Zen and the art of TVR maintenance
Discussion
As the water in my new Chim, appeared to be exactly that, water with a faint brown tinge, I decided to drain the system and replace with some longlife red antifreeze (Valvoline).
Simple enough I thought. Read the biblefirst.
First step remember to switch heater to on, then remove Swirlpot cap - big screwdriver held sideways - nope it just bends. Bolster - eventually after several attempts, lucky I covered the wings with old sheets as it flew off and after cutting my arm would have taken a chunk out of the paintwork. Steve Heath replacement now ordered.
Next the rad and expansion tank caps - easy.
Then remove the bottom hose - jubilee clip screw is helpfully underneath the hose, so after much grunting and contortionism manage to undo it, arm now bruised, and hand cut.
Water drains out, rather unhelpfully a lot ends up in the front valance and soaks the air filter.
Go to replace bottom hose - can't get any purchase and hose doesn't want to line up with bottom of rad. Only way to get any leverage is to lean across engine from nearside wing and squeeze arm (the bruised one) between fan and ARB and just when I am about to give up the hose slides on. Remove very bruised and skinned arm and rub sore shoulder. It's starting to get dark.
I've undone the jubilee clip too much so have to fiddle about to re-engage it. Christ my arm hurts.
Fill up with new antifreeze, start up, smile, and go for quick spin to make sure heater works and temperature is ok.
Through all of this I stayed remarkably calm and forgave the car being a right royal pain in the arse, whereas with any other I would have been swearing (okay the odd oath may have escaped me) and thrown the tools around and kicked the cat (next doors).
Aren't TVR's great!
Simple enough I thought. Read the biblefirst.
First step remember to switch heater to on, then remove Swirlpot cap - big screwdriver held sideways - nope it just bends. Bolster - eventually after several attempts, lucky I covered the wings with old sheets as it flew off and after cutting my arm would have taken a chunk out of the paintwork. Steve Heath replacement now ordered.
Next the rad and expansion tank caps - easy.
Then remove the bottom hose - jubilee clip screw is helpfully underneath the hose, so after much grunting and contortionism manage to undo it, arm now bruised, and hand cut.
Water drains out, rather unhelpfully a lot ends up in the front valance and soaks the air filter.
Go to replace bottom hose - can't get any purchase and hose doesn't want to line up with bottom of rad. Only way to get any leverage is to lean across engine from nearside wing and squeeze arm (the bruised one) between fan and ARB and just when I am about to give up the hose slides on. Remove very bruised and skinned arm and rub sore shoulder. It's starting to get dark.
I've undone the jubilee clip too much so have to fiddle about to re-engage it. Christ my arm hurts.
Fill up with new antifreeze, start up, smile, and go for quick spin to make sure heater works and temperature is ok.
Through all of this I stayed remarkably calm and forgave the car being a right royal pain in the arse, whereas with any other I would have been swearing (okay the odd oath may have escaped me) and thrown the tools around and kicked the cat (next doors).
Aren't TVR's great!
My arm still has a rather painful blue/yellow patch from this weekend's headlight bulb replacement (early Chim, 'access' through the grille opening). Had to force elbow in to get behind the reflector at all. Of course I broke the old H4 bulb in my hand when trying to separate it from its electrical plug (loom being just too short to be able to see what I'm doing), adding two nice little cuts in my hand.
Of course, someone who will remain nameless having pop riveted an aluminium sheet 'air dam' around the radiator/ air filter, didn't help matters...
Of course, someone who will remain nameless having pop riveted an aluminium sheet 'air dam' around the radiator/ air filter, didn't help matters...
Had a very, very similar experience when replacing the coolant hoses on our Griffith with uprated silicone jobs 
, and these had to be cut to fit as well as fitted. Many, Many hours of swearing, sweat, blood, and Tears. ! And then the fun of refilling and presurising the system.
Still the engine bay looked wicked, and the trip to France made with confidence that 20 year old hoses were not one of the many worries involved with the trip.
, and these had to be cut to fit as well as fitted. Many, Many hours of swearing, sweat, blood, and Tears. ! And then the fun of refilling and presurising the system.Still the engine bay looked wicked, and the trip to France made with confidence that 20 year old hoses were not one of the many worries involved with the trip.
BIGMIKE1 said:
After dropping some coolant from mine last week I had to bleed it again a few times and took a couple of days before seem to settle, so probably worth keeping an eye on it for a few days.
Yes thanks Mike, will do - just as soon as I've changed the oil pressure sender as this morning when I started up the gauge showed exactly zero pressure. I am reasonably sure it's not actually oil pressure failure as the oil warning light went out and the tappets didn't clatter like a bag of spanners. Wondered what I was going to do tomorrow!
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