by Mark Bramfitt
Originally published in the Austin-Healey Magazine, August 1987
Keeping your Healey in top running condition can be an expensive proposition given the high cost of spare parts. I've found that some parts can be repaired rather than replaced, avoiding the cost and delay of ordering new or reconditioned items. Here are three examples that illustrate how simple repairs can be made with standard tools and equipment.
Electrical Switches
Dashboard electrical switches will occasionally fail after years of service. I! an electrical accessory fails, one simple check is to put a jumper wire across the switch terminals. If the accessory operates, the switch is clearly at fault. Before ordering a replacement, why not try to affect a repair?
In most cases a switch will not operate properly due to a failure of the contacts. It can simply be a matter of wear, or more often than not, corrosion. To remedy the problem it is necessary to get into the switch. The first step is to remove the switch from the dash, being careful not to mar the dash covering when unscrewing the retaining bezel.
Most switches will be 'permanently' crimped together, but if you do some prying with a small screwdriver or sharp-pointed pliers you can usually get the retaining tabs free. I! all else fails, use a razor saw to cut the tabs off. Be sure to wear safety glasses when doing these operations.
Carefully pull the switch body apart, watching for the interior spring which may come flying out. Note how the unit fits together so that you can reassemble the switch properly. Clean the contacts thoroughly .with sandpaper; it may also be necessary to gently bend the metal so that good contact will be made.
If the retaining tabs are still intact they can be used to hold the switch together after reassembly. In some cases it may be worthwhile to fix the assembly with epoxy glue.
Choke Cable
Proper choke operation is necessary even if you are in a warm climate. It is usually enough to adjust the choke system to get good cold starting, but occasionally a broken cable will necessitate repair.
There are different choke cable arrangements depending upon the number and type of carburetors. Early cars have a single cable from the dash to the choke linkage. Tn-carb installations have a cable from the dash to a lever, and three cables running from the lever to the carbs. The most common arrangement for later cars with two carburetors is a cable from the dash to the engine bay bulkhead, with two cables from there to the carbs.
Choke cables from the carburetors to the engine bay bulkhead or lever are easy to replace. Disconnect the mounting hardware from the cable and remove. Use bicycle brake cable or other suitable wire as a replacement. If the cable housing is deformed or cracked, it is a good idea to replace this also. Again, bicycle brake cable housing is a good replacement.
If the main choke cable is broken, the repair is a bit more difficult. I! you pull the choke knob out of the dash you will see that the cable is crimped into a hole in the end of the knob shaft. Attempts at repairing the cable itself will probably prove fruitless; it is better to install an entirely new cable. Use a hacksaw to cut off the end of the shaft, just above the crimp. You will be left with a shallow hole in the end of the shaft. With care this hole can be drilled further into the shaft; a half inch is ideal. The cable end can now be inserted into the shaft and attached. I recommend soldering the cable into the hole, though you could try to crimp the two together. Insert the cable into the dash hole and feed the cable through to the carbs. If you have trouble getting the cable through the hole in an installation with the bulkhead mounting, the cable housing has probably pulled away from the hole. There is no room to get your hand in to guide the housing!
Try inserting a fairly long piece of stiff wire (coat hanger wire is great) through the hole from the engine bay. Insert the wire into the cable housing, and then feed the cable housing along the wire up to the hole. Hold onto the casing from the engine bay with pliers or vice grips, remove the stiff wire, and feed the cable through.
The final step for all choke cable replacements is to reattach the cables and adjust the choke. Be sure that when the choke is pushed in, the choke levers in the carburetors are released.
Door Regulators
After a half dozen good shin bruises obtained while lying on my back to work under the dash, I decided that it was time to do something about the door regulators on my BJ7. The function of the regulator is to hold the door in position when it is open. The design is straightforward as you can see in the diagram; a retainer maintains the position of a nut on a bolt that is mounted on the base. As long as there is friction in the assembly everything works well. After a decade or two of use however, the bolt gets rather worn, resulting in stripped threads. It may seem a simple matter to replace the bolt, but some attention must be taken to do the job correctly.
First remove the regulator from the car by undoing the two mounting screws and two bolts. Disassemble the unit by removing the retainer, nut, washer, and swivel assembly. The next step is to remove the bolt, which is welded to the body of the regulator. If hammering does not separate the bolt from the base, use a hacksaw to cut off the threaded portion. Punch a dimple into the remaining section of bolt and drill out the section with a 5/16 inch bit. A one inch long 5/16 inch bolt can now be fitted. It is crucial that the new bolt be firmly attached to the regulator base. This can be achieved by directly welding the bolt in place, or by attaching a steel plate to the body that will prevent the bolt from turning.
Check the retainer to see that the jaws have not spread out; if they are it can be corrected with some judicious hammering. Clean all parts and reassemble, leaving the retainer off. With the regulator remounted to the car, tighten the nut firmly. Replace the retainer and check the unit for adjustment. The door should stay in whatever position it is left in.
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