[1964 Austin Healey Sprite - Bugeye]

With the shock back in, then had to close up the bump stop bracket. The original hole was pretty easy - grab that tab with vise grips and fold it over, then sink the fold back in with punch & hammer. The rear "flap" that I added is much more difficult. No real way to pry on it, so I had to take the approach of grabbing a section with the vise grips and rock back & forth until it broke off. Did this 3x to get enough of the flap gone so that the spring would seat back around that bracket.

 

Then reassembly was essentially what it should have been without this repair - put everything back as it was with the new parts. This time, I used jack screws to get the spring plate in place - longer screws in 2 of the 4 holes to draw the spring retainer plate up to the bottom of the A-arm. This worked much more easily than on the other side where I just repositioned the jack a bunch of times to gradually shift the plate into position. Drove the car around the block a couple of times - I can't feel that it's more stable, but it must be because it has functional shocks and the whole thing rides slightly lower. The steering is the slightest bit not perfectly centered - I think it was pretty much right on before, but that's me doing my best guess to get the steering link ends at the right position (I did measure with a caliper - not just eyeball).

 

Threw 1 pic in here of the tools - though the fasteners are just a couple standard inch sizes, I end up with probably 100 tools out there to get this done - 4! hammers, drill motor, right angle drill, butane torch, nearly every open/box end wrench, a bunch of screwdrivers, files, punches, torque wrench, sockets, extensions - it's just a ton of stuff to get this done.

 

So that's it for the front suspension, for now. Wanted to get that all back together so I don't have important parts uninstalled that might get misplaced, and with all the wheels back on it will be much easier to move the car around if I need to.

 

[1964 Austin Healey Sprite - Bugeye]

Continuing removal of 1 bolt that otherwise prevents assembly of the entire left-side front suspension... Remembered that I have a small right-angle drill attachment. When I say small, I mean the right angle gearbox is only about 1" diameter. Looked all over, and finally found it in a box that was quickly packed when we moved ~2 years ago. The bits were in a drawer of the workbench, but I found everything. Using the shortest 1/8" bit (only about 1/2" long), drilled a line of 6-7 holes in the bump stop bracket below the bolt. Pried this line of holes open. The metal isn't moving far enough, so drilled 3 more holes up the near side. Pried this open / hit it open from the inside. Ok, bolt has access to drop out.

 

Next stage - drill out bolt from above. The carb float bowl is in the way of the drill motor, so spend a while taking loose carb parts to access the bolt that holds the float bowl. Got that up and out of the way. Put some heavy gear oil on the bolt to be drilled (it's been driven / pounded below the surface, so there's body metal to guide the drill). The drill proves to be harder than the bolt material, so the bolt does gradually drill away. I had to clear chips and add more oil maybe 5 times to drill ~5/8" of bolt shank. At that point, I tried punch and hammer, and the remains of the bolt dropped right out! Cleaned up the area, and ran the drill all the way through this hole. The other 2 holes did have somewhat functional threads remaining, so I figured I'd use those and back them up with the grade 8 stop nuts. Got the shock mounted and bolts torqued.

[1964 Austin Healey Sprite - Bugeye]

Mid-week this week - turned the bad shock mount bolt shank with vise grips. Held nut with open end wrench. Pulled bolt shank up as far as possible. Nut is stripped and doesn't come off. Cut bolt off down low ~3/16" showing. Cut slot across bolt to turn it with a screwdriver. Drove bolt downwards with screwdriver to sticking point. Moved float bowl cover and float for better access for large drift. Pounded bolt downwards with 4lb sledge, being careful not to hit float bowl. Bolt drove another ~1/8" downwards and stopped. This is probably where the full diameter bolt shank interferes with the remainder of the body bracket threads. Felt around inside the bump stop "bowl" bracket. Bolt could also be jammed against the side of this bowl, and not go any lower. Need to cut hole in bump stop bracket to let bolt out. How to add hole in bump stop bracket? It's way up in there, surrounded by the frame of the car.

