The 3000 Forum

Darin,
I just took a look at by block, and it is as Dave describes: there are bolts with copper washers but no blanking plate. Maybe they got to the point where they stopped drilling and tapping the head by the time yours was produced. Obviously, your engine is later than 29K-H278; if your engine number tag is still in place, I bet it is a much later BJ8.

Dave,
My understanding is that removing the dipstick tube is challenging. My machine shop said he can usually get them out without destroying them. However, if he is unable to do that, I may come begging for one of yours. As to the block graveyard you have, is that the result of racing?

Thanks,
Mark

Darin,
I just took a look at by block, and it is as Dave describes: there are bolts with copper washers but no blanking plate. Maybe they got to the point where they stopped drilling and tapping the head. Obviously, your engine is later than 29K-H278; if your engine number tag is still in place, I bet it is a much later BJ8.

Dave,
My understanding is that removing the dipstick tube is challenging. My machine shop said he can usually get them out without destroying them. However, if he is unable to do that, I may come begging for one of yours. As to the block graveyard you have, is that from racing?

Thanks,
Mark

Hi Mark,

I've never tried pulling one but I'm willing to give it a try if you need.

Only two of the dead blocks are directly linked to racing - in one I broke an exhaust valve head off at 6k rpm and ate the piston and when the piston was gone, the wrist pin edges gouged deep grooves in the bore and my machinist was doubtful a sleeve would hold - the other was heat of the battle with a '57 Corvette and on the last lap I knew something was wrong but wanted badly to beat the 'Vette (he had correct drum brakes and towards the end of a session, I could outbreak him and sometimes win) ..... this time I did just barely but when I lifted there was a big bang and a rod came out the side of the block . Two others developed the infamous "block porosity" problem these can have with oil seeping thru the thin casting into the coolant - the first time I tried one of the 'oilway repair kits' which didn't work so replaced the block an the second time I went directly to the 'replace the block' solution. In desperation to find good blocks, I once bought 4 blocks sight unseen from a fellow who claimed they were good and strapped them on a pallet and shipped them to me - I managed to use one of those 4...... End result is lots of scrap iron and I've just been too lazy to get around to hauling them into the scrap yard.

Dave

Yikes! Sounds expensive, but fun.

I bought a BT7 in 1989 that was a basket case with the intention of making it a vintage racer. It was Colorado red, but I envisioned painting it exactly like Doug Escriva's. I even had the hardtop! Kids came along and all the other realities of life, corporate downsizings, etc. and my cars found other homes. We are empty nesters now.

We found our current car in January of 2020, got it back on the road in the Fall, and that is when we found what was wrong with it. My first couple of Healeys I was really lucky; they just ran! This car was "restored" 30 years ago, but there is a reason it only has 3,000 miles since. It had been sitting for a lot longer than the previous owner's widow remembered. Much longer! It was severely overheated according to my machinist. The head was warped and had four repairs internally; some repairs were leaking. The block has three cracks he found when magnafluxing. Thankfully, friends in the local club have come to my rescue with a cylinder head and a block.

While I've got you, I'm curious what racers do/did to reinforce the motor mounts, if anything. Mine have cracks. I started a separate post about that since I could not find one on the forum.

Thanks,
Mark