Discussion
Thanks for all the kind words, it's taken me far longer to get to this point than I hoped but I've enjoyed it so far! Phase 1 was always to do whatever was necessary to get it on the road and properly assess it, so that's where I'm at.
It's excellent news actually; it drives really well. The suspension is very hard but it still seems to ride better than my 350i; the impression I get is that the chassis is very stiff, which is allowing the suspension to do it's job properly. I think the Toyos are playing a part in that too, they seem to suit the car very well. The steering is not as sharp as I expected but the tracking was set to toe out so that's no surprise - it also possibly explains the worn out tyres that were on the ducktail when I found the car:
I'll play with the tracking to sharpen it up, the standard settings are of little use to me as it's rose jointed all round. It goes around corners pretty well but I need more confidence in the car before I push it!
The gearbox is OK, that's a big relief as it's a TWR built close ratio box. The diff is quiet too. There's something odd with the rear suspension that I can only describe as a high frequency 'shuffle'; I suspect the UJs on the driveshafts are a bit sticky. I've greased it all but could detect no play with the car jacked up - I think one or more of the joints is on it's way out. I'll regrease them and keep an eye on it, I suspect it's siezing up so will manifest itself as play pretty quickly.
The replacement engine was running OK... until the road got quite bumpy. I suspect the driver's side tank is liberating some of the treacle from the old fuel at the bottom of the tank. I'm hoping I can flush this out in time; I can't remove the tank for cleaning without lifting the body off the chassis or cutting the body - and I don't want to do either. This might be the biggest problem for now; I may have to isolate the driver's side tank somehow.
I'm pleased with the seats, the original Montego Turbo ones seem OK and are comfortable. The driving position is quite high, but gives a much better view out of the car; this has the effect of making the car feel much smaller than the 350i - although it is a fair bit shorter anyway. It's much wider though, especially with the wide tyres. The umberella handbrake is 'interesting'... difficult to use and very close to the left knee when driving - I think I'll try and reposition it a bit higher.
Overall - very chuffed!
It's excellent news actually; it drives really well. The suspension is very hard but it still seems to ride better than my 350i; the impression I get is that the chassis is very stiff, which is allowing the suspension to do it's job properly. I think the Toyos are playing a part in that too, they seem to suit the car very well. The steering is not as sharp as I expected but the tracking was set to toe out so that's no surprise - it also possibly explains the worn out tyres that were on the ducktail when I found the car:
I'll play with the tracking to sharpen it up, the standard settings are of little use to me as it's rose jointed all round. It goes around corners pretty well but I need more confidence in the car before I push it!
The gearbox is OK, that's a big relief as it's a TWR built close ratio box. The diff is quiet too. There's something odd with the rear suspension that I can only describe as a high frequency 'shuffle'; I suspect the UJs on the driveshafts are a bit sticky. I've greased it all but could detect no play with the car jacked up - I think one or more of the joints is on it's way out. I'll regrease them and keep an eye on it, I suspect it's siezing up so will manifest itself as play pretty quickly.
The replacement engine was running OK... until the road got quite bumpy. I suspect the driver's side tank is liberating some of the treacle from the old fuel at the bottom of the tank. I'm hoping I can flush this out in time; I can't remove the tank for cleaning without lifting the body off the chassis or cutting the body - and I don't want to do either. This might be the biggest problem for now; I may have to isolate the driver's side tank somehow.
I'm pleased with the seats, the original Montego Turbo ones seem OK and are comfortable. The driving position is quite high, but gives a much better view out of the car; this has the effect of making the car feel much smaller than the 350i - although it is a fair bit shorter anyway. It's much wider though, especially with the wide tyres. The umberella handbrake is 'interesting'... difficult to use and very close to the left knee when driving - I think I'll try and reposition it a bit higher.
Overall - very chuffed!
Hi Martin sounds like you are not far from the finish point in terms of getting her back on the road! Now you will need a new list to work on!
Ok on the tank sludge issue, when I got my car it had stood for a while so i replaced the swirl pot, filter and pump. There was a little bit of fuel in the tanks but I let it run out when I was doing this job and there was all sorts of crap that came out mostly rust. The old swirl pot was toast and had what was left of a mesh filter rattling about in it and the filter was very mucky inside when I cut it open to see the condition. As we discussed at my visit you do not want any of the residual muck getting to the injectors!
Your noise issue could be the LSD being tight or seized due to standing did you replace the oil etc?
Looking forward to the first Sat meet with the SEAC in attendance!! Oh and my drive!!
Chris
Ok on the tank sludge issue, when I got my car it had stood for a while so i replaced the swirl pot, filter and pump. There was a little bit of fuel in the tanks but I let it run out when I was doing this job and there was all sorts of crap that came out mostly rust. The old swirl pot was toast and had what was left of a mesh filter rattling about in it and the filter was very mucky inside when I cut it open to see the condition. As we discussed at my visit you do not want any of the residual muck getting to the injectors!
