Engine Out - what else whilst its out...

[Gazzab]

Raceproved are whipping the engine out of my 02 4.5 RR. Unfortunately when I bought the car I failed to notice that there was a slight oil leak into the coolant and the owner didnt let on. I found out later that it had had some headwork not that long ago (although the bill was lost) but I cant find out from the garage what they did. Anyways Raceproved and I have spoken, there are a few things we might do when the heads are off re the flow and such like. We are hoping the repair for the oil to coolant leak will be simple enough (and have some fall back options if it is more complex). Heres hoping its not the 3rd AJP that I have rebuilt!

Anyways, I am thinking that when the engine is out we should check the chassis near the mainfolds, check the fuel pipes and maybe repair the silver heat protection matting stuff.

Any other simple jobs any one would recommend?

[dirty boy]

Might aswell go nuts.

Zircotec coating is what i'd like done, and at least have the engine 'tarted up' for aesthetic purposes.

Then all the important stuff.

[SimonSparrow]

Clean and paint the chassis rails where the exhaust runs by, as the powder coating usually gets burnt off. Check ancillaries, such as alternator, water and oil pumps etc. ?

[davidd]

Bloody hell, bad luck. Fingers crossed it is a simple fix.

D

[Gazzab]

davidd said:

Bloody hell, bad luck. Fingers crossed it is a simple fix.

D

Its not a big deal so no sympathy required !

I am an expert a paying people to fix cerb engines for me ;-)

I am actually quite pleased, means I will be 100% happy with the car.

[HarryW]

As its a factory RR I'd get the CC balance checked out. Its already higher comp so I'd get the valves unshrowded a bit and no more. As already said chassis rails iwo manifolds.

[Gazzab]

yeah Harry we have already got that stuff planned!

[Steve_T]

Gazzab said:

davidd said:

Bloody hell, bad luck. Fingers crossed it is a simple fix.

D

Its not a big deal so no sympathy required !

I am an expert a paying people to fix cerb engines for me ;-)

[DanTVR]

As already said, chassis around the manifolds would be my first port of call, although they can be checked for rust easy enough, its not so easy to get in there and paint them properly. If it were my car next thing would be the heat shields, around the transmission tunnel but also the ones covering any fuel or brake lines. There isn't really alot, apart from what has already been suggested that you cant access with the engine in place. I assume all the obvious things will be done, i.e. service items.

Dan

[BCA]

You really have no luck with these engines do you?

I'd look to do as much rustproofing as possible on the centre rails, possibly look at renewing heat shielding and err they'll advise anything else I guess.

It's in good hands at Raceproved, ours has just come back there and it is apparently bloody awesome after a bit of TLC. Engine is still completely untouched, though I should think it'll be rebuilt when we do the body off just because...

Oh and they also managed to make the car look very shiney somehow, it looks odd clean - impressive, but odd... They once asked us if it was "ok" to wash it - as they know some owners like thier paint looked after purely by detailists.. Anyone who has seen our car will know its got cone marks, scuffs, scratches and a rattle-can-resprayed front wing, so the question was quite amusing/nice.

[julian64]

I would'nt have your confidence Gazzab. It could be simple o ring wear, it could be a crack in the head.

I'm not sure you could tell trivial from serious before taking it to bits if oil and water are mixing.

[Gazzab]

julian64 said:

I would'nt have your confidence Gazzab. It could be simple o ring wear, it could be a crack in the head.

I'm not sure you could tell trivial from serious before taking it to bits if oil and water are mixing.

Who said I am confident !!? Raceproved had a good look a few weeks ago (shortly after I bought it) and couldnt see any evidence of anything serious. But like you say it could be much more. But tbh I am not worried. Its only money and the engine costs are nothing compared to my wifes handbag addiction (3 or 4 mulberrys this yr and we are only into Feb!).

[HarryW]

Gazzab said:

julian64 said:

I would'nt have your confidence Gazzab. It could be simple o ring wear, it could be a crack in the head.

I'm not sure you could tell trivial from serious before taking it to bits if oil and water are mixing.

Who said I am confident !!? Raceproved had a good look a few weeks ago (shortly after I bought it) and couldnt see any evidence of anything serious. But like you say it could be much more. But tbh I am not worried. Its only money and the engine costs are nothing compared to my wifes handbag addiction (3 or 4 mulberrys this yr and we are only into Feb!).

I had two different types of composite head gasket before settling on a copper one to seal the bloody thing for once and for all. I even have an O seal sunk into the block to stop external leaks as I think it fair to say the whole block is not as stiff as you might think north of 400hp.

[jesfirth]

extend the length of the cables between the lambda sensors and the plastic joints to make them easier to remove and refix in the future.

relocate the coil packs to be in front of the engine?

redo all the earths while access is easy?

[Gazzab]

Heads are off. No sign of o ring or gasket probs. So requires more dismantling :-(

[HarryW]

Ever the optimist, could it have been uncleaned residue from the previous head work still in the system, or was it something that got worse

[DuncanM]

HarryW said:

I had two different types of composite head gasket before settling on a copper one to seal the bloody thing for once and for all. I even have an O seal sunk into the block to stop external leaks as I think it fair to say the whole block is not as stiff as you might think north of 400hp.

Hi Harry, you say you tried two different types of gasket, where did you get these please as I thought there was only one type available for the Cerbera?

Regards

Duncan

[HarryW]

DuncanM said:

HarryW said:

I had two different types of composite head gasket before settling on a copper one to seal the bloody thing for once and for all. I even have an O seal sunk into the block to stop external leaks as I think it fair to say the whole block is not as stiff as you might think north of 400hp.

Hi Harry, you say you tried two different types of gasket, where did you get these please as I thought there was only one type available for the Cerbera?

Regards

Duncan

I've tried Standard TVR one (x2), Austec composite replacement design, finally a full copper gasket again from Austec.
I also have an O seal embedded into a groove set in the full perimeter of the block too, as the copper has no flex and the block moves very slightly, enough to give weeps every now and then.

[DuncanM]

HarryW said:

DuncanM said:

HarryW said:

I had two different types of composite head gasket before settling on a copper one to seal the bloody thing for once and for all. I even have an O seal sunk into the block to stop external leaks as I think it fair to say the whole block is not as stiff as you might think north of 400hp.

Hi Harry, you say you tried two different types of gasket, where did you get these please as I thought there was only one type available for the Cerbera?

Regards

Duncan

I've tried Standard TVR one (x2), Austec composite replacement design, finally a full copper gasket again from Austec.
I also have an O seal embedded into a groove set in the full perimeter of the block too, as the copper has no flex and the block moves very slightly, enough to give weeps every now and then.

Thanks Harry, it's very interesting to me as my engine is out and needs new headgaskets.

Do you mind me asking the price of the composites and the copper ones? Email me if you don't want to say on here.

The TVR price seems high for standard gaskets although they do seem to do the job (un-modified engine)

Sounds like you have it sorted with the Copper gaskets and O-ring .

Regards

Duncan

[Gazzab]

HarryW said:

Ever the optimist, could it have been uncleaned residue from the previous head work still in the system, or was it something that got worse

We thought that when I first noticed it (2 days into ownership). We cleaned out the system totally but it came back , it is ever so slight but I dont want to damage the engine etc and could never sell a TVR knowing it has an engine prob.