engine start / warm up...

[peteA]

Love starting the thing! Even better than my previous Chim!

Had the car (a 98 4.2) a week and managed to survive so far! Awesome car! Read several 'tips' on engine starting and warming and no doubt this topic has been covered before, but, for my own peace of mind...

1 - start with a small touch of throttle - keep ticking over at up to 1500rpm...try to keep it at 1000 to 1200rpm.
2 - do this for a minute or so.
3 - I have been waiting for the temp. guage to lift off the pin...then get the car out of the garage
4 - drive off and keep revs under 2K until temp up to 70/80 ish...
5 - give it the beans when my oil pressure drops from 70/75 ish to 60ish as presumably this means the engine oil has heated up and hence thinned down a bit and is circulating properly

My cerb has the most amazing (very loud) pipes fitted and I think if I sit outside the house waiting too long for the temp to rise I might rapidly become the most unpopular bloke in my street! Well, at least amoung those will no petrol in their veins anyway...

Is 60ish oil pressure normal when driving and a drop to 45 ish at tickover normal...when hot that is.

Thanks in advance

Pete A

[Allandwf]

Sounds about right, my procedures much the same.

[Gazzab]

I would say:-
My comments added in CAPS (I am not shouting)
1 - start with a small touch of throttle - DONT keep ticking over at up to 1500rpm...try to keep it at 1000 to 1200rpm ETC.
2 - do this for a minute or so. DRIVE IT STRAIGHT AWAY
3 - I have been waiting for the temp. guage to lift off the pin...then get the car out of the garage DRIVE IMMEDIATELY
4 - drive off and keep revs under 2K until temp up to 70/80 ish... WATER TEMP IS MISLEADING. OIL TEMP IS WHERE ITS AT. I WOULD SAY ONCE YOU FEEL THE WATER IS UP TO TEMP THEN USE UP TO 3K REVS.
5 - give it the beans when my oil pressure drops from 70/75 ish to 60ish as presumably this means the engine oil has heated up and hence thinned down a bit and is circulating properly SO LONG AS YOU HAVE DONE SOME 6 MILES OR SO / 20 MINS DRIVING.

[Dave 500]

Mine is

1 Start the car with light use of throttle
2 Wake up everyone in the street
3 Leg it ASAP



Normally try and keep it below 2500 revs until its up to temp.

[Dirty Boy]

Gazzab said:

WATER TEMP IS MISLEADING. OIL TEMP IS WHERE ITS AT.

Forgive me if i'm wrong, but does my car have an oil temperature gauge?

Water temp and oil pressure definately

I (try) to drive it immediately, but have once left to warm on the drive (can't remember why) and always keep below 3,000 (probably 2,000 in reality) until the WATER temperature reads 90 (which is what it is at when on a run)

The water temp usually hits 90 after 2.5 miles. But I can't get over 3000rpm for about 3 miles anyway.

[Greeny]

Anyone thought about fitting an oil temperture gauge then. Or would it only be of use for the first 20 minutes or so of the journey?

http://www.mcgillmotorsports.co.uk/index.php?act=v...

Edited by Greeny on Thursday 13th November 15:20

Edited by Greeny on Thursday 13th November 15:21

[Gazzab]

We are going over very ld ground here.
People have fitted oil temp gauges. Oil pressure is a good inidicator of oil temp.
Do not give your car beans until 10's of mins into warm up and/or many miles driving (possibly 8?!).
Going over 3K revs after 3 miles driving with water temp up but oil temp probably not up will prematurely wear your engine

[Dirty Boy]

Gazzab said:

We are going over very ld ground here.
People have fitted oil temp gauges. Oil pressure is a good inidicator of oil temp.
Do not give your car beans until 10's of mins into warm up and/or many miles driving (possibly 8?!).
Going over 3K revs after 3 miles driving with water temp up but oil temp probably not up will prematurely wear your engine

Thank god I've only driven it half a dozen times!

I thought once the water was up to 90 and the pressure settled at 60 I was doing right. Probably takes between 5-10 mins?

I haven't 'gunned' it within miles at all yet, have only planted my foot after at least 10 miles to give the tyres a chance to warm up too (another reason not to go lairy quickly)

[Greeny]

I dont get too much variation between hot and cold pressure though

[JensenA]

It's all just plain common sense really, just look after your engine. If you have any degree of mechanical empathy, which you should have if you own a TVR, then you will know exactly what to do.

[Dirty Boy]

I'm seriously contemplating buying a digital gauge now though. Just unsure as to where it would be mounted.

I'll speak to the garage when it goes for a service.

