TVR speed concerns
Discussion
quote:
Im slightly worried by the amount of people, including mysef who have only just managed to pull away from cars youd expect to get blown into orbit by the old Trevs. Something very fishy is going on here. Are TVR getting slower or are other cars getting faster.
It's quite easy to be in too high a gear. They lug along quite happily at a couple of thousand RPM because they've got bags of torque, but if you look at the power curve you've only got a hundred odd horse power to play with down there. Drop it down a couple of cogs to bring the revs up to 4000 or so and you get *loads* more acceleration. Other cars are getting faster, but there are still very few standard cars that have straight line acceleration to match a TVR. But the modified turbo nutter brigade may have even more power than you, briefly until their engine goes bang.
Absolutetely Peter. Too many people seem to be molly coddleing their V8 to 3.5k rpm or so and wondering why is isn't blowing everything else into the weeds. Get it spinning, take it up to 5.5k, use the power, that is what it's there for. You still won't be going anywhere the rev limiter, and that's put there to protect the engine.
Dont be frightened, so long as the oil is warm and everything is up to temp. why not?
Dont be frightened, so long as the oil is warm and everything is up to temp. why not?
I've owned an Alfa 33 1.7 16v and a Fiat Coupe Turbo in the last 5 years. Neither came on song until they hit 4000 (mainly cause of the turbo on the Fiat, boxer on the Alfa - great engine) revs and I would happily rag them up to 6500 before changing.
You can therefore imagine that I became acquainted with the rev limiter on the Chim very quickly and blundered into it several times. I find it requires a totally different style of driving, but the more I drive it, the more I get used to the power curve. Every performance car I have ever owned has seemed slower in the first week than several weeks into ownership! You learn to drive them. Don't give up!
>> Edited by beljames on Friday 19th April 15:38
You can therefore imagine that I became acquainted with the rev limiter on the Chim very quickly and blundered into it several times. I find it requires a totally different style of driving, but the more I drive it, the more I get used to the power curve. Every performance car I have ever owned has seemed slower in the first week than several weeks into ownership! You learn to drive them. Don't give up!
>> Edited by beljames on Friday 19th April 15:38
all true although I have found that very few cars can keep up with the 500, even if you are doing 2500 rpm in fifth.
if you look at the acceleration figures than you seen that e.g for 80-120 km/h (50-75 mph):
my Griff 500: 5,8 s in fifth gear
Seat V6 Cupra: 5,1 s in second/third gear
which means that the Cupra needs maximum revs to keep up with the 500. To blast these cars into oblivian, you simply need to go down to fourth gear and press the pedal: bye, bye
if you look at the acceleration figures than you seen that e.g for 80-120 km/h (50-75 mph):
my Griff 500: 5,8 s in fifth gear
Seat V6 Cupra: 5,1 s in second/third gear
which means that the Cupra needs maximum revs to keep up with the 500. To blast these cars into oblivian, you simply need to go down to fourth gear and press the pedal: bye, bye
Tvr's make you lazy, you never need to change down and very rarely need more than 1/4 tap to keep up with say a tt 220 on full song however. come out of a corner
in 3rd with 1400 against someone determined in second gear at say 4.5k add to the fact the ecu is probably in cruise mode on the tvr and the fact that its a real
effort to stab the throttle to get it to switch it can all go prear shaped.
solution change the gbox oil regular don't be lazy and use it!
but most importantly make sure your timing is 100% on the money. I moved mine a few degrees out by mistake once , car still feels acceptably quick, but not the razors edge. Set it using the gun at makers then move 1 degree either way ,you'll know when you have hit the sweet spot, the character of the engine changes totally and
cruising in slow moving traffic becomes fun as the engine isn't hunting/lolloping to try and get away though the merest mm of travel on the throttle adds
instaneous drive. Thats a TVR!Trouble with too much power is you don't know when you haven't got enough!
in 3rd with 1400 against someone determined in second gear at say 4.5k add to the fact the ecu is probably in cruise mode on the tvr and the fact that its a real
effort to stab the throttle to get it to switch it can all go prear shaped.
solution change the gbox oil regular don't be lazy and use it!
but most importantly make sure your timing is 100% on the money. I moved mine a few degrees out by mistake once , car still feels acceptably quick, but not the razors edge. Set it using the gun at makers then move 1 degree either way ,you'll know when you have hit the sweet spot, the character of the engine changes totally and
cruising in slow moving traffic becomes fun as the engine isn't hunting/lolloping to try and get away though the merest mm of travel on the throttle adds
instaneous drive. Thats a TVR!Trouble with too much power is you don't know when you haven't got enough!
'Twas I in the wrong gear, I know, and the comment about timing is right on the mark. Mine pinks with 95Ron, despite having been set for it. I'm going to set the timing up so it just stops, and see how it goes. It sounds horrible if you floor it, so I don't.
Mind you, I fed it with 97 once or twice and then it sounds a lot better, no pinking. Still a bit frantic at 5K rpm though.
What's the technique for setting the timing with the strobe? I have real troubles getting a spanner on the distro retaining nut. What are the marks to line up on the crank pulley?
>> Edited by xain on Monday 22 April 19:02
Mind you, I fed it with 97 once or twice and then it sounds a lot better, no pinking. Still a bit frantic at 5K rpm though.
What's the technique for setting the timing with the strobe? I have real troubles getting a spanner on the distro retaining nut. What are the marks to line up on the crank pulley?
>> Edited by xain on Monday 22 April 19:02
quote:
'Twas I in the wrong gear, I know, and the comment about timing is right on the mark. Mine pinks with 95Ron, despite having been set for it. I'm going to set the timing up so it just stops, and see how it goes. It sounds horrible if you floor it, so I don't.
>> Edited by xain on Monday 22 April 19:02
I'd definately get that checked out because if the timing has been set for 95ron something is not quite right, personally I'd put Optimax (98+ron) in the tank (it's only pennies dearer!!per,litre!!!), it'll take more than one tank full to show through. If it doesn't stop the pinking I'd be inclined to get it sorted out sooner rather than latter before it gets expensive. (obviously all IMHO)
Harry
Be very very very careful as pinking is not necessarily caused just by timing alone. E.G. too thin head gaskets increasing the compression ratio, coking up creating carbon deposists that glow and cause pinking/pre-detonation, drops in fuel pressure, faulty pressure regulator which leans out the mixture. Blocked fuel filter etc etc.
If the car has already been adjusted and there is nothing else wrong, it may be that your car needs a re-chip to get it to run. Simply winding back the ignition until the pinking stops is not how to do it because if it is retarded too much it can cause other problems which could range from holed pistones, broken piston rings and so on. Also be aware that many Rover V8 engines have inaccurate timing marks (my car has the marks about 60 degrees out).
In other words if you don't feel comfortable about this take the car to a specialist or on a Mark Adams rolling road session to set it up correctly. As I say, you may need a rechip.
ALternatively run on super.
Steve
www.tvrbooks.co.uk
If the car has already been adjusted and there is nothing else wrong, it may be that your car needs a re-chip to get it to run. Simply winding back the ignition until the pinking stops is not how to do it because if it is retarded too much it can cause other problems which could range from holed pistones, broken piston rings and so on. Also be aware that many Rover V8 engines have inaccurate timing marks (my car has the marks about 60 degrees out).
In other words if you don't feel comfortable about this take the car to a specialist or on a Mark Adams rolling road session to set it up correctly. As I say, you may need a rechip.
ALternatively run on super.
Steve
www.tvrbooks.co.uk
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