1954 Nash Healey LeMans Coupe

[Luv2Wrench]

Long day but successful.  Installed crankshaft and main bearings... all 7 of them!  Measured the clearance and it was pretty much spot on at 0.002.  Took extra care when installing the rear main seal as I don't want a repeat of the MG TD.    

 

Figured out the ring craziness and got the pistons installed though  I don't have a lot of confidence that the rings will get the job done.  The person at Egge was very helpful and looked everywhere for rings and I really appreciate that.  Unfortunately what I ended up with was a bunch of different rings.  I was able to get the correct top compression ring in all 6 pistons.  4 of the pistons also have the correct second compression ring (the two compression rings are identical) but 2 of the pistons have compression rings without the slight relief on top.   Hopefully these work ok.   I reused the bottom oil ring on all pistons and was able to get it to fit correctly.  For the upper oil ring 2 pistons have the correct oil rings, 2 have a modern version of the oil ring and 2 are reusing the old rings.

 

I ran into an issue with piston number 4.  It was the one that had the rings seized.  I had to put the piston in the lathe and clean up the top edge of the top compression groove to be able to get the proper clearance.  It seemed like a really big issue at the time but I was able to get the piston in the chuck and indicated in.  I ground a cutoff tool down and was able to start in the groove and cut on the forward edge.  It didn't take much and I believe I didn't take off too much either.    

 

I also had new rod bearing for all pistons but I haven't checked the clearance nor torque them down as I need to invert the engine to do that.   Before I can do that I have to get the distributor rebuilt and installed.  The gear on the distributor keeps the gear on the oil pump from sliding off when the engine is inverted.  The two gears share the same space on the camshaft.   I also installed the timing gears and chain.

 

[alsancle]

Look at you.  That car will be running again in the same amount of time it takes me to get a radiator cap re-chromed.

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

I just re read the entire thread.  Jeff, I think you will be surprised at how well the engine does.  Those wear amounts are pretty low, IMO.  Unless you will drive 50,000 miles or the like after restoring, it will be fine.

 

  Ben

[Porsche 68]

My 34 dodge sat for 54 years motor was seized I got new old stock rings rod and main bearings just wanted to get it so it would run enough to move it around so I wouldn’t be pushing it Well a little over 500 miles later still running great very reliable it’s going to be my daily driver next summer Yes the motor was mess!

[Porsche 68]

[Luv2Wrench]

Really good progress so far.  Engine is basically complete though I still need to rebuild carbs.  I'm jacking the car up tomorrow and replacing the fuel line, master cylinder, wheels cylinders and welding cracks in the cross member under the transmission as well as both front engine mounts.  While I having tranny out I'll replace the trunnion.  I'm taking the wheels to a local tire place to get some new tires that I may or may not keep on the car.  The car had wide whitewalls and I'm just not sure how I feel about that.  Given that they are $360 a piece.. I need to be *really* sure about it before I go that route.  I have some time to thing about that, lol.  If things go really well I might get the engine in this weekend.  

 

[Steve_Mack_CT]

Another great project to follow.  Super cool car, WWW vs. BW is indeed a tough choice.  I might go BW here but mostly they seem depicted with the whites...

 

Unless I missed it, gotta ask the "MG question", did you advertise it here or did it get scooped already? 🤔

[alsancle]

Are we picking tires? It’s no choice, this is a sports car. Black wall all the way.

[JV Puleo]

Blackwalls!

You don't want it to look as if it's sitting on roller skates.

Edited November 18, 2022 by JV Puleo (see edit history)

[Luv2Wrench]

5 hours ago, Steve_Mack_CT said:

Another great project to follow.  Super cool car, WWW vs. BW is indeed a tough choice.  I might go BW here but mostly they seem depicted with the whites...

 

Unless I missed it, gotta ask the "MG question", did you advertise it here or did it get scooped already? 🤔

 

I did list it in our For Sale forum section.  Haven't had any takers yet.  I'll give people here another week or so and then list it on Hemmings

 

[dalef62]

Does that look like your mount?

