1998 TVR Chimaera 4.0 - Turbocharged.

Damn your itchy feet.......

On the plus side it's a thread I can un-bookmark leaving a space for whatever you have itchy feet for

Good luck with the sale hope it goes to a good home

Stupid Sexy TVR....

So as it is for sale, I have took the effort to sort all the annoying niggles. (The benefit to this is that the idea of selling it is driving me to fix stuff... if it doesn't sell I'll have a fully sorted car that in all fairness I might be happy to keep)

First up, the leak. This was an easy, if expensive fix.



Got the old radiator out and removed the fans. Gave it a proper going over but for the life of me there is no visible leak. I have a few points of corrosion but the rad was holding water when I removed it, suggesting it had leaked down to the pinhole level rather than totally draining. As such, I must have a leak higher than the base. I'll do a leak test later...

Interestingly, the fans are SPAL's:



...although I'm sure that's probably TVR standard thoroughfare.

With the rad out I had a look around the area for more clues. At first I suspected the larger air filter I fitted might have been knocking against the core, but on inspection it is miles away, and secured pretty tight.



If nothing else at least I have a chance to pick up all those dropped washers from this part of the plastic tub! And yes, the indicator is off. The glue has cracked so I'll need to reattach it (yes, they are glued in place from factory).

So.. the new radiator? Yes, it is bling:



Very alloy polished bling. Shame it will be mostly covered with the SPAL's once refitted, but at least I know its a bit better than stock.

So why my opening comment of stupid sexy TVR? Well, I have other niggles on my to-do list. One of those is a blowing exhaust gasket, right where the header joins the block. Oh lovely, loads of access....



I have managed to remove 6 of the 8 bolts holding this on. Interestingly, the 2 at the front of the engine where I have the blow were barely tight. I suspect these have loosened off and over time the gasket has failed due to the lack of pressure on it. So what's left? Well, I have one lower bolt at the very back of the engine. I'm under no illusions, the starter motor is going to have to come out to access it, its just far too tight in there. The other bolt? I'm even less enthusiastic about that. Its on the second port in from the front, on the bottom. I can access it OK from below, but I can't get a full ring spanner on it, only an open one. The header curves out too close to it. Also, its feckin solid, and try as I might it was not for moving with an open spanner. I didn't want to risk rounding it so I left it to soak in WD overnight. I'll try again tonight, maybe using heat

you seem to have aquired a grubby Subaru?


with all the sorting out on the TVR, I think I;d be keeping it regardless

So following the acquisition of a 8mm, 12 face, 1/4" drive socket (these are harder to find than you think...) I got the fouling heater pipes off from the side of the rocker cover, and the manifold was out!



I will confess, I have had to take a few other bits out to allow this, namely the lower rad to water pump lines...



These are waaay to grubby to belong on a TVR. I had noticed the flaking previously and had always promised to get silicone hoses on here at some point. Now is this point, so it will get a tidy before going back in. The manifold itself...



Is in decent condition. I had a good look over it for signs of cracks etc. No real problems to note. The leaking gasket was fairly evident...



...by its black soot. I think it was this point where I noticed the biggest worry I have found yet. Soot, or rather the lack of it...



This is cylinder 5 (3rd from front) on the manifold. Its not a trick of the light, that's a total lack of soot in there. The inside of the tube looks brand new. Ruh Roh. Surely the corresponding port on the head is...



...oh rollocks. Clean as a whistle. well, some mild soot but nothing like the others. Right....

I've either lost a spark, which seams unlikely as its never sounded like that, or I've dropped an injector... Thoughts?

Yea, that is the white elephant in the room to be honest.

Lets face it, its not for sale any more. I have a mental disability where i CANNOT "just fix" a problem. It has to be upgraded at every opportunity. Let me tell you, if that head is coming off, it won't be the same when it goes back on... Nor will my wallet....

That a bit of a bummer mate, ah well at least you have a nice warm garage for your winter project. Think you better get the log burner stoked up

Is it bad that I'm kind of happy you are forced to keep this? It's way too good to be for sale!!

Haha, yay indeed. Well, almost. You do have to fix quite a few things don't you?

By the way, has anyone here cleaned their engine by spraying a tiny bit of water into the throttle bodies or carbs? I'd seen pictures of cylinders after an HGF before, and I find that cleanliness weirdly alluring.

i wouldve put money on heagasket too. i once had some detting which ate the head away from underneath the fire ring, across to a water gallery, the top of the piston was like a bathroom mirror, exhaust valve throat like fresh casting. but of course then youd have associated symptoms, water usage, steam out the exhaust, over pressurised coolant system

i cant really think of a scenario where lack of combustion cleans the manifold out, unless that cylinder has never fired in its life of course, but the plugs defy that logic.

the other option is overheating or high EGT, secondary combustion in the exhaust port due to an air leak..... ah !