Whats the worst that can happen? Nebie Q's!
Discussion
Hi Guys,
Just on the verge of picking up a Tuscan - will be my first TVR. Obviously there is the associated problems and engines needing rebuilt etc. My question is:
Where do people who do a DIY Rebuild source parts from?
How much are we looking at roughly?
and finally, having rebuilt various 4 cylinder engines with mechanical heads, how much harder is the 6 cylinder hydraulic head angine going to be?
I would say i'm a very competant DIY Mechanic who can fall back on a couple of pro's when need be!
Any tips on rebuild issues much obliged!
thanks in advance,
NJL
Just on the verge of picking up a Tuscan - will be my first TVR. Obviously there is the associated problems and engines needing rebuilt etc. My question is:
Where do people who do a DIY Rebuild source parts from?
How much are we looking at roughly?
and finally, having rebuilt various 4 cylinder engines with mechanical heads, how much harder is the 6 cylinder hydraulic head angine going to be?
I would say i'm a very competant DIY Mechanic who can fall back on a couple of pro's when need be!
Any tips on rebuild issues much obliged!
thanks in advance,
NJL
well that would make things a lot more simple to start with!
Where are people sourcing the main parts ie valves, piston rings, bearings, head gaskets etc etc. I understand that sertain parts are pants on the standard engine and prone to wear - whats best to upgrade for reliability only, power wise i want to stay standard.
regards,
NJL
Where are people sourcing the main parts ie valves, piston rings, bearings, head gaskets etc etc. I understand that sertain parts are pants on the standard engine and prone to wear - whats best to upgrade for reliability only, power wise i want to stay standard.
regards,
NJL
also i've read a few threads that mention adding an extra oil feed to the head where oil starvation is worse, near cylinder 6 off top of my head...
Just wondered if anyone sells an uprated pump and whether or not its a dry sump - if so whats access the the main oil pump like? As for the oil feed where is best to tap the current oil supply and are people adding additional oil to the usual level to compensate for the increased volume of the oil routes.
and finally - is it worth while doing?!
thanks all
Just wondered if anyone sells an uprated pump and whether or not its a dry sump - if so whats access the the main oil pump like? As for the oil feed where is best to tap the current oil supply and are people adding additional oil to the usual level to compensate for the increased volume of the oil routes.
and finally - is it worth while doing?!
thanks all
Replacing parts isn't really the issue, it's certain design elements of the engine as it stands. Without going into the looooooong history, which you'll find on here without any problem, the latest crop of Speed 6 aftermarket options are focussed on re-engineering, as opposed to rebuilds.
One of the reasons behind the stories of multiple rebuilds in some cases is the use of 'standard replacement parts', which IMO is akin to buying a new square peg after you've smashed the previous one when trying to shove it into that round hole.
Even uprated parts have not helped some people.
Also, some of the 'professional' attempts at re-engineering have gone horribly wrong, the painful stories of which you'll also find easily on here. I don't know your circumstances so I don't know your budget, but significant figures have gone into some catastrophic f
k-ups previously, by companies who supposed did it 'for a living'.
Just my 2p, but I'd seriously consider letting someone else do the engine work. I can't recall there ever being a 'give it a go' recommendation here in relation to a Speed 6, despite the level of audience this place attracts. Have a good look at the work some companies have put into trying to correct the issues.....there are considerable amounts of research, redesign, manufacturing and testing involved. I spoke to one Speed 6 re-engineering firm recently and the changes made are extensive and certainly not a DIY job IMO, even for someone highly skilled with professional equipment.
No offence meant as I'm sure you're as capable as you say, but I'd save yourself what could be a lot of time, effort and potentially money on trying to 'home improve' what is basically a race engine that professional attempts have spent 6-7 years trying to sort out with numerous failures and only fairly recent suggestions that there may be a result (pending the tests of time, still).
One of the reasons behind the stories of multiple rebuilds in some cases is the use of 'standard replacement parts', which IMO is akin to buying a new square peg after you've smashed the previous one when trying to shove it into that round hole.
