Discussion
Guys - can you advise me. I bought a 2000 24k miles Chimaera privately in April but inspected by a well known TVR engineer. The car was stunning in every way, came with sheefs of main dealer service history and on collection and first drive reflected the excellent mechanical report it received. In the last year it had done a 1000 miles. I used it over a long weekend reasonably intensively within the speed limit covering 1100 miles and over that time it developed a mechanical ticking, a misfire and then an engine rattle.
It was due for a service anyway and I put the car into SFR in Stockport. After stripping the car down the vehicle needed new manifold gaskets (ok), but also a new camshaft. Shane said that just one of the lobes was seriously worn and in a worse state than he had ever experienced.
What i am struggling with is how a car that seemed so mechanically perfect (and pass a demanding inspection) could deteriorate so rapidly.Could anything have been done by the vendor to hide the symptoms or have I just been unlucky?
This is my second Chim so i am familiar with the car. The only things I did to the car during the weekend was to fuel and top up the oil.
Welcome any thoughts...
Ian
It was due for a service anyway and I put the car into SFR in Stockport. After stripping the car down the vehicle needed new manifold gaskets (ok), but also a new camshaft. Shane said that just one of the lobes was seriously worn and in a worse state than he had ever experienced.
What i am struggling with is how a car that seemed so mechanically perfect (and pass a demanding inspection) could deteriorate so rapidly.Could anything have been done by the vendor to hide the symptoms or have I just been unlucky?
This is my second Chim so i am familiar with the car. The only things I did to the car during the weekend was to fuel and top up the oil.
Welcome any thoughts...
Ian
chlomeara said:
Could anything have been done by the vendor to hide the symptoms or have I just been unlucky?
I think it's just how it is, Ian. I've read reports on here of cars doing 100,000 miles on the original camshaft, with others needing a replacement at 20,000 miles. One school of thought about the low mileage cars is that they stand for months on end without being run and the oil all runs off the camshaft. I've even heard stories of the lobes then starting to rust. And then when the engine is finally started it takes a couple of seconds to oil the camshaft and the damage is done. I don't think anything was being hidden, I suppose the hard bearing surface of that one lobe was already worn out and the greater damage occurred in the short time afterwards.
There's a good write up on RPi's website about engines they've stripped, showing visible damage to the camshaft and followers after just 5,000 miles. My car has covered just 26,000 miles since new in 1999 and must therefore have spent a lot of time idle - when I bought it just over a year ago it had only covered 16,000 miles. And I suspect the camshaft may need replacement.
Mine went from OK to noticably pants in the space of a weekend and that was only covering a couple of hundred miles. I guess once the hard wearing surface of one of the lobes is gone, the wear rate goes up exponentially.
FWIW I'd only done about 32,000miles on my car from new in four years, but it was a weekend car back then.
FWIW I'd only done about 32,000miles on my car from new in four years, but it was a weekend car back then.
As your in the NW take it along to Ian at Torque RVT in Middlewich he's pretty much the best there is and will tell you exactly the score.
Regards
Iain
edited to remove the link, don't know quite what went on there, very embarrassing, sorry.
>> Edited by chassis 33 on Monday 29th May 14:12
Regards
Iain
edited to remove the link, don't know quite what went on there, very embarrassing, sorry.
>> Edited by chassis 33 on Monday 29th May 14:12
er. . .not sure about that link. Seems to lead to a very accomodating lady.
I eventually dragged myself away and found this instead
http://cheshire.tvr-servicing.co.uk
I eventually dragged myself away and found this instead
http://cheshire.tvr-servicing.co.uk
chlomeara said:
Guys - can you advise me. I bought a 2000 24k miles Chimaera privately in April but inspected by a well known TVR engineer. The car was stunning in every way, came with sheefs of main dealer service history and on collection and first drive reflected the excellent mechanical report it received. In the last year it had done a 1000 miles. I used it over a long weekend reasonably intensively within the speed limit covering 1100 miles and over that time it developed a mechanical ticking, a misfire and then an engine rattle.
It was due for a service anyway and I put the car into SFR in Stockport. After stripping the car down the vehicle needed new manifold gaskets (ok), but also a new camshaft. Shane said that just one of the lobes was seriously worn and in a worse state than he had ever experienced.
What i am struggling with is how a car that seemed so mechanically perfect (and pass a demanding inspection) could deteriorate so rapidly.Could anything have been done by the vendor to hide the symptoms or have I just been unlucky?
This is my second Chim so i am familiar with the car. The only things I did to the car during the weekend was to fuel and top up the oil.
Welcome any thoughts...
Ian
Exactly the same thing happend to me with a 23,500 mile car.
Chlomeara,
Was there any noticable drop in performance when the ticking/rattling started? I am curious as my 500 chim is 'tappity' around 1800 revs (and somtimes at tick over) but the performance is spot on (or better in fact) than the performance figures I have seen for this model. Curiously, thicker oil made it a worse
Cheers,
MJR
Was there any noticable drop in performance when the ticking/rattling started? I am curious as my 500 chim is 'tappity' around 1800 revs (and somtimes at tick over) but the performance is spot on (or better in fact) than the performance figures I have seen for this model. Curiously, thicker oil made it a worse
Cheers,
MJR
Mark
Couple of things going on. The manifold gaskets were initially ticking but were finally rattling for fun. The cam problem was causing a misfire (but was otherwise silent) due to one of the exhaust valves not opening properly. That just became worse with time.In some cases I think they do rattle but as someone seriously none techy I am the wrong one to ask.
If you can get to the North West Shane at SFR is a serious class act and well worth getting his opionion. I have a couple of old cars that I use a local guy for but I only let him near the TVR once! Shane is really knowlegable, a first rate engineer and incredibly fair with his hours and charge out rates.
Ian
Couple of things going on. The manifold gaskets were initially ticking but were finally rattling for fun. The cam problem was causing a misfire (but was otherwise silent) due to one of the exhaust valves not opening properly. That just became worse with time.In some cases I think they do rattle but as someone seriously none techy I am the wrong one to ask.
If you can get to the North West Shane at SFR is a serious class act and well worth getting his opionion. I have a couple of old cars that I use a local guy for but I only let him near the TVR once! Shane is really knowlegable, a first rate engineer and incredibly fair with his hours and charge out rates.
Ian
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