New Chimaera 4.0 owner

[QBee]

overdriveeng said:

phazed said:

Have a browse here.

http://tvrna.tvrccna.org/tech-a02.html

Seems odd, do people consider the Chim to have a shifter too far back?

You'd be in danger of turning the radio on if it was any further forwards....

[overdriveeng]

QBee said:

The rubber one underneath - is that still intact? If not, it can be replaced with a mid-late 90s Ford Fiesta one, but you will need to remove the centre panels that hide its fixings. Not difficult, just PM me if you need details.

If you want a photo of the leatherette gaiter just say and I will take mine off and photograph it - its simply a conical shape made out of four panels. Get them to make it a bit long (say 12 inches) and then you can cut it down to fit. I assume you know the gear knob unscrews?

Yaa, i got my current one off, which sounds like a match for the one you have. I just assumed it would have been more tailored. Wouldnt mind the guide for removing the centre panel anyway mind you, as I have a feeling my central locking switch on the door knob may be faulty...

[QBee]

overdriveeng said:

Yaa, i got my current one off, which sounds like a match for the one you have. I just assumed it would have been more tailored. Wouldnt mind the guide for removing the centre panel anyway mind you, as I have a feeling my central locking switch on the door knob may be faulty...

I think that door release/central locking knob is held on by some kind of grub screw?

[overdriveeng]

s p a c e m a n said:

And as for the shunting, download rovergauge and buy/make a cable. You'll probably be forever swapping bits and guessing trying to sort a misfire and even if the program can't tell you what's wrong it's always handy to have.

Oh that IS handy! I didnt think the RV8 ECU was as accessable as that. So does it produce fault codes too?

[QBee]

overdriveeng said:

s p a c e m a n said:

And as for the shunting, download rovergauge and buy/make a cable. You'll probably be forever swapping bits and guessing trying to sort a misfire and even if the program can't tell you what's wrong it's always handy to have.

Oh that IS handy! I didnt think the RV8 ECU was as accessable as that. So does it produce fault codes too?

There is a product called an ECUmate that costs just over 100 pounds, and I think it is a fault code reader. It is ODB, not ODBCII, compliant, so you cannot use the modern ubiquitous fault code reader that everyone has.

Here's a link to one for sale on Ebay - scroll down and it tells you what the product does in detail

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ECUmate-14CUX-ECU-diagno...

[NZ fan]

QBee said:

I think that door release/central locking knob is held on by some kind of grub screw?

This is true if you feel down the front of the door knob you will feel a small hole. On my car (95 model) I have to use a 1.4mm Allan key (1.5mm won't quite fit). You will have to undo this small grub screw flat by flat until you have backed it out of the hole enough to slip the knob off. And yes rovergauge does have fault codes if you do a search I'm sure you will find screen shots of it in action.

[s p a c e m a n]

overdriveeng said:

Oh that IS handy! I didnt think the RV8 ECU was as accessable as that. So does it produce fault codes too?

Yeah it gives you fault codes, shows you the fuel trim and the sensor readings. Blitz off of here will sell you a cable, put a copy of the program onto a disk and give you some instructions for more or less the price it would cost you to buy all of the bits to make the cable..

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/parts-and-p...

[overdriveeng]

Fantastic! Love geeky toys like that. It will be added to the shopping cart.

Where is the obd plug on these?

[TVRJAS]

macdeb said:

That will be the bulbs having been replaced at some point, I had it on mine so replaced all of them with the same type of bulb and all are the same brightness now.

So it's not normal then? I can see QBee's reply and still confused,It's my speedo that is not as bright.

Obviously it's not a major problem because I've only just noticed it...But if it's not normal then maybe something to look at when next service is due.. Or just leave it.

[s p a c e m a n]

The diagnostics plug is on loom near to the ecu, it is a 3 pin female plug.

Another thing I can recommend for the shopping list is a new sump plug. They're the lowest point on the car and easily undone if you clip the edge on a speedbump

I've got one of these.. DAVID BROWN TRACTOR SUMP PLUG 1/2" BSP

[Richard 858]

Welcome to the club OP, it's addictive, occasionally frustrating, but ultimately always enjoyable.

[QBee]

TVRJAS said:

macdeb said:

That will be the bulbs having been replaced at some point, I had it on mine so replaced all of them with the same type of bulb and all are the same brightness now.

So it's not normal then? I can see QBee's reply and still confused,It's my speedo that is not as bright.

Obviously it's not a major problem because I've only just noticed it...But if it's not normal then maybe something to look at when next service is due.. Or just leave it.

Dunno what I said before, but the speedo has only one bulb and looks like it should have two. The rev counter (aka "tachometer") has two.

[QBee]

s p a c e m a n said:

The diagnostics plug is on loom near to the ecu, it is a 3 pin female plug.

The plug is white and in the passenger footwell behind the kickboard. And it has a piece of wire inserted between two holes. Remember which two, then remove the wire to plug your diagnostic device of choice in. Reinsert the wire correctly when finished.

[s p a c e m a n]

Urgh, mine didn't have wire in it. What happens if there's no wire in there, what does it do? I'm worried now


I got it wrong too didn't I? Think it's a male plug not a female one..

[overdriveeng]

Nice one.

Spaceman, link doesn't work.

[s p a c e m a n]

What one doesn't work, for the cable or the sump plug?

[jojackson4]

s p a c e m a n said:

Urgh, mine didn't have wire in it. What happens if there's no wire in there, what does it do? I'm worried now


I got it wrong too didn't I? Think it's a male plug not a female one..

Snap

[overdriveeng]

Another little fettle will be the exhaust. Not one to pay an arm and a leg, I'm probably going to bust out the plasma cutter and welder at some point.

Not had a chance to examine the manifolds / Y pipe, but are they stainless? They look in pretty good nick if they are not...

[s p a c e m a n]

Nope they're not stainless, if you get a blow in a manifold it could either be the gasket or they tend to get a hole in the middle of where the 4 pipes join together. http://www.actproducts.co.uk/ sell stainless manifolds and y pieces amongst other goodies, although they're mega pricey just for the sake of blinging your engine bay up, CliveF makes a much prettier Y piece though imo.

If you change the manifold gaskets a lot of people get the grinder out and slot the bottom holes in the manifold to make them easier to remove/fit as it's not a fun job, I've done it a few times now and got it down to 30 minutes to remove each side. So that's 2 hours to remove and fit them when it goes well, which it rarely does

[overdriveeng]

Yea, I stumbled on ACT's page. Far from impressed with their prices if I'm being honest. If it's mild steel it's a scoosh to work with. I'll have a gander this weekend.