Speed 6 Warm Up
Discussion
Hi folks.
As per my recent post I'm considering purchasing a Tamora having had a number of Chimaera in the past.
My question is, how much of a frustration is the need to warm the oil before using certain amount of revs?
I'm a mechanical engineer so understand the reasoning for allowing an engine and its oil to warm up but the speed 6 sounds more sensitive.
Are you able to travel at reasonable speeds while "warming up" or do you feel like a nuisance to other road users?
This morning on my normal commute of 8 miles in 20 minutes I watched the rev counter in my MX5 and it didn't go far beyond 3000 rpm for long anyway.
As usual your feedback would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Nigel
As per my recent post I'm considering purchasing a Tamora having had a number of Chimaera in the past.
My question is, how much of a frustration is the need to warm the oil before using certain amount of revs?
I'm a mechanical engineer so understand the reasoning for allowing an engine and its oil to warm up but the speed 6 sounds more sensitive.
Are you able to travel at reasonable speeds while "warming up" or do you feel like a nuisance to other road users?
This morning on my normal commute of 8 miles in 20 minutes I watched the rev counter in my MX5 and it didn't go far beyond 3000 rpm for long anyway.
As usual your feedback would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Nigel
I've only had my Tuscan a few weeks but it is a bit of a pain, would definitely be a pain if you intended to do lots of short journeys or use it every day. It has been quite cold in recent weeks, and it takes about ten or fifteen minutes to warm up to 60c - when I have used it around town with lots of traffic, it rises more quickly; on the way home from the dealer, on lots of quick roads, it took bloody ages. You can however travel at reasonable speeds, can sit at 60 on the motorway and still stay under 2000 RPM in 5th, and given the engine has plenty of torque, you aren't a nuisance at low speeds as can easily drive about at 30/40 under 2000 RPM.
I'm also a Tamora owning mechanical engineer, I stay under 3000r/min until the oil hits 60DegC, its also important not to let it labour under load at low revs. Like the previous poster says; it'll still crack on even staying below 3000 until its warmed up!. You can also configure the dash display to have the oil temp prominent, which helps monitoring.
My understanding of the warm up need for the Speed6 is the opening ramp of the (intake?) cam can suffer wear along with the associated rocker arm if run over ~2500 revs whilst cold. This is supposedly due to fairly aggressive cam profile opening ramp combined with strong valve springs. I believe its also advised to use engine oil with suitable amounts of ZDDP, though unclear which oils have this I tend to stick with the high end millers full synthetics .
Blimey, when Steve McQueen said "everything else is just waiting" I didn't realise it was for a speed 6 to warm up....
Thanks for all the replies, so does this not spoil the cars for you?
My commute is for instance 20 minutes, not that I plan to commute in one often, on a weekend once lockdown is done I suppose I might get more opportunity to explore the rev range.
This certainly gives me something to think about if half my driving is waiting for oil to warm up it might spoil it.
Thanks for all the replies, so does this not spoil the cars for you?
My commute is for instance 20 minutes, not that I plan to commute in one often, on a weekend once lockdown is done I suppose I might get more opportunity to explore the rev range.
This certainly gives me something to think about if half my driving is waiting for oil to warm up it might spoil it.
Many years ago, on the T350, Sagaris site, there was a group buy of a heater pad that I had stuck to the oil tank at the next service. I plug it in for about an hour before I take my T350C out and it cuts down the warm up time. If I forget, I just keep it below 3000 rpm until the temperature reaches 65 degrees. Yes, it can be a ball-ache, but it’s part of the joy of owning a TVR.
jaydom said:
I heard about this "rule" :
Below 30°, never up 3000
Below 40°, never up 4000
And so on
Doing something like that for more than 10 years and the engine is still alive. However I use a special detour with sond red lights on cold days before entering the autobahn. Never had a problem warming up the engine quickly that way. Below 30°, never up 3000
Below 40°, never up 4000
And so on
Had a t350c for 10 years , cerb sp6 years before. On start up 1500rpm for 10 secs to get the oil up and running.
Oil temp - one sensor is 'open' to air temp i.e. faster you drive the colder and lower the temp will be, but artificially so. But, always go by the dash readings to be safe:
2500rpm up to 40C
3000rpm up to 50C
4000rpm up to 60C
5000rpm up to 70C
>70C, max RPM
So can take 10 mins but don't waste the engine.......
Oil temp - one sensor is 'open' to air temp i.e. faster you drive the colder and lower the temp will be, but artificially so. But, always go by the dash readings to be safe:
2500rpm up to 40C
3000rpm up to 50C
4000rpm up to 60C
5000rpm up to 70C
>70C, max RPM
So can take 10 mins but don't waste the engine.......
TR4man said:
I don’t find the warm up procedure an issue at all.
Just accept that it is for the benefit of maintaining a healthy sophisticated engine, as an engineer you must understand that.
If by sophisticated you mean one of the least sophisticated production engine of the past 30 years ...Just accept that it is for the benefit of maintaining a healthy sophisticated engine, as an engineer you must understand that.
Surely It's much more that the factory wanted to prolong the lives of their shoddy components and wanted many owners to spend a vast proportion of their driving relatively sedately ..
I have a similar view over running in periods .. let the owner spend most of their time during the engine warranty period at reduced loads and reduced revs = less chance of warranty repairs. 90 percent of the running in is done in the first firing up of the engine and the subsequent minutes... not years!
Am I the only person to think why do tvr owners fall for this stuff ? Maybe I am.
Whilst its true that anyone who pushes their car hard must expect increased maintenance costs, I'm really not convinced by this overly soft warm up routine. Drive it as you want using any normal persons version of common sense and you will be fine.
Quick question - which other manufacturers dictate a specific set of driving standards during their engine warm up periods ? Genuine question.
Edited by spitfire4v8 on Friday 19th March 09:56
spitfire4v8 said:
Quick question - which other manufacturers dictate a specific set of driving standards during their engine warm up periods ? Genuine question.
My SL55 flashes it’s oil temp until it reaches 90 degrees.Edited by spitfire4v8 on Friday 19th March 09:56
Which can take quite a while.
My lotus 111R wouldn't allow cam change until above a certain water temperature, would also flash a light if sat above 4k for a long period when under a temperature.
I'd does sound a complicated process which could likely be covered by drive sensibly when cold, which I usually do anyway.
The car I'm considering has had an engine rebuild early in its life and I recall reading the components used in rebuild are better quality than early factory builds.
I'd does sound a complicated process which could likely be covered by drive sensibly when cold, which I usually do anyway.
The car I'm considering has had an engine rebuild early in its life and I recall reading the components used in rebuild are better quality than early factory builds.
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