[Luv2Wrench]

On 11/19/2022 at 12:12 PM, dalef62 said:

Does that look like your mount?

Looks similar but the one on my car is welded to the frame rails and is much shorter.  

[Luv2Wrench]

My streak of awesome productivity ground to a halt this weekend.  I effectively spent 80% of Saturday getting the fuel tank installed.  The straps that came with the car were either missing a key part or were not the correct straps.  I mocked up some brackets and they appeared to work well.  Unfortunately after fabricating the brackets and trying to get the tank in place I found that it wouldn't quite work.  The center-to-center distance of the bolt holes in the trunk is, at most, 1/4" wider than the tank itself and thus leaves no room for brackets.   The next option was to take 5/8" rod and drill/tap a 5/16" hole in it.  I ran a bolt down into that with Loctite red and then cut the head of the bolt off.  This turned out to be very effective and I finally got the tank installed.  

 

I spent most of Sunday repairing the damaged cross member that the transmission/bellhousing mounts on.  I was going to replace the trunnion by pulling the transmission forward and leaving the torque tube in place.  This would save taking the rear end out.  As I read through the directions it wasn't clear to me that this would work and I felt like I might be making things worse.  Since all of the drive train will be coming out during the full restoration I decided to leave the trunnion alone and change it out when everything is removed.  I welded up the front engine mounts and that went very smoothly. I find it pretty funny that Oxy/Acetylene welding is now something I enjoy and look forward to doing because it is something I can control yet a few years ago I avoided it like the plague. 

 

I spent a good bit of the afternoon getting the final "detail" bits of the engine complete.  I still need to rebuild the carbs but I think everything else is ready.  I took all the wheels off and will be taking them for new tires tomorrow.

 

The biggest failure of the weekend was trying to put the engine back in.  I had heard that the engine is to be removed/installed with the bellhousing still attached to the transmission.  When I took the engine out I didn't know this and looking back I think it would have certainly made it much easier to remove.  As such when attempting to put the engine back in I installed the bellhousing first.  Once installed I realized that there was likely no way to access the bolts that would attach the bellhousing to the engine once installed.   After a good deal of time trying to determine if it would be possible I finally concluded it would not and removed the bellhousing.  To make matters worse, when I was installing the bellhousing I found it nearly impossible to get the throwout bearing and lever arm assembly to slide onto the first motion shaft and this is with me sitting in the engine bay with full access from the front!!  I can't imagine how it would work from the other side.  As such... I'm at a loss as to how the dang engine goes back in!!! 

 

I finally gave up on that and mounted the carbs on the intake manifold to see how they looked.  I still have to do a full rebuild on them of course but it was neat to see them on the engine.

 

Edited November 21, 2022 by Luv2Wrench (see edit history)

[Luv2Wrench]

Lots of steps forward but, as always, a few backwards.  I finished rebuilding the carbs and generally getting the engine ready to go back in the car.  On the first attempt I tried doing the opposite of what I did to get it out, ie; with the bellhousing attached.  After an hour or so of struggling it became obvious that it just wasn't going to work.  While it might seem obvious to have the bellhousing already installed, there is very, very little room between the top two bolts and the firewall so I felt like it was impossible.   Attempt number two was with the bellhousing installed and that went smoother though was still a bit of a struggle.  I have a nice engine hoist (2 tons with a 90" reach) but it doesn't have enough reach thus you're fighting to get the engine all the way in.   I eventually did get it installed and while I was trying to figure out how to get the bolts in, I thought I might just double check that the clutch worked.  Of course it did not and out came the engine again.  I took the clutch disc out and verified it was installed correctly.  I tested the pressure plate and it seemed fine.  The pilot bushing measured in spec but upon close inspection it seems it might be out of round.  I had the usual trouble in getting it out (the grease trick didn't work) so I tapped it with a 7/8"-14 tap and ran a bolt in and it came right out.   The clutch disc also had some corrosion/damage that might cause it to hang on the splines so I'll replace it.  I have found a source for that and expect it next week.  I can't find a pilot bushing so I'll likely have to order to oil impregnated bronze rod and make one.  The OD of the first motion shaft is 0.784" so with 4 thousandths clearance it would be 20mm.  I can get a reamer for that if I don't already have one.  The OD of the bushing that came out was 1.098 so I should be able to turn something in the 1-1/8" range down to that after boring and reaming.  I have contacted two AMC vintage parts sellers to see if they might have one so maybe that will pan out.

