My TVR Chimaera 400 V8 and I - An unexpected Project

Düber said:
They are a pain in the ass, I hope you are sticking stainless steel ones in.
Click to expand...

I think they only stock stainless steel plugs at Pirates up the road. It's about the only useful thing I've bought from them. Oh and my headlight bulbs. Night breakers.

R30 a plug and I've got plenty good sealant still. I hate the things. They're a pain to get out and a lot of swearing to put in with the engine in.

I remember losing my mind looking for videos on how to get them in and finding a thousand videos "easy method to remove and replace core/welch/freeze plugs" and every flipping video the guy has the engine out on a workbench. Well of course it's easy like that, did you just magic the fkkn engine out of the car???

Tomorrow I am going to learn how to reseat valves and hopefully get to the core plugs.

One more thorough inspection and check list to go through and I can put everything back together. I'm nervous and excited.
 
Another busy day but I did manage to get some work done on the Tiv for a few hours this evening.

Got some valve grinding paste from autozone for 100 bucks. Everywhere else was sold out.

Lapped all the valves and then gave the cylinder heads a proper rinse and then cleaned all the inlet and exhaust channels with carb cleaner and some WD 40.

Lapping valves is pretty tedious and took me a good 3 hours to do all 16 valves but it's done.

First valve I lapped.:
IMG_20241205_224048.jpg

Valves are all cleaned now and ready to be returned to their places. I'm still 8 valve stem seals short but am hoping that they will arrive with the injector rings tomorrow. Once I have the valves back in I will do a leak test to make sure they seal properly.

Whatever I manage to get done tomorrow may be as far as I get for a few days. I have a lot going on this weekend and do need to take a couple days where I don't touch the car. I do tend to obsess if I'm not careful.

Will pop in again tomorrow to update.

Cheers
 
Stuck. Totally need a valve spring compressor. These home made gimmick tools may work on a lawnmower but these springs are monsters.
 
Nevermind that, after an entire day of YouTube tools and looking online for anything I could afford or rent, I had a brainfart..

I don't think I will share the technique here as some poor sod looking for valve spring compression techniques may find this post one day and use it. Not a good idea.

IMG_20241206_191521.jpg

Two done, six to go. My spare seals still haven't arrived so once I've used the ones I do have I will have to wait...
 
Looks good, those keeps are in nicely. Just tip the head on it's side and give each valve, on the top of the stem side i.e. where the rocker arm would go, a good smack with a hammer to set them in place and make sure they won't jump off when you start the engine.

Cheap insurance. :thumbsup: :)

BTW if you have a drill press you can make a quick tool that fits in the chuck. Then you can do them easily on your own without needing the proper tool.
Even though I have various valve spring tools I still find myself using mine often.

Just like this but with a bit of cardboard on the bed though to protect the heads sealing surface.

1733518694794.png

www.mgexp.com

Low buck valve spring compressor/got my head installed : MGB & GT Forum : The MG Experience

I didn't have a valve spring compressor so I used my drill press to install my valve springs. I made up the little tool in the photos out of steel rod and a washer. Worked great! I put a piece of rag under the valve being installed to hold it up. I also included a picture of the ports I modi
www.mgexp.com www.mgexp.com
 
Düber said:
Looks good, those keeps are in nicely. Just tip the head on it's side and give each valve, on the top of the stem side i.e. where the rocker arm would go, a good smack with a hammer to set them in place and make sure they won't jump off when you start the engine.

Cheap insurance. :thumbsup: :)

BTW if you have a drill press you can make a quick tool that fits in the chuck. Then you can do them easily on your own without needing the proper tool.
Even though I have various valve spring tools I still find myself using mine often.

Just like this but with a bit of cardboard on the bed though to protect the heads sealing surface.

View attachment 1779390

www.mgexp.com

Low buck valve spring compressor/got my head installed : MGB & GT Forum : The MG Experience

I didn't have a valve spring compressor so I used my drill press to install my valve springs. I made up the little tool in the photos out of steel rod and a washer. Worked great! I put a piece of rag under the valve being installed to hold it up. I also included a picture of the ports I modi
www.mgexp.com www.mgexp.com
Click to expand...

Thanks @Düber

The keepers had a bit of space at first so I just gave them some tap-smacks with a socket and a hammer and they shifted nicely into place. It must be a nightmare if these things pop off on start up. I don't even want to imagine.

Oh what I would have done for a drill press yesterday. Well, even today. I am using a small jack and a thin socket that I drilled holes into in order to have access to the keepers. A yoga mat and some gentle persuasion did the trick. I only got 3 done and I don't feel comfortable doing all of them like this. A compressor would be ideal.

Will do the one head like this so long. If there are any leaking valves on this first head when I test then I am going to have to purchase a compressor or find someone with a drill press.

