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Drove 1974 Jensen Healey for the first time  Rate Topic 
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 Posted: 02-04-2020 11:55 am
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Rdinstel
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Drove my new to me 1974 Jensen Healey 5 speed this weekend.
The car has five problems right off the bat.
- The passenger door light will not turn off - door open or closed.
- Transmission not engaging well. I adjusted the clutch cable, but something seems to stick and just won't go into gear as you shift.
- Significant oil leak from what looks like around the rear main seal.
- Car very hard to start.
- Turn signals quite working during the drive.

All that aside, the car is fun and drives well. Does need new tires.

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 Posted: 02-04-2020 03:34 pm
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Esprit2
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Ray,
I sent the following in a direct email, but we may as well take the conversation here.

Does the difficult shifting seem to be within the gearbox, or could it be in the shifter linkage. The 5-spd's external linkage includes a bunch of bushings that tend to wear out with use & age. Getting to them is a bit of a access-challenge, but replacing them is easy.

Did you watch the episode of Wheeler Dealers in which they fixed-up and sold a Jensen-Healey 5-spd? The shifter linkage was one of the things they addressed, and they clearly showed the how-to on screen.

For the door light, just remove the bulb until you get the problem fixed.

Are you using the choke and it's still hard to start? Refresh my memory... does it have Zenith-Stromberg carbs or Dellortos?

Regards,
Tim Engel

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 Posted: 02-06-2020 09:22 am
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discogodfather
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Great to hear you got it going, I am in the process of getting my 73 running right now. I drained the getrag and used some Redline MTL, I'm hoping that frees it up a bit. It was hard to shift just sitting there until I drained the old oil and flushed it out a bit and added new fluid.

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 Posted: 02-06-2020 11:08 am
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Rdinstel
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I am not sure if its the gearbox or linkage, will watch Wheeler Dealers.
I can't get the light fixture out of the door to take the bulb out. The plastic is very brittle and I can't locate a replacement in the event I ruin the fixture.
The carbs on this car are Stromberg.
The JH I have at BMC has Dellortos.

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 Posted: 02-24-2020 04:15 pm
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noomg
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You've only got five problems, lucky you. On problem number 1, since it lights I wouldn't mess with the light unit itself, if you do I'd recommend pulling the door panel to access from behind. I'd check the plastic switches in both doors first.

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 Posted: 02-24-2020 06:03 pm
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redracer
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Problems:
1)the light fixture has a metal tab on either side; use a plastic tool to push in on the side a pop the fixture out the front(door panel does not need to be removed). You will very likely break the original plastic(every one I've seen including mine, and I am the original owner). Hell?VW has one that will fit; it's slightly longer, but a littl panel trimming will be fine)
2)Not sure about tm,. but the orinal 12mm pin with it's 2 nylon side supports was loose from day one. I had made in the early '90s better fitting nylon bushing impregnated with MoS2 for a much better/tighter fitting--used to be especially difficult for reverse & 1st gear. (did not know that the 5speeds were self centering between 2nd & 3rd gears!)
3)You will likely need to pull the tm. to replace the rear seal; while in there, do the 4 components for the clutch AND the front seal for the 5 speed(easy, unlike the 4 speed)
4)not sure; you will need to do some more diagnostic work before an intelligent fix ensues(the relay; the Logic box;
the distributor;, etc)
5)a main culprit is the HAZARD switch through which the current for the turn signals runs; the contacts are NOT self cleaning, unlike the LIGHT & FAN switches.
Carefully push (from behind--do NOT pull) the HAZARD switch and bypass the switch with a copper shunt)
keep us posted, bruce
RedRacerbm@gmail.com
(404)261-2552

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 Posted: 02-24-2020 06:50 pm
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Rdinstel
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Great feedback, thanks!

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 Posted: 02-24-2020 09:09 pm
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Rdinstel
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Bruce, I looked on VW site, which model works to replace the door light of the Jensen Healey?

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 Posted: 02-24-2020 09:56 pm
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redracer
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please reply to my personal email I posted; taking a pic and seding it will be lkight years faster than this forum. you can post it later if you want(or can figure out how)

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 Posted: 02-29-2020 02:57 pm
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noomg
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On the hard start I'd check the timing and make sure the choke is functioning properly.

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