 

Adding to the frustrations of the engine in/out/in/out fiasco is the condition of the wire harness.   The insulation on the wires is so hard/brittle that just moving/bending a wire results in the insulation cracking and leaving part of the wire exposed.  I've patched up all the issues I could find but I have very little confidence in the harness overall.  At this point I'm thinking there is absolutely no way to drive the car around without replacing the harness.  I think I'll isolate the main harness from what is required to power the coil/starter.   That will mean no brake lights, turn signals, etc and for all practical purposes no driving out of the neighborhood.  Obviously there are no wire harnesses available for a Nash Healey and while I'll have no issue making one it is not something I wish to do at this point.  The goal was to get the car running and driving to be able to better evaluate the condition and to have it mobile around my property... not start a restoration. 

 

Not much in the way of pictures since it is hard to capture frustration with camera . I do have on picture with a nice reproduction "Dual Jetfire" sticker.  

 

 

 

[1957Birdman]

Any possibility that an Austin Healey wiring harness of the same vintage could be used (with modifications)? I assume that both cars used Lucas "Prince of Darkness" electricals and hopefully they are making replacement wiring harnesses for those cars. 

Lew Bachman

1957 Thunderbird

[Luv2Wrench]

6 hours ago, 1957Birdman said:

Any possibility that an Austin Healey wiring harness of the same vintage could be used (with modifications)? I assume that both cars used Lucas "Prince of Darkness" electricals and hopefully they are making replacement wiring harnesses for those cars. 

Lew Bachman

1957 Thunderbird

 

I haven't seen any Lucas products yet, generator/voltage regulator is Delco-Remy and other various bits appear to be US made.  The horns do look like the Lucas horns that are on the MG TD.  Most of the connectors are the bullet style that are on the MG.  All of the wiring is there and I have a schematic so creating the harness will not be that much of a problem, though it will take a few days.   The PVC insulated and cloth wrapped wire is not that expensive (less that $1/foot) so, again, a new harness is mostly just a time issue.  As an electrical engineer... it is something that I kinda look forward to.  I write code now so pulling out the soldering iron is fun.

 

I've wrapped all the exposed and cracked insulation with cloth electrical tape and fixed a few broken connectors.  This afternoon I connected my lab power supply (allows full short conditions, variable voltage and amperage, etc) and didn't find any shorts.  I then connected a battery and still no fire.  I tested a few of the circuits and found that the headlights, side lights and tail lights all work.  Brake lights and flasher do not but I did see voltage so I suspect bulbs issues.  I've order LED replacements for everything but the headlights along with an LED compatible flasher.  I have a new brake light switch so I'll give that a try next week.  Given the lack of smoke and flame I am feeling a bit more comfortable with the wiring.   We'll see how it looks after I have all systems working.

 

[r1lark]

Jeff, as a temporary fix in small areas where the cloth insulation is frayed or missing, I've found that the brush on 'liquid insulation tape' works very well:  Liquid Insulation Tape link

 

It does a good job of soaking into the old cloth insulation, and also a good job of covering bare wires. Bare areas will need a couple of applications. It also stops the fraying of the cloth. 

 

The type I use is the Plasti-Dip shown in the link, but I would expect all of the various manufacturers' products are pretty much the same.

