Discussion
I've read a few threads about this and it's going ok so far, all the seat belt bolts have come out ok and the hidden awkward to get to chassis bolts have come out 
Just a few wires and hoses to go and the body should be ready to come off this week.
Do the exhaust manifolds have to come off? The body is underneath them as it appears to be on the v6 but people taking the bodies off v6s have just lifted round them, are they more in the way on the v8?
They look pretty awkward to get to, is it easier to just lift the engine out?
Just a few wires and hoses to go and the body should be ready to come off this week.Do the exhaust manifolds have to come off? The body is underneath them as it appears to be on the v6 but people taking the bodies off v6s have just lifted round them, are they more in the way on the v8?
They look pretty awkward to get to, is it easier to just lift the engine out?
Hi zombeh
we couldn't lift the body on mine without removing the manifolds first, we did try. The rear half of car has to be lifted clear of the suspension mounts before it can slide rearwards to clear the cylinder heads. The manifolds prevent this.
pdf of all body bolt positions (on my car!) here
Images of work here
I've got a video of the body going back on somewhere - just have to work out how to make it visible on here?
Steve
we couldn't lift the body on mine without removing the manifolds first, we did try. The rear half of car has to be lifted clear of the suspension mounts before it can slide rearwards to clear the cylinder heads. The manifolds prevent this.
pdf of all body bolt positions (on my car!) here
Images of work here
I've got a video of the body going back on somewhere - just have to work out how to make it visible on here?
Steve
I took the engine & gearbox out as a complete unit - its really not that hard and looking how hard the bottom V8 exhaust manifold bolts are to get at there's probably not much in it in terms of time!
You need an engine crane and the chassis front needs to be jacked up to allow the gearbox clearance to come out.
Labelling all the wiring takes a while - I did a schematic of where the wires go around the engine (pre cat) below.
http://tvrsseries.com/drawings/tvrv8wiring.jpg
Once its been in bits in your garage for 2 years you soon remember where the bits go
Chris
You need an engine crane and the chassis front needs to be jacked up to allow the gearbox clearance to come out.
Labelling all the wiring takes a while - I did a schematic of where the wires go around the engine (pre cat) below.
http://tvrsseries.com/drawings/tvrv8wiring.jpg
Once its been in bits in your garage for 2 years you soon remember where the bits go
Chris
Both of my other cars have been in bits for ages so this one is going back together asap, there will be none of that working out where things go 2+ years after removal on this one.
Is there a rear lifting eye on the engine (found the front one) or do you just chuck a strap under the sump?
Engine out looks easier than taking the manifolds off as most of the pipes and wires have to come off to lift the body anyway and you can get to the engine mounts a lot easier than the rearmost manifold bolts. The only reason I don't want to take it out is to avoid the temptation to fiddle with it while it's not in the car.
Is there a rear lifting eye on the engine (found the front one) or do you just chuck a strap under the sump?
Engine out looks easier than taking the manifolds off as most of the pipes and wires have to come off to lift the body anyway and you can get to the engine mounts a lot easier than the rearmost manifold bolts. The only reason I don't want to take it out is to avoid the temptation to fiddle with it while it's not in the car.
I passed a strap through the manifolds & under the sump, there aren't any lifting eyes on mine.
Remove the speedo sender, even though Steve (SEB400) warned me about ripping the wires out I still did it on mine - and the senders are a bugger to find.
The angle may need a bit of adjustment as it comes out, I used a ratchet strap like this to adjust it.
Remove the speedo sender, even though Steve (SEB400) warned me about ripping the wires out I still did it on mine - and the senders are a bugger to find.
The angle may need a bit of adjustment as it comes out, I used a ratchet strap like this to adjust it.
zombeh said:
The engine is coming out then
One small thing though, how are you supposed to disconnect the starter wiring?
Do you unbolt the engine, lift it a bit and shove it to the side then undo that wire while it's hanging on the crane? Or is there some strange trick to it?
