Changed the oil in the Chim yesterday. Reading the 'bible' it has dire warnings about the oil pump emptying and needing to be primed. The symptom of this is a zero oil pressure reading on the gauge, which is a pretty terminal state for engines. So with some trepidation I broke out the oil filter that I'd got from Opie Oils and got to work. The sump plug js a 1 1/8th size, which predictably I didn't have, so had to use the bodger's favourite adjustable spanner (got the correct one on order off the 'bay now) to get the plug out. Once out, the oil whooshed out into my handy machine mart oil catcher jobbie. While it was doing that I got on with the scary bit. On the Rover V8, the oil pump needs to at least have some oil in it if it is to work properly. The oil filter makes sure of this under most circumstances, but if you take the filter off and allow the oil to completely drain from the pump, then the oil pump has to come off to get primed. Bummer. So the idea is to fill the oil filter completely (or as completely as possible, bearing in mind that it's canted forward and therefore you can't brim it) and whip the old filter off and spin the new one on before the oil pump realises what you're doing and spews its guts. There appears to be at least one trick to this, but my hint is to fill the oil filter and then wait a while. Then fill it again (the oil soaks into the filter medium and the level decreases) and again until it really is brimmed. Then I got under the car with the new filter and an oil filter wrench and attacked the old filter. Oil filters are supposed to be on finger tight, but the reason they sell these filter wrenches is because they must tighten themselves a bit with use, or there are some massively strong mechanics in the world who just wander about various garages giving oil filters a tweak here and there - I dunno. Anyway, I got the old one to a stage where I could easily spin it by hand by using the wrench, positioned my oil tray and span the filter off. I immediately grabbed the new filter and span it on swearing at it all the time because it didn't seem to want to engage the thread at first go.
I then grabbed the Mobil 1 (which is what TVR reccommend - I can't see it mattering too much on this engine - there's not much special about it) and filled up to the top mark on the dipstick. On starting up, oil gauge got off the stop immediately, so sighs of relief all round for me.
Onto the gearbox. Gearbox on my Chimaera is a Borg Warner T5. TVR did use another gearbox on the earlier models (LT77 perhaps?) which is not as good. The T5 on the Chimeara I have also is used on the Sierra Cosworth and the Ford Mustang (on this behind the Windsor 302 V8). Unlike some other Ford gearboxes (like the Type 9, which is pretty ubiquitous in RWD fords, and so in Kit Cars and various specials) it has a drain plug and a filler plug. The reccomended fluid for this is a good quality ATF (automatic transmission fluid). Now here again I'm glad I'm not on the forum. I saw an oil thread regarding this gearbox where the argument when to and fro (why put automatic transmission oil in a manual gearbox? Because that's what the maker says to do.. etc. etc.) and I must admit, it seems like it's