By Norman Nock
Originally published in the Austin-Healey Magazine, March 1994
On the 3000s only, the water temperature gauge capillary tube was looped about three times (1.5" diameter loops) just before entering the fire wall and secured to the left-hand heater hose between the engine block and the firewall by a toothed strap as shown by the arrow in Figure 1. On some 3000Mkll cars it was secured to the breather hose between the valve cover and the rear air cleaner instead of the heater hose.
The original strap is made from 3/32" thick hard black rubber, and is shown in full size with markings in the correct position in Figure 2. These straps are now available.
According to the Standards Guide, the capillary tube (and surrounding protecting coil) on all Austin-Healeys is unpainted and silver-colored. On 4-cylinder cars, it is hung under the right hand edge of the front shroud and the bulb is mounted in the radiator top tank. On early 6-cylinder cars, the tube is mounted down the inner right-hand edge of the front shroud with the bulb mounted in the underside of the radiator top tank. On 6-port heads after BN6 2630 and BN4 68960 and up to the introduction of the tri-carb engines, the capillary tube is fastened with black- or green-painted spring clips to gloss black-painted vertical brackets that are fastened to the same bolts as the heater return pipe clamps.
When the tri-carbs were introduced with the higher heater return pipe, the spring clips were fastened directly to the return pipe clamps and the separate vertical brackets were discontinued.
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