Today, my TVR died. Possibly, forever.

[kbj149]

Bad news.

Today I took her out for a bit of spirited driving in the sunshine, pulled over to take the roof off, after giving it the beans for half hour. Went to start it, nothing. Engine completely locked.

The garage took it and told me that its terminal. Something has locked in the engine, its full engine rebuild time or sell as a non-runner. Suspect something has become practically molten in the engine, a piston has snapped or similar. Either way, dead. Its estimated 4 hours to inspect the problem, but the garage (my mech who I trust implicitly) has said its upwards of 2K for a full engine rebuild. Doesn't help that the engine was modified at some point, beautifully I add, for better peformance so its not 'standard' as such.

I had noticed the ride getting rougher the past few months, seemed to be 'pulsing' when pulling, getting hesitant to start up, occasionally a tappet heard. I do hope I didn't run it, hard, with low oil. I don't think I did. But I drove it like a TVR is 'supposed' to be driven and its just gone kaput.

Thanks for the memories yellow peril, it was a short summer.

Balls.

[.Mark]

Bad news indeed. But don't let it be the end. What have you got to loose? Get yourself some spanners and do a rebuild/engine swap yourself. You'll save loads of cash and learn so much to boot.

Engines are not tricky, they work on a very simple logic really.

[peaktorque]

If it wasn't running when it locked, then the chances are the engine has sustained minimal damage. A full rebuild may not be necessary.

Dropping the sump for a butchers or even removing the inlet manifold isn't likely to take anywhere near 4 hours.

It could be a hydraulic lock up due a cylinder filling with water...................

[itiejim]

Bad luck, but... sounds like a load of cobbler$ to me. Engines don't break when they are not running. Either you had a serious problem when you stopped the engine - and it stopped on its own - or you've got another problem.

There are several reasons why it may not turn over - too much advance, a hydraulic lock from a leaky injector, etc. If you're really unlucky and you overheated it then the engine may have seized as you stopped it and would remain seized until it cooled down and the tolerances opened up again. I did this in France years ago in a Triumph Dolomite when I lost all the coolant. Once it had cooled down I was able to rock it back and forth in top to free it up again, repair the water leak and enjoy the rest of my driving holiday!

Your trusted mechanic friend really can't say what it will cost to repair your engine until he knows what's wrong with it. Sounds like a professional sucking through his teeth to me.

Anyway, don't despair, your summer is not over yet - have a look at it and see what's wrong!

[kbj149]

I just dont know the best course. I was intending to sell it, this week actually! I dont really have the funds to pay for someone to diagnose the problem, which I pay for, only to be told its going to cost much much more. I'm absolutely gutted and, in all honesty, think I just want shot of it as a non-runner and write off 000's.

Back to the Elise then. So dont feel *too* bad for me!

[kbj149]

[quote=itiejim]Bad luck, but... sounds like a load of cobbler$ to me. Engines don't break when they are not running.

Now I think of it, it did start, I had it running for about 10 seconds as I put the seat belt on. Then it just hesitated to a slow, exhaustive, death.

[big geoff]

Timeing chain snipped

[taylormj4]

big geoff said:

Timeing chain snipped

Would still turn over, just wouldn't start.
Actually, you could remove the timing chain and see if either the top or bottom turns over, that would narrow the search to top or bottom.

Matt

[Zad]

Pulsing when pulling might mean that the oil system was surging? I guess that could be a symptom of the oil pump gradually failing.

I would imagine that a lot of the engine is salvageable, although it may well need new block / pistons / crankshaft, that is just an opportunity for a bored out block, lighter pistons and stronger / balanced crankshaft. When I was at 6th form my IT teacher had a Rover SD1 V8 that seized due to sudden failure of oil pressure. She was, as they say, absolutely gutted.

[Chris71]

I feel your pain. My engine is about to come out thanks to a major failure which will need some or all of it to be replaced...