[1964 Austin Healey Sprite - Bugeye]

During the week this week, soaked some parts in Evap-o-Rust. Also media blasted and painted the lower spring plates. Today, got the right side suspension back together. Replaced the down bump stop and the up bump stop rubber parts. Put them in a coffee cup full of water, 2 minutes in the microwave to get the water to boil. This softened them up enough to press/twist into the holes in the sheetmetal. Replaced the steering boot & steering rod end.

[1964 Austin Healey Sprite - Bugeye]

Adding photos of the wire harness kit.

[1964 Austin Healey Sprite - Bugeye]

Identified a couple of items to order - some of the rubber parts, and the steering tie rod ends. Cleaned off the trunnions (joint part that rides on the upper end of the king pin). Discovered that in removal, I gummed up the threads on one of the bolts through the trunnion (called upper fulcrum pin). Included a pair of those bolts in the order. Need to get some more Evap-o-Rust to start soaking the various bolts, nuts, and other parts.

 

Found another source for the extra-long shock mount bolts (.375-24 x 4.5", Grade 8). Ordered some of those. Still need to get the cut off bolt out of the car.

 

Started unrolling the big bundle of wire. It's set up for GM, with connectors for GM ignition switch & steering column. It does come with some generic instructions that say it's set up for the fuse/flasher block to be behind the firewall, on the left side near the steering column. I'll have it on the right side, in front of the firewall, but this car is small enough that it should work ok. Step 1 is to identify wires that won't be used and remove them. This makes sense, to reduce confusion. The wires are printed with the circuit every couple of inches, so that's a plus. There are several black wires where they're either not printed, or the black printing can't be seen.

[1964 Austin Healey Sprite - Bugeye]

Decided to start on the shocks, in order to get the cores on their way back. Started with the left side, as that gave more trouble on the rear. 

 

The factory shop manual has nothing on removing the shocks, other than to say if valving maintenance & oil addition doesn't help, remove shocks and return to manufacturer (50+ year-old direction, so no longer applicable). Looked online at ways to remove the spring tension, and figured I've done enough of things like this to get it unloaded relatively safely. I don't know the terminology for all of the parts, but got the kingpin top link and steering disconnected. This would allow lowering the A-arm (which was being held up with the hydraulic jack) to drop off the spring tension. Realized that I'd need to pull the brake caliper off. Did that and set it on boxes so it wouldn't hang from the brake hose. Lowered the jack, so there was no more spring tension (could move spring up/down by hand - not touching at both ends anymore), and realized the spring is installed/retained by the bottom plate in the A-arm. 

 

Took those 4 bolts loose, and dropped out the lower spring retention plate and then the spring. Why do all this? Because I couldn't get to the nuts on the bottom end of the shock retaining bolts. Found out later there's not supposed to be nuts on the lower end, and the shock can be fairly simply removed by loosening the 3 bolts from the top side only. (Found that out on the right side, done second). For this left side, there ARE nuts on the bottom end of the shock bolts - due to some long-past repair. But the outboard two bolts disappear into the upper bump stop bracket, which is like a continuous bowl shape that fits in the upper end of the spring. So how did they get nuts on the bottom of the shock bolts? There's a small window cut into the upper bump stop bracket. Working through this, I could get an open-end wrench on, and loosen the bolts from the top side. Worked fine for the forwards bolt. For the rear bolt, the threads on the nut spun, and the bolt didn't come out.

 

Cut the head of the bolt off with a Dremel, and worked the edges of the cut off head until the lock washer and flat washers lifted off. Then lifted the shock. Fortunately there's enough clearance in the inner fender cutout for the shock arm to lift the shock off of this bolt shank. So at least the old shock is out. Since I did this side first, I didn't know if this was normal access. Looking online for a while, nobody seemed to have issues with getting front shocks off, so I went to the right side.

