowls are empty of fuel.

Carbs removed from eight intake studs

It is then possible to remove the heat shield from the manifold. There is a gasket on each side of the heats shield between the carb and the heat shield and between the heat shield and the manifold. 

My intake manifold had a crack in the front mounting ear. It can be seen in the upper left of the image above. I located another used manifold from Michael Salter. I had the manifold Jet-Hot coated which gave it an almost chrome appearance. So while the carbs were being tended to, it was the perfect time to go ahead and replace the manifold. Several steps are needed to remove the manifold.

First was to detach the vacuum hose from the rear port on the intake that is used for the cruise control.

Vacuum Port for Cruise Control

Custom Vacuum Port for Cruise Control

I then removed the front choke cable from the throttle bracket on the intake manifold.

Choke Cable and Bracket Mount to Intake Manifold

The next step is to remove the remaining two bolts that hold the throttle cable bracket to the intake manifold. This will reveal the lower bracket which has two mounting bolts to the intake manifold.

Upper Portion of the Throttle Bracket

Lower Portion of Throttle Bracket

Then remove the two bolts holding the lower bracket. Lift away the lower bracket. The rear bolt is only about a half inch long. But the front bolt extends through the intake manifold and has a nut on the reverse side.

Lower Portion of Throttle Bracket Removed

The water pipe for the heater is mounted in two locations and these must be loosened to permit the removal of the intake manifold. This requires loosening the clamp on the radiator hose extension. You lose a little coolant, but not too much. The pipe can then be lifted aside allowing access to the manifold. I also unclipped the water temperature sensor cable from its clips. In the image below it is easy to see the crack in the manifold ear.

Front Heater Pipe Mount

Rear Heater Pipe Mount

The nine nuts, flat washers and lock washers could then be loosened and removed allowing the removal of the manifold. The front and rear mounting points for the intake share a brass nut fixing the exhaust headers to the head. I noticed that the exhaust header mounting plate is not quite as wide as the intake mounting plate which probably stressed the aluminum intake ear, hence the crack. On the newly prepared intake manifold, I filed the forward and rear mounting ears down so that they aligned nicely with the exhaust headers. This should prevent cracks in the future.

I had saved my original iron cylinder head and it came in handy on my workbench for setting up the intake manifold and carbs. The weight of the head supports everything and makes mocking up everything and adding intake components much easier than working in the car!

Original Iron Head with Newly Prepared Intake

I double-nutted and removed the carb mounting studs from the old manifold and installed them in the new manifold after chasing all of the threads to clean them out. I used compressed air to blow out all of the stud mounting points.

Removing Studs from Old Intake Manifold

After installing each of the studs into the intake manifold I placed one gasket and then the spacer block on the manifold.

Studs, Gaskets, and Spacer Blocks Installed

I removed the fitting for the vacuum used for the cruise control from the old manifold and reinstalled it in the new manifold with thread sealant and a new copper crush washer.

Vacuum Fitting for Cruise Control Installed

And, then replaced the rear vacuum port plug that screws into the threaded hole in the manifold.

Rear Vacuum Port Threaded Plug

I then transfered the two 5/16 inch bolts that go through the intake manifold and originally mounted to the exhaust manifolds. Since my car uses exhaust headers these mounting points or not used, so I simply install bolts and nuts into the car holes.

Unused Mounting Bolts to Original Exhaust Manifold

The original intake manifold design incorporates two fittings for fuel drain lines. I used both for the past ten years, but I decided to plug the rear drain hole with this rebuild. I really don’t know if there will be negative consequences to this or not. I did this because the rear drain line was extremely close to the rear header pipe. I just didn’t like that little copper pipe being so close – less that 1/8″ – from a hot exhaust pipe. 

I am aware that some after market intake manifolds do not include the drain line fittings so I hope that this suggests that these drain lines may not be required? The image below shows the brass pipe fitting installed in the manifold.

Intake Manifold Drain Fitting

I then remounted the Dennis Welch Throttle Cable Bracket to the manifold.

Dennis Welch Throttle Bracket

Dennis Welch Throttle bracket Installed

During some down time in this process I cleaned up the heat shield and repainted it.

Refurbished Carb Heat Shield

I then put two new gaskets on each of the inlets in the manifold for the mounting of the heat shield.

Heat Shield Gaskets Installed on Intake Manifold

I then mounted the heat shield and added two more gaskets for the carburetors.

Heat Shield Gaskets to Carbs

At this point, I was ready to install the rebuilt carburetors to be described in the next post.

