Rough running action time!
Discussion
After struggling with rough running over the last 12 months and being unable to diagnose the problem I've decided to bite the bullet and go for Powers MBE replacement.
Having spoken to other TVR owners that have carried this out I'm optimistic that I'll be happy with the results.
I should have the car back within a couple of weeks, I'll post my thoughts once I've given it a good shake down.
Having spoken to other TVR owners that have carried this out I'm optimistic that I'll be happy with the results.
I should have the car back within a couple of weeks, I'll post my thoughts once I've given it a good shake down.
GreenV8S said:
Is the ECU open for you to get diagnostics from it, and have people other than the installer adjust the calibration in future?
Yes EASYMAP6 is a user friendly diagnostics package.
Regularly gets updated.
I’d leave the car there for as long as possible to allow plenty of cold starts for mapping etc
Pays off when you get the car back.
I’ve not needed any re mapping since Nov 2015 and the cars used daily and lives outside without a cover.
In fact I’ve done nothing at all. Changed the plugs to iridium 6 and that’s it.
Jason will give you the perfect map from what my experience has been, the Ecu and reliable sensors will do the rest.
Im so poor with computers I don’t know how to link stuff but just go to SBD website and all will be revealed,
9a9a is a serious Ecu with many fantastic options that’s been proven in high G force Motorsport over some time and in a formula single seater gets rattled way beyond what we’ll do with it.
Race curbs that can pull fillings out, serious abuse.
There is no question how good it works from where I’m sitting.
28mpg
12.60 recorded 1/4 mile then drove home on a fiver
Jason is happy to show you what to do via diagnostics so once your warrantee is over you can do what you like with it as far as I’m concerned.
Jay has mapped how many Tvr. Your map will not need much fettling and if it does I’m inclined to either take it back or have remote mapping checks done at home.
Transforms the engine dynamics into something akin to a new car but then most decent Ecu should do that easily enough.
Map sensor
Edited by Classic Chim on Tuesday 2nd January 19:46
Edited by Classic Chim on Tuesday 2nd January 19:51
GreenV8S said:
mk1fan said:
I think it is locked to Powers.
If so that would be a pretty important restriction in my view, and one which could be avoided quite easily given the many aftermarket options.I'm considering Megasquirt on Wendy, but then again there are no warranty conflicts.
For the first 12 months if anything went untoward I’d take it straight back end of.
After that you takes your chance on fettling it yourself but unless your engine characteristics change drastically the Ecu will fine tune it anyway.
If you need to adjust the mapping any time soon,,, I’m thinking 5 years at least,,,your map can’t be very good. Maybe I’m Nieve but if the car is mapped bespoke to your engine then it’s going to stay that way until the engine wears significantly.
I don’t get all the re mapping sessions.
The engine works in the same operating window for years, so should the map and a decent Ecu will adapt and keep it near perfect at all times.
No stepper or idle controller so cold starts are controlled by fuelling and ignition timing alone and it’s all very easy.
These cars don’t need a stepper at all imo
I’ll start it tomorrow morning at 6 am wet and darn cold, ticks over within seconds and warm enough to drive away on tickover within a minute, well straight away but I warm it a little first.
It then drives as smoothly as when it’s upto temp.
Very impressive thing indeed.
I consider it a bargain for the transformation of operation and reliability it’s given me.
The wiring is sexy as hell too
After that you takes your chance on fettling it yourself but unless your engine characteristics change drastically the Ecu will fine tune it anyway.
If you need to adjust the mapping any time soon,,, I’m thinking 5 years at least,,,your map can’t be very good. Maybe I’m Nieve but if the car is mapped bespoke to your engine then it’s going to stay that way until the engine wears significantly.
I don’t get all the re mapping sessions.
The engine works in the same operating window for years, so should the map and a decent Ecu will adapt and keep it near perfect at all times.
No stepper or idle controller so cold starts are controlled by fuelling and ignition timing alone and it’s all very easy.
These cars don’t need a stepper at all imo
I’ll start it tomorrow morning at 6 am wet and darn cold, ticks over within seconds and warm enough to drive away on tickover within a minute, well straight away but I warm it a little first.
It then drives as smoothly as when it’s upto temp.
Very impressive thing indeed.
I consider it a bargain for the transformation of operation and reliability it’s given me.
The wiring is sexy as hell too
Edited by Classic Chim on Tuesday 2nd January 21:27
The CUX is worth a bob to some people so yes keep everything and sooner or later you’ll help someone out and get back a good chunk of your cash.
No brainier.
It’s not just because I have Mbe, I’ve looked at loads and it’s just so well put together and installed. Modern O/E level and lets be honest, they know these cars inside out a thousand times over.
All said and done they do this job as good as anyone and the wiring suggests pure quality.
I’ve jet washed the engine, bit careful and only blown over really but it was drenched and obviously fired up instantly.
