Suggestions Please
Discussion
So I recently serviced my Chimaera, changed spark plugs (all the old ones looked healthy) changed the leads and also changed the coolant sensor after reading this often fails.
The car hasn't felt right since not as free revving and down on power, then noticed some popping at tickover, checked engine compartment and right hand precat was glowing red hot (assuming unburnt fuel at cat?).
Today I removed the plugs started on right hand bank, no 2 plug was almost as new, plug 4 was the same, plug 6 was black with soot bingo or so I thought, then checked the rest and all the other plugs were black.
So it appears to me that based on the two plugs and glowing red manifold that plugs 2 and 4 have not been firing at all, dumping unburnt fuel and causing it to glow red?
So I removed the distributor cap which I had not changed, looked new inside but no markings or brand name, rotor arm appears ok (original Lucus part).
I changed the distributor cap for a used old original Lucus one, put everything back together and now a completely different car, free revving and much more reponsive. Now i'm not complaining but could a defective distributor cap have caused this or do you think something else is at play?
The car hasn't felt right since not as free revving and down on power, then noticed some popping at tickover, checked engine compartment and right hand precat was glowing red hot (assuming unburnt fuel at cat?).
Today I removed the plugs started on right hand bank, no 2 plug was almost as new, plug 4 was the same, plug 6 was black with soot bingo or so I thought, then checked the rest and all the other plugs were black.
So it appears to me that based on the two plugs and glowing red manifold that plugs 2 and 4 have not been firing at all, dumping unburnt fuel and causing it to glow red?
So I removed the distributor cap which I had not changed, looked new inside but no markings or brand name, rotor arm appears ok (original Lucus part).
I changed the distributor cap for a used old original Lucus one, put everything back together and now a completely different car, free revving and much more reponsive. Now i'm not complaining but could a defective distributor cap have caused this or do you think something else is at play?
Yes I was thinking the same thing about the plugs, had BPR6ES prior and they looked healthy when removed, I like the idea of iridium plugs but want to know everything else is 100% before putting them in. Plan to buy a new coil, dizzy cap, rotor arm and ignition module just to be safe.
Where is the best place to buy these?
Where is the best place to buy these?
all above listed replacement plugs are R-types (resistant)....as all modern HT- leads are already R-type you do not need another resistance in your plug....so please take the non-R type. e.g. BP6-ES.
TVR has used already non R-type, but has choosen, whyever, a rather un-common tpye of electrode...which in daily use is causing more trouble
my car transofrmed and lots of strange mistakes dis-appeared after using standard electrode type
TVR has used already non R-type, but has choosen, whyever, a rather un-common tpye of electrode...which in daily use is causing more trouble
my car transofrmed and lots of strange mistakes dis-appeared after using standard electrode type
Edited by LLantrisant on Saturday 5th January 14:10
The realty is you will not notice any difference running resistor plugs other than improved radio reception.
However, getting shot of those dreadful shrouded B7ECS plugs and replacing them with a set of BPR6ES is one of the most effective simple improvements you can make.
Remember..... TVR lifted the engine and ignition system directly from the early 90's V8 Range Rover & Discovery 1, and guess what plugs were specified by Land Rover for those vehicles?
Yes that's right...... BPR6ES.
Quite clearly you really don't need to concern yourself about using a resistor plug in your Chimaera, indeed they are actually the correct plug for our engine, distracted by their Tuscan racing program it was actually TVR that got it wrong. NGK B7ECS plugs may well have been ideal for a Tuscan race car series but there's a world of difference between a race car and a road car.
NGK B7ECS are the totally wrong choice for a street driven TVR with a Rover V8, they are too cold and the extra strength of the shrouded electrode is completely unnecessary, in a road driven Chimaera B7ECS plugs tend to foul because what you really want is a No6 heat rating, and you'll definitely enjoy much better combustion from an extended electrode plug like a BPR6ES.
NGK BPR6ES are the most ubiquitous spark plug known to man so obtaining a set is easy, but I would pay a little more and go BPR6EIX as they do last longer and seem to give better combustion at idle and just off idle as you pull away, combine with applying a full manifold vacuum signal to your vac advance unit for even better results
However, getting shot of those dreadful shrouded B7ECS plugs and replacing them with a set of BPR6ES is one of the most effective simple improvements you can make.
Remember..... TVR lifted the engine and ignition system directly from the early 90's V8 Range Rover & Discovery 1, and guess what plugs were specified by Land Rover for those vehicles?
Yes that's right...... BPR6ES.
Quite clearly you really don't need to concern yourself about using a resistor plug in your Chimaera, indeed they are actually the correct plug for our engine, distracted by their Tuscan racing program it was actually TVR that got it wrong. NGK B7ECS plugs may well have been ideal for a Tuscan race car series but there's a world of difference between a race car and a road car.