Chapter 78 Week Forty-Eight November, 12 2007

Posted on by

I ordered some 6mm black rubber tubing from British Wiring to sheath the choke cables. It gave a slightly loose fit, but I think it will be fine. I installed it on both cables. I painted and installed the propshaft made for me by Dale Engineering.

I purchased the cruise control unit, made by Audiovox, from J. C. Whitney.

Audiovox cruise control

It was fairly inexpensive and appeared to be a high quality kit. A complete set of installation instructions is available from the Cruise Control pdf document I created. Not much helpful information was available from other Healey owners who had done the install, although I did find one well done article that is in the October, 2002 edition of the Healey Marque Magazine. Alan Teague and Carl Brown from North Carolina did provide some useful tips and photos and I am grateful to both of them. Installing the Audiovox CCS

(This is a large file that takes a while to open, be patient)

The key components included installing the magnet and sensor at the propshaft, the location of the servo canister, the vacuum line and throttle connections, the control module, and the wiring.

I installed the servo above the dash panel support bracket to the right of the steering column with two 11” plastic ties, rather than using the supplied metal bracket. I know from other’s accounts that the unit makes some noise when it is operating, but not knowing if it is an offensive level or not, I wanted to mount the servo temporarily. If the unit turns out to be noisy, I will move it into the engine bay later.

Servo installed

Wiring the magnet to the propshaft should really be done with the shaft removed from the car if you want to do a nice installation. I located the magnet while the propshaft was in the car, aligned the sensor and mounted it on the right side of the gearbox tunnel, removed the propshaft and safety wired the magnet and then reinstalled the propshaft. 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.

Cruise control propshaft 6

Cruise control driveshaft sensor 2

Installing the supplied rubber vacuum line required taking the line through a firewall rubber grommet that was not previously used, and then modifying the larger nut on the intake manifold with a fitting to permit connecting the hose for vacuum at the manifold.

Homemade vacuum fitting

Cruise vacuum fitting 1

Cruise Vacuum Line grommet

After setting up the magnet, sensor and vacuum servo the next task was to complete the installation of the cruise control panel. I followed the course of others, taking advantage of the panel’s small size and installing it in the ash tray. This provides a convenient location for controls and also “hides” the panel when desired. I simply drilled a 1/2” hole in the bottom of the ash tray and in the gearbox tunnel bracket for the ash tray to permit the routing of the wiring.

Modified ash tray for cruise 1

Modified ash tray for cruise 2

Cruise control panel

The cruise control wiring appears daunting at first, but with patience it can be accomplished by a novice. Since on the BT7 the speedometer cable runs behind the gearbox extension, I decided to run the cruise control wires down the same path to get all of my wiring “under” the gearbox cover. Again, details are provided in the Cruise Control pdf file. Black, twin tailed wire to the magnet sensor, black single wire to ground, grey wire to headlamp switch for illumination of the control panel in the ash tray, red wire to the light green wire on the brake switch that is hot whether the brake pedal is depressed or not, the purple wire to the green/purple wire on the brake switch (the one that is hot when the pedal is depressed), blue wire to (-) terminal on the coil, yellow, green and purple and red wire to the 4-pin connector, the orange fused wire to a power source when the ignition is switched on.

Cruise witring along gearbox

With the wiring complete, the only remaining task is locating and connecting the throttle control. That job will have to wait for next week’s work.

Chapter 75 Week Forty-Five October 22, 2007

Posted on by

I continued with the assembly of various engine components in the forty-fifth week of restoration. I learned the hard way that the vacuum line from the intake manifold to the distributor needs to be one of the first items to install on the engine, not one of the last! However, after a number of trial fittings I did manage to get the pipe installed with only having to disconnect a few hoses. The copper pipe slips into rubber connector fittings at the manifold and distributor.

Vacuum Pipe RH side to distributor

Vacuum Pipe LH side to rear carb

The capillary tube running from the water temperature/oil pressure gauge to the fitting on the LH front of the cylinder head was the next item to install. Two small mounting clips and brackets were first mounted to head bolts securing the intake manifold and the tube was slipped under the clips, and the temperature sensing bulb inserted into the head and screwed home.

Capillary tube mounting

Given all of the typical concerns about overheating with the Healey engine, I decided to use a six blade aluminum fan sourced from British Car Specialists, The fan comes with an aluminum spacer to fit between the water pump pulley and the fan.