I’ve had one misfire that was a loose plug lead, my fault as I’d not put it on properly.
I’ve done thousands of miles and drive 1/2 mile to the shops 4 times a day
But you get my drift.
I’m working this baby hard, the Ecu at least isn’t fussed.
I’ve looked at them all and I wouldn’t change for a minute.
Really happy with it as you might have guessed.
As I love S cars, what a car this is and about to become.
Class.
No brainier.
It’s not just because I have Mbe, I’ve looked at loads and it’s just so well put together and installed. Modern O/E level and lets be honest, they know these cars inside out a thousand times over.
All said and done they do this job as good as anyone and the wiring suggests pure quality.
I’ve jet washed the engine, bit careful and only blown over really but it was drenched and obviously fired up instantly.
I’ve had one misfire that was a loose plug lead, my fault as I’d not put it on properly.
I’ve done thousands of miles and drive 1/2 mile to the shops 4 times a day
But you get my drift.
I’m working this baby hard, the Ecu at least isn’t fussed.
I’ve looked at them all and I wouldn’t change for a minute.
Really happy with it as you might have guessed.
As I love S cars, what a car this is and about to become.
Class.
Edited by Classic Chim on Tuesday 2nd January 21:51
v8s4me said:
Sounds like the way to go. Hang on to those original parts though. You never know who might want them 
Not sure that I've got this right but... The last line of the description in the add makes me think that Powers retain all of the old ECM bits that they remove when they do the conversion.Darren, look at the display screen that plugs in to the 9a9. Find the videos, you can have so many dirrent things showing up, if temps get to high or oil or whatever you’ve fitted a sensor to goes into danger territory it will flag up and show in bright colours of your choosing.
Rev counter lights, or an ear piece with blip to remind you to change gear
Traction control, launch control both with upto 7 pre sets for different occasions depending on how you’ve set it, the list goes on.
The screen is less than 100mm so fits inside a racing steering wheel, easily concealed.
You can have your diagnostics at all times being displayed.
Awesome
Rev counter lights, or an ear piece with blip to remind you to change gear
Traction control, launch control both with upto 7 pre sets for different occasions depending on how you’ve set it, the list goes on.
The screen is less than 100mm so fits inside a racing steering wheel, easily concealed.
You can have your diagnostics at all times being displayed.
Awesome
Lots of info there to digest. Touching on a couple of issues, I'm not a one for remapping the car every time I get bored, it's a 1992 TVR, the current set up is outdated.
All I want is a car I can use as often as practical without the frustration of rough running.
Personally I haven't asked whether the discarded items are returned or not, a fellow owner had his done and all the redundant equipment was placed in his boot for him to do as he pleased.
Alun, I hadn't realised that you'd had yours done. You are now the fourth owner that I know of that have undertaken this conversation, all of you speak highly of the results.
All I want is a car I can use as often as practical without the frustration of rough running.
Personally I haven't asked whether the discarded items are returned or not, a fellow owner had his done and all the redundant equipment was placed in his boot for him to do as he pleased.
Alun, I hadn't realised that you'd had yours done. You are now the fourth owner that I know of that have undertaken this conversation, all of you speak highly of the results.
Hi Darren. You love quality, your gonna love your S like you don’t believe
Yeah I did it about 6 months before Rich put his in. It was me turning up with a perfect firing sequence that convinced him cold January and outside his all day then just boom into perfect rumbling life, he was impressed and you know Rich had an ear for these things.
Ive used it pretty much every day since and once it’s set up properly just does it’s thing and thrills me every time. RV8 are some engine if-controlled nicely.
And a year after Richs car was built I went down the drag road and banged in a massively fast 12.60 1/4 mile time and the only change from year to year was Clives Y and oil changes.
My car was mapped Catted and didn’t need re mapping for de Cat although Jason did mention I could have done some mapping at the track for a bit more power at the top end.
The timing feels quite safe with wide open throttle and feels like there’s more to come.
The car does everything pretty good which is what I want.
By going to iridium tipped plugs which as Dom pointed out are for engines with far more aggressive things going on in the combustion chambers than an RV8 and with much longer service intervals I’ve also removed the need to change plugs so often. I concurred with Jason first and he said it was ok.
I still service the engine at 5/6000 mile intervals but just change the oil/filter clean air filter and check levels! There’s nothing much else to change.
I have always put the miles in even on CUX, 10,000 in the first year so replacing caps rotors coil and plugs on top adds a lot of cost over time. And it’s a pita
Other than a coolant change as I got air in the system I’ve not touched the engine or engine bay other than to clean for two years.
Errr a new clutch but that’s not related.
A new diff but that is related because I believe the shunting caused it’s premature downfall.
The good news is now with both the problematic areas for shunt on the Chim/Griff removed or replaced for new I now have what feels like a new one must have felt like, taught and no shunt down to like 800 revs and instant power from there. Makes roundabouts a thing of beauty.
