Austin Healey 100/6 restoration Pt 51

[@BruceBoschek]

Oh my! I completely rebuilt the engine on my XK120, refaced the flywheel and pressure plate and did all the rest myself, but I wouldn't touch the wheels. I had a company in Chicago do it for me, including stripping and repainting. I don't remember what it cost, but it amounted to a sizeable proportion of the total cost of restoration. If I remember correctly I was told not to even try to do it myself. Watching you makes me think I probably could have, had I the patience and the time. Thanks for the tutorial!

[@aussiemg100]

+Bruce Boschek Hi Bruce well, as they say, 'it's not rocket science'. I did the wheels on the MGA and they have been fine. It just takes patience and a few spare spokes. Time will tell. I'd like new ones but the cost is a bit high at the moment. Cheers Matthew

[@philtucker1224]

I’m very much with you Matthew, there’s no point in just renewing (in this case the wheels) everything every time you find something is less than perfect, after all “restoration” is the whole point of this hobby isn’t it? You must be the best judge of your own safety and I guess in the case of this very precious beauty, you’re not going to be cornering it at 100mph very often! P.s. - sorry I’m about 4yrs late watching this series, but I just happened to meet a guy last weekend with a lovely 100/6 at Runnymede park near Windsor in the UK, and this got me started on your series. All wonderful stuff and I hope you are still keeping well all this time later....

[@aussiemg100]

Hi Phil Thanks for the nice thoughts. Sorry to take a while to reply. I missed your comment. The wheels turned out fine. No wobble or bumps at speed. As for your comment on interruptions, I think the secret it to get up early while everyone else is snoring

[@mp330600]

Thanks for sharing you expertise and techniques. Your series is an excellent "How to" for all British sports car owners.

[@aussiemg100]

+Bronco Billy Cheers. thanks for the comment. I hope to show that anyone with some basic knowledge can do this stuff.

[@nd318865]

Matthew; to help make your evening: Thought I'd share. I, during my 1965 '62 MKII phase, threw away both rear wires so I could mount wider alloys with DUNLOP SP tires. Probably 185X?X15'" which as it turned out shortly thereafter were a terrible choice on the rear of the Healey unless one minded spinning 180s on every corner of the Pleasanton County Fairgrounds autocross course, which I tried just that once. I was taught BTW, to plink each spoke. If they plinked back I was OK. If not I took a chance and never broke any but then they were just 3 years old and in CA. Be well.

[@aussiemg100]

+James Tennier Hi Jim yes i'm trying to get them to 'pink'. They're not all the same frequency but don't sound dull, so I guess that's ok. Some of them just won't free: 59 years as opposed to 3 eh? M

[@nd318865]

I remember it being "plinking." See how much I knew. Hope all is well. (Looked into "truing the rear 2003 Triumph Thunderbird Sport triple) I had a few years back. Shop in LA would have done it for less than $150. plus shipping both ways. Wasn't THAT bad I thought and soon thereafter sold the bike for a Daytona then a 2008 Triumph Sprint. Never ride it anymore as the Porsche is so much more comfortable. Told you I was old. Be well Jim

[@ronicard]

Nice video, Matthew. Trueing a wheel is something that absolutely tries my patience to the utmost and that's just on a motorcycle rim. I would hate to have to do a car rim.

[@aussiemg100]

+Ron Icard Thanks Ron yes, it takes patience. I think they're ok now. Breaking the spokes is the problem. Some of them just won't loosen. Fine thread and 57 years of rust I guess.

[@dgadver]

ok... I will do my best...hahaha... good luck with the move...best regards...dave

[@deep6thisdeep6this92]

i know this is an old video, but how to do it doesn't grow old, so... i would look a BICYCLE wheel building information on adjusting wirewheels. there are still millions of them out there that are being built (custom and repaired) and adjusted at bicycle repair shops all over the world. not so with wirewheels on cars. yet the process is the same. short answer though... is radial adjustment involves tightening both long and short spokes on one side and then loosening both long and short at 180 degrees. probably do two longs and two shorts equidistant from the out-of-roundness point and then the ones 180 degrees away. for lateral adjustments tighten long spoke and loosen its short partner; the one connected to the other side of the hub, whose nipple will most likely be adjacent to the nipple of the long spoke. again, probably two longs and two shorts. one on each side of the runnout point. IOW, radial adjustments involve adjusting spokes 180 degrees opposite one another on the rim, while runnout involves adjusting spokes that are adjacent to each other on the rim. fortunately, the difficult part is lacing wheels from scratch, which is rarely discussed WRT automobile wirewheels, explaining how to do THAT is very hard indeed! surprisingly, there's more of them than you can shake a stick at. :)

[@aussiemg100]

Well, yes there are different ways I guess. I was a novice but it worked out well. Replacing the spokes is tricky because you usually have to cut one to get the broken one out. My MGA has a broken one at the moment. I'm putting off doing it.

[@chrisarneson8644]

Which gas did you need to get them glowing? MAPP? Did you just replace the broken or stripped spokes? Presumably you didn't need to loosen every nipple correct?

[@aussiemg100]

Hi Chris I replaced the broken or loose spokes, mainly the outside ones. The problem is that if you have to replace one, you may have to remove a near one to get it in. I wanted to true the wheels, so I loosened all the outer spokes. Some came undone, but some broke. The nipples are quite thin and easy to damage, even with the correct spanner. If you just want to replace broken or loose ones you don't need to do them all, but if you want to true the wheel, you have to be able to loosen them. You WILL break some, even with heat, so get some spares. It's a time consuming job, and you have to get them very hot. I used Mapp gas. Oxy would be better. Good luck. M

[@ScottyBr4700]

Aren't you concerned about losing the heat treating (if any) in the spokes? I have some 60 spoke wheels that have been through a garage fire and I am concerned about running them on my car.

[@aussiemg100]

Hi Scotty yes, that did concern me but I don't think I got them hot enough for that. I did the same on my MGA and I've had no issues. Cheers Matthew

[@ScottyBr4700]

48 spoke. Aren't you concerned about losing the heat treating (if any) in the spokes? I have some 60 spoke wheels that have been through a garage fire and I am concerned about running them on my car.

[@aussiemg100]

Scotty Brunton Hi Scotty Well' I'm no expert but I don't think they got that hot really and only on the ends. Time will tell. Matthew

[@ScottyBr4700]

matthew randell Hi Matthew, thank you for responding to my question. My spokes were in a fire so I will run them cautiously and test them with your runout method often until I gain confidence in them. I guess I could also buy new spokes.

[@dgadver]

OK... Matthew... we need another video... I don't care if it's you just sorting nuts and bolts!!!! Hhahahaha!!! C'mon bro!!!

[@aussiemg100]

Ah. . . well . . We are in the process of moving house, so the Healey has to take a back seat, but I have another film half made, won't be long. Hang in there David and resist the withdrawal pains:-)