Stainless Flex Fan

The aluminum radiator and custom made air deflectors were the next pieces to go on.  The radiator was ordered from Cape International and I must say that the craftsmanship is superb. The aluminum deflectors I had made caused the radiator to be a tight fit, but with patience all components were secured into place. I put a light coat of black radiator paint on the front surface of the radiator to give a standard appearance when looking through the front grille. I am using a 7 lb radiator cap as was standard with the original radiator. I then attached the overflow tank hose as well as the lower and upper hoses to the head and the water pump.

Aluminum Radiator and Baffles

Aluminum Radiator and Baffles

Radiator Hose Top

I replaced the original copper hot water pipe with a polished aluminum pipe simply for aesthetic reasons. I like the look.

Aluminum Heater Pipe

Denis Welch makes a high quality (read, as expensive) throttle cable mounting bracket for a conversion from the original mechanical linkage. I did not use the complete Welch kit but I did use the piece located on the intake manifold. It is a well engineered design and looks like it belongs there. I incorporated a stainless steel sheathed throttle cable from Lokar. Fellow enthusiast Jack Brashear gave me some help on the optimal design for the accelerator pedal lever to which the cable is attached. I lengthened an original BJ8 lever to get the desired result. I previously installed the firewall bracket for the cable assembly.

Throttle Cable Bracket

Lokar Throttle cable

In my restoration, I converted to a BJ8 intake manifold and HD8 2” carburetters. This, of course, meant adding a dual choke mechanism as used on the BJ8s. The parts were sourced from Moss Motors. The choke bracket that converts the single cable from the dashboard fascia to the dual cables running to each of the carbs was mounted to the firewall and choke cables were connected. A small block provides the linkage for the single to dual cable. I drilled and tapped the ends of the remote control choke block for #6 set screws to ensure the proper return of the cables in the bracket since this is a common problem with HD8 carbs.

Choke assembly

Choke Assembly 2

Although Jack at Coachworks had installed the alternator with the engine rebuild, I had to remove it for the engine installation. I then put it back on the engine and wired it. Hendrix Wire Wheel provided photos and a wiring diagram to make this an easy job. The red wire on the alternator plug serves as a jumper to the screw terminal on the back of the alternator. The white wire on the plug was connected to the large yellow wire emerging from the wiring harness, originally intended for the large spade connection on the dynamo. The yellow/green wire originally connected to the dynamo was no longer required. Because the alternator output is more substantial than the dynamo, I elected to use a much heavier wire from British Wiring to run from the battery side of the starter solenoid to the screw post on the back of the alternator.

Alternator wiring

The final job of the week was installing the bonnet latch assembly to the car. I waited until the engine was in the car so that it would not impede the path of the engine as it was seated in the vehicle.

Bonnet Latch Assembly

Chapter 74 Week Forty-Four October 15, 2007

Posted on by

With the engine in place, it was now time to complete the assembly of the various engine components, but first I installed the clutch slave cylinder with the push rod provided in the Smitty conversion kit. It went in without any problem and lined up perfectly. The clutch pedal seemed to work smoothly. The bleeder extension pipe was attached to the bracket I made to support the pipe. Bleeding the slave cylinder will now be a much easier job. Thanks again to Mr. Finespanner – Doug Reid.

Slave cylinder bleeder extension 2

Just to fill the holes and to prevent anything from dropping in unexpectedly I went ahead and loosely fit the NGK Spark Plugs BP6ES, stock number 7333.

To make installation a little easier I attached the gear reduction starter to the engine prior to installation in the car, and it was now time to hook up the wiring. I shortened the heavy duty starter cable that connects the solenoid and the starter and secured it to the starter with rubber insulation boots attached. Since my intention is to still rely on the original starting configuration, that is, using the external solenoid, I connected the small wire on the starter to the terminal post also used to connect the cable from the solenoid.

Starter

The installation of the breather pipe and hoses was next on my list. Since I will be taking off the rocker cover for valve gap adjustment once the engine is started, I left the clamp to the “T” connection on the cover loose. The inlet heater hose from the heater to the heater control tap on the motor. While in that location I went ahead and connected the tachometer cable to the tach drive housing.

Breather Pipe 2

Tach Cable to Drive Gear

Others have suggested the addition of a PCV valve connecting the breather “T” to the intake manifold to assist in minimizing oil pressure leaks. I bought a little kit from the British Car Specialists that included the valve, rubber piping and a connector for the intake manifold. It will be interesting to see if it does aid in respiration.

The oil gauge flexible hose was connected next. It connects to a fitting on the block and to the steel oil line that connects to the back of the oil pressure/water temperature gauge.