My remaining seals and injector rings are in the sky. I hope they don't go missing when they get here or held up. I can get the stuff here no problem but ja...

Screenshot_20241207_084253.jpg
 
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Datura said:
Thanks @Düber

The keepers had a bit of space at first so I just gave them some tap-smacks with a socket and a hammer and they shifted nicely into place. It must be a nightmare if these things pop off on start up. I don't even want to imagine.

Oh what I would have done for a drill press yesterday. Well, even today. I am using a small jack and a thin socket that I drilled holes into in order to have access to the keepers. A yoga mat and some gentle persuasion did the trick. I only got 3 done and I don't feel comfortable doing all of them like this. A compressor would be ideal.

Will do the one head like this so long. If there are any leaking valves on this first head when I test then I am going to have to purchase a compressor or find someone with a drill press.

My remaining seals and injector rings are in the sky. I hope they don't go missing when they get here or held up. I can get the stuff here no problem but ja...

View attachment 1779404
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How did they ship the missing parts, courier or Royal Mail?
 
Datura said:
Well, even today. I am using a small jack and a thin socket that I drilled holes into in order to have access to the keepers. A yoga mat and some gentle persuasion did the trick. I only got 3 done and I don't feel comfortable doing all of them like this. A compressor would be ideal.
Click to expand...
That sounds very difficult.

I have drilled a hole in a cheap spanner before to do a tricky job. Perhaps it can give you an idea or two.

It was a spanner where the open end fitted over the retaining washer, a 22mm or 24mm perhaps. I then measured the distance to the rocker bolt and drilled an oversized hole through the middle of the spanner.
A piece of threaded rod (or a long bolt with lots of thread) goes into the rocker bolt hole, spanner's hole goes over that and then a nut.
Arrange the mouth of the spanner properly so that it's centre, a socket or some other kind of spacer ( perhaps some feature on the head itself will work) on the other end and tighten the nut down. QED.

I've also made a thing that looks a bit like a tuning fork, out of 10mm square bar for another tricky job that works the same.
 
Düber said:
That sounds very difficult.

I have drilled a hole in a cheap spanner before to do a tricky job. Perhaps it can give you an idea or two.

It was a spanner where the open end fitted over the retaining washer, a 22mm or 24mm perhaps. I then measured the distance to the rocker bolt and drilled an oversized hole through the middle of the spanner.
A piece of threaded rod (or a long bolt with lots of thread) goes into the rocker bolt hole, spanner's hole goes over that and then a nut.
Arrange the mouth of the spanner properly so that it's centre, a socket or some other kind of spacer ( perhaps some feature on the head itself will work) on the other end and tighten the nut down. QED.

I've also made a thing that looks a bit like a tuning fork, out of 10mm square bar for another tricky job that works the same.
Click to expand...
I tried the spanner and rocker bolt trick. Didn't work. I used a steel bar, a clamp, all sorts of kak. Just could not get the keepers in. The jack took hours of easy does it and worked.

Put one head together, two leaking exhaust valves. Took them out, hand lapped with course and then fine paste and put them back in to test. No leaking yet, I'm leaving them for an hour.

What a mission but getting there.
 
Busy day but I got a bit done on the heads. Got the valves lapped and seated tight on one head. All valves are lapped but will only test the second head tomorrow.


IMG_20241208_195318_edit_453321862878221.jpg

I really didn't realise valves were such a mission but it is teaching me that there really is an art to rebuilds. I'm doing a really entry level rebuild and it is wild. I have watched some seriously cool over the top rebuilds on YouTube and, because of my TVR project, the work the guys do in some of those videos gives me mad respect for the art of car restorations.

Really happy I took this project on. Best hobby I've ever had.
 
Tools make a big difference with time investment needed. The guys who do it often have good tools and some tricks that makes it much quicker.

But its like most things the first 3 times you do it it takes much longer.
Its still fun though.
 
Datura said:
Busy day but I got a bit done on the heads. Got the valves lapped and seated tight on one head. All valves are lapped but will only test the second head tomorrow.


View attachment 1779713

I really didn't realise valves were such a mission but it is teaching me that there really is an art to rebuilds. I'm doing a really entry level rebuild and it is wild. I have watched some seriously cool over the top rebuilds on YouTube and, because of my TVR project, the work the guys do in some of those videos gives me mad respect for the art of car restorations.

Really happy I took this project on. Best hobby I've ever had.
Click to expand...
Wait until you start it and it runs nicely.

There are few things as rewarding to me as taking loose bits of steel and aluminum and having it run flawlessly.
That only happens with effort and attention to detail, not many people get that.
 
Düber said:
Wait until you start it and it runs nicely.

There are few things as rewarding to me as taking loose bits of steel and aluminum and having it run flawlessly.
That only happens with effort and attention to detail, not many people get that.
Click to expand...
I didn't get any of it. The more I got stuck in and studied the more i realised I don't know. I stand back often and just stare at the parts and think, "that's fscking genius".