 

Edited November 28, 2022 by r1lark (see edit history)

[Luv2Wrench]

It has been a rather slow week on the car.  I've done a little here and there but mostly waiting on parts and materials.  I now have the new clutch disc and the Oillite bronze rod to make the pilot bushing with.  I still need an adjustable (25/32"->27/32") reamer to get the ID correct for the main shaft. I've practiced taking a rod down to the OD needed for a press fit.  I feel fairly confident I'll be able to get the dimension I need though I also order 6" of the bronze rod so I'll some extra.  I don't expect the reamer until next week and while I'm tempted to try and get the ID with a boring bar I think the best plan is just to wait on the right tools.  In the mean time I've been going over the Van Norman 12 universal milling machine and hope to start making some chips with it this weekend.

[JV Puleo]

Bronze can be a pain to work with though I don't have much experience with oilite. I believe its scintered metal and doesn't turn perfectly smooth. You want a very sharp, pointed tool. When I bore it I use one of the carbide boring bars that actually fit my boring head but if you get within about .015 of the finished size, a reamer should finish the job perfectly.

[Luv2Wrench]

3 hours ago, JV Puleo said:

Bronze can be a pain to work with though I don't have much experience with oilite. I believe its scintered metal and doesn't turn perfectly smooth. You want a very sharp, pointed tool. When I bore it I use one of the carbide boring bars that actually fit my boring head but if you get within about .015 of the finished size, a reamer should finish the job perfectly.

Thanks for the advice, I'll switch to a more pointed HSS tool for the final thousands or so. I plan to use drills up to 25/32 and from there I can use the reamer.  

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

 

 Probably a plain brass bushing would work.  Although straight 8 Buick has a ball bearing.  The darn things are "in use" only when the clutch is depressed. 

all other times it is just sitting there.

 

  Ben

[Bloo]

Oilite is the best answer in my opinion. There is probably a slight advantage to a bearing, lower drag, but Oilite, real sintered bronze Oilite (not the ferrous kind), will never make you take the clutch apart early. Cars with real bearings often wind up needing to be taken apart to service the bearing.

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

You are probably correct.  

 Just saying. 

 I have personally never had the need to replace one.  Even in trucks with a million +.

 Same with throw-out/ clutch release bearing.  Unless the driver rides the clutch they are only in use when shifting.  Otherwise they just hang out.

 

  Ben

[Bloo]

Oh it's common on newer cars that use bearings. They run out of lubrication and rust. 5 liter Mustangs used a needle bearing, and that often failed before the clutch. I have a Mazda Miata with a bad pilot bearing in it. It is a sealed ball bearing. When I bought the car I thought the clutch was about shot and so didn't get wound up about the bad bearing, I figured I would be doing a clutch in a week or two. That was probably 10 years ago or more, and the clutch still hasn't failed. I have a habit of taking the car out of gear, so that bearing doesn't get much use. Come to think of it, I haven't heard it screeching in a long time. I have heard others of it's kind screeching though. My 36 Pontiac has a Hyatt bearing for a pilot bearing. I took the clutch out of the car just to get at that bearing. There is no way to lubricate it. I figured there was no way the grease could still be working (since 1936) but it was. Barely. No rust and the bearing was fine. I probably should have replaced it with Oilite, but I regreased it and put it back in.

 

Oilite means never having to take it apart until the clutch is shot.

 

[JV Puleo]

I think Oilite is probably best...failing that, bronze. Brass, an alloy of copper and zinc, is a poor bushing material. Bronze, copper and tin, is much better but the are frequently confused...people assuming that all the yellow alloys are brass. The common use of the wrong term can make it very confusing.

[Roger Zimmermann]

12 hours ago, JV Puleo said:

...people assuming that all the yellow alloys are brass.

Or gold! You are right, brass is not good for bushings.

[Lahti35]

On 12/3/2022 at 9:53 PM, Luv2Wrench said:

Thanks for the advice, I'll switch to a more pointed HSS tool for the final thousands or so. I plan to use drills up to 25/32 and from there I can use the reamer.  

I had Mcmaster turn me a custom sized oilite bushing this fall. I'm not sure what they used to cut it but it must have been sharp as there was no wiping and smearing of the "holes" on the bushings surfaces. Looks like it was made that way. I think your plan sounds good!

