What's a normal engine sound like?

[RikJonAtk]

I'm fairly new to Speed6 ownership (4.0 Tuscan) and find myself worrying a bit about the slightly 'tappy' noise the engine makes. Aside from this slight noise, the engine seems A1 - always starts, pulls hard, no smoke, no leaks, no big-banging noises, etc.

I've just had it serviced and shim'd at Str8Six and they didn't mention any issues, but I'm still paranoid.

Is it normal to be able to hear a slightly tappety engine noise at idle and sub 40mph or so? (hot / cold makes no difference) Anybody got some video / audio of a normal Speed6 idling (ideally without monster exhaust noises) so I can compare? The only other Tuscan I have access to has an FFF head so no point in comparing against that.

Cheers,

Rich

[Speed 3]

Cold - bag of spanners
Warm - awesome snarling beast

If Str8Six have done the tappets and given a clean bill of health I wouldn't be too worried. There ain't a lot of sound deadening on an TVR so you are always more aware of every subtle noise.

[fat80b]

People talk of a sewing machine noise on top of the usual noises.

Mine has always been quite top end noisy (for the last 30K miles) and I would say you try and learn not to worry about it but you don't - you still notice it every time you get in and think it has changed week to week......

I wouldn't say mine sounds like a bag of spanners when cold. It sounds fairly similar to when hot - you can hear the top end doing its thing in both cases. It's just you get to use more revs when hot and you get the obligatory pops and bangs from the rear end....

Bob

[RikJonAtk]

Cheers - mine doesn't ever sound like a bag of spanners, but a loud sewing machine probably isn't a bad analogy and the sound is definitely the same from one journey to the next... I'll stop worrying.

Cheers.

[Bev400]

Hello, asked Str8six about that noise a couple of weeks back. They said it was a tiny bit of piston slap on and nothing to worry about.

They also said I should enjoy the car and about the engine or any of its noises! If they've gave it an all clear then it's fine.

Bev

[Milky400]

Mine was quite, ran smooth pulled hard and used no oil.
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And it's currently with Dom in pieces.

Don't worry to much about the noises, enjoy the car until the time comes, likely hood is it never will. These engines are far better than people give them credit for, wind them up and let the go.

Mine was massively pressurising so as the engine was coming out for investigations I thought I may as well get it stripped and rebuilt.

Edited by Milky400 on Thursday 21st July 21:15

[DCerebrate]

One of my favourite Cerbera videos - which convinced me to buy one in 2015.

The car speaks Cerberese!

R

[DCerebrate]

with video this time!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZs9sh4oMBk

[Speed 3]

Milky400 said:

Never noticed it before, is there a particular reason why the firing order is paired outer to inner ? (ie 1/6;2/5;3/4). I would have thought 1/4;2/5;3/6 would have been more balanced/evenly loaded or better still 60 degree sequenced on the crank per BMW ?

[RikJonAtk]

Total speculation, but doesn't the ECU treat the engine as two groups of three cylinders, instead of 6 separate cylinders? Might be something to do with that?

[Speed 3]

I guess I'm a simpleton making an assumption the pairs are firing together when one is 2 strokes out of phase with the other

Either that or its a Friday.