NGK B7ECS are the totally wrong choice for a street driven TVR with a Rover V8, they are too cold and the extra strength of the shrouded electrode is completely unnecessary, in a road driven Chimaera B7ECS plugs tend to foul because what you really want is a No6 heat rating, and you'll definitely enjoy much better combustion from an extended electrode plug like a BPR6ES.
NGK BPR6ES are the most ubiquitous spark plug known to man so obtaining a set is easy, but I would pay a little more and go BPR6EIX as they do last longer and seem to give better combustion at idle and just off idle as you pull away, combine with applying a full manifold vacuum signal to your vac advance unit for even better results
ChimpOnGas said:
but I would pay a little more and go BPR6EIX as they do last longer and seem to give better combustion
Gotta be fake at this price ?jdf said:
Where would I connect for full manifold vacuum, should I use a t piece from one of the other plenum pipes? What effect does this have?
https://www.google.com/search?q=chimaera+full+manifold+vacuum+site:www.pistonheads.com&client=firefox-b&source=lnms&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjEh4OgutffAhXZTxUIHbuCCPsQ_AUICSgA&biw=1252&bih=579&dpr=1.09phillpot said:
ChimpOnGas said:
but I would pay a little more and go BPR6EIX as they do last longer and seem to give better combustion
Gotta be fake at this price ?Way too cheap for a start, plus the seller is Chinese.
NGK are a Japanese company, buying NGK products from a Chinese seller pretty much guarantees they'll be fakes
Buy from a reputable UK seller such as Euro Car Parts...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/8x-NGK-Spark-Plug-BPR6E...
Or better still these people...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BPR6EIX-8x-NGK-Spark-Pl...
f:0Who are actually the exact same company (Euro Car Parts), just cheaper
why the R?
the R acts a radio interference suppression
in a ignition system there is only 1 component necessary to have a resistance:
plugs OR extenders OR ht-leads.
all HT-leads for chim /griff/ landrover are R-type
the original extenders (if still fitted) have 5kohm resistance, means R-type
hence, original plugs where NON-R-type
even if you ditch the origianl extenders, you still have the R inside the HT-leads...which is more than enough.
under no circumstances you should add now another R to the plugs.
this will make things even worse
the R acts a radio interference suppression
in a ignition system there is only 1 component necessary to have a resistance:
plugs OR extenders OR ht-leads.
all HT-leads for chim /griff/ landrover are R-type
the original extenders (if still fitted) have 5kohm resistance, means R-type
hence, original plugs where NON-R-type
even if you ditch the origianl extenders, you still have the R inside the HT-leads...which is more than enough.
under no circumstances you should add now another R to the plugs.
this will make things even worse
NGK fakes not uncommon....here some pics to identify real or fake:
https://www.google.com/search?q=ngk+iridium+fakes%...
by the way: i installed non r-types, with new landrover silicone HT-leads and removed the 5kohm extenders....no problems with radio interference (during test drive)....but to be honest...i use the radio mostly when the car is parked with engine off ...during driving i´m listening to a different "music"
https://www.google.com/search?q=ngk+iridium+fakes%...
by the way: i installed non r-types, with new landrover silicone HT-leads and removed the 5kohm extenders....no problems with radio interference (during test drive)....but to be honest...i use the radio mostly when the car is parked with engine off ...during driving i´m listening to a different "music"
I am starting to think this must be the case and maybe I have mixed 2 and 4 at the spark plug end. I agree for the plugs to be that different it certainly isn’t an intermittent misfire which you would expect from the distributor cap. What I will say is the smoothness and performance with just 6 cylinders was quite impressive but loving being back to full performance of all 8
jdf said:
I am starting to think this must be the case and maybe I have mixed 2 and 4 at the spark plug end. I agree for the plugs to be that different it certainly isn’t an intermittent misfire which you would expect from the distributor cap. What I will say is the smoothness and performance with just 6 cylinders was quite impressive but loving being back to full performance of all 8
Been there, done that.Not swapped the leads, but I had two misfires due to faulty plug extenders.
Drove all the way to London (130 miles) to go to a car show at Ally Pally, the last 80 miles with a mechanic friend in the passenger seat.
I started to think it was a little down on power with 100 miles to go, but when we hit the London traffic it popping and banging like a T350.
We both knew what that meant, so when we got to Ally Pally I chucked my digital infrared thermometer onto the drivers seat and we went in.
Came out 2 hours later to a cold engine and started it up, testing the exhaust manifold temps at 1 inch from the gasket.
Two were 100 degrees cooler, yet it ran fine on 6. From memory it was 1 & 3 that were the guilty ones, but the point is it runs fine on 6.
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