:: Diary - June 2003 ::
:: Sunday, June 1, 2003 ::
A lovely sunny day. I decide to have a drive to a vintage and classic car show.
Blatt Blatt Blatt. The journey down is fantastic, early Sunday morning cruising along watching out
for the surrounding dozy numpties. Along the way I catch up to a 1920's Bentley, which is whizzing
along at a grand old speed. We then catch up to a Riley and a Triumph Stag. When we reach the venue
they are all waved into the display area and I am sent to the public car park. Snobs.
Still, the car attracts loads of unwelcome attention as I drive round the back of the show ground...
then I see the entrance track to the parking field and fear I might scrape off the exhaust on the ruts.
I refuse to enter which creates a bit of confusion.
Then another S shows up and drives in - I watch and then decide to follow, parking about 6 spaces
away from the other one.
Inside the show I find the TVR Car Club display. I ask why they have no S's - "because there aren't
that many about"
"There are 2 in the car park - mine and another one"
"Go and get it, park it beside the 3000M"
I decided that by this time it was too late in the afternoon so I declined - but he was keen that I
bring it next time. My car is a display item!
The drive back is just as good as the drive down - except for the tube in the Vauxhall Astra super-turbo-nutter-bastard
who decides he wants a go and gets past only because he's mental and doesn't back off till he's well
over 100mph on a single carriageway bend. I let him go.
I love this car!
:: Saturday, June 14, 2003 ::
I left at 8:00 this morning, filled up with fuel, then glengarry on and headed off in the general
direction of Stirling. Through Doune to Callendar where the Main Street Bakery is a primary port
of call. One sausage and egg roll later, I drove about 200 yards to the Dreadnought Garage, who
are an independent TVR specialist - lots of nice cars in there, new and old, including one
exactly like mine (but in better nick).
Onwards and westwards... past Loch Lubnaig to Crianlarich where I joined up with 3 motorcyclists
travelling in convoy... There ensued a fantastic drive through fantastic scenery of mountains and
valleys, waterfalls, lochs, trees rocks and furry living things...
40 miles later I reached the Green Welly Stop at Tyndrum, where I stopped for a pee and a bottle
of coke.
Onwards to the west again, turned left towards Oban and passed the same 3 bikers at the side of
the road. A mile later they caught me up, passed me when I couldn't get past another car in
front, and blatted off into the distance. Now although a TVR is a car and bikes are faster, I
actually caught them up again after a while, and then stayed in touch with them for the 40-odd
miles to Oban. As they stopped in the Main Street the 3 of them turned and gave me a "thumbs up",
which was nice...
A short stop in Oban, wee stroll about then back in the car for the return journey. Back to
Tyndrum where I stopped again and went into the shops - then came out and chatted to a nice man
from New Zealand about TVR's and Scotland... Then I noticed that somebody had blootered the car's
front wing while parking beside me, and buggered off without saying anything... It's not too bad,
I can fix it myself... but effing bastards tho!
Back down the side of Loch Lomond and into Glasgow where the car then boiled over in big style.
Water and steam everywhere. I managed to limp to my pal's house and put more water in, then had
a chat while it all cooled down. Found a loose hose clip and tightened it up.
His MGB is very very nice - absolutely showroom condition, but 31 years old...
Then I blatted home!
240 miles today - absolutely bleeding superb...
:: Sunday, June 15, 2003 ::
Following my sojourn into boily boily land yesterday, I decide to drain the cooling system (which is
now full of neat water) and refill with antifreeze. Remove filler cap and bottom hose, drain out gallon
and a half of rusty sludge, and refill with correct mixture.
This then inspires a frenzy of checking the level of every fluid in the car, including engine oil,
brake fluid, clutch fluid, windscreen washers etc.
Despite my overall enjoyment of the car, I have been convinced that there is a slight misfire
beneath the noise and power, which I am convinced is ignition-related. I decide to change the
spark plugs to the "recommended" spec (the ones that are in, are more expensive but I found that
a previous car with the same engine ran better with the cheaper ones). I discover that two of the plugs
are a right b*****d to get to, needing a fiddly combination of makeshift tools to get them out. One of
those two is already loose, obviously too tricky for the garage that serviced it last. That'll explain
the misfire then.
New plugs gapped and installed, and then of course it has to be tried out to see if it's any
better. 25 miles just to be sure - a definite improvement in pickup from low(ish) speeds.
