Description

Billet Water Pump Assembly – 2.0L 900 Series Engines / Short Impellor

To fit the following vehicles:

– Jensen Healey
– Esprit S1, S2, S2.2 S3 (None AC)
– Elite & Eclat
– Lotus Sunbeam

Recommended Items for This Product:
Water Pump Rebuild Kit 900 series Engine (short)

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History:

When production of the Austin-Healey 3000 ended, Donald Healey opened discussions with Jensen Motors, who had built the bodies for Healey’s Austin-Healey cars. The largest Austin-Healey dealer in the U.S., San Francisco-based Kjell Qvale, was also keen to find a replacement to the Austin-Healey 3000; Qvale would become a major shareholder of Jensen, making Donald Healey the chairman. The Jensen-Healey was developed in a joint venture by Donald Healey, his son Geoffrey, and Jensen Motors. Hugo Poole did the styling of the body, the front, and back of which were later modified by William Towns to take advantage of the low profile engine and to allow cars for the U.S. market to be fitted with bumpers to meet increasingly strict U.S. safety regulations. The unitary body under-structure was designed by Barry Bilbie, who had been responsible for the Austin-Healey 100, 100-6 and 3000 as well as the Sprite. It was designed to be easy to repair, with bolt-on panels, to keep insurance premiums down.
Early cars (1973-1974.5) were fitted with two-piece steel and chrome bumpers originally designed for the Jensen-Healey. Later cars used redesigned black rubber bumpers to comply with US government regulations and meet the new 5-mph crash standard.

Colin Chapmans Involvement:

Various engines were tried out in the prototype stage including Vauxhall, Ford and BMW units. The Vauxhall 2.3 L engine met United States emission requirements but did not meet the power target of 130 hp (97 kW). A German Ford V6 was considered but industrial action crippled supply. BMW could not supply an engine in the volumes needed. Colin Chapman of Lotus offered, and Jensen accepted, his company’s new 1973 cc Lotus 907 dual overhead cam, 16-valve all-alloy engine. This multi-valve engine was the first modern dual overhead cam 4 valve per cylinder engine to be mass-produced on an assembly line. This setup put out approximately 144 bhp (107 kW), topping out at 119 mph (192 km/h) and accelerating from zero to 60 mph in 7.8 seconds (8.1 seconds for the emission controlled U.S. version).

Motorsport:

Jensen Motors ran a factory team to compete in the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) D Production Championship. This team was put together by Huffaker Engineering in California, USA.
Although it was a new car, the Jensen-Healey went on to become one of the few cars in SCCA history to win a championship in its first year of racing (1973). The roadster also, uniquely in Sports Car Club of America history, captured five SCCA national “D” production championships.[4]
The initial drivers in 1973 were Lee Mueller and Jon Woodner. In 1974 the lone entry was Lee Mueller. Lee Mueller captured a second D Production championship in 1974. The factory support ended in 1974, however, the West Coast Jensen-Healey dealers combined to put together a late effort in 1975.[5] Huffaker built a new car and although beginning the SCCA season late Mueller, driving again, was able to qualify for the runoffs in Atlanta.