Speed 6 - Best ever engine?
Discussion
Puff,
Mines gone pop. Its now back, and it only pops on overrun now. I loved it before and love it even more now. Its true to say that reliability issues aside pretty much everyone who has driven an SP6 engined car has been exhilarated (sp) by it. Obviously if you had one you would know...
Cheers
Mines gone pop. Its now back, and it only pops on overrun now. I loved it before and love it even more now. Its true to say that reliability issues aside pretty much everyone who has driven an SP6 engined car has been exhilarated (sp) by it. Obviously if you had one you would know...
Cheers
[/quote] 
justinp1 said:
unrepentant said:
oxbow said:
Not bad.
Hurry up and gat that Sag you slacker.
More like get that slag you sacker!
I thought that was just me who misread that the first time!!
So I kept quiet....
No, it was right. Johnny's a big mate of Gat. And is getting him a Sagaris.
I was enquiring as to whether he'd placed the order yet.
Great, great engine characteristics in terms of how docile it is at low revs vs the surge higher up the range - very adaptable to different situations. Personally prefer big low-down torque; I've never been huge on using the top-end of the rev range in cars, but that's just my driving style.
Sound-wise, I think it's hampered by the bike cans - they either muffle it a bit, or make it sound a little too raspy; would prefer a more "standard" exhaust system for the sound - but that's no detriment to the engine itself which, for a 6 pot, does sound very good. Post-rebuild the Honda like "whir" from the block was much better than the more agricultural noises it made whilst running prior to that, too. De-cat definitely helped.
>> Edited by J_S_G on Saturday 15th October 18:34
Sound-wise, I think it's hampered by the bike cans - they either muffle it a bit, or make it sound a little too raspy; would prefer a more "standard" exhaust system for the sound - but that's no detriment to the engine itself which, for a 6 pot, does sound very good. Post-rebuild the Honda like "whir" from the block was much better than the more agricultural noises it made whilst running prior to that, too. De-cat definitely helped.
>> Edited by J_S_G on Saturday 15th October 18:34
Have to say that I went back into our dealer today to pick something up I had left behind and said I didn't think our car was that quick and would he take it for a spin.
The car was fully warmed up so he took it down the road. The sound it made as he opened it up was amazing. Anyway it turns out that the cat is indeed bloomin quick (I wasnt opening it up), but it is still quite tight.
So I need to ensure that the whole rev range gets extended to loosen it up now it's had it's 1K service. On the way back home I did just that and my god was it quick.
The car was fully warmed up so he took it down the road. The sound it made as he opened it up was amazing. Anyway it turns out that the cat is indeed bloomin quick (I wasnt opening it up), but it is still quite tight.
So I need to ensure that the whole rev range gets extended to loosen it up now it's had it's 1K service. On the way back home I did just that and my god was it quick.
alloypearltam said:
So I need to ensure that the whole rev range gets extended to loosen it up now it's had it's 1K service. On the way back home I did just that and my god was it quick.
What exactly does extending the rev range mean as I hear this mentioned from time to time? My dealer said to enjoy the car now that it's had the 1000 mile service, nothing about limiting the revs once the oil is warm enough. I've done nearly 2000 miles now and I'm still not sure how far to go with the revs in each respective gear (close ration gear box) so I'm erroring on the side of caution.
lundinoir said:
So I need to ensure that the whole rev range gets extended to loosen it up now it's had it's 1K service. On the way back home I did just that and my god was it quick.
What exactly does extending the rev range mean as I hear this mentioned from time to time? My dealer said to enjoy the car now that it's had the 1000 mile service, nothing about limiting the revs once the oil is warm enough. I've done nearly 2000 miles now and I'm still not sure how far to go with the revs in each respective gear (close ration gear box) so I'm erroring on the side of caution.
An engine (any engine - not just high output/fragile ones) don't magically get run in at a set number of miles... and certainly not by 1000. More like 2000 if you were going to pick a figure. So, rather than pottering around below 3000 RPM for 2000 miles (or however many), you should start to use more and more of the rev range as time goes by. By a couple of thousand miles just treating it as you would normally do (warming it up first, etc).
You should also vary the revs quite a bit so you don't end up with glazed cylinders... even before the first 1,000 miles taking it up to slightly higher revs (and using it at lower revs, too), rather than 14 solid hours of 70mph on the motorway!
JSG is spot on, this is the exact advice we have had from the dealer. Of course the engine must be totally up to temperature (which is currently taking about 15 mins)
I have been extending ours up to max revs today in all gears.
>> Edited by alloypearltam on Saturday 15th October 21:39
I have been extending ours up to max revs today in all gears.
>> Edited by alloypearltam on Saturday 15th October 21:39
Mats said:
Puff,
Mines gone pop. Its now back, and it only pops on overrun now. I loved it before and love it even more now. Its true to say that reliability issues aside pretty much everyone who has driven an SP6 engined car has been exhilarated (sp) by it. Obviously if you had one you would know...
Cheers
I don't think ANYONE could dispute that the Sp6 engine is fantastic when it's on song, not even the Puff
(although you don't need to own one to have a valid opinion). But to be the best ever engine it must tick other boxes. For now, the engine is not reliable enough and requires too much fettling/ re-tuning to keep it on song to be the "best". I regularly drive, but don't own, a rather fine Ferrari - with what I consider to be a truly magnificent engine. I do LOVE driving Sp6 engined cars though! 
unrepentant said:
For now, the engine is not reliable enough and requires too much fettling/ re-tuning to keep it on song to be the "best".
Please read the original post.
We aint discussing reliabilty, perceived or otherwise.
Reliability aside, it could do with longer service intervals (the "fettling/re-tuning", I guess). I heard rumours of the services being pushed out to 10k miles under Smolenski a few months back... not heard anything since, though. Managing that would be a fantastic step forwards (having to do a 100+ mile round-trip to the dealer & take a day or two off work twice a year for a service wasn't great!)
I'd probably modify it like the Toyota engine in the Elise, where it won't give you full power until it's warmed up, too.
J_S_G said:
An engine (any engine - not just high output/fragile ones) don't magically get run in at a set number of miles... and certainly not by 1000. More like 2000 if you were going to pick a figure. So, rather than pottering around below 3000 RPM for 2000 miles (or however many), you should start to use more and more of the rev range as time goes by. By a couple of thousand miles just treating it as you would normally do (warming it up first, etc).
You should also vary the revs quite a bit so you don't end up with glazed cylinders... even before the first 1,000 miles taking it up to slightly higher revs (and using it at lower revs, too), rather than 14 solid hours of 70mph on the motorway!
That's the same advice I got, better to run it it gently rather than after 1000 miles red line it in every gear.
unrepentant said:
oxbow said:
unrepentant said:
oxbow said:
Not bad.
Hurry up and gat that Sag you slacker.
More like get that slag you sacker!
I thought that was just me who misread that the first time!!
So I kept quiet....
No, it was right. Johnny's a big mate of Gat. And is getting him a Sagaris.
I was enquiring as to whether he'd placed the order yet.
Ridiculous! Me a Gat fell out when Shane bowled him around his legs at Old Trafford all them years ago.
Never, never trust a man who gets bowled around the back of his legs.
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