What have you done in your garage...?

What have you done in your garage...?

Author
Discussion

Colin RedGriff

2,525 posts

256 months

Friday 10th July 2015
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Car was running really rough on Monday, wouldn't hold idle at all. So ordered a new ECU temp sensor and swapped it over Wednesday, also cleaned up the stepper motor and checked all the leads were tight. Normal service resumed today biggrindriving

neutral 3

6,356 posts

169 months

Friday 10th July 2015
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Hello Colin, my one is now running rough again, feels like it's stumbling / holding back / running on 6 or 7 cylinders. It's done it before, then cleared itself, so annoying though !!

Colin RedGriff

2,525 posts

256 months

Saturday 11th July 2015
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neutral 3 said:
Hello Colin, my one is now running rough again, feels like it's stumbling / holding back / running on 6 or 7 cylinders. It's done it before, then cleared itself, so annoying though !!
It's frustrating. I don't know if what I did helped or if it just sorted itself out. I put Rovergauge on it Thursday night and it wasn't reading too good on one of the lambdas but when I drove it to work on Friday it felt as good as ever.

I'm going to to get it out this weekend and reset the ECU and take it for a good blast then see if the lambda readings have sorted themselves out



andy43

Original Poster:

9,546 posts

253 months

Monday 13th July 2015
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I'm going to have to get this rovergauge cable - watch me total the ecu with one key stroke smile
Today in t'garage mot preparations are afoot. Brake lights found to be u/s. Application of hammer (small) to bracket holding brake switch has effected a complete repair.
With new found confidence I will attempt a cam swap and Decat before tea. Maybe...

andy43

Original Poster:

9,546 posts

253 months

Friday 17th July 2015
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woohoo
Passed. Flying colours, apart from replacing a swollen headlight bulb that was making the beam all blurred (no I hadn't heard of that either...)
If you didn't already know, be careful with the MOT - TVRs have a limited slip diff, so the MOT brake test needs doing out on the road, not on the brake test rollers as it can damage the diff.
Any excuse... but tester (also races hot rods) did say it's well balanced and drives lovely smile

Also done BTR diff oil - Morris Lodexol as recommended on here. Rear wheel off, adjustable wrench on filler, 13mm and a breaker bar on the drain plug and into a measuring jug - almost dead on 1.6 litres came out. I used 2 foot of 15mm speedfit plumbing pipe into the filler from the wheelarch with a funnel on the end and it made the pouring dead easy.

I have a sparkly Clive F Y piece sitting here winking at me now too...

Colin RedGriff

2,525 posts

256 months

Friday 17th July 2015
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Didn't get a chance at the weekend to look at the lambdas but had some time this evening and wanted to get it running as good as I could ready for driving at Millbrook on Sunday.

Had a fiddle and poke around this evening, checking connections but couldn't get the lambda to read correctly. Luckily I put in new ones when I swapped to the ACT manifolds a few years back and I still had the old ones; so swapped out the misbehaving one for an old one and now getting a better reading for short term trim on both banks. Reset the ECU and it seems to be running OK.

Shuttleworth/Millbrook here we come!

Jurgen Schmidt

824 posts

200 months

Sunday 19th July 2015
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Put in place car door protection, using foam tubing and cable ties, works well


Alan461

853 posts

130 months

Tuesday 11th August 2015
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Got some inspection ramps to have a good look at the underside: found this


cavebloke

640 posts

226 months

Wednesday 12th August 2015
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Alan461 said:
Got some inspection ramps to have a good look at the underside: found this

Interesting... Looks like it's been missing for quite a while.

Alan461

853 posts

130 months

Wednesday 12th August 2015
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cavebloke said:
Alan461 said:
Got some inspection ramps to have a good look at the underside: found this

Interesting... Looks like it's been missing for quite a while.
True,
might just spin one out to compare with new and put a single new one in for now.
Expecting 10.9 or higher, anyone know spec and torque?

