Ladies and Gentlemen "Start your Engines"

[Pasco]

Just want to know what other RV8 owners do regarding warming up the engine prior to driving the car.

When i brought my pride and joy,Griff 500, from TMS, i was told to start the car then go and read a novel prior to driving her,well at least leave it ticking over for a few minutes prior to driving.

I had a chat with a chap at the Griff Growl,sorry can not remember who, and i told him what i did to which he said that he had heard that the oil did not circulate until the engine was running at at least 1500 rpm.

What should i do? I must admit that when i have drove off in a hurry (Cold) she does seem to be a little jumpy compared to when i have left it for a minute or two to warm up.

What's do you guy's and gall's do?

Pasco

[dnb]

1. Leave it for about 20 seconds while the oil pressure gauge wakes up.
2. Drive it steadily until the temperature gauge shows normal
3. Drive it like I stole it... (closer to the truth than some people realise )

[Pasco]

Hi Dave, so you do not advocate letting it warm up standing still then.

Any reason why dave?

Paul

[mf68]

paul

was a little chat about this a few months back on griffith forum so i've done a search for you.......
As your probably to busy watching re-runs of big-bro to get your fix
www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=270136&f=9&h=0&hw=engine+warm+up

all the best
martin

[richb]

Start it up, resisting the urge to blip the throttle wait for the oil pressure gauge to rise (5 seconds) then drive it out of the garage, leave engine running as I shut garage door and drive off, no ceremony just keep revs down until the temp gauge shows about 75, usually after 2-3 miles. Rich...

[lazyitus]

richb said:

Start it up, resisting the urge to blip the throttle wait for the oil pressure gauge to rise (5 seconds) then drive it out of the garage, leave engine running as I shut garage door and drive off, no ceremony just keep revs down until the temp gauge shows about 75, usually after 2-3 miles. Rich...

I don't think there is any benefit in letting it tick over for ages before you drive.

As long as you don't hammer it before its up to temp, you should be out on the road as soon as you can. IMO.

[FUBAR]

Just because the water temp is up to normal, doesnt mean the oil is.

My cold start process. Start car and leave ticking over for a few minutes. Drive off gently (trying ) to keep the revs below 3000rpm. I can normally tell when the oil is up to temp when the oil pressure reading doesnt increase markedly when you give it some beans. For me, that equates to the oil pressure not going above 60 on full throttle

Here endeth the lesson

[seasider]

FUBAR said:

Just because the water temp is up to normal, doesnt mean the oil is.

My cold start process. Start car and leave ticking over for a few minutes. Drive off gently (trying ) to keep the revs below 3000rpm. I can normally tell when the oil is up to temp when the oil pressure reading doesnt increase markedly when you give it some beans. For me, that equates to the oil pressure not going above 60 on full throttle

Here endeth the lesson

Is your car on the road at the moment Fubes ??

Edited by seasider on Friday 25th August 09:46

[IM]

Doesn't the bible say something about driving it immediately its started but keeping it below 2000 rpm until the temp is 'normal'?

[Pasco]

You Cheeky Git Martin !!! lol

[Pasco]

Hi all and thanks for the replies.

Fubar that makes sence, but what do you call a few mins just one or two or until the temp guage moves?

Pasco

[s5tvr]

If I'm starting the car up during sociable hours, I warm the engine first for a few minutes and keep it below 2,000 rpm until the temp guage reads 70 degrees. If I start the car up during unsociable hours, I jump straight in and go, but again keep the revs below 2,000 until the guage reads 70.

[FUBAR]

Pasco said:

Hi all and thanks for the replies.

Fubar that makes sence, but what do you call a few mins just one or two or until the temp guage moves?

Pasco

Normally 2-5 mins. If I do have to leave quickly (or in unsociable hours) then just start and dive off defo making sure the revs dont go above 3000rpm

[FUBAR]

seasider said:

FUBAR said:

Just because the water temp is up to normal, doesnt mean the oil is.

My cold start process. Start car and leave ticking over for a few minutes. Drive off gently (trying ) to keep the revs below 3000rpm. I can normally tell when the oil is up to temp when the oil pressure reading doesnt increase markedly when you give it some beans. For me, that equates to the oil pressure not going above 60 on full throttle

Here endeth the lesson

Is your car on the road at the moment Fubes ??

Edited by seasider on Friday 25th August 09:46

You cheeky swine, yes it is. I brought him to work this morning

[richb]

FUBAR said:

Just because the water temp is up to normal, doesn't mean the oil is.<etc.> Here endeth the lesson

Indeed, however because the Griff doesn't have an oil temp gauge I do it my way.

Edited to add that as I see you drive a Cerbera you may not be familiar with the layout of the Griff's (1950's) engine. It's a pushrod, single-cam mounted centrally in the V, and is unlike the AJPV8. Basically the cam-followers are not fed with oil under pressure but rather drenched in oil that runs down the inside of a valley between the heads. Because of this the cam-followers are devoid of oil at start-up and you need to wait a few moments for some oil to get pumped up into the heads and drain back down again over the cam-followers. When the oil is warm this can happen more easily. R...

Edited by richb on Friday 25th August 10:40

[Pasco]

Thanks Martin just read that post

In view of that info does anyone have any thoughts on the likes of PTFE (Slik 50 )or what ever to help protect the engine cam etc on cold start?

Pasco

[timmybob]

Since switching to a Tuscan from a Chimaera, I am surprised by how long the oil takes to warm up after the water is at operating temperature.

[ads]

I start mine up wait for oil gauge to rise, reverse out of garage, close garage, then drive off keeping below 2500 rpm until 75 degrees on temperature gauge, and if on a cold day I will check the oil pressure gauge when at a juction, so when the engine is at idle, to see if it has fallen down to aroung 20 psi, this would mean that the oil is also warm, because when it is cold it will always be around 40 something.

MAkes sense to me anyway

[richb]

ads said:

I start mine up wait for oil gauge to rise, reverse out of garage, close garage, then drive off keeping below 2500 rpm until 75 degrees on temperature gauge...

That is exactly the proceedure that was descibed on a separte information sheet provided by TVR when I bought my Griff 500 new 7 years ago. Rich...

[Don]

richb said:

Start it up, resisting the urge to blip the throttle wait for the oil pressure gauge to rise (5 seconds) then drive it out of the garage, leave engine running as I shut garage door and drive off, no ceremony just keep revs down until the temp gauge shows about 75, usually after 2-3 miles. Rich...

I do this exactly. Just drive off keeping the revs down.

Revs below 2500rpm I was advised when I bought the car. TVR themselves recommend below 3000rpm. Until the temperature gauge is at 70...

In a car that pulls from 1krpm *strongly* its not much of a hardship!

To be honest I always follow this advice - in *all* of my cars - not just the TVR. Porsche state it is better to "avoid high revs" until the engine is warm. I take this to mean 3krpm. Vauxhall don't seem to make any statement about it at all - so I guess I could just mash the accelerator into the carpet from cold!