I was considering something like this if there's not much of the current engine salvageable:

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2496970.htm

So there are options out there. The above engine - or something like it - will already be balanced and set up, so all you need to do is bolt it in really. I'm sure you could find a friendly PHer with an engine crane and some advice.

[blitzracing]

Try turning the engine backward and see if it will rotate?

[Pushrod-Power]

Remove the fanbelt followed by starter motor removal and see if it turns over by rocking the car in gear,failing this i would then remove all 8 spark plugs and try again in case of hydraulic lock causing the engine to appear seized,again rocking in gear

[Golflion]

Chris71 said:

I feel your pain. My engine is about to come out thanks to a major failure which will need some or all of it to be replaced...

I was considering something like this if there's not much of the current engine salvageable:

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2496970.htm

So there are options out there. The above engine - or something like it - will already be balanced and set up, so all you need to do is bolt it in really. I'm sure you could find a friendly PHer with an engine crane and some advice.

Bloody hell Chris havn't you just bought??

[kbj149]

Pushrod-Power said:

Remove the fanbelt followed by starter motor removal and see if it turns over by rocking the car in gear,failing this i would then remove all 8 spark plugs and try again in case of hydraulic lock causing the engine to appear seized,again rocking in gear

Yes its a good suggestion, the AA tried that (fanbelt removal then rocked) to no avail sadly.

[Lardy71]

Kev......

Cant believe the yellow peril has become past tense.That wonderful halcyon midas peArl sheen and silverstone wheels ..........gutted

Invite me to the "funeral of a friend".......

More than happy to build the memorial back at "home".....gutted....
Your right foot must have given him the send off he deserved,rather than the old grocer simply plodding around!

SEND HIM MY WAY AND I WILL RESERECT A MEMORIAL TO THE FINEST ...DREAM CAR !

Gutted.........maybe one less Trevor on the road ,and one less infectious roar !

Give me a bell........I have tried to text/email but not sure you are getting them!

sorry for your loss.......dont send him to the scrappy ,remember his former home!

Old Groc!

[v8 racing]

Sorry for stating the obvious but its not just a stuck starter is it? i cant believe an engine can be happy idling away, you then turn it off re start a few minutes later and the engine is locked?, if it is 2 things will do this in a rover, one a cracked block and the engine is trying to hydraylic lock and a duff starter, and dont throw it away you would be surprised how much yo can gt engines for now adays, if you serious about selling drop me an email. Rob

[Chris71]

Golflion said:

Chris71 said:

I feel your pain. My engine is about to come out thanks to a major failure which will need some or all of it to be replaced...

I was considering something like this if there's not much of the current engine salvageable:

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2496970.htm

So there are options out there. The above engine - or something like it - will already be balanced and set up, so all you need to do is bolt it in really. I'm sure you could find a friendly PHer with an engine crane and some advice.

Bloody hell Chris havn't you just bought??

About six months ago, yeah. Don't think I have any come back now and I'm told crank failure isn't something that can usually be predicted or attributed to previous maintenance or anything anyway. Probably just a manufacturing defect that only came out when someone finally drove the car the way TVR had intended... Coincidentally it had also been okayed by two very well known TVR specialists, one of which had just done a major service and some other work on it.

[darkcat]

v8 racing said:

Sorry for stating the obvious but its not just a stuck starter is it? i cant believe an engine can be happy idling away, you then turn it off re start a few minutes later and the engine is locked?, if it is 2 things will do this in a rover, one a cracked block and the engine is trying to hydraylic lock and a duff starter, and dont throw it away you would be surprised how much yo can gt engines for now adays, if you serious about selling drop me an email. Rob

I wasabout to say the exact same thing - mine has a sticky solenoid, so sometimes it will click but not trun over. a few turns of the key usually frees it up and off he goes..

what makes you assume its completely seized?

[dog man]

Where are you kbj149? I'll gladly come over and have a see and try to tell you whats going on if your not too far from me