I had arranged for the TVR to have some work done at TVR Power in Coventry.
On the list of things to fix were:
– Slow leak from radiator – to be replaced with new alloy radiator, silicone hose kit fitted
– Brake pads to be changed to try to fix brake balance issue
– Piece of trim where the front of the hood meets the bodywork (at the rear edge of the door) had come loose
– Check ride heights
The brake problems have been described in earlier posts, the trim problem is shown below. The loose bit is the rubber block in the centre.
The car started fine, a check of fluid levels and tyre pressures showed all was ok, and the drive to Coventry mid-afternoon was good.
On arrival at TVR Power I had a chat with Jason about what needed doing to the car and he filled in a work sheet with the job details.
Because I had a few minutes before my lift home was due, I asked Jason for a look around their facilities.
In the main work area they had some very interesting cars having work done, including a Chimera with a Speed 6 engine. They also have a Speed 12 engine that might be restored to working order.
They have a good machine shop for work on the engines, the photo below shows one view across it.
Since I was unsure of the exact operation of ‘finger followers’, Jason assembled some parts and a test head to demonstrate their operation.
The picture below shows a block which is being bored out for the 4.5 engine. The cylinder liners rise above the hold in the block, and have notches cut out to allow sufficient movement of the con rods.
I was then shown the engine assembly room, and some of the upgraded parts that go into their engine builds. The new pistons and con rods were much lighter than the originals, and very well made.
Original piston and con-rod on the left, new on the right
They also had an original and new crankshaft on the bench. The new crankshafts are again beautifully made. Seeing these parts helped me to understand the costs involved in the engine upgrades, and the quality of components that allow TVR Power to give a 5 year warranty on their rebuilds. When I visited they had a lot of cars in for engine upgrades / rebuilds.
Old crankshaft top, new crankshaft below
The tour finished with a look at their rolling road facility, which has a large single roller (preferable IMHO to the dual roller setup).
Thanks to Jason for the tour round their facilities, and I feel my car is in safe hands when getting done here.