Thats it. I'm out.

[Chimjunkie]

Early this year the car was written off from a front end accident involving a range rover pulling out in front of me. I bought the car back and have rebuilt the front end, upgraded the brakes, installed a rollbar and had a front light conversion. The car has now been back on the road for a few weeks and the timing chain has snapped. Dont know the extent of the damage, but i wont have time or the mental energy to get the engine out and rebuild the engine any time soon. So, in the mean time i am thinking of taking advantage of the struggling market and get a lotus until the tiv can be revived. Again...

It's been tremendous fun.

Jon

[nikman]

UNBELIEVEABLE!!! Jon! What absolutely incredible bad luck and timing (if you'll excuse the pun!!)

You've put so much into that car this is just unreal. This bad run all seems to have happened after you finished all that work on the carbon fibre cockpit trim

I don't know how I'd be feeling but your 'over and out' reaction is understandable in these circumstances.

Good luck with your Lotus search - I went to a joint Lotus / TVR evening at the Ace a while back. All the Lotus guys seemed to have short spikey hair (like Richard Hammond before his prang!) so now I'll know how to recognise you if we meet again

Good luck. Cheers, Nick.

[Chimjunkie]

Thanks Nick. I'm not giving up on TVR, will still come along to the meets. Will put a sticker on the lotus "My other car is a TVR"

First examination it looks as though the chain has snapped, ridden the cam timing wheel and cracked the outer casing. I would expect valve damage. I was about to spend another few £k on ACT performance exhaust and another 25 bhp! So some good fortune in that respect. The engine has only done about 8k miles since it was professionally built by one of the biggest names in V8 engines. Can only assume a faulty timing chain. Has been two years though, so i am in no way blaming the engine builder.

Always wanted a Honda powered Lotus Elise, so good excuse to get this out of my system whilst the Tiv awaits many rainy days. But its summer so that wont be any time soon....

Jon.

[chrispitman]

Have you got the duplex chain, or a standard single.

[Chimjunkie]

chrispitman said:

Have you got the duplex chain, or a standard single.

Not sure. Will dismantle the front of the engine when i get a chance to assess the damage. Which is the better chain?

[That Daddy]

Are you sure you have not just had the cam sprocket bolts come loose?(same symptoms)i have never known the chain to snap on an RV8,still never say never,good luck Chimjunkie hopefully not to serious

[Chimjunkie]

That Daddy said:

Are you sure you have not just had the cam sprocket bolts come loose?(same symptoms)i have never known the chain to snap on an RV8,still never say never,good luck Chimjunkie hopefully not to serious

Will see if i get time in the next few weeks to get the engine apart. The top of the timing casing has fracture cracks. The worst damage would prob be the valve gear? Engine still turns over on the starter. Fingers crossed. Still want a break from the car. It has taken too much mental energy from me this year!

Jon.

[davidindevon]

Gosh reading your post sent a shiver down my spine.
I'm really sorry to hear your news but as I think you know from before I think you may have had my original engine which was a good one but after it had been 'Taraka'd I was happy with it... it could have happed to me. There but for the grace of.
I hope damage is contained and can be sorted quickly and at modest cost.
Best regards.

[Chimjunkie]

davidindevon said:

Gosh reading your post sent a shiver down my spine.
I'm really sorry to hear your news but as I think you know from before I think you may have had my original engine which was a good one but after it had been 'Taraka'd I was happy with it... it could have happed to me. There but for the grace of.
I hope damage is contained and can be sorted quickly and at modest cost.
Best regards.

That rainy weekend is looming... Dont know if i'm more depressed about the engine or the summer

[Chimjunkie]

davidindevon said:

Gosh reading your post sent a shiver down my spine.
I'm really sorry to hear your news but as I think you know from before I think you may have had my original engine which was a good one but after it had been 'Taraka'd I was happy with it... it could have happed to me. There but for the grace of.
I hope damage is contained and can be sorted quickly and at modest cost.
Best regards.

That rainy weekend is looming... Dont know if i'm more depressed about the engine or the summer

[WazzaL]

We had a good chat about your Chim at the Ace. Seemed so chuffed to be driving it.

Such a shame.

Hope you're not out of the fold for too long and that the offers are still there to meet up for a drive

[Chimjunkie]

WazzaL said:

We had a good chat about your Chim at the Ace. Seemed so chuffed to be driving it.

Such a shame.

Hope you're not out of the fold for too long and that the offers are still there to meet up for a drive

I'm still here but Lotus-ing for a while. Myself and Nikman will be organising a run-in from the Herts and Beds region to join the White Hart convoy to the Mid Essex Lotus v TVR meet the 2nd sunday this month. Also will join in with the usual Herts and Beds meet 3rd sunday of the month. Keep an eye out for the details.
Hope you can make it!

Jon.

[paulathome]

You have my sympathy Jon, but as above, are you sure the timing chain has snapped.
I ask, as a friend of mine was a Rover V8 specialist in both Land Rover/Range Rover/TVR and has never ever heard of a timing chain snapping. Stretching to enormous lengths yes, but snapping no.
Let us know the outcome, I would be really interested.
Paul

[quattrophenia]

Sorry to hear about your Chim. If you don't mind me commenting on your user picture. If you had told me you had a carbon fibre dash etc I would have probably thought yuk...but it looks really good even if it does look a little ferrari-esk (if that can be a critisism!) and as for the engine. It looks like something out of a chuffing spitfire!.
Hope you get the growl back soon.

[Chimjunkie]

UPDATE!

So many rainy weekends... Have now got the timing cover off and found that one of the posidrive headed bolts holding the oil pump casing on has come out and got caught between chain and cam cog. The result is a mangled bolt, broken chain, ruptured timing chain housing and snapped tooth on cog. Now need to find out what damage there may be to the cylinder heads...

Definately want to save this engine as it has been a stonker! The timing cover was one of the few parts that came off my old 400 engine!! bks

Jon.

[Meatball]

Chimjunkie said:

UPDATE!

So many rainy weekends... Have now got the timing cover off and found that one of the posidrive headed bolts holding the oil pump casing on has come out and got caught between chain and cam cog. The result is a mangled bolt, broken chain, ruptured timing chain housing and snapped tooth on cog. Now need to find out what damage there may be to the cylinder heads...

Definately want to save this engine as it has been a stonker! The timing cover was one of the few parts that came off my old 400 engine!! bks

Jon.

Jon ive got a spare timing cover (like you do)if your interested

[Chimjunkie]

Meatball said:

Jon ive got a spare timing cover (like you do)if your interested

Oh yes please! Is it Serpentine?

Jon.

[Meatball]

Chimjunkie said:

Meatball said:

Jon ive got a spare timing cover (like you do)if your interested

Oh yes please! Is it Serpentine?

Jon.

YHM