When I get back I make wee wheel ramps out of a fencepost and a fence rail, just high enough to fit
under the front wheels so that I can open the bonnet while the car's at the back of the drive
(otherwise I have to keep moving it to work on it). Congratulate myself on overall smartypantsness.
:: Tuesday, June 17, 2003 ::
Ever the glutton for punishment, I decide that for some reason I would quite like to fix the slow
electric window and squeaky hinge in the drivers door. Step 1 - remove door trim. Remove "hidden" screw and find that there is
another stupid wee nut away up behind the armrest, so you have to take the speaker out to get your
arm in. A huge battle then takes place to remove the door trim. This involves me concentrating so
hard that I trip over a huge pile of broken concrete in my next door neighbours drive and fall
over, complete with door trim. Now door trims are made of leather and are easily damaged, so clettering
it into a pile of broken concrete won't help the restoration process. Shielding it from damage means
falling sideways into the concrete, skinning my hand and arm and bits.
Door trim off though!
I then oil the hinges and grease the window runners and motor and put everything back together again.
5 minutes to clean the blood off and it's sorted!
:: Wednesday, June 18, 2003 ::
Some people never learn.
Wouldn't it be a good idea to seal up the oil leak from the valve covers? I could also paint them
while they are off the car - they are (a) puke green in colour and (b) rusty.
The alternator sits high on a special bracket above the right hand cover - so first step is to remove
the alternator. Disconnect the battery first!
Then degrease the engine with Gunk and then jetwash the engine and front of the chassis.
By this time it's getting dark, and also I want to let everything dry off before I take the covers off
so I stop for the night.
:: Saturday, June 21, 2003 ::
Decided to fix the rocker cover leak, and then I might as well adjust the valves while the covers
are off, and might as well paint the rockers as well (standard colour is a yucky puke green).
All goes well, rockers off, degreased & sprayed with a nice dark blue hammerite, just get it
finished and go indoors for a sandwich, & it starts to rain. In the 2 mins it takes me to notice,
the paint has a lovely pitted & bubbly effect...
Why does this always happen?
After the rain goes off, (it was only a five minute shower - at exactly the wrong time!) I brush
thinners all over the paint and strip it back off again, clean the rocker covers back to how they
were. A good look at the weather and then paint them gloss black. Lovely and shiny.
Then adjust the valves, after studying the cylinder firing order to derive an "on the rock" adjustment
sequence. Work my way through the six cylinders, most of them have the valve clearances far too tight,
compared with how I used to set my Granada with the same engine. Re-adjust all the clearances and
leave it till the rocker paint dries before rebuilding the engine tomorrow.
:: Sunday, June 22, 2003 ::
Put engine all back together again. Make sure gaskets are sealed with blue Hermetite
Accidentally pulled a fuel injector connector off and it's a real
b****r getting it back on again without dismantling the top of the engine - made it though!
Got it all back together and it looks really shiny. Puts the rest of the engine to shame. Damn!
Then started it up - varoom!. A quick test drive confirmed that all is not well,
however - idle speed takes ages to settle back down to 1,000 rpm and speedo needle wobbles all over the
place. Removed ISCV and cleaned it out - no difference. It works better if the ISCV is disconnected though...
Range of things to try:
1. Check wiring diagram for link between speedo and idle speed
2. Check ISCV wiring along top of cylinder head;
3. Check ISCV diode in wiring;
4. Chech throttle pot voltage;
5. Clean throttle pot with carb cleaner;
6. Clean throttle butterflies;
7. disconnect & reboot ECU;
8. check ECU fault codes.
Not doing it today though because it's going to rain...
:: Wednesday, June 25, 2003 ::
Range of things tried:
1. Check wiring diagram for link between speedo and idle speed
The wiring diagram shows that both the speedo and the idle speed control valve are connected
to the ECU computer via the same connector block - which lies in the Vee between the cylinder heads -
ie the wiring I had to move to the side to get the rocker covers off. Suspicious eh?
So the first step is - I pulled off every electrical connector to the sensors around the engine,
and cleaned them with carb cleaner. Paid particular attention to the big connector block between
the engine loom and vehicle loom.
Discovered that carb cleaner dissolves Hammerite. Not many people know that.
Start her up and the problem seems to be solved. No time to try a run though.
:: Saturday, June 28, 2003 ::
Sorted! Went for a run today and the car is running perfectly. Very smooth idle, and low
revs pick-up is much smoother. Same deafening racket at high revs too!
