Discussion
After my engine blew up spectacularly a few weeks ago I was naturally curious to find out what went wrong, so on Saturday I took the (somewhat deformed) sump off to find this:
If it's not clear, the conrod has snapped in half, and also shattered the piston - I'm not sure what went first though, the little end or the shaft itself.
I haven't got any further than this yet, but there were pushrods and tappets in the sump, which I assume means that the piston has smashed the head? The broken end of the conrod has gouged two big holes in the block, so I think the engine is a total and utter write-off! This is a bit gutting not least because I only had a new camshaft fitted in May
There is no way I have the funds for a new lump at the moment, but the way I see it I have a few options:
• Break for parts (not that there are very many parts to break!)
• Sell as-is with no engine (can see getting much for it)
• Try and hold out for a cheapish relacement engine on ebay or something
• Buy a cheeky 4.6 fast road engine from V8D (approx £4k I think)
• Do a full body-off restoration, re-con the diff and gearbox at the same time
Does anyone have any experience with this kind of thing happening? The engine was a standard 4.0 with just under 80k on the clock, so I wasn't quite expecting this! There was no warning at all, just a big bang, a puff of smoke and then the sound of metal tinkling down the road
If it's not clear, the conrod has snapped in half, and also shattered the piston - I'm not sure what went first though, the little end or the shaft itself.
I haven't got any further than this yet, but there were pushrods and tappets in the sump, which I assume means that the piston has smashed the head? The broken end of the conrod has gouged two big holes in the block, so I think the engine is a total and utter write-off! This is a bit gutting not least because I only had a new camshaft fitted in May
There is no way I have the funds for a new lump at the moment, but the way I see it I have a few options:
• Break for parts (not that there are very many parts to break!)
• Sell as-is with no engine (can see getting much for it)
• Try and hold out for a cheapish relacement engine on ebay or something
• Buy a cheeky 4.6 fast road engine from V8D (approx £4k I think)
• Do a full body-off restoration, re-con the diff and gearbox at the same time
Does anyone have any experience with this kind of thing happening? The engine was a standard 4.0 with just under 80k on the clock, so I wasn't quite expecting this! There was no warning at all, just a big bang, a puff of smoke and then the sound of metal tinkling down the road
Well, loads of man points for that one - 'I rodded a V8' must be a good enough epitaph for any petrolhead!
If by 'tappets' in the sump you mean a lifter or lifters, It may be you've broken the casting of the block. The lifters live above the cam and they support the pushrods.
What were you doing when it went (accellerating hard? overrun?); where on its length did the rod break? Be interesting to see more pics of all teh debris and any tell-tales on the castings.
The large journal 4.6 route is a good basis to go forward from, especially if you can get hold of a top-hatted one
If by 'tappets' in the sump you mean a lifter or lifters, It may be you've broken the casting of the block. The lifters live above the cam and they support the pushrods.
What were you doing when it went (accellerating hard? overrun?); where on its length did the rod break? Be interesting to see more pics of all teh debris and any tell-tales on the castings.
The large journal 4.6 route is a good basis to go forward from, especially if you can get hold of a top-hatted one
this is on Ebay at the moment- possible answer to your prayers
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TVR-Chimaera-Engine-TVR-...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TVR-Chimaera-Engine-TVR-...
Thanks for the sympathy chaps!
I think I probably do mean the lifters - shiny metal cylinders about 50 x 20mm?
I was accelerating at about 75% in second, when at about 3000rpm there was a big thump, a puff of smoke and lots of metal tinkling on the road! I knocked it into neutral fairly quickly, as the first thing that crossed my mind was the gearbox. I coasted about 100m down the road and turned the engine off once I'd stopped, so the whole thing hadn't seized up immediately. Looked underneath and there was oil pouring out; I walked back down the road and once I saw the first pushrod I knew it was game over!
Pupp said:
Well, loads of man points for that one - 'I rodded a V8' must be a good enough epitaph for any petrolhead!
If by 'tappets' in the sump you mean a lifter or lifters, It may be you've broken the casting of the block. The lifters live above the cam and they support the pushrods.
What were you doing when it went (accellerating hard? overrun?); where on its length did the rod break? Be interesting to see more pics of all teh debris and any tell-tales on the castings.
The large journal 4.6 route is a good basis to go forward from, especially if you can get hold of a top-hatted one
Haha, I suppose if you're going to break something you might as well do it properly!If by 'tappets' in the sump you mean a lifter or lifters, It may be you've broken the casting of the block. The lifters live above the cam and they support the pushrods.
What were you doing when it went (accellerating hard? overrun?); where on its length did the rod break? Be interesting to see more pics of all teh debris and any tell-tales on the castings.
The large journal 4.6 route is a good basis to go forward from, especially if you can get hold of a top-hatted one
I think I probably do mean the lifters - shiny metal cylinders about 50 x 20mm?
I was accelerating at about 75% in second, when at about 3000rpm there was a big thump, a puff of smoke and lots of metal tinkling on the road! I knocked it into neutral fairly quickly, as the first thing that crossed my mind was the gearbox. I coasted about 100m down the road and turned the engine off once I'd stopped, so the whole thing hadn't seized up immediately. Looked underneath and there was oil pouring out; I walked back down the road and once I saw the first pushrod I knew it was game over!
I feel for you! I did the same to the engine in the racer at Snett! (Though I was pulling around 7k rpm when it went, and it cut itself out almost instantly!). For me it looks like a piston broke down releasing the rod, which then snapped in half due to cutting the block, dry sump pan and cam in half! I too had lots of bits all over, but amazingly saved the heads! (Now sold them!). You can get 2nd hand engines for fairly cheap now on the bay...
Get the thing apart first though, if you can save the heads a 2nd hand bottom end maybe all you need..? Though there are plenty of engines for less than £1k around. If you do want a 4ltr, drop me a PM as a guy I know was trying to sell me one! Also, I know of a 4.8 iirc for sale with lots of nice bits in too... Good Luck though, and commiserations on your bad luck!
Dave.
Get the thing apart first though, if you can save the heads a 2nd hand bottom end maybe all you need..? Though there are plenty of engines for less than £1k around. If you do want a 4ltr, drop me a PM as a guy I know was trying to sell me one! Also, I know of a 4.8 iirc for sale with lots of nice bits in too... Good Luck though, and commiserations on your bad luck!
Dave.
Hi Pozzy
sorry to hear about this, that is the samething that happened to about 4 months ago, the engine has only done 61k. While looking around to have the engine rebult i was quoted between £2,500 and 3,500 + vat depending on what could salvaged and used again, in the end due to cost i found an engine from Douglas-Valley.
You may want to Lloyd Specialist Developments if you have the funds.
sorry to hear about this, that is the samething that happened to about 4 months ago, the engine has only done 61k. While looking around to have the engine rebult i was quoted between £2,500 and 3,500 + vat depending on what could salvaged and used again, in the end due to cost i found an engine from Douglas-Valley.
You may want to Lloyd Specialist Developments if you have the funds.
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