 

Disassembly about the same, but I couldn't get the steering link to separate, so there was a little spring tension left when I removed the spring retention plate from the bottom of the A-arm. How I did that to keep parts from flying was to put two of the retention plate bolts back in place with the nuts only on a turn or two, then took the remaining bolt completely loose. The plate jumped down a little (onto the two loose bolts), but didn't fly off or release the spring. I put the jack back under the spring retention plate to take the tension off the two finger-tight bolts, released those bolts, then lowered the jack, taking off the last of the spring tension. Pulled the spring out and looked for the "window" in the bump stop bracket - but there isn't one. Realized the left side probably was some sort of repair. Took the shock bolts loose from the top side, and snaked the shock back out. Didn't need to take the spring completely loose. The left shock arm freely rotated, so not only was there no damping force at all, that arm may have become a real problem.

 

Though with both sides this far apart, I'll see about replacing the steering rod ends, the kingpin upper "cap" (with a bushing that's crumbled), clean up & repaint the spring lower retainer plates, and probably go ahead and get front end lowering bolts - longer bolts & spacers that put the spring lower retaining plates slightly lower, which effectively raises the A-arm, lowering the front of the car a little.

 

So there's front end parts to order while I work out how to release the now headless shock "repair" bolt.

[1964 Austin Healey Sprite - Bugeye]

Did some diagnosis on the electrical. This system seems to be often either restored to factory (big $), or done over with something else. The factory system has 1 fuse. On the far side of the fuse are 3 wires to: flasher, brake lights, wiper. Where's the rest of the instruments/lights on the dash? They get power off the far side of the flasher. So nearly everything in the car is on the 1 fuse. Where's the short? In the brake light circuit (found that by blowing 2 more fuses).

 

Since this car is already part '63, part '58-'61, and under the dash looks like spaghetti in a blender, there isn't "factory" to go back to. It' converted to positive ground, the mechanical tach drive is gone (converted from generator with tach drive to later alternator), so I ordered a "12 circuit" generic harness. This will at least split out:

 

-lights

-turn signals

-brake lights

-heater (not installed)

-horn (also not installed, but I should add)

-instruments

-ignition

and more.

 

This will be the 4th car that I've re-wired. I did a VW-based car in high school where I made up the wires as I went along. I did the '51 Buick that had NO wires firewall-forward and back-seat aft by splicing into the remainder of the in-body harness, using photos of another Buick, and vintage-type wire, connectors, and wrap. I did the '52 Studebaker (twice!), first with a cheap garbage harness that wasn't sized to handle the 6v, then again with a harness from one of the Studebaker suppliers. So this car is kind of a hybrid of all of those projects - a pre-made harness with a defined fuse/flasher/horn relay block, but not specific to this car.

 

I also have remanufactured front shocks on order. Still deciding what to do with the rear shocks, but leaning towards a tube shock conversion, since it's pretty simple and gains the advantage of current shock technology (costs about the same as reman originals, but deletes additional linkage parts that would also need to be replaced, making keeping the original-type shocks cost more).

[1964 Austin Healey Sprite - Bugeye]

First cruise night. THAT took a while. Key doesn't come out of the switch and brake lights failed (Lucas Prince of Darkness joke here). But maximum attention per dollar...

 

Oh yes - this location has evolved. It's now "behind the Tesla chargers".

 

[1964 Austin Healey Sprite - Bugeye]

Some pics I wanted to take for a while, but needed the car mobile. Steel rims, check. No factory radios, check. Standard shift, check. 4 cylinders, check.

[1964 Austin Healey Sprite - Bugeye]

Finally got up to the photo spot. Pretty nice day too with some clouds.

[1964 Austin Healey Sprite - Bugeye]

Decided to buy replacement links. For only ~$25/side more, it's a new link, and I wouldn't have to fight pressing out / pressing in the bushings, which I don't have a press or tooling for anyway. Got the limit straps out. Right side first, went pretty easily. Left side, bottom bolt fought the whole way. Straps back in - rear axle really flops around with the links and straps off, but got them back on, not too bad.

