5 litre no longer available
Discussion
As has been mentioned elsewhere on PistonHeads, the Chimaera 500 is no longer available because TVR Power have no more 5-litre engines left.
Likewise poor Ken (see ATTEMPTED THEFT, CAR TORCHED) can't have a replacement Griff 500 for his torched car because TVR Power have no more 5-litre engines left.
However, surely there are still spare parts available? Or are the all the Griff 500's and Chimaera 500's now on borrowed time as one by one they break whichever parts it is that prevent TVR Power from making 5-litre engines?
Just what are the differences between a 450 and 500 engine, aprt from the capacity? I understand that the 500 has a modified inlet manifold, but what else?
Cheers
Jon
Likewise poor Ken (see ATTEMPTED THEFT, CAR TORCHED) can't have a replacement Griff 500 for his torched car because TVR Power have no more 5-litre engines left.
However, surely there are still spare parts available? Or are the all the Griff 500's and Chimaera 500's now on borrowed time as one by one they break whichever parts it is that prevent TVR Power from making 5-litre engines?
Just what are the differences between a 450 and 500 engine, aprt from the capacity? I understand that the 500 has a modified inlet manifold, but what else?
Cheers
Jon
I was under the impression that a supplier must be able to supply their product for a certain number of years, after production has generaly ceased!
I work for an alloy wheel manufacturer, called Alloy Wheels International, and I know for a fact that we stock the dies of many wheel types that are no longer in production. We are contracted to do so for something like 8 years I believe!
Mark
I work for an alloy wheel manufacturer, called Alloy Wheels International, and I know for a fact that we stock the dies of many wheel types that are no longer in production. We are contracted to do so for something like 8 years I believe!
Mark
A bit off-topic here: I assume you work at AWI Rochester? I used to service the X-ray machines at Cardiff till it closed; now the machines are with your competitors in West Brom, still testing alloy wheels! The Rover V8 blocks are cast by VAW Motorcast in Leeds, but I'm not sure where the heads and other bits are made. None of the foundries we service, anyway. VAW also do Rolls-Royce V8s: if you think the Rover is a big block, you should see those things! 6.75 litres I think. I gather that Rimmers in Lincoln are working on a 6 Litre Rover, so there's hope yet!
W.
W.
I thought the Wildcat used a bigger block, I guess because you couldn't just bore out the existing block. (The 4.6 block is bigger bore than the 3.9 isn't it, so presumably they've taken it as far as you can with that bore spacing?).
But last I heard the Wildcat development still hasn't produced a viable engine so if these blocks have made their way into any racers it must be something different.
But last I heard the Wildcat development still hasn't produced a viable engine so if these blocks have made their way into any racers it must be something different.
The main difference to the blocks we did for Wildcat was to the water jacket's,the main problem is bore wall thickness the std block does not have enough metal to take the bigger liners.We trimmed the W/J's down to allow a greater bore wall thickness.These block's were all out racers and not designed for the road,the cooling problem's must have been terrible and would'nt last long in a compromised road car.Bore spaceing limits the size of every engine and I'm sure 6 ltr's is about the limit,not bad for an old Buick designed over forty years ago though.
Aye, it's amazing the tooling has survived this long given the stick they get from the guys with the die grinders....;-)
Graham: I used to use Wedgie but for some reason PH spat its dummy out and wouldn't let me in so I had to re-register! I guess you'd easily spot me given the description of my job somewhere up this thread!
Back on-topic... how long is production planned to run for on the RV8 then, budd?
Ian
Graham: I used to use Wedgie but for some reason PH spat its dummy out and wouldn't let me in so I had to re-register! I guess you'd easily spot me given the description of my job somewhere up this thread!
Back on-topic... how long is production planned to run for on the RV8 then, budd?
Ian
Can't say for sure how long the old girls got left but the end is near, production is right down.
We still make the big Rolls Royce blocks and heads,it's funny to see the R/R stuff pushed into a small corner, still being hand poured next to the GM diesel and new LM850 lines with robots every where,guess thats progress.
We still make the big Rolls Royce blocks and heads,it's funny to see the R/R stuff pushed into a small corner, still being hand poured next to the GM diesel and new LM850 lines with robots every where,guess thats progress.
The copyright and the tooling are owned by the customer,might take a couple of the ID plates as a momento.Being trying to get a block for ages but has you would imagine is not easy walking out of the gates with a V8 block under your arm.Plus we don't machine them thats done at rover,what I need is a fully machined block complete with core plugs and main bearing caps thats been returned with a cosmetic defect.
I wouldn't worry too much about the future supply of Rv8's as there are still a lot of cars out there from which engines can be recovered rebuilt etc, not to mention the amount of spares people like RPi et al must have stored.But another fact to consider is (and this might sound like heresy to you guys) but why not replace the Rover engine with something else? There's some chap advertising Corvette engines which are dimensionally compatible for a rover swap and despite still being a pushrod is a much more modern design as well as being 400Bhp, all ally and 5.7Ltrs to start with. Addmitedly he wants about 5K for one so I'll have to start saving.
Matt ;-)
>> Edited by 350matt on Saturday 20th April 07:15
Matt ;-)
>> Edited by 350matt on Saturday 20th April 07:15
I have griff 500, tbh the engine side of things does not worry me. My dad works on very old clasic cars that engines stoped been manufactured years ago, he still sources matching parts regular and without much trouble.. so basicly with the amount of V8's about, there is still a demand for parts, some one some where will have it or make it.
Paulu:
The timing covers were cast by Metal Castings Ltd. at either Worcester or Wolverhampton. No good going to them unless you want 10,000 of the things...;-) Final machining was probably done elsewhere, so as Budd says further up, a rough casting isn't much use.
Rimmers will sell you a new one; be sitting down when they tell you the price! OK, I will.... GBP440!!!
What's wrong with a used one? As long as the oil pump housing is undamaged, there shouldn't be any problems.
W.
The timing covers were cast by Metal Castings Ltd. at either Worcester or Wolverhampton. No good going to them unless you want 10,000 of the things...;-) Final machining was probably done elsewhere, so as Budd says further up, a rough casting isn't much use.
Rimmers will sell you a new one; be sitting down when they tell you the price! OK, I will.... GBP440!!!
What's wrong with a used one? As long as the oil pump housing is undamaged, there shouldn't be any problems.
W.
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