Sardonicus

18,928 posts

220 months

Wednesday 12th August 2015
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Alan461 said:
True,
might just spin one out to compare with new and put a single new one in for now.
Expecting 10.9 or higher, anyone know spec and torque?
I wouldn't get to excited just yet that could also mean it's been sheared just above the threaded portion of the bolt, chances are it was never tightened correctly though and just fell out and you'll be O K


Alan461

853 posts

130 months

Wednesday 19th August 2015
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Started on the winter jobs as it feels like it's going to be winter soon.
Getting the filthy waxoil off the chassis

Was out in the rain three weeks ago on the Silverstone weekend,
there's water under the powdercoat under the waxoil, silently rusting away.
Not going to be happy until it's all done


Pete Mac

755 posts

136 months

Thursday 20th August 2015
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There is a lesson learnt here for me trying to be too clever.....!

I bought the Griff with an an annoying oil leak, which I was determined to cure last year. I couldn't believe that the sump was sealed with only a silicone bead so I decided to be 'clever' and fit a gasket from fleabay. So I thought I had cured the problem but very soon the oil leak was worse than ever.

I had the sump off again and found the gasket to have more or less disintegrated. There were lumps of gasket everywhere, and the filter on the oil pick-up pipe was (worryingly) full of bits of gasket.

This time I just used sealant (Permatex 82180 RTV Silicone Ultra Black Gasket Maker) , cleaned up and degreased the block and while I was at it I grit blasted and powder coated the sump, changed the oil and new oil filter. Torqued those sump bolts - no oil leaks, dry as a bone...





Lesson learnt is don't be clever and use a gasket on the sump, just use sealant and torque those sump bolts to the right setting.

andy43

Original Poster:

9,546 posts

253 months

Friday 21st August 2015
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Pete Mac said:
... gasket from fleabay...
I've read the pickup can clog with silicone so I'd have thought a gasket would be better - do you reckon the gasket breaking up was due to it just being poor quality?

andy43

Original Poster:

9,546 posts

253 months

Friday 21st August 2015
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...and today was sorting the heater/fan/controls/those 4 knobs - dead after hitting a bump in the road. I've found an overrated 20A fuse with a bit of meltage and corrosion so I'm wondering whether the fan motor is in need of lubrication. 20A hadn't blown, but not in the best of health.
I've had the fusebox out and all looks ok on the back, no signs of water ingress or loose wires. Correct 15A fuse now fitted, all ok. Fan sounds ok, gets up to speed, and crucially, compared to a precat it actually moves air about biggrin Will have to see how long the new fuse lasts.

Question - four ally heater knobs, top right one is twist for fan speed (not 3 speed, it's infinitely adjustable speed if that makes sense), and push-push for fan on/off. When I push the knob, fan either starts or stops BUT I also get the 3 minute heated mirror red led come on. Is this right? Every time you switch the fan on or off do the mirrors heat up?

Pete Mac

755 posts

136 months

Friday 21st August 2015
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andy43 said:
I've read the pickup can clog with silicone so I'd have thought a gasket would be better - do you reckon the gasket breaking up was due to it just being poor quality?
Could be, however I wouldn't use a gasket again. I followed these instructions to the letter and it worked. I have no particular reason to think there was much excess silicone squeezed out and I did leave it overnight before filling with oil and starting the engine. Pete



ronspeedsix

206 posts

172 months

Saturday 22nd August 2015
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andy43 said:
Question - four ally heater knobs, top right one is twist for fan speed (not 3 speed, it's infinitely adjustable speed if that makes sense), and push-push for fan on/off. When I push the knob, fan either starts or stops BUT I also get the 3 minute heated mirror red led come on. Is this right? Every time you switch the fan on or off do the mirrors heat up?
@ Andy : Yes thats right according to he Griff manual. Only when you switch the fan on.
Ronald

V8Bart

788 posts

189 months

Sunday 23rd August 2015
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What was supposed to be the "final" touch (before the gearbox went!)

From this.....

through this...



To this....

Rather pleased with the results.

andy43

Original Poster:

9,546 posts

253 months

Sunday 23rd August 2015
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ronspeedsix said:
@ Andy : Yes thats right according to he Griff manual. Only when you switch the fan on.
Ronald
Thanks Ronald - I should really read the manual before asking daft questions!

andy43

Original Poster:

9,546 posts

253 months

Sunday 23rd August 2015
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V8Bart said:
Amazing stuff...
Explain! In detail! That looks brilliant - I thought the only option to restore the badges was £100-odd professional jobs smile