New owner, hello!

[xstoka]

Hello there,

Just want to introduce myself as a new owner of a 1987 TVR s1. I picked it up over the Christmas period and am enjoying it so far. This forum has already proved to be very helpful and interesting and hopefully will prove even more so as I get into it more.

To start things off the one immediate concern I have is that the gears are really stiff and hard to get into 1st and particularly 2nd gear, especially when the engine is cold. Is this something specific to the TVR or just a general gearbox issue that i need to look into?

Thanks guys!

stoka

[Smokey Boyer]

Hi,

Welcome to the forum. Mine was very similar until I replaced the clutch master and slave cylinder along with a new hydraulic pipe, and also the gearstick saddle. All in the parts were less than £50. Not sure if they are the same parts on an S1, but I am sure somebody will be along to confirm.

saddle

clutch

[greymrj]

Hi there Stoka, another discerning (or masochistic!) S1 owner.
If it is an 87 car it is pretty early and during the period when TVR where still developing it. There will be a few bits which might not be the same as later S1's. For example the wiper mechanism could be one of, I think, three. The Heath 'bible' is a must but if your car doesn't seem to be quite the same, it probably isn't! Mine differs in several respects.
Membership of this forum has been absolutely vital for me. There is so much gathered knowledge out there amongst members, even if it sometimes hard to find the right bits.
I had exactly the same problems with gear change, reverse was impossible! I would agree, that hydraulic clutch mechanism is very likely to be at fault. If you are any good at DIY mechanics, strip it out and restore it, it will be worth it. Can be a bit of a bugger to bleed but there are posts on how to get over that.
Have fun!

[Barry S1]

Glens S1 is one of the first 20 made and different from my S1 1988 ,
It gets lost very easy for one thing

[glenrobbo]

Barry S1 said:

Glens S1 is one of the first 20 made and different from my S1 1988 ,
It gets lost very easy for one thing

Granted my 1987 Austin finds it difficult to escape from the maze that is the NEC, but it finds the way to the correct Calais Ibis hotel a lot quicker than a dark blue 1988 S1.
( But I do agree that tunnels are better than ferries, especially when coming home. )
( Cilla mode ) "Hello xstoka, what's yer name chuck, & wher d'ya come from? "
( League of Gentlemen mode ) "Are you local?"

Hope you are enjoying S1 ownership, but shame about this awful weather we're having lately. I've had to sandbag my door sills.
Hopefully we'll all meet up topless very soon
Keep an eye on the Events Wiki at the top of the S Forum page.

All the Best,
Glen & Austin.

Edit: Mine is not at all stiff and goes in without any problem.
Could it just be your gearbox oil grade is too thick?

Edited by glenrobbo on Friday 10th January 00:42

[S2Mike]

Hello and Welcome, It seems several folk have problems selecting gears, I find a depressed clutch pedal and select a few at random before selecting the one you need to move off, but generally easier once a few miles down the road when its all warmed up a bit. Enjoy !!

[xstoka]

Thanks for all the info! I'm not afraid of getting my hands dirty, ill see if I can check the basics at least.

One thing, I know the engine is the capri 2.8 engine, is it the same gearbox too? So the Haynes Capri manual would cover the gearbox as-well?

[phillpot]

Gearbox is commonly referred to as the "Type 9"

Fitted in cars like Sierra's, some Granada's and most likely Capri's


Haynes manuals seem to vary, I have one for a Sierra and under gearbox it basically says "don't touch, leave to specialists" but then in the Granada book it gives an excellent strip and assemble guide (might be other way round)!

Haynes manuals are very cheap on Ebay so worth getting a selection, Capri/Granada for engine, Sierra for brakes and so on

[Roy C]

xstoka said:

One thing, I know the engine is the capri 2.8 engine, is it the same gearbox too? So the Haynes Capri manual would cover the gearbox as-well?

Yes. It's a Ford Type 9 (or Type N) gearbox, used in TVR S-series with both 2.8 & 2.9 V6 engines.

TVR inserted a plate between the upper and lower halves of the gearstick to move the lever forward into a more useable position. This assembly (just under the leather cover) can come loose.

Edited by Roy C on Friday 10th January 15:33

[Kitchski]

Worth draining the gearbox and making sure it's not got a thick EP80 grade or similar in it. Originally Ford specced something like that but then changed the spec to auto transmission fluid as cold change were difficult with gear oil. Worth checking.