Discussion
Some while ago you guys helped me with answering to my questions about a loss of power and high oil consumption.
I just want to thank you for your insights and tell how the story ended well.
The very high oil consumption was caused by a worn valve guide (cyl 7). No one seems to know if this was caused by the high lift cam I had recently installed by a local specialist in Switzerland (H234 cam) as replacement of the original TVR435 cam (which was awfully worne, 2 lobes were circular...)
FYI the dyno (Bosch FLA 206) showed 160HP (dont laugh!) with the worne cam and 240HP with the H234...
I decided to go to England to have the engine repaired and upgraded. I took 7 liters of oil in the trunk just in case... as the car used to make 1L per 250km...) Great trip driving through Bale, Alsace, North of France, all on the highway, first time by car to England.
I "only" used 3 liters of oil (why suddenly less?) and met 2 nice chaps/journalists of autocar in the eurostar coming back from a test drive of a new 911 in Europe (they were a bit disappointed as the car was "a car for commuting bankers", i.e. not much to do with late 70s 911's).
My car created a great sensation in the coach as I was just parking in just before departure and it choosed to overheat :-) with the usual smoke that some of the readers may know. Well, the security measures of the eurostar are great, so we had a lot of alarm bells and I had to do with a nice english chap which I could eventually convince there was not danger of fire or so... and I had not to pay for extraction of my car at arrival as the rule would have asked to for such case of alarm in the eurostar, which would have strongly reduced my budget for the car repair..
The next step was then (after surviving to driving on the wrong?right? side of roads :-) ) the upgrade at V8D (Stage IV head, new trumpets, enlarged plenum, plenum base and 90deg hose, and also the Stealth cam). Well... it totally changed the car (Rob estimated the power output at slightly north of 300hp) and I drove back more than happy in one shot to Switzerland.
In a word I have now a driveable car at low rpm and real power surge up to 5500rpm.
From my journey in England I also learned that good dampers are essential on a Griff... and my dampers where still the original items of 1994...
So, after a couple of months I could not resist to the drop of the GBP and ordered a set of Nitrons with Eibach springs at Dom's shop. These new dampers combined with new rear droplinks (from the author of the Bible) transformed the car even more to a car that can be seriously raced. Not only the performance is here, but I can really use it now!
Obviously there were a couple of mechanical surprises on the way, which triggered a second trip to England - this time by plane, but I guess they belong to such cars, just to show that they are real raw and temperamental sportcars.
Again, thanks guys - and come also to Switzerland with your TVRs for a nice ride, they are warmly welcomed here !
C14
I just want to thank you for your insights and tell how the story ended well.
The very high oil consumption was caused by a worn valve guide (cyl 7). No one seems to know if this was caused by the high lift cam I had recently installed by a local specialist in Switzerland (H234 cam) as replacement of the original TVR435 cam (which was awfully worne, 2 lobes were circular...)
FYI the dyno (Bosch FLA 206) showed 160HP (dont laugh!) with the worne cam and 240HP with the H234...
I decided to go to England to have the engine repaired and upgraded. I took 7 liters of oil in the trunk just in case... as the car used to make 1L per 250km...) Great trip driving through Bale, Alsace, North of France, all on the highway, first time by car to England.
I "only" used 3 liters of oil (why suddenly less?) and met 2 nice chaps/journalists of autocar in the eurostar coming back from a test drive of a new 911 in Europe (they were a bit disappointed as the car was "a car for commuting bankers", i.e. not much to do with late 70s 911's).
My car created a great sensation in the coach as I was just parking in just before departure and it choosed to overheat :-) with the usual smoke that some of the readers may know. Well, the security measures of the eurostar are great, so we had a lot of alarm bells and I had to do with a nice english chap which I could eventually convince there was not danger of fire or so... and I had not to pay for extraction of my car at arrival as the rule would have asked to for such case of alarm in the eurostar, which would have strongly reduced my budget for the car repair..
The next step was then (after surviving to driving on the wrong?right? side of roads :-) ) the upgrade at V8D (Stage IV head, new trumpets, enlarged plenum, plenum base and 90deg hose, and also the Stealth cam). Well... it totally changed the car (Rob estimated the power output at slightly north of 300hp) and I drove back more than happy in one shot to Switzerland.
In a word I have now a driveable car at low rpm and real power surge up to 5500rpm.
From my journey in England I also learned that good dampers are essential on a Griff... and my dampers where still the original items of 1994...
So, after a couple of months I could not resist to the drop of the GBP and ordered a set of Nitrons with Eibach springs at Dom's shop. These new dampers combined with new rear droplinks (from the author of the Bible) transformed the car even more to a car that can be seriously raced. Not only the performance is here, but I can really use it now!
Obviously there were a couple of mechanical surprises on the way, which triggered a second trip to England - this time by plane, but I guess they belong to such cars, just to show that they are real raw and temperamental sportcars.
Again, thanks guys - and come also to Switzerland with your TVRs for a nice ride, they are warmly welcomed here !
C14
Good to know the car is now sorted and that you can properly enjoy some of those fabulous Swiss roads. Spent many weekends with my caterham and AC Cobra in Switzy when i had a Swiss girlfriend. Always loved the trip to Zurich and Lucerne.
Still see a lot of my Swiss freiends and will no doubt take the Griff out there one year..
Still see a lot of my Swiss freiends and will no doubt take the Griff out there one year..
& V8D'd as well 
One day 
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