Tvr are great but can be quite stressful to drive when they lurch about so getting that pussycat feel at low revs is essential for the everyday.
Bespoke mapping and then fast finite control from the Ecu is the only way to get it and keep it it seems to me.
I’ve been impressed with the reliability of all the sensors used too, engine temp etc, that’s half the battle and I reckon resistance in the old wiring causes allsorts of Ecu changes that are not required and it will never run right.
It will now
I can’t wait to see how you get on especially in an S 
Here it is in a 450 Chim
There’s not much to see which is a wonder in itself. Tidies up the engine bay no end.
I’ve forgotten what a clattering relay looks like
Yeah I did it about 6 months before Rich put his in. It was me turning up with a perfect firing sequence that convinced him
cold January and outside his all day then just boom into perfect rumbling life, he was impressed and you know Rich had an ear for these things. Ive used it pretty much every day since and once it’s set up properly just does it’s thing and thrills me every time. RV8 are some engine if-controlled nicely.
And a year after Richs car was built I went down the drag road and banged in a massively fast 12.60 1/4 mile time and the only change from year to year was Clives Y and oil changes.
My car was mapped Catted and didn’t need re mapping for de Cat although Jason did mention I could have done some mapping at the track for a bit more power at the top end.
The timing feels quite safe with wide open throttle and feels like there’s more to come.
The car does everything pretty good which is what I want.
By going to iridium tipped plugs which as Dom pointed out are for engines with far more aggressive things going on in the combustion chambers than an RV8 and with much longer service intervals I’ve also removed the need to change plugs so often. I concurred with Jason first and he said it was ok.
I still service the engine at 5/6000 mile intervals but just change the oil/filter clean air filter and check levels! There’s nothing much else to change.
I have always put the miles in even on CUX, 10,000 in the first year so replacing caps rotors coil and plugs on top adds a lot of cost over time. And it’s a pita
Other than a coolant change as I got air in the system I’ve not touched the engine or engine bay other than to clean for two years.
Errr a new clutch but that’s not related.
A new diff but that is related because I believe the shunting caused it’s premature downfall.
The good news is now with both the problematic areas for shunt on the Chim/Griff removed or replaced for new I now have what feels like a new one must have felt like, taught and no shunt down to like 800 revs and instant power from there. Makes roundabouts a thing of beauty.
Tvr are great but can be quite stressful to drive when they lurch about so getting that pussycat feel at low revs is essential for the everyday.
Bespoke mapping and then fast finite control from the Ecu is the only way to get it and keep it it seems to me.
I’ve been impressed with the reliability of all the sensors used too, engine temp etc, that’s half the battle and I reckon resistance in the old wiring causes allsorts of Ecu changes that are not required and it will never run right.
It will now
I can’t wait to see how you get on
especially in an S Here it is in a 450 Chim
There’s not much to see which is a wonder in itself. Tidies up the engine bay no end.
I’ve forgotten what a clattering relay looks like
Edited by Classic Chim on Wednesday 3rd January 23:21
Edited by Classic Chim on Wednesday 3rd January 23:23
Edited by Classic Chim on Wednesday 3rd January 23:30
Edited by Classic Chim on Wednesday 3rd January 23:43
I’m not sure of you’re engine spec but on a fairly standard 450 engine with 38 mm trumpets etc and depending on what calculus you use on Dom’s dyno using CATTED Y piece
299 Bhp
348 torques
Built for torque
Even taking 10 off those numbers ( to please some )
For a 450 still on 5.0 terms unless tuned.
It goes like stink.
I don’t like dyno graphs unless they tally with a proper speed test and accurate timing to prove if it really works and doing the 1/4 mile for me was all about finding that out, and racing some ace TVR blokes and laughing a lot.
It’s only since that day have I appreciated what I’ve got.
Then drove home on a fiver from Stratford,, seriously
Ecu gave me great confidence to do all this and I’d not worry at all. Well not much
So it does everything and no stepper motor to add confusion.
Heaven, I’m lovin this hahah.
It better work right after this critique
Goodluck Darren.
Awesome
299 Bhp
348 torques
Built for torque
Even taking 10 off those numbers ( to please some )
For a 450 still on 5.0 terms unless tuned.
It goes like stink.
I don’t like dyno graphs unless they tally with a proper speed test and accurate timing to prove if it really works and doing the 1/4 mile for me was all about finding that out, and racing some ace TVR blokes and laughing a lot.
It’s only since that day have I appreciated what I’ve got.
Then drove home on a fiver from Stratford,, seriously
Ecu gave me great confidence to do all this and I’d not worry at all. Well not much
So it does everything and no stepper motor to add confusion.
Heaven,
I’m lovin this hahah. It better work right after this critique
Goodluck Darren.
Awesome
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