Engine vibration

Engine vibration

Author
Discussion

TVaRt

Original Poster:

364 posts

221 months

Monday 20th April 2015
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Hi I'm about to buy a griff 500, but the engine is vibrating (like an oscillating feeling) about 2500rpm. Any ideas what it could be, I was thinking harmonic balancer or maybe flywheel in some way? I know there are issues with the crank pulley and the bolt etc, maybe this is a factor?

davep

1,141 posts

283 months

Monday 20th April 2015
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Recently resolved an engine vibration at ~ 2500 rpm problem caused by a faulty balancer, but I was very lucky as the engine in my car is internally balanced. I believe the 500s are externally balanced so getting the correct balancer/pulley assembly for a specific engine could be a problem.

TVaRt

Original Poster:

364 posts

221 months

Monday 20th April 2015
quotequote all
I am hoping it's the balancer, so I would need to get it properly balanced then?

davep

1,141 posts

283 months

Monday 20th April 2015
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If it is the balancer getting the correct balancer/pulley assembly for an externally balanced engine is going to be a problem. I was told recently that the 'book' of 500 engine numbers and their corresponding balancer details has been lost! I would speak to TVR Powers Performance for possible solutions, one of which could be quite costly.

TVaRt

Original Poster:

364 posts

221 months

Monday 20th April 2015
quotequote all
Cheers for the heads up. Never simple is it!?

davep

1,141 posts

283 months

Tuesday 21st April 2015
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No it's not! When tying to source a new balancer or damper I tried John Eales, who sells a competition version, but these fit to Serp engines only. Enquiries at Rimmers revealed that they do not know if their balancer/crank pulley assemblies are neutrally balanced or not. Once you have a new balancer in your mit there's then the task of getting it set up for your engine, which could also require the engine to be internally balanced.

I also looked at whether a balancer can be refurbed, they usually only fail due to a rupture in the rubber element, but the only companies I found are based in New Zealand or the USA. Eventually Colin at TVRSSW managed to get a new pre-serp assembly from V8 Developments, it was their last one!

TVaRt

Original Poster:

364 posts

221 months

Tuesday 21st April 2015
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Ah well this one is Serpentine, how did you balance the new one?

It could still be a loose pulley bolt, missfire, engine mounts etc before the damper i suppose.

rev-erend

21,404 posts

283 months

Tuesday 21st April 2015
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Well I guess you have to ask the question of what damage this vibration has already caused, as it's not normal.

Rebuilds are not cheap.

Probably work looking into before deciding if that is the car for you.

TVaRt

Original Poster:

364 posts

221 months

Wednesday 22nd April 2015
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im researching like a mad man!

best bet at the moment as the rest of the car is so good is to buy it and try and sort the imbalance short term, i plan to keep the car for a long time, so next year i will probably rebuild the bottom end with a non chocolate crank etc, the top end has already been overhauled and the nice bits like ECU, Cam and twin carbon plenum have been added.


Ballistic Banana

14,698 posts

266 months

Thursday 23rd April 2015
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You brought it then? :thumbsup:

BB

TVR Beaver

2,867 posts

179 months

Friday 24th April 2015
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If its a keeper.. and the harmonic balancer has gone, its not the end of the world.. all you have to do is get a new one and get the internals internaly balanced.. It's not expensive... all in less than £200
That said, You'd have to take the engine out to get it done... but once done you can bolt anything on there as longs as it zero balanced wink

TVaRt

Original Poster:

364 posts

221 months

Sunday 26th April 2015
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Sure have! Arrives Tuesday, cant wait! Engine tuner Lloyd's are fairly sure it will be a misfire