 

Links - started with left side. Bottom bolt took a retry to get the flat on the head lined up, but a 5/8" wrench will turn it. Top bolt, wasn't too bad. On to right side - bottom bolt was fighting. Not sure what it was - maybe a burr or something on the threads was sticking in the bushing. Moved to the top bolt - not too bad. Back to bottom bolt - pounded on it with the BFH (4-pound sledge) and got it to where the end of the bolt was even with the axle bracket, but it wouldn't come through. Put the wheels on and drove around the block a couple of times. That did it - moved things around enough that a few more hits with the hammer and the bolt popped through.

 

Just about then, my son got home from school, so I took him around the block a couple of times.

[1964 Austin Healey Sprite - Bugeye]

3 weeks later, car is back home. They diagnosed that the master cylinder I was using was junk, and I'd already had it replaced once as a warranty claim. They said the clutch piston seal was destroying itself in the bore, not making any pressure. They got the other master that Moss sells (the one from U.K.) and got that in there. 

 

Not sure if this is a "first time" or "every time" thing, but they went over the car and documented other items that should be addressed. I held them back from doing any of these at the moment - just get the car back. I suppose you could leave the car there and have them continue to dig into it and replace things, but I've done quite a bit myself, so I'll see what I can cover of their list on my own.

 

One that came up only after they'd got the clutch master replaced & the system bled was that the rear end "shudders". They showed me this by slowly backing the car in front of me - yes, the rear end clearly vibrates or bounces around some. They recommended the rear link bushings. They kindly brought the car back to me yesterday on their trailer, as they didn't want me to get a couple blocks down the road and have an issue. I'm ok with that - saves me driving the car for the first time in traffic, where I have to keep it moving.

Today, I drove it around my neighborhood a couple of times, and I definitely heard the rear end shudder when backing out of the garage. Going forwards, I guess the links load up and it doesn't vibrate. But I pulled the links out today and will get those bushings replaced. For whatever reason, the rear bushing on the right side link was trashed, and the forward bushing on the left side link was trashed.

 

While out, I have all the hardware in Evap-o-rust, and I'll media blast and repaint the links. Also cleaned the tires with Bleche White. That stuff is amazing. I know these tires are way out of safe age - they don't even have date codes, but they also have essentially all of the tread left. Good enough for getting around the neighborhood while I work out a couple more things.

 

They also identified that the radiator is leaking. When I took the Model A radiator for brazing / leak sealing a couple months ago, the price was SO reasonable, I'll probably pull this radiator and take it to the same place. It looks like the top tank has a slow leak, and the top left attach bracket needs brazing.

[1964 Austin Healey Sprite - Bugeye]

Got it to a British-specific shop to see if they can get the clutch bled. Note - this just barely fits on the Uhaul dolly. On the ramps, each wheel was maybe halfway off, but once it's up, the wheel holders are narrow enough.

[My First Ford - 1930 Model A Tudor]

Not a whole lot to do. Fuel gauge got twisted when I tightened the outer ring to stop a slow fuel weep, so I need to take that back apart and reset it. With radiator back from repair, the cap is leaking. Need to put a new seal in there, or maybe revert to the stock cap. This thermometer cap doesn't have real lugs to thread into the radiator neck. It's got bolted-on pieces of bar stock, which over who knows how long may have gotten bent or worn to where the seal just isn't there anymore. But it could just be a gasket.

[1964 Austin Healey Sprite - Bugeye]

Last weekend, visitors in town, so no work on the car. Yesterday, did the right side same as the left side.

[1964 Austin Healey Sprite - Bugeye]

During the week, received the additional parts to complete the license light. The replacement rubber between the plinth and the lens housing is much more bulky than what was on there, but I looked at different vendors and they all have the same part. Also looks like this larger part makes a better seal for the lens. Got it all installed with a new wire from the trunk harness, and the lights didn't light. Saw that there was a broken-off contact for the ground side, so ran a wire for that.