When a thousandth of a mm can make it all go wrong on one part but just a couple inches to the right I am having to hammer the schitt out of something to sort it out makes me laugh.

Learning to be patient and working with the machine and not against it (even though sometimes it really feels like I am) keeps me so focused and even if it takes me all day to do something and it is not done properly, taking it apart and doing it again is not a frustration. It's part of the process.

Like I said in a previous post, I'm learning a lot about myself in this and it is really profound.

Got another busy day but will have a look at these blasted core plugs while I wait for the seals to arrive. If I can't do the plugs with the wheels on then it will have to wait until after the engine is rebuilt.

If the latter is the case then I will just take a break until the seals arrive.
 
Enjoying the updates Datura.

My one and only foray in tearing an engine apart was in my 20s when I had a car with no owners manual or service history. I knew nothing about cars and when the mechanic recommended that I change the timing belt, since I did not have money, I told him no, not long after this as I was driving on the highway, my belt snapped.

With a friend, and copies made at the local library of the Haynes Workshop manual for my car, we repaired the engine.

I remember having to replace 24 valves, 12 @ R24 and 12 @ R29 each.

Then the block had to go to an engineering shop, they charged me R550 for the work.

The hardest part was to set the timing. The timing screw/bolt was rusted. So we could not used per the Haynes Workshop manual. I dont know how we got it right.

Without my friends help, I would still be stranded today. I forgot all the steps we did, but cost wise, it was between R3500 and R4000, and as I was earning about R3200 pm at the time, it really hurt. But I learnt an important lesson about car maintenence.
 
Datura said:
They sent it royal international signed mail
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That's coming via Sapo intl snail mail, which seems to have sped up a bit but still takes a good while and you can only hope your local PO and mail distribution centre is on the ball.
 
airborne said:
That's coming via Sapo intl snail mail, which seems to have sped up a bit but still takes a good while and you can only hope your local PO and mail distribution centre is on the ball.
Click to expand...
I'm going with "on the ball". Call me a madlad but I'm hoping it will arrive and that all will be well. If it hasn't by Friday then I will go and buy the seals and rings in Edenvale.
 
rh1 said:
Enjoying the updates Datura.

My one and only foray in tearing an engine apart was in my 20s when I had a car with no owners manual or service history. I knew nothing about cars and when the mechanic recommended that I change the timing belt, since I did not have money, I told him no, not long after this as I was driving on the highway, my belt snapped.

With a friend, and copies made at the local library of the Haynes Workshop manual for my car, we repaired the engine.

I remember having to replace 24 valves, 12 @ R24 and 12 @ R29 each.

Then the block had to go to an engineering shop, they charged me R550 for the work.

The hardest part was to set the timing. The timing screw/bolt was rusted. So we could not used per the Haynes Workshop manual. I dont know how we got it right.

Without my friends help, I would still be stranded today. I forgot all the steps we did, but cost wise, it was between R3500 and R4000, and as I was earning about R3200 pm at the time, it really hurt. But I learnt an important lesson about car maintenence.
Click to expand...
I'm glad you're enjoying the updates. It helps me to post in summary here on the forum.

Your story is quite similar to mine so thanks for sharing it. I am also in a situation where even R250 is a lot. I don't have an income, just around 1 or 2k that my dying company can spare a month. Making it work though. I'm trying to sell a washing machine and microwave to just pay for end of build service. But I'm not too concerned as it is the tight financial situation that got me started on this in the first place and so I am actually (much to my surprise) grateful for this gift of desperation I call it for lack of a better term.

I guess I am lucky to have access to all the information I need. It takes a lot of wading through the bullschitt to find the right info for my engine and situation. A lot of very harmful info available that appears to be the best solution but is often a death sentence for an engine. I wish I had what is called "the Bible" in tvr chimaera and Griff circles but they don't come cheap and impossible to find soft copies to download.

My friend that was going to help me is having a rough time in his life so I have been left to do it alone with help from various online sources and a few people I have spoken to about this project have really helped with tips, tricks and best practices that have saved my ass. Some of the replies to this thread have really helped and been bang on so I really am grateful that there are you guys following and interacting with my progress. Thank you.

I have spent less than R10k on this project from the start (I'm sure there is something I am missing but will amend if I am) and the quotes I did get for the work I've done myself so far have ranged from R15k to R60k. I'm glad I didn't have the money to be honest.
 
Quick update:

Core plugs will have to wait until the rebuild is done. I will lift the engine before I put the exhaust manifolds in at the end when the car is off the wheel ramps. Only way to the remaining plugs is through wheel arch with the wheels off and engine lifted a few cm from mounts.

My seals will dictate how long I take a project break for.

Ciao for now.
 
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