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| JH 16327 | Rating: 
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| Posted: 01-13-2009 10:50 am |
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1st Post |
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RossB Member 
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Richar Calver has kindly filled me in with some of the details about my car. 16327 (a 4 speed) was one of a batch of fifty Jensen Healeys (16300-16349) destined for Australia. Some of the cars ended up in Hong Kong and one remained in England. The car was built in May 1974 and delivered in June 974 in Adelaide, South Australia In its original form it was white with a black interior. As you can see from the photos, its colour scheme is now quite different. I purchased the car in 1998. The previous owner had had all the rust removed and new metal stiched in (mainly the RHS sills and the rear sections of the floor just before the rear axle. Since buying the car I was always bothered by the low oil pressure. I was getting several signs that the engine was in need of some TLC. Personal events intervened and 16327 sat idle for the next 8 or 9 years (my JH was in Melbourne and I was in Sydney). In mid 2008 I was ready to live with my car again. As the car had been sitting still for so long, and I knew the engine needed some attention, I figured now was the time to address as much mechanical work as I could. Now I am time poor (unfortunately this does not translate to cash rich), so I organised for a trusted workshop to do the work for me. My laundry list included:
Replace exhaust Replace clutch Replace wheel bearings Replace all dampers Replace suspension bushes Replace ball joints Recore radiator Tidy engine bay (there were a few dings on the LHS where someone had messed about with the exhaust header in the past) Overhaul the brakes Replace the horrid external radio aerial that was on the car with an internally hidden one Replace all fluids I am hoping to have the car back on the road in the late Summer or Early autumn. In Sydney, winter is probably the best time to drive a Jensen Healey as the weather becomes much milder and open top motoring becomes more enjoyable. After reading a few threads here, I am going to have a long discussion with my mechanic about oil for the engine. I am concerned about the ZDDP (this exercise had been expensive enough without having to do it again in a few months). I have faith though - this fellow restores a lot of Jags and Aston Martins - both cars with the same level of complexity as our beloved 907 Lotus motor. After I have let these changes settle for a while I am contemplating the Toyota Supra Gearbox upgrade. But that is for the future. I am so looking forward to getting the Little Red Car back on the road. As it was before I started this insanity: http://flickr.com/photos/castingspider/2841682582/ http://flickr.com/photos/castingspider/2840856527/ As it is now: http://flickr.com/photos/castingspider/2840857351/ Last edited on 01-20-2009 03:06 am by RossB |
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| Posted: 01-13-2009 01:23 pm |
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2nd Post |
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subwoofer Member
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Lookin' good! Are you changing the crankshaft for a 2.2 while you are at it, or do you stay at 2.0 and 9.5 compression? Regarding the ZDDP issue: AFAIK, European oils should not represent a problem, oil marked ACEA A3/B3 is not required to go as low low in Zink content as their American counterparts, and the ACEA test cycle is a lot stricter on wear on flat tappet OHC engines than the API test cycle. I suppose Google is our friend in finding out more. -- Joachim
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| Posted: 01-13-2009 07:28 pm |
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3rd Post |
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RossB Member
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I have elected to stick with the 2.0 and the 9.5 compression. I am continuing the oil research and I need to figure out the situation with oils made here in Australia. Thankfully I still have time. Cheers, Ross.
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| Posted: 01-13-2009 07:42 pm |
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4th Post |
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subwoofer Member
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Please let us know how the 2.0/104/107 works out! I have tried to find if 2.0 pistons for higher CRs are available. SJ Sportscars in the UK have 10.5 or 11 pistons for the 2.0, but Mike at Lotusbits says those are too heavy to be any good. -- Joachim
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| Posted: 01-15-2009 08:42 am |
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5th Post |
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Harkes Member 
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Very nice interior! has this actually been done before: 2.0L with 104/107 cams?? Will a 104 cam tick-over ok on idle in a fresh 2.0L engine? JH folks mostly tend to put in 107/107 cams in a revised 2.0L engine and 9.5 compression. good luck with the rebuild Last edited on 01-15-2009 08:46 am by Harkes |
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| Posted: 02-27-2009 05:35 pm |
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6th Post |
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subwoofer Member
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Maybe this really belongs in a thread of its own, but it is in relation to something I mentioned earlier. I had some correspondance going with Steve at SJ Sportscars, and he could tell me the following about piston weights for the 2.0: 11:1 (forged) 637g complete with rings and pin Back on topic: How's the rebuild coming along, Ross? I guess you are approaching the late summer/early spring mark now? -- Joachim
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| Posted: 02-28-2009 10:44 pm |
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7th Post |
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RossB Member
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The rebuild has been a little slower than I anticipated. This is most due to the fact I told the workshop there was no hurry (this helps space out the invoices). The block and head are away for machining - the rebuild will begin in the next week or so (all things being equal). I'll post photos when it comes together. I'm looking forward to it. Cheers, Ross.
