hats off to the AA
Discussion
I set off from the isle of wight on saturday morning, really looking forward to a good run up to south wales to stay with steve j, and popping down to the rr session on the sunday, however my joy was short lived as on leaving southampton and blasting away an annoying poxy mini cooper trying to kiss my rear end I looked in my rear view mirror to see how far behind me the mini was only to see clouds of smoke
bellowing out the back of the griff.
to make matters worse, the offending mini driver went past with a bit of a grin on his chops,oh how I would have liked to give him a
Quickly stopping at the services on the m27, I found engine oil had come out of the sump and was being sprayed all over the hot exhaust, the underside of the car and a fine oily mist all over the back end, it turned out that the cork sump gasket I had fitted the week before was split where I had overtightened it
I only put the damn thing on there as after using the silicon I had a little drip, so being to fussy for my own good decided the the later model cork gasket was to be a good solution, possibly would have been if I hadn`t overtightened the sump bolts!!
Anyway, not to be deturred out came the trusty AA membership card, and my luck was in , within 45minutes it was on the back of the relay truck going to wales, not my ideal form of transport, but since owning a tvr its a handy thing to have, the trip cost me nothing bar the annual £70 `ish fee, but was told if I was to pay for a private pickup would have set me back in the region of £300!!
Apart from the obvious embarrassment, within 2 hrs of getting to steves house and several cups of tea, the job was done and dusted, no gasket, but a good joint of silicon, problem solved.
the moral of the story being, if you do use a cork gasket fit it properly, don`t ask me to help you
or stick to the trusty silicon method
so glad I didn`t get a spotted on saturday
bellowing out the back of the griff. to make matters worse, the offending mini driver went past with a bit of a grin on his chops,oh how I would have liked to give him a
Quickly stopping at the services on the m27, I found engine oil had come out of the sump and was being sprayed all over the hot exhaust, the underside of the car and a fine oily mist all over the back end, it turned out that the cork sump gasket I had fitted the week before was split where I had overtightened it
I only put the damn thing on there as after using the silicon I had a little drip, so being to fussy for my own good decided the the later model cork gasket was to be a good solution, possibly would have been if I hadn`t overtightened the sump bolts!!
Anyway, not to be deturred out came the trusty AA membership card, and my luck was in , within 45minutes it was on the back of the relay truck going to wales, not my ideal form of transport, but since owning a tvr its a handy thing to have, the trip cost me nothing bar the annual £70 `ish fee, but was told if I was to pay for a private pickup would have set me back in the region of £300!!
Apart from the obvious embarrassment, within 2 hrs of getting to steves house and several cups of tea, the job was done and dusted, no gasket, but a good joint of silicon, problem solved.
the moral of the story being, if you do use a cork gasket fit it properly, don`t ask me to help you
or stick to the trusty silicon method so glad I didn`t get a spotted on saturday
Edited by clive f on Monday 29th January 20:49
You're not the only one to have been on the back of a brake down truck this week Clive. Whilst on a Sunday afternoon trip to B&Q in my BMW it just cut out and died. (Fuel pump related) Fourth time in less than a year!!! Last time was in France.
Haven't got round to driving my Griff much yet. Still sorting bits out. Brake pads, Engine mounts, Front end respray etc, but it will have to go some to be on the transporter as much as the 540. Griff Growl booked, fingers crossed. Whilst on the subject of sump gaskets, I've noticed a sump shaped oil leak on my garage floor. I managed to get half a turn on all the sump bolts as they were loose. It seems to have cured the leak. Hope I haven't done harm to it. CRAIG
Haven't got round to driving my Griff much yet. Still sorting bits out. Brake pads, Engine mounts, Front end respray etc, but it will have to go some to be on the transporter as much as the 540. Griff Growl booked, fingers crossed. Whilst on the subject of sump gaskets, I've noticed a sump shaped oil leak on my garage floor. I managed to get half a turn on all the sump bolts as they were loose. It seems to have cured the leak. Hope I haven't done harm to it. CRAIG
Edited by fastandcurious on Monday 29th January 21:44
clive f said:
I set off from the isle of wight on saturday morning, really looking forward to a good run up to south wales to stay with steve j, and popping down to the rr session on the sunday, however my joy was short lived as on leaving southampton and blasting away an annoying poxy mini cooper trying to kiss my rear end I looked in my rear view mirror to see how far behind me the mini was only to see clouds of smoke bellowing out the back of the griff.
to make matters worse, the offending mini driver went past with a bit of a grin on his chops,oh how I would have liked to give him a
Quickly stopping at the services on the m27, I found engine oil had come out of the sump and was being sprayed all over the hot exhaust, the underside of the car and a fine oily mist all over the back end, it turned out that the cork sump gasket I had fitted the week before was split where I had overtightened it
I only put the damn thing on there as after using the silicon I had a little drip, so being to fussy for my own good decided the the later model cork gasket was to be a good solution, possibly would have been if I hadn`t overtightened the sump bolts!!
