TVR Power 4.3 here I come - great deal!

[clive f]

a normal speed 6 decatted sounds horrible in my opinion, the silencing in my end cans takes care of that, internals designed by a boffin from BEA Systems

some info on mods done here, http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Edited by clive f on Saturday 16th May 17:10

[glow worm]

clive f said:

a normal speed 6 decatted sounds horrible in my opinion, the silencing in my end cans takes care of that, internals designed by a boffin from BEA Systems

some info on mods done here, http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Edited by clive f on Saturday 16th May 17:10

Clive my decat 4 litre Sag sounds awesome compared to my catted 4.5 Tuscan convertible ... I'll probably be modifying it's rear box when I have some money.

Edited by glow worm on Saturday 16th May 19:04

[chris watton]

Thing is, I can fully understand why people with Sagaris's and other coupes want the 'biggerest and besterest power' - But I have a Tamora, and all I want from my 'fettling' is a very reliable open top that's good on the twisites and calm on the motorways. I want it to be fast, of course, but reliability, fun and a modicum of comfort (which includes a nice but not too intrusive exhaust note) are more of a priority that traffic light grand prix's.

I think, in fact I am sure that 400bhp and healthy increase in torque is more than enough for what I want out of my Tamora. You can't really go much above 150 anyway, for fear of the roof and seals coming away!

Different story for the coupe's, of course...

ETA - Thanks' to CliveF, I won't bother with the CF airbox (mine's in perfect nick anyway), I think my final upgrade will be the CR gears, I think they'll suit the 3.73 ratio and Quaife diff perfectly with the 4.3...

Edited by chris watton on Saturday 16th May 19:04

[clive f]

good choice, CR box and 3.73 is excellent, one of the best things Jason recommended.

[chris watton]

My power steering belt squeals when I first start the car up - should I ask for the belt to be changed when I take it in for its service?

[mk1fan]

Are you sure it's not the alternator belt. I thought Tams all had electric driven hydraulic power steering rather than engine driven.

Alternator belt is about £12 iirc.

[chris watton]

mk1fan said:

Are you sure it's not the alternator belt. I thought Tams all had electric driven hydraulic power steering rather than engine driven.

Alternator belt is about £12 iirc.

Ah, it could be - I had a new alternator and belt put on with the 4.3 - perhaps it needs tightening a little more?

[Walford]

[mk1fan]

chris watton said:

Ah, it could be - I had a new alternator and belt put on with the 4.3 - perhaps it needs tightening a little more?

It's not the easiest to adjust. Has similar when I changed mine last month. Means the airbox comes out. I bought off ebay a turnbuckle set to make perfect adjusting a piece of pee. Yet to fit it as have been workinf on Samy. I'll see if I can get to it today. If it works I'll post a link.

[SergSC]

chris watton said:

My power steering belt squeals when I first start the car up - should I ask for the belt to be changed when I take it in for its service?

There is no power steering belt, you must mean the alternator belt. When you turn the wheel it squeals more because there is more load on the alternator.

Mine was doing this, I think because the battery was going bad (despite daily driving). Last week couldn't start the car, dash going haywire so classic dead battery symptoms... AA came and put some juice in, told me to drive it for a while to put some charge in but get a new battery asap. During the `charging` drive, the belt started squealing at all times, then started smoking, then it snapped... flatbed time.

Prior to this (that days morning) the battery seemed happy... 12v on startup going up to 14v after ~30 seconds, which coincided with the squeal disappearing.

If it happens again, I'll probably be looking at the power steering pump motor... maybe its getting old and pulling too much juice on startup, wrecking the battery over time. I'm no expert tho.

[Sevenman]

Walford said:

Have you changed your Tuscan for that? The Tuscan looked better, but each to their own.

[clive f]

my alternator belt squeels for very short time after I`ve washed the car, or after being out in the rain, a couple of years ago I put it down to the belt being to slack, to put some more tension on it, and shortly later when in for a service Jason told me the bearings were on the way out in the alternator due to the belt being too tight, now if it squeels a little when damp I leave it alone.

[chris watton]

Cheers. It only squeals for perhaps a second or two when first starting up, and I know it didn't do this before.

Hope my power steering pump's OK, that's almost £500 to replace!

Car's been used a lot today - drove my step son in Gloucester for work, then me and the wife went out this afternoon for a nice drive. Although she can be a bit of a nightmare, the slightest hint of pressing the throttle and she's screaming 'slow down'!

That's gonna be fun on our drive down to Italy....

ETA - getting really tired of having to short-shift now...

Edited by chris watton on Sunday 17th May 16:30

[Walford]

Sevenman said:

Walford said:

Have you changed your Tuscan for that? The Tuscan looked better, but each to their own.

I fitted a PS pump of peugeot on my Tuscan,

[clive f]

just pretend to be deaf when she screams "slow down", on the autobahns last year going from Hannover to Prague I sneaked up to 160 but Mrs F took a look at the speedo and my fun was short lived

[chris watton]

clive f said:

just pretend to be deaf when she screams "slow down", on the autobahns last year going from Hannover to Prague I sneaked up to 160 but Mrs F took a look at the speedo and my fun was short lived

The Road Angel doesn't help, as she can see the exact speed! Although I won't use that on the continent, I only bought it because my speedo used to be intermittent at best.

Check the fluids - the car's used no oil at all, it seems.

[mk1fan]

clive f said:

my alternator belt squeels for very short time after I`ve washed the car, or after being out in the rain, a couple of years ago I put it down to the belt being to slack, to put some more tension on it, and shortly later when in for a service Jason told me the bearings were on the way out in the alternator due to the belt being too tight, now if it squeels a little when damp I leave it alone.

That's why I got a turnbuckle. Can set the tension very easily and get it spot on.

[SergSC]

My tam is going to be joining the Power 4.3 club soon. Oil has been seeping slowly from head gasket for quite a long time which wasnt a problem, but I've been told this has got worse, so off we go to powers! Yay!

This is soon after a new clutch, new radiator, new cats, new poly bushes, new battery, new alternator, heater flap motor... so much ouch...

[chris watton]

SergSC said:

My tam is going to be joining the Power 4.3 club soon. Oil has been seeping slowly from head gasket for quite a long time which wasnt a problem, but I've been told this has got worse, so off we go to powers! Yay!

This is soon after a new clutch, new radiator, new cats, new poly bushes, new battery, new alternator, heater flap motor... so much ouch...

As you have already had most of the other stuff done, it shouldn't be as pricy as some others. I don't think you'll regret it. It may be worth having the throttle bodies and gaskets changed/refurbed at the same time, if you haven't already.

I have just less than a week until I take mine back for the post run in service - keeping it below 3.5k has gone on long enough now, seems like forever!

[SergSC]

chris watton said:

It may be worth having the throttle bodies and gaskets changed/refurbed at the same time, if you haven't already.

I have not had the TB's refurbed yet (not needed). Since I got powers TB gaskets on they have held a tune for ages. Btw, that stuff I listed was just in the past 2 or 3 months! LOL

chris watton said:

I have just less than a week until I take mine back for the post run in service - keeping it below 3.5k has gone on long enough now, seems like forever!

I have a looong way to go to get to Coventry, so by the time I'm back in Scotland I'm already a third of the way there mileage wise, another third doing daily driving, and add the last third from the trip down... Just hope the mix of motorway and town driving is correct for a good running in process.

Btw is it actually temporarily rev limited to 3.5K (my daily drive tends to be this anyway), or are you wearing a Ski boot to restrict ankle movement, or sheer will power?