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| Posted: 08-19-2010 06:05 am |
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8th Post |
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RossB Member
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Hi folks. After an extended period marked by frequent pauses, the work on my car is finally complete. Everything that I outlined in the original post has been completed. For your interest, I have attached the dyno chart for the engine with the 10.5:1 pistons and the 104/107 cams. Carbies are Dellorto. The power figure on the chart is rear wheel power. The engine is still very fresh. Once I have put some miles on it I think I'll be looking to make the tune a little more aggressive. Time will tell. Cheers, Ross. Attachment: JHealey Dyno.jpg (Downloaded 264 times)
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| Posted: 08-19-2010 06:06 am |
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9th Post |
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RossB Member
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I realised the chart isn't as clear as I'd like at this resolution. The max power is about 112hp at the rear wheels. Ross.
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| Posted: 08-23-2010 06:32 pm |
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10th Post |
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subwoofer Member
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I would think that was rather low for a rebuilt engine? A proper rebuild should put it back to new, and if I understand you correctly, you have built it to HC spec (2.2/104+107/10.5:1), which in stock form was 180BHP. A driveline loss of close to 70hp would surely make gearbox, diff or rear brakes glow in the dark. But... It doesn't really matter what the numbers say if it feels right! BTW: I think that ridiculously rich spot around 3k5 can be ironed out by altering the float levels. <heresy warning>I don't have first hand experience, but I think I remember someone saying that lowering the float level will delay the tip in of the main jets, since they seem to come online while the idles/emulsion tubes are still giving enough juice.</heresy warning> -- Joachim Last edited on 08-23-2010 06:33 pm by subwoofer |
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| Posted: 08-23-2010 09:13 pm |
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11th Post |
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RossB Member
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Actually, the engine is still 2.0 - I didn't do the 2.2 conversion. And I mispoke when I said 10.5:1 pistons - they are 9.5:1. Also, the tune is reasonably conservative at the moment - I'll be trying to get a bit more out of it during the first service. In driving the car I have come across a number of niggles that need ironing out, but that is to be expected with all the work that was done. I think there is more to be had by altering the timing parameters. When I make the changes I hope to publish another chart for comparison.
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| Posted: 08-23-2010 10:10 pm |
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12th Post |
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subwoofer Member
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Sorry, my bad, I saw 10.5 and assumed you had changed your mind... Then it makes more sense with 112 at the wheels, I guess you can hope for 140-ish when everything is in perfect tune. The Spec5 2.0 was 160BHP with 9.5 compression and E-cams. Looking forward to hearing results from the next tune-up. -- Joachim
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| Posted: 08-24-2010 07:45 pm |
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13th Post |
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Greg Fletcher Administrator 
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Did you end up with the 104/107 cams? The 104/107 combo is great under the right circumstances, but you really do need a head that has been seriously ported that can move some air, otherwise, everything suffers. I would recommend leaving the float level at the correct height, all you need is to get your jets correctly set. Jetting will change based on the series (when they were manufactured) too. If you don't have the factory Dellorto European intake on it, I would consider getting a used one and adding that. The Lotus boys did their homework on that set up- incredibly, if you put the engine on a dyno with a so-called performance air filter and then try again with the factory intake box, you will see close to 10hp change. The air velocity from the stock Dellorto intake makes a tremendous difference.
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| Posted: 08-24-2010 07:59 pm |
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14th Post |
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subwoofer Member
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You can get an Eclat/Elite airbox from Lotusbits for £40. I have one, and it fits perfectly under the bonnet. The hose for the Federal airbox to air filter connection will then reach the radiator bulkhead, so with a little bit of cutting you have a ram air intake. Not likely to hurt performance! As far as the float levels go, the "free swing" method is not very accurate, the accurate way is to measure the level in the bowl. According to some old hands at the Innovate Motorsports web forum, float levels are not as easy to set as one might think, and can really make a difference in the transition to the main jets. Myself? I have had bigger problems to sort lately, so jetting will be next year... -- Joachim
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| Posted: 09-08-2010 06:43 pm |
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15th Post |
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subwoofer Member
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Found the exact thread on tuning side drafts after the Innovate forums were back up. As I remembered, the rich spot can be relieved by dropping the float height, measuring actual fuel level is the recommended method for accuracy: http://www.innovatemotorsports.com/forums/showpost.php?p=30226&postcount=9 HTH! -- Joachim
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| Posted: 09-09-2010 01:06 am |
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16th Post |
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Jensen Healey Super Moderator 
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Tuning the car with the float level is ridiculous. Set the floats to 15mm (on most floats) and tune the car with the jets. That guy has Weber carbs, not Dellortos. I think he should try methane. Kurt Last edited on 09-09-2010 03:41 am by Jensen Healey |
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