Oil Pressure Line

 

The exhaust headers were next to be installed. These are Phoenix headers and the full big bore exhaust system was sourced from AH Spares. The headers fit perfectly without any adjustments. I had them Jet-Hot coated in the sterling finish to keep them looking nice and to improve thermal qualities. Stainless steel flexible pipe (1 7/8”) was used to connect the headers to the stainless steel silencer and the big bore tail pipes. The front hanger bracket is in the wrong place for a BT7, so I made a custom spacer for that hanger. The rear hanger worked just fine. I was pleased with the final installation of the system.

Headers 1

Headers 3

Rear Hanger 2

Middle Hanger

 

Tail Pipes 2

I assembled the intake manifold, heat shield and carbs to the Bloody Beast. Those lower mounting nuts are not easy to access! The stainless steel flexible fuel lines were connected to the steel fuel line and to the two SUs. I had to pull everything off the engine when I realized that I had not yet attached the manifold fuel drain pipes!! As it turned out they are very close to the header pipes, but after checking with a few people who are more informed about such matters than me, I think I am comfortable leaving them as they are. They should have been installed along with the vacuum line BEFORE the rest of the engine components!!!!

Front fuel drain line

Engine from above

Engine from right

Engine LH view

Engine front view

Pulling the Engine for Minor Repairs

Posted on by

July 2006 Bugeye It is time to fix some of the problems we have lived with for a while and to make a few improvements. The oil leak we caused when we failed to seal the oil sump properly, the gear grinding in 2nd and 3rdin the gearbox, jet coating the headers among other things will improve the car for the future. These improvements require pulling the engine. We bought a cherry picker and an Oberg tilt lift rather than continuing to rent at $45 a pop. The following details the process to get ready to lift out the engine: Disconnected the battery positive lead from the terminal. Drained the engine oil, tried the gearbox, but couldn’t get the plug out so will return to that. Disconnected the ground strap and removed the two gearbox mounting bolts from the bottom of the car.

ground strap

Ground Strap

Gearbox Mount Bolts

Gearbox Mount Bolts

Disconnected the fuel line at the carbs and pulled out of the way, and disconnected the temperature sensor from the head.

Fuel Line

Fuel Line

Temperature Sensor

Temperature Sensor

Disconnected the oil pressure gauge line and the oil feed line from the engine block, and disconnected the cable from the starter solenoid to the starter.

Solenoid Connection

Solenoid Connection

Oil Temp Connection

Oil Temp Connection

Unsnapped the plastic connector for the white/black line to the distributor from the electronic ignition device, and disconnected the plastic terminal (3 wires) to the alternator.

Ignition Wiring

Ignition Wiring

Alternator Wiring

Alternator Wiring

Disconnected the high tension line from the distributor to the coil. Disconnected the short hot water hose from the hot water valve control on the head and then the longer line on the other side of the engine to the copper tube. It is easier to put the clamp on the hose/copper pipe when the copper pipe clips are loose from the manifold.

Water Valve

Water Valve

Heater Hose

Heater Hose

Disconnected the throttle cable at the carb linkage and pulled it out of the way, and then also disconnected the choke cable at the carb.

Throttle Cable

Throttle Cable

Choke Connection

Choke Connection

Disconnected the fitting at the slave cylinder (and got brake fluid everywhere).

Fuel Drain Line

Fuel Drain Line

 

Intake Manifold

Intake Manifold

 
 
 
 
 
Very Ugly Header

Very Ugly Header

Removed the manifold brass nuts from the head and lifted the intake manifold and carbs free of the engine. The carb drain lines tied together with plastic straps will need to be rerouted to the retainer clips upon installation again. The headers will not come out of the engine bay until the engine is pulled or the heater is removed. Need to set the headers in place prior to the engine install.

Exhaust Clamps

Exhaust Clamps

Exhaust Mount

Exhaust Mount

 
 
 
Exhaust Clamp

Exhaust Clamp

Removed four Phillips screws attaching the shift boot to the gearbox tunnel, the shifter knob, and removed two bolts on each side of the tunnel securing the gearbox bracket to the car. Use of the offset wrench made this an easier job.

Shifter Trim Ring

Shifter Trim Ring

Gearbox Rear Mount

Gearbox Rear Mount

 

Shifter Connection

Shifter Connection

Loosened the right hand motor mount from the car so that it will lift free with the engine, but will not completely disconnect until the engine lift has the pressure off of the mounts. Loosened the screws to the engine at the mount on the left side of the car. The left mount will stay in the car.

Removed the cardboard heater hose to have it out of the way from the engine when it is lifted.

Connected the Lift Chain to the Rocker Shaft mounting studs and lifted the engine from the car.