Your noise issue could be the LSD being tight or seized due to standing did you replace the oil etc?
Looking forward to the first Sat meet with the SEAC in attendance!! Oh and my drive!!
Chris
Update time; I've been driving it around locally and it's bedding in nicely. The fuel tank sludge issue appears to be receding, with each dose of fuel it runs better. I've replumbed the cooling system as I believe TVR never got it right in the first place and it now runs cool with no air lock issues... that made it run better in one blow as the standard set up seemed to pump air into the engine and confuse the engine temp sensor; I trialed this on the 350 first and I'm very happy with the results, neither car now blows coolant out of the expansion tank into TVR's dodgy bodge overflow tank.
I employed Heath Robinson techniques to set the tracking, again with good results. Those vent slots in the front spoiler are useful after all! I was confused for a while though, until I checked the front/rear track and found the rear track is wider than the front. School boy trigonometry time...
I employed Heath Robinson techniques to set the tracking, again with good results. Those vent slots in the front spoiler are useful after all! I was confused for a while though, until I checked the front/rear track and found the rear track is wider than the front. School boy trigonometry time...
The Hatter said:
Update time; I've been driving it around locally and it's bedding in nicely. The fuel tank sludge issue appears to be receding, with each dose of fuel it runs better. I've replumbed the cooling system as I believe TVR never got it right in the first place and it now runs cool with no air lock issues... that made it run better in one blow as the standard set up seemed to pump air into the engine and confuse the engine temp sensor; I trialed this on the 350 first and I'm very happy with the results, neither car now blows coolant out of the expansion tank into TVR's dodgy bodge overflow tank.
I employed Heath Robinson techniques to set the tracking, again with good results. Those vent slots in the front spoiler are useful after all! I was confused for a while though, until I checked the front/rear track and found the rear track is wider than the front. School boy trigonometry time...
Could you post a diagram of the plumbing route you have chosen?I employed Heath Robinson techniques to set the tracking, again with good results. Those vent slots in the front spoiler are useful after all! I was confused for a while though, until I checked the front/rear track and found the rear track is wider than the front. School boy trigonometry time...
Yes, I am planning to be at the Fest.
The plumbing changes are pretty simple and revolve around the expansion tank; and mimicing the SD1. The middle connection on the tank is now blanked off and the plenum heater return connected to the heater return pipe 8mm spigot. The bottom connection on the tank is now plumbed into a 38mmx15mm Tee piece in the bottom rad hose; replacing the original straight section. The top (vent) connection on the tank is taken down to an 8mm hose which is then 'teed' to the vent connections on the radiator and the swan neck.
Now the expansion tank always has air at the top and the engine (and the heater) is always full of coolant - big improvement! I did do a few other things along the way such as lowering the swan neck as much as possible, eliminating all the small leaks (corroded heater pipes under the inlet manifold), switching the heater hoses (the outlet needs to be at the top... TVR didn't seem to think so!) and replacing all the hoses and clips as a matter of course - they all help.
I also have a manual fan override which I use to simulate the viscous fans on the SD1/LRs; ie switch it on whenever the car is staionary. This stops the temp climbing in the first place...
The plumbing changes are pretty simple and revolve around the expansion tank; and mimicing the SD1. The middle connection on the tank is now blanked off and the plenum heater return connected to the heater return pipe 8mm spigot. The bottom connection on the tank is now plumbed into a 38mmx15mm Tee piece in the bottom rad hose; replacing the original straight section. The top (vent) connection on the tank is taken down to an 8mm hose which is then 'teed' to the vent connections on the radiator and the swan neck.
Now the expansion tank always has air at the top and the engine (and the heater) is always full of coolant - big improvement! I did do a few other things along the way such as lowering the swan neck as much as possible, eliminating all the small leaks (corroded heater pipes under the inlet manifold), switching the heater hoses (the outlet needs to be at the top... TVR didn't seem to think so!) and replacing all the hoses and clips as a matter of course - they all help.
I also have a manual fan override which I use to simulate the viscous fans on the SD1/LRs; ie switch it on whenever the car is staionary. This stops the temp climbing in the first place...
The Hatter said:
Yes, I am planning to be at the Fest.
The plumbing changes are pretty simple and revolve around the expansion tank; and mimicing the SD1. The middle connection on the tank is now blanked off and the plenum heater return connected to the heater return pipe 8mm spigot. The bottom connection on the tank is now plumbed into a 38mmx15mm Tee piece in the bottom rad hose; replacing the original straight section. The top (vent) connection on the tank is taken down to an 8mm hose which is then 'teed' to the vent connections on the radiator and the swan neck.
Now the expansion tank always has air at the top and the engine (and the heater) is always full of coolant - big improvement! I did do a few other things along the way such as lowering the swan neck as much as possible, eliminating all the small leaks (corroded heater pipes under the inlet manifold), switching the heater hoses (the outlet needs to be at the top... TVR didn't seem to think so!) and replacing all the hoses and clips as a matter of course - they all help.