[My First Ford - 1930 Model A Tudor]

Took it down the road a couple miles for some photos:

[My First Ford - 1930 Model A Tudor]

Speedometer was squealing above 35mph, so pulled the dash, pulled the speedometer, and partially disassembled (hammered out a plug). Added a little light oil and reassembled. Meanwhile, the radiator was leaking. Pulled the radiator and took it to the shop about a week before Christmas. Their main guy was out for that week and the week following, and when he got back, they were backed up. Got the radiator back on Friday the 13th. They found 3 leaks and re-brazed the left side mounting bracket/strap to the core and repainted it. All for $60! I thought that was pretty good.

 

Got the radiator back in on Friday. On Saturday, installed the lower coolant return tube, and added 1/2 gallon of coolant (all I had on hand). Good thing - the tube was leaking. Really, it was the who-knows-how-old hose that was leaking. It just didn't seal back up. Found a usable preformed tube at the local store that I cut two short straight sections from to join each end of the lower tube to the radiator and engine. Got that installed this morning and added 1/2 gallon of coolant to check for leak again - all good. Added the other 2 1/2 gallons (3 gallons total) that the system requires and drove it around the block a couple of times.

 

Didn't get up to 35mph to check the speedometer, but no squealing for what I was able to drive today.

 

One other thing since that last entry - fuel gauge was leaking. I tightened it, and that stopped the leak, but the gauge rotated in the housing, so now it's tilted off to the side and doesn't really work. I need to drive a couple more gallons out of the tank to open it up and reset it to vertical. For whatever reason, when I bought the parts for this when I first had the car, I got a couple extra (cork) seals for the fuel gauge. So, I have parts to work with.

 

 

[1964 Austin Healey Sprite - Bugeye]

Left side with the masking paper off. Worked on license plate light. Found out the pot metal light base is the "plinth". Ordered new body-to-plinth gasket, light socket gasket, and lens (which was completely missing). Took 4-5 days of soaking one of the two light socket studs in Evap-o-Rust to remove enough rust to pretty easily unscrew the fastener. I should have taken a before photo for that - it looked like a hopeless ball of rust when I started. Put a little Evap-o-Rust in that corner of the plinth, let it do its thing for a day, pour it out and replace. Only maybe a teaspoon would fit in that corner of the plinth at a time. Just as it says, it didn't react with the pot metal or the rubber seal. Once the light socket was off, could grit blast the plinth to get the old paint off. After a week of dissolving rust, the grit blast was maybe 2 minutes. Primed & painted the plinth.

[1964 Austin Healey Sprite - Bugeye]

At the forward end of the rocker panel. Didn't get photo - after the 4th photo, saw there was another tiny pin hole above this one, so extended the sanded area & added more Bondo.

 

[1964 Austin Healey Sprite - Bugeye]

Decided to see if I could do something about the lower rear fender which really didn't look good. While I'm trying my hand with Bondo, I also addressed the pin hole at the forwards end of the rocker. Hm - for all these photos, I didn't get after sanding & before Bondo. There was that step in there to expose some good metal to bond to.

[1964 Austin Healey Sprite - Bugeye]

Side project - license plate bracket. The license plate mount bracket was rusty, and the decorative chromed frame (pot metal) was corroded, so I made a little aluminum plate to replace both. Also installed the  Sprite trunk script that I'd bought a while back.

[1964 Austin Healey Sprite - Bugeye]

New year's day, decided to take on the left side rocker. It had some kind of bumpy coating - I guess for protection. Underlying metal was in good shape, except for small hole at the forward end. Sand w/ 80 grit to remove coating, 320 grit to smooth surface, then prime & paint. I know it's not an exact color match - I'm using off-the-shelf paint. This panel is supposed to be body colored.

 

[1964 Austin Healey Sprite - Bugeye]

Added a stripe. Used a photo of another car to scale the width. Changed out the terminal block under the hood to get all the lights working. Still need to get the clutch bled & working, then I can drive it.