Even uprated parts have not helped some people.Also, some of the 'professional' attempts at re-engineering have gone horribly wrong, the painful stories of which you'll also find easily on here. I don't know your circumstances so I don't know your budget, but significant figures have gone into some catastrophic f
k-ups previously, by companies who supposed did it 'for a living'.Just my 2p, but I'd seriously consider letting someone else do the engine work. I can't recall there ever being a 'give it a go' recommendation here in relation to a Speed 6, despite the level of audience this place attracts. Have a good look at the work some companies have put into trying to correct the issues.....there are considerable amounts of research, redesign, manufacturing and testing involved. I spoke to one Speed 6 re-engineering firm recently and the changes made are extensive and certainly not a DIY job IMO, even for someone highly skilled with professional equipment.
No offence meant as I'm sure you're as capable as you say, but I'd save yourself what could be a lot of time, effort and potentially money on trying to 'home improve' what is basically a race engine that professional attempts have spent 6-7 years trying to sort out with numerous failures and only fairly recent suggestions that there may be a result (pending the tests of time, still).
Edited by MarkoTVR on Wednesday 13th February 12:18
Edited by MarkoTVR on Wednesday 13th February 12:23
Speak to TVR power about obtaining parts.
The thing is there were changes made the engine throughout its life at TVR and on-one really knows if some issues were ever resolved - only time and miles will tell.
As I understand it (and this is based on what I've read on here, talking to a couple of people who had direct experience and looking at some engine bits) the major SP6 problems are;
Valve gear follower pivots are incorrect so producing an excessive side load on the valve stems - eventually to extent of producing so much wear the tappet shim gets spat out with disastrous consequences.
Valve gear is poorly lubricated - exacerbated by above
Piston speeds are pretty high, especially on the 4.0ltr. The rods on the 4.0 ltr are pretty shocking as they are made from an AJP8 part and have a lot of excess meat on the little end leading to excessive rod stress.
The half time? / speed chain bearing in the front cover isn't lubricated correctly and wears quickly leading to premature failure.
Cranks aren't the best either as these were tweaked to make easier to cast in 2 halves rather than using a more expensive 3 piece mould.
All of the above should be fixable and the likes of TVR power or Wilder engineering can probably explain better than I.
If it was my engine I'd look at fitting larger diameter valve stems and guides, adding extra top-end lubrication either with more drilling's or a spray bar.
Add drilling's to front cover / block to lube the bearing better and replace bearings with superior quality items.
Replace rods with a set of Carillo's or similar billet items.
This all said there are plenty of people running around with a TVR 6 at factory spec, so your engine will most likely carry on for some time yet.
Best of luck
Matt
The thing is there were changes made the engine throughout its life at TVR and on-one really knows if some issues were ever resolved - only time and miles will tell.
As I understand it (and this is based on what I've read on here, talking to a couple of people who had direct experience and looking at some engine bits) the major SP6 problems are;
Valve gear follower pivots are incorrect so producing an excessive side load on the valve stems - eventually to extent of producing so much wear the tappet shim gets spat out with disastrous consequences.
Valve gear is poorly lubricated - exacerbated by above
Piston speeds are pretty high, especially on the 4.0ltr. The rods on the 4.0 ltr are pretty shocking as they are made from an AJP8 part and have a lot of excess meat on the little end leading to excessive rod stress.
The half time? / speed chain bearing in the front cover isn't lubricated correctly and wears quickly leading to premature failure.
Cranks aren't the best either as these were tweaked to make easier to cast in 2 halves rather than using a more expensive 3 piece mould.
All of the above should be fixable and the likes of TVR power or Wilder engineering can probably explain better than I.
If it was my engine I'd look at fitting larger diameter valve stems and guides, adding extra top-end lubrication either with more drilling's or a spray bar.
Add drilling's to front cover / block to lube the bearing better and replace bearings with superior quality items.
Replace rods with a set of Carillo's or similar billet items.
This all said there are plenty of people running around with a TVR 6 at factory spec, so your engine will most likely carry on for some time yet.
Best of luck
Matt
Edited by 350Matt on Thursday 14th February 13:18
I like that quote.
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