Engine out

Ha. Got you going. I just thought I'd use this spot to crystallise a post from the Pistonheads TVR Chimaera forum (dammit - again I have to eat my words about it being useless!). The post is this one but as the poster (who is a well respected Rover V8 engine builder) didn't put much white space or punctuation, I thought that I'd add it in here:

Rob Robertson's (v8racing) 30 Step Guide to TVR Chimaera Engine Removal.

1. Drain the water from the bottom hose on the rad.
2. Take out the second bolt down on the nearside of the waterpump, 11mm on serp 13mm on pre serp, this will drain down all the water except the block.
3. Take off the plenum, 6mm hex key, 24mm for throttle cable, flat blade screwdriver for jubilee clips.
4. Disconnect the battery.
5. Next crack the 3 10mm bolts on the power steering pump, a good 10mm spanner a little tap with a hammer should do this, then a 15mm spanner to remove the belt
6. Remove alternator using 10mm socket and 13mm spanner, once it is loose you can take the wires off the back of it, underneath the black cover, (assuming it is a serp) 13mm socket and 10mm socket, lift away alternator
7. Remove belt tensioner 13mm socket,
8. Remove alternator bracket using 13mm socket.
9. Now there should be easy acces to remove bottom hose, and the hidden 13mm earth strap bolt.
10. Next is power steering pump pulley which you have already loosened in step 5. This is a bit of a fiddle but pulley will come out.
11. Removing cross member next, 17mm socket and spanner, leave the water tower on it as the power sterring pulley is removed you can wriggle it out complete.
12. The two exhaust clamps should be removed now. Using 10mm socket, take the nut completely off, tap the clamp on its edge with a chisel you will see the clamps have 3 bits to them, tap the chisel at the start of each part and it will spring off!
13. Under the power steering pump you will see the exhaust is attacthed to the block with a 13mm bolt; remove this, undo the exhaust 'Y' piece to system 'U' clamp using a 13mm spanner.
14. Wriggle the 'Y' piece and remove it.
16. On to the distributor: 9/16 spanner for the clamp bolt remove this and just pull!
17. Inlet manifold. Remove all wires to injectors etc, 13mm spanner for all the bolts, and screwdriver for fuel lines water pipes etc.
18. Next is the removal of 2 top bellhousing bolts using 9/16 spanner
19. Now the engine mount bolts, these are the rubbers to mounts 17mm nuts.

You are now done on top and need to jack the car up.

Working underneath:
20. First thing is the 13mm bolts for the slave cylinder, get a cable tie ready for this though as the piston can pop out, just wrap the cable tie around the bolt holes to hold piston in.
21. Next is the clutch "st" plate normally 8mm socket and spanner and 13 mm socket.
22. Remove the 13mm nut holding the starter leads on to the starter.
23. Using a pair of pliers, open up where the 100amp fuse is, get a 8mm socket and remove the front 8mm nut.
24. Onto the row of bellhousing bolts, 3 now left either side, use a 9/16 socket with a long extension
25. The remaining engine mounting mounting nuts need removing now 2 x 17mm nut and bolts, remove the nuts but leave the bolts in.
26. Take the oil filter off.

Now the engine is ready to be pulled out.

27. Making sure you have a jack taking the weight of the gearbox (you may need to in some cases pry the box off the engine) using a crane, take the weight of the engine and remove the 17mm engine bolts, lift/move the engine up around until you can take the rubber engine mounts off, DO NOT lift anymore than needed or you will crush the fuel lines across the top of the bellhousing.
28. Once the rubbers are removed you can pull the engine forward off the gearbox.
All these steps should be slow and careful just in case things are still connected!
29. Lift the engine and pull forward at the same time.
30. Finally (as is a pain in the arse to do in the car) remove the earth strap on the back of the nearside head using a 13mm spanner.

The engine should now be out!