Discussion
Hi All
I’m away from home at the minute. Killing time until tomorrow as we got stuck north of the M6 carnage yesterday and decided to stay an extra day at the Wife’s folks rather than try and drive around the M6 closure. As a result I have no way of checking the car.
Started the 400se (Early 500 Griff engine) up on Tuesday and it was making a hell of a racket. Sounded like a squealing water pump. But could possibly be alternator or even PS pump. But by the time I’d got the bonnet up and walked around to the near side it had stopped. Didn’t sound like a belt, too metallic.
Just thought it might be worth adding a water pump to the boots growing spares kit. Question is are they all the same for the RV8? Or are they updated for the jump from 3500 to 4000cc and so on.
I had planned on taking the Wedge on this trip from Home in Staff’s to Carlisle. So glad I didn’t. Had to get off the M6 near Blackburn and head up to Kendal the road way. Would have been a cracking TVR trip. But not with everyone else doing the same. 2 hour 45m trip ended up being 4 1/2.
Cheers KY.
I’m away from home at the minute. Killing time until tomorrow as we got stuck north of the M6 carnage yesterday and decided to stay an extra day at the Wife’s folks rather than try and drive around the M6 closure. As a result I have no way of checking the car.
Started the 400se (Early 500 Griff engine) up on Tuesday and it was making a hell of a racket. Sounded like a squealing water pump. But could possibly be alternator or even PS pump. But by the time I’d got the bonnet up and walked around to the near side it had stopped. Didn’t sound like a belt, too metallic.
Just thought it might be worth adding a water pump to the boots growing spares kit. Question is are they all the same for the RV8? Or are they updated for the jump from 3500 to 4000cc and so on.
I had planned on taking the Wedge on this trip from Home in Staff’s to Carlisle. So glad I didn’t. Had to get off the M6 near Blackburn and head up to Kendal the road way. Would have been a cracking TVR trip. But not with everyone else doing the same. 2 hour 45m trip ended up being 4 1/2.
Cheers KY.
One issue with the pumps, a squeal from the bearing, can be cured by adding a capful of brake fluid to the water.
Or if not actually a slipping fanbelt can sound quite metallic. Put some neat washing up liquid on it to remove grease, and also check it's nice and tight. Maybe you could do with one of my trademark alternator adjusters? ;-)
Otherwise post a picture of it, if it's the usual one I will know. I've been collecting spares and I'm thinking of doing some bearing reconditioning.
Or if not actually a slipping fanbelt can sound quite metallic. Put some neat washing up liquid on it to remove grease, and also check it's nice and tight. Maybe you could do with one of my trademark alternator adjusters? ;-)
Otherwise post a picture of it, if it's the usual one I will know. I've been collecting spares and I'm thinking of doing some bearing reconditioning.
Thanks all. Does seem that it was just a slightly slack alternator belt. Tensioned up a bit and all is good.
On to the next issue. My old car had an electric PS pump I got off a car that had to be scrapped years ago. So don’t know this set up well. This one has the genuine belt driven unit on. However it is mounted extremely low. So low that with the original belt fitted the pulley was just catching on a high spot on the steering rack.
Paul K noticed and swapped it out for a shorter belt when he recommissioned the car for me. But looking at it now. It needs tensioning as expected and this again is going to make it very close.
Any ideas if this would be due to the Griff engine swap? Do they have the pumps mounted in a different position?
On to the next issue. My old car had an electric PS pump I got off a car that had to be scrapped years ago. So don’t know this set up well. This one has the genuine belt driven unit on. However it is mounted extremely low. So low that with the original belt fitted the pulley was just catching on a high spot on the steering rack.
Paul K noticed and swapped it out for a shorter belt when he recommissioned the car for me. But looking at it now. It needs tensioning as expected and this again is going to make it very close.
Any ideas if this would be due to the Griff engine swap? Do they have the pumps mounted in a different position?
Hi Yatesy,
It's not unusual to find PAS pumps mounted in different positions. My first 400 SE (an early one) had a low mounted pump and my other 400 SE (later one) had a high pump mounting point.
But yours definitely shouldn't be as close as that to the rack and that belt looks pretty slack in that photo.
The pump mounting bracketry needs looking at to see how it can be adjusted/repositioned/replaced as necessary. As well as that I'd also look to see if any extra clearance can be gained by checking the engine mounts. Are they perished or sagging at all? - then replace as ness. If they are in good shape, consider the possibility of inserting some spacers to gain a little height, or at least, as the mounts have slightly elongated holes, slacken the nuts and bolts a little, jack up the engine a tad and then tighten the nuts n bolts again and it should settle a tiny bit higher. I assume the rack is bolted directly onto the chassis with nothing in between?
I expect someone else can explain the differences between a Griff 500 block and earlier blocks.
It's not unusual to find PAS pumps mounted in different positions. My first 400 SE (an early one) had a low mounted pump and my other 400 SE (later one) had a high pump mounting point.
But yours definitely shouldn't be as close as that to the rack and that belt looks pretty slack in that photo.
The pump mounting bracketry needs looking at to see how it can be adjusted/repositioned/replaced as necessary. As well as that I'd also look to see if any extra clearance can be gained by checking the engine mounts. Are they perished or sagging at all? - then replace as ness. If they are in good shape, consider the possibility of inserting some spacers to gain a little height, or at least, as the mounts have slightly elongated holes, slacken the nuts and bolts a little, jack up the engine a tad and then tighten the nuts n bolts again and it should settle a tiny bit higher. I assume the rack is bolted directly onto the chassis with nothing in between?
I expect someone else can explain the differences between a Griff 500 block and earlier blocks.
keynsham said:
There should be a small hole in the water pump that I was always led to believe allowed any water that gets past the bearing seals to drain away. I had a squeaky pump and just sprayed a load of WD40 in the hole which solved the issue!
It probably did, but be aware that the oil content of WD40 can corrode rubber... which would accelerate the seal on the bearing failing...
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