I also have a manual fan override which I use to simulate the viscous fans on the SD1/LRs; ie switch it on whenever the car is staionary. This stops the temp climbing in the first place...
A diagram would be better as I'm lost lol!The plumbing changes are pretty simple and revolve around the expansion tank; and mimicing the SD1. The middle connection on the tank is now blanked off and the plenum heater return connected to the heater return pipe 8mm spigot. The bottom connection on the tank is now plumbed into a 38mmx15mm Tee piece in the bottom rad hose; replacing the original straight section. The top (vent) connection on the tank is taken down to an 8mm hose which is then 'teed' to the vent connections on the radiator and the swan neck.
Now the expansion tank always has air at the top and the engine (and the heater) is always full of coolant - big improvement! I did do a few other things along the way such as lowering the swan neck as much as possible, eliminating all the small leaks (corroded heater pipes under the inlet manifold), switching the heater hoses (the outlet needs to be at the top... TVR didn't seem to think so!) and replacing all the hoses and clips as a matter of course - they all help.
I also have a manual fan override which I use to simulate the viscous fans on the SD1/LRs; ie switch it on whenever the car is staionary. This stops the temp climbing in the first place...
Updates... I've been using the car during the summer and having fun with it. I've done about 1000 miles, mostly locally but outings to the sausage meet, Hot Rod Diner in kent, Battlesbridge car show and the 'fest'
My general car philosophy is to get a car running well and then use them rather than polish them so the SEAC's not looking wonderful; but I'm happy with that.
I'm currently pondering what to do to it over the winter; I need to do something with the engine as the surrogate 4.2 I put in isn't behaving too well - I suspect cam wear as a result of the AFM shananigans and the resulting super-rich running. I'm not sure whether to refurbish the surrogate 4.2 (hopefully a 'simple' cam replacement) or to rebuild and refit the original engine. I will rebuild and refit the original in due course but that will take time, so I'm leaning towards refreshing the surrogate 4.2 and spending my time sorting other issues such as the roof, interior and body.
I'll post the cooling system stuff on the other thread I started...
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=5&a...
My general car philosophy is to get a car running well and then use them rather than polish them so the SEAC's not looking wonderful; but I'm happy with that.
I'm currently pondering what to do to it over the winter; I need to do something with the engine as the surrogate 4.2 I put in isn't behaving too well - I suspect cam wear as a result of the AFM shananigans and the resulting super-rich running. I'm not sure whether to refurbish the surrogate 4.2 (hopefully a 'simple' cam replacement) or to rebuild and refit the original engine. I will rebuild and refit the original in due course but that will take time, so I'm leaning towards refreshing the surrogate 4.2 and spending my time sorting other issues such as the roof, interior and body.
I'll post the cooling system stuff on the other thread I started...
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=5&a...
It's wonderful to see this SEAC back on the road. I last saw the car in 1987 while serving my apprenticeship at Bristol avenue. I remember Mr Zee being a regular visitor in that period and Chris Schirle sorting out quite a few "teething issues" on the car.
I'm sorry to say I'm largely to blame for your crappy umbrella handbrake, no one really thought about where to position the handbrake on the narrow tunnel cars so it fell to me the 18 year old apprentice (dogsbody!) to install the solution. In contrast to the handbrake installation my favoutite SEAC memory is of conducting cooling tests on the M55 motorway in C98ULL. No climatic chambers or trips to death valley for us, we simply thermocoupled the cooling system then Dave Bentley accelerated the car enthusiastically to a high speed(better not say!)before slowing down as quickly as possible and tucking in behind a slow moving truck to kill the airflow! I recorded the results at each stage then we would go again and repeat the cycle. You will be pleased to know the car stayed cool throughout unlike it's occupants!
You definitely have one of the rarest of the breed with this car and I'm really pleased for you, it's a heart warming story and an inspiration to anyone restoring an old peice of Blackpool automotive history.
I'm sorry to say I'm largely to blame for your crappy umbrella handbrake, no one really thought about where to position the handbrake on the narrow tunnel cars so it fell to me the 18 year old apprentice (dogsbody!) to install the solution. In contrast to the handbrake installation my favoutite SEAC memory is of conducting cooling tests on the M55 motorway in C98ULL. No climatic chambers or trips to death valley for us, we simply thermocoupled the cooling system then Dave Bentley accelerated the car enthusiastically to a high speed(better not say!)before slowing down as quickly as possible and tucking in behind a slow moving truck to kill the airflow! I recorded the results at each stage then we would go again and repeat the cycle. You will be pleased to know the car stayed cool throughout unlike it's occupants!
You definitely have one of the rarest of the breed with this car and I'm really pleased for you, it's a heart warming story and an inspiration to anyone restoring an old peice of Blackpool automotive history.
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