Anyway, not to be deturred out came the trusty AA membership card, and my luck was in , within 45minutes it was on the back of the relay truck going to wales, not my ideal form of transport, but since owning a tvr its a handy thing to have, the trip cost me nothing bar the annual £70 `ish fee, but was told if I was to pay for a private pickup would have set me back in the region of £300!!
Apart from the obvious embarrassment, within 2 hrs of getting to steves house and several cups of tea, the job was done and dusted, no gasket, but a good joint of silicon, problem solved.
the moral of the story being, if you do use a cork gasket fit it properly, don`t ask me to help you or stick to the trusty silicon method
so glad I didn`t get a spotted on saturday
bellowing out the back of the griff. to make matters worse, the offending mini driver went past with a bit of a grin on his chops,oh how I would have liked to give him a
Quickly stopping at the services on the m27, I found engine oil had come out of the sump and was being sprayed all over the hot exhaust, the underside of the car and a fine oily mist all over the back end, it turned out that the cork sump gasket I had fitted the week before was split where I had overtightened it
I only put the damn thing on there as after using the silicon I had a little drip, so being to fussy for my own good decided the the later model cork gasket was to be a good solution, possibly would have been if I hadn`t overtightened the sump bolts!!
Anyway, not to be deturred out came the trusty AA membership card, and my luck was in , within 45minutes it was on the back of the relay truck going to wales, not my ideal form of transport, but since owning a tvr its a handy thing to have, the trip cost me nothing bar the annual £70 `ish fee, but was told if I was to pay for a private pickup would have set me back in the region of £300!!
Apart from the obvious embarrassment, within 2 hrs of getting to steves house and several cups of tea, the job was done and dusted, no gasket, but a good joint of silicon, problem solved.
the moral of the story being, if you do use a cork gasket fit it properly, don`t ask me to help you
or stick to the trusty silicon method so glad I didn`t get a spotted on saturday
Edited by clive f on Monday 29th January 20:49
Check out the spotted forum
fastandcurious said:
Fourth time in less than a year!!!
Be careful. 5 strikes and you're out according to the AA. I've had two alternator issues, one on the 911 one on the BM ... (IN TWO DAYS!) then a fuel pump on the 911 and a wheel that refused to budge on the BM when I had a puncture.
Then got a nice letter saying that I have one more in my membership year then it'll be £95 per callout!
I am considering moving my AA membership and my AA insurance on the BM. I can't afford to be held to ransom like that on something that is purely down to good or bad luck.
steve j said:
D14 ays said:
Hats off to the AA boys 
In four months of Griffdom i have used them twice I have this funny feeling its not gonna stay that amount Dispite since owning my PNJ its cost me £2500 in repairs n upgrades Dont tell me Griffbitch thou
In four months of Griffdom i have used them twice I have this funny feeling its not gonna stay that amount Dispite since owning my PNJ its cost me £2500 in repairs n upgrades Dont tell me Griffbitch thou Griffbitch
Did someone call?
You can forget about those Nitrods (Whatever they are.) for a while, although I think I have just found a reason/excuse where I can go shopping and not feel guilty. Hooray 
Slight thread hijack !!
I'm assuming from the top post that you came back from the IOW using Red Funnel ferries.... I'm heading over to the IOW at the end of Feb and assuming i still have my Griff i was thinking of bringing it over rather than my runabout.
Are there any clearance issues getting on and off from the top deck. I've been a few times on that route and dont think i'll have any problems with the Griff but wanted to check to see if you've had any problems...
Cheers
I'm assuming from the top post that you came back from the IOW using Red Funnel ferries.... I'm heading over to the IOW at the end of Feb and assuming i still have my Griff i was thinking of bringing it over rather than my runabout.
Are there any clearance issues getting on and off from the top deck. I've been a few times on that route and dont think i'll have any problems with the Griff but wanted to check to see if you've had any problems...
Cheers
I doubt you'll get on the very top deck as there is a very tight turn on the up ramp in Southampton. If the tide is wrong, then this turn also has excessive gradient change so the car bottoms out in the middle. My cerbera owning friend was not happy when he had to reverse all the way down the ramp, and neither were Red Funnel - so they tend to put you on the bottom if you have a TVR now.
Nice one...
Thanks for the info, bottom deck it will be then!!! I'm going to be heading over about the 26th feb and staying for a couple of weeks with my parents. If weather is good enough i'll bring the Griff over assuming i've still got it, as its currently for sale...
I'll post up in the general tvr forum near the end of feb and see if anyone on the IOW wants to have a get together while i'm over there...
Cheers!!
Thanks for the info, bottom deck it will be then!!! I'm going to be heading over about the 26th feb and staying for a couple of weeks with my parents. If weather is good enough i'll bring the Griff over assuming i've still got it, as its currently for sale...
I'll post up in the general tvr forum near the end of feb and see if anyone on the IOW wants to have a get together while i'm over there...
Cheers!!
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