[peteA]

Thanks for the comments guys

Gazzab - why drive straight away? Just curious...seem to remember some similar advice on the Chim forum about increased Cam wear if an engine is left sitting at a constant rpm...? Also, when you hear the teams warming an F1 engine they always vary the revs...realise this is a bit of an extreme engine but maybe the same principle applies...?

Interesting topic really - is it just common sense because whilst I am mechanically sympathetic with my every day car (BMW 320d) while it warms up (I am en engineer at the end of the day) I am a bit paranoid about the AJPV8. Especially since I have just got the car and i am going over it checking fluid levels, etc.

Speaking of fluids...actually, will start another thread RE changing power steering fluid.

Thanks again

[Greeny]

I do tend to actually listen to how the engine sounds. When its properly warm, its much 'softer' sounding. if that makes any sense!!!

Edited by Greeny on Thursday 13th November 16:08

[Dirty Boy]

Greeny said:

I do tend to actually listen to how the engine sounds. When its properly warm, its much 'softer' sounding. if that makes any aense!!!

That's a good point, when cold it does sound markedly different to when fully warmed up.

[peteA]

Dirty Boy said:

Greeny said:

I do tend to actually listen to how the engine sounds. When its properly warm, its much 'softer' sounding. if that makes any aense!!!

That's a good point, when cold it does sound markedly different to when fully warmed up.

You mean they sound awful when they are cold and a bit better when they are hot! at least at idle anyway.

My chim V8 sounded lovely at idle, the cerb sounds harsh by comparison but boy does that change as the revs rise....wouldnt go back now that i have experienced an AJPV8 higher up the rev range - lovely!

Like you say though, markedly different noises when cold and hot, emphasizing all the more that lubrication must be vital...? Chain drive, expansion, etc

[Nickccc]

I have the Spa gauge, water temp and oil temp.
The dash water gauge underreads when cold and overreads when hot.
The water will hit 65 70 after about 7-10 mins.
the oil wont be above 30ish at this time.
After 17-20 mins the oil will be at around 65 so ok for some more revs.
If you head straight onto the motorway in cold weather, the oil will take much longer to get up to 65, if its realy cold it barely gets there atall till you slow down.
I'm fitting a thermostat bypass to the oilcooler.

[FUBAR]

Greeny, I had a Speedy Cables oil temp gauage fitted where the clock was (as you can see in the photo. As Nick says, its frightening to see how long the oil takes to get up to temp (considering I used to judge by water temp previously)

When at temp I notice pressure stabilises/drops a little when giving it the beans so Id suggest if you dont have an oil temp gauage, wait for water temp to get up to normal, give it another 5 mins then check oil pressure as you ease on the throttle. If it doesnt move then you 'should' be good to go

[peteA]

FUBAR said:

Greeny, I had a Speedy Cables oil temp gauage fitted where the clock was (as you can see in the photo. As Nick says, its frightening to see how long the oil takes to get up to temp (considering I used to judge by water temp previously)

When at temp I notice pressure stabilises/drops a little when giving it the beans so Id suggest if you dont have an oil temp gauage, wait for water temp to get up to normal, give it another 5 mins then check oil pressure as you ease on the throttle. If it doesnt move then you 'should' be good to go

Seems fair enough - it means my relatively short drive to work will be a 3000rpm max job if I take the Cerb then....unless I go the long way round!

[WorAl]

peteA said:

FUBAR said:

Greeny, I had a Speedy Cables oil temp gauage fitted where the clock was (as you can see in the photo. As Nick says, its frightening to see how long the oil takes to get up to temp (considering I used to judge by water temp previously)

When at temp I notice pressure stabilises/drops a little when giving it the beans so Id suggest if you dont have an oil temp gauage, wait for water temp to get up to normal, give it another 5 mins then check oil pressure as you ease on the throttle. If it doesnt move then you 'should' be good to go

Seems fair enough - it means my relatively short drive to work will be a 3000rpm max job if I take the Cerb then....unless I go the long way round!

Rules of owning a cerb said:

1) Always Drive the long way to anywhere....why do you want to get there in a hurry??.....

[gcpeters]

FUBAR said:

Greeny, I had a Speedy Cables oil temp gauage fitted where the clock was (as you can see in the photo. As Nick says, its frightening to see how long the oil takes to get up to temp (considering I used to judge by water temp previously)

When at temp I notice pressure stabilises/drops a little when giving it the beans so Id suggest if you dont have an oil temp gauage, wait for water temp to get up to normal, give it another 5 mins then check oil pressure as you ease on the throttle. If it doesnt move then you 'should' be good to go

do you have a pic and and any details of this?



GP