[Luv2Wrench]

The Van Normal No 12 is finished!  I can't believe I have such a nice machine. The head rotate from vertical to horizontal and anywhere in between.  Very cool.  It also has a second head that attaches to the main head which allows for even more angles including milling parallel and in line with the table.   It doesn't have a quill but I believe it makes up for that with rigidity.  The only con I've found so far is it only as about 17" workspace from table to head in vertical configuration. 

 

Some surprising new on the car... Kennedy American actually had the correct pilot bushing.  I didn't have a lot of faith in their order process and it took a fairly long time to get it (which is why I started down the route of making one) but it arrived in perfect shape and fit perfectly.  

 

With the pilot bushing in place I'm ready to put the engine back in.  One thing I wanted to do first was separate the transmission and torque tube to have a look at the trunnion.  It was a bit of a process but went fairly smoothly and the trunnion turned out to be in good condition.  Some time next year when I remove the drive train I will end up replacing it but it is good for now.  The plan is to put the engine back in tomorrow and start getting it hooked up.  I'll have some time off around and after Christmas so hopefully I'll be able to try and fire it up.

 

In addition all the LED lights can in so I'll work on getting those installed and the flashers working.  Since a post needs pictures... here's one of the mill.

 

[Luv2Wrench]

The engine is back in and the clutch disc releases!! 

 

It was an epic battle to get the engine in. The nose of the NH is very long and the engine sits well back in the bay and as a result it requires a long reach on the engine hoist.  I have what I think is the longest available (short of spending $6K) and it isn't long enough.  I can't use the overhead chain hoist because it doesn't lift the engine high enough before it runs out of travel.   It was super frustrating as I would get the engine down in the bay but not be able to get it far enough back.  I'd take it back out and adjust the leveler. Repeat process and fail.  Eventually I found just the right combination of where I attached the front/back of the leveler and the chain length to the main bar.  This creative use of the engine leveler enabled me to get it in but there's no way I'll try it after the car is painted. 

 

Once it was in I checked to see if the clutch disc would release and of course it wouldn't.  I was basically in full on panic mode at this point because I couldn't deal with having to pull the dang thing back out, look for some phantom issue and then try putting it back it. I had my son depress the clutch pedal and I looked up from underneath and I could see that the throwout bearing barely moved the forks on the pressure plate.  It was at that point I realized that since I replaced the clutch disc I would (obviously) need to adjust the linkage.  Once that was adjusted I was able to turn the engine over by hand with the car in gear and it not drive away.  I could hear the disc scraping as I turned the engine over and I guess this means I should add another turn so the it pushes it further in.  I'll worry about that tomorrow as I'm exhausted from messing with it today. 

 

Not a very interesting picture but one I would've paid a considerable amount of money to see mid-way though this afternoon!!

 

 

[Luv2Wrench]

Hope everyone has had a great Christmas and Holidays so far, everything has been great for me.  I've managed to get a bit more work done on the Nash and I have it to the point that I'll be trying to fire it up tomorrow.  I spun it over this evening and it built up oil pressure so that's a good sign.  Of course will all good news there seems to be some bad news... and the radiator supplied that news by immediately leaking as I put coolant in.  I'm so glad I had it flushed and the leaks fixed /sarcasm...  and yes, same damn radiator service place that screwed up the MG TD tank.  I had to go back to them because there really isn't any other place around me.  Fortunately I found a new replacement radiator online and I hope it will be here shortly.  I was shocked to find that a modern replacement is available because the NH radiator was a one off design.  The replacement is very close copy and looks to be very high quality.  It is a bit pricey at $559 but given the rarity of the car, I feel super fortunate that I found one.  I imagine getting someone to make one would be very expensive.

 

 

[ojh.]

What a great story, I just read thru it, I restore Nash-Healey's and have a coupe of them under construction, both roadsters.  I feel your pain on the engine, I am in need of a few basic parts to assemble one, that bit about the oilpump drive gear gave me pause, hard to imagine thats they way they are designed.

On the electrical, don't forget that it is Positive Ground, that may affect the LED's and you need the proper regulator for it.  Just a headsup.

I'd be interested in where you got the radiator, I like the original but the radiator cap is hard to find and they only take 10psi.

I have a good set of gas tank straps for a pattern if you want to go that route.

Lookin good, they're great cars and you'll love driving it,  Oj

 

 

[Luv2Wrench]

Thanks!

 

So to be fair to myself, I did not forget that it was positive earth.  I didn't forget that because I actually didn't know that!   I hooked it up negative ground and it ran fine.   I LED lights I bought or not polarity sensitive however the flasher is so I'll need to get positive ground version instead.

 

 Wizard Cooling is where I'm getting the radiator.  They built one custom in the past and kept the templates.  They'll be building mine for me and I should get it in about 4 weeks.  https://wizardcooling.com/i-30502954-wizard-cooling-1952-54-nash-healey-aluminum-radiator-50052-100.html#!make%3DNASH||model%3DNASH-HEALEY||year%3D1954

They have one in black as well but it was a good bit more expensive.  I'll paint to top/sides of mine and be fine.

Thanks for the offer of the gas tank straps, I think I'm good with how I have them mounted.

 

 

10 hours ago, ojh. said:

What a great story, I just read thru it, I restore Nash-Healey's and have a coupe of them under construction, both roadsters.  I feel your pain on the engine, I am in need of a few basic parts to assemble one, that bit about the oilpump drive gear gave me pause, hard to imagine thats they way they are designed.

On the electrical, don't forget that it is Positive Ground, that may affect the LED's and you need the proper regulator for it.  Just a headsup.

I'd be interested in where you got the radiator, I like the original but the radiator cap is hard to find and they only take 10psi.

I have a good set of gas tank straps for a pattern if you want to go that route.

Lookin good, they're great cars and you'll love driving it,  Oj

 

 

 

Edited December 31, 2022 by Luv2Wrench (see edit history)

[Luv2Wrench]

So today was the big day for starting the engine.  I filled the sediment bowl and both carb bowls with fuel.  On the first hit of the starter it backfired through the carbs.  Fortunately I now understand that (usually) means the dizzy is 180 degrees out.  I pulled the dizzy out, rotated the rotor 180 degrees and put it back in.   This time it roared to life!!  It really, really roared because I had the throttle direction backwards and turned it wide open!   Obviously it is just running in the driveway so I have no idea how well it performs under load but it sure did sound good!

 

A couple of notes about the video.  

 

When it first starts and I turn the throttle the wrong way you'll see a cloud of mist go by.  That's coolant that had leaked out and was collecting on the fins.  The radiator has since been fairly well behaved.  

Most of the dialog that you can't hear in the video is between my son and I.  We're discussing how the exhaust manifold is not leaking and then leaking.  I note that it has 60lb of oil pressure.  We are both relieved that after some period of time it became obvious that the fuel pump was indeed working and it wasn't just running off the fuel in the bowl. 

There's a terrible racket when I'm on the left side of the engine, that's the wind from the fan causing audio distortion.  The fan puts out some air!

The exhaust pipe/manifold leaked in various places.  By the end of the run it appeared to have stopped.  I'm not sure if it "fixed itself" or if the expansion from the heat sealed it and it will leak again when cold.  Definitely something I'll need to track.

 

I've got a fairly long list of things to do before I take it on the road.  Right now it has no seats, steering wheel or throttle linkage and those seem pretty important.   I'll also need to *swap the battery leads*.  Can't believe I missed that little detail.  The Nash Healey is positive ground like the MG TD.  I wasn't aware of that until @ojh.pointed it out above.

 

 

 

Edited December 31, 2022 by Luv2Wrench (see edit history)

[JV Puleo]

Great job Jeff!

[ojh.]

Wow, it lit right off, a little tweaking and you might be good to go.  

[Luv2Wrench]

Took the first drive today! I didn't go very far as it doesn't drive straight. It wanders left/right and it quite hard to turn the steering wheel. I plan to rebuild the front end but I was hoping to be able to drive it a little bit before that. It definitely isn't safe as is. The engine seems strong, gearbox is very smooth and the brakes work, so that's all a positive. I think I'm going to try and diagnose the issue(s) and see if there is something I can do right now so I can drive the car a bit more.

 

My goal was to get the car running and driving before I started the rotisserie restoration. I wanted to have a better feeling for what condition the car is in. That was mostly accomplished but I really would like to drive it over 30mph.

 

Does anyone know who made the steering box?  Healey made the chassis but not sure about the steering box? Any tips for rebuilding?

 

[ojh.]

I'll look back thru my notes and find the info for you, I was able to get the rebuild parts from a place in the UK.

Word of warning in case you feel like exploring for a looksee under a cover, those ball bearings are not captive, they'll dribble out and bounce off your frame rails, don't ask how I came by this bit of knowledge.

[Luv2Wrench]

@ojh. Thanks for the warning and fortunately I didn't open it.   This project has crossed into what I like to call "feature creep".  The goal was to get the car running and if possible, driving.  That has definitely been accomplished. A "reach" goal was to be able to drive it around and enjoy it until I finished restoring the 1913 Metz 22.  It looks like that isn't practical at this point as a little further digging revealed that it really needs a complete front end rebuild.  In addition I really don't trust the wiring and I would always be in fear something would go wrong with that.  Now that I know it also needs a front end rebuild (which isn't trivial on this car) I'm ready to move on and tackle those issues when I do the full restoration.   I need to talk to my engine guy to find out if it is OK to stop right now given that the rings haven't seated.  I fairly certain he's going to say that's really bad and I might be back to trying to figure out how to get it to drive straight long enough to seat the rings.  Wish I had a dyno at home!   I might look into getting a flatbed to take it to a shop with a dyno and doing a few pulls there to get the rings seated.

[ojh.]

What you call 'feature creep' I call 'Expanding horizons' where you can only see just so far and when you get there you see have to go into areas that were hidden from you.

Just to follow up on the steering box, it is the same as the ones used in the Jag XK120 of the same vintage, I used a rebuild kit from SC Parts Group Ltd., (sales@scparts.co.uk), they have a website with dwgs of the box.  Its a major effort to get it out, I think you've made the right decision.

[Luv2Wrench]

I set up parallel strings to measure the toe in/out on the car.  The rear wheels had zero toe as did the front left.  The front right was over 1/2" toed out.  Over 15" (diameter of rim) that is about 2 degrees toed out.  Further inspection found that the tie rod on that side was bent.  That effectively shortens the length which, for this car, turns the toe out.  I think removing the tie rod, straightening it out and aligning again should fix that issue.  A concern though is that something happened to bend the tie rod so there is likely other damage.  This and a further inspection of the front suspension confirms, at least to me, that I shouldn't be driving this car.  The spring perches, for example, are very rusted and should one of them break it would  be catastrophic and make it very difficult if not impossible to steer.  The plan right now is to fix the tie rod and take another short drive in the neighborhood to see if that solves the problem.  If it does, great, if not it isn't something I'm going to continue working on.  I talked to my engine guy and he said to fog the engine and not worry about the rings at this point.

 

I am a little disappointed because I really did want to drive the car around.  I did a fair amount of work to get the engine running, the rust stabilized and the interior reasonably comfortable.   It certainly would be fun to drive around but I just don't think it would be safe and rebuilding the front end is just not something I want to do at this point.  I'm in desperate need of more space in my shop and that is my number one priority.   Once that is finished and I have a fully functioning machine shop in one part of the shop and room to work in the other, then I'll finish the 1913 Metz 22 roadster restoration.   At that point (mid 2024) I'll be able to take my time and give the Nash Healey the complete restoration it needs and deserves.