It's a bit tight against the chassis but I don't remember it being particularly awkward to get a spanner on, just a bit fiddly because you can't see much of it. Anyway, wires pull and unbolt respectively, and the starter itself has to come off too. Also the clutch slave. Only a couple of bolts each and won't take long once you're down there.One small thing though, how are you supposed to disconnect the starter wiring?
Do you unbolt the engine, lift it a bit and shove it to the side then undo that wire while it's hanging on the crane? Or is there some strange trick to it?
The trick to getting the starter wiring off was to make a spanner that fitted in the tiny gap between the nut and the chassis.
This was the original problem, the passenger side outrigger tube has rusted out round the top and then the remaining bit at the bottom unable to cope has snapped.
Engine and box are now out, pretty much everything is unwired and unplumbed, a few little jobs left to do then the body can come off.
This was the original problem, the passenger side outrigger tube has rusted out round the top and then the remaining bit at the bottom unable to cope has snapped.
Engine and box are now out, pretty much everything is unwired and unplumbed, a few little jobs left to do then the body can come off.
Either the exhaust manifolds have to come off or the engine has to come out, the back of the engine is a bit further back on the v8 and there isn't enough room to lift round the exhaust. There isn't a lot of room to get a spanner on the exhaust bolts, so engine out seemed easier.
The only things that have to come off to take the engine out that aren't needed to lift the body are the engine mounts, gearbox mount, propshaft and starter motor.
It'll also make fixing the oil leaks (why I was under it in the first place) easier, and it's easy to take the anti-roll bar off without the sump in the way (new droplinks). And on top of all that it's one less job to do when I get the body off and decide that the whole chassis needs to be stripped and shotblasted.
The only things that have to come off to take the engine out that aren't needed to lift the body are the engine mounts, gearbox mount, propshaft and starter motor.
It'll also make fixing the oil leaks (why I was under it in the first place) easier, and it's easy to take the anti-roll bar off without the sump in the way (new droplinks). And on top of all that it's one less job to do when I get the body off and decide that the whole chassis needs to be stripped and shotblasted.
Edited by zombeh on Tuesday 22 September 22:11
The body is now off (thanks to a lot of help from dnb) it was fairly straightforward to lift it with big bits of wood and ratchet straps.
The corrosion appears to be mostly limited to the front of both outriggers with huge holes in the tops of the sill tubes, the rest of it looks pretty good, just the odd bit of rust creeping under the powdercoat here and there. Next job is to document where all the cables and pipes go then strip the chassis ready for blasting.
Photos will magically appear once I've figured out how to release them from my phone.
The corrosion appears to be mostly limited to the front of both outriggers with huge holes in the tops of the sill tubes, the rest of it looks pretty good, just the odd bit of rust creeping under the powdercoat here and there. Next job is to document where all the cables and pipes go then strip the chassis ready for blasting.
Photos will magically appear once I've figured out how to release them from my phone.
Piss poor photo quality is because I'd left the camera at home and strangely enough my phone is mostly designed for enabling you to talk to people.
A slightly worrying moment when the back wheels were lifting off the ground and we couldn't find what was still attached, a swift kick or two to the wheels and one of the many rubber shims unstuck itself and it was free
Starting to get nearly enough height on it, almost clear of the shock towers (almost wish I had a griff at this point, we wouldn't have to lift it so bloody high)
I don't appear to have taken any photos of the body resting up there without the chassis, or of the whole chassis outside, but it's definitely in two pieces now
The damage.
Didn't know this side was gone too
A slightly worrying moment when the back wheels were lifting off the ground and we couldn't find what was still attached, a swift kick or two to the wheels and one of the many rubber shims unstuck itself and it was free
Starting to get nearly enough height on it, almost clear of the shock towers (almost wish I had a griff at this point, we wouldn't have to lift it so bloody high)
I don't appear to have taken any photos of the body resting up there without the chassis, or of the whole chassis outside, but it's definitely in two pieces now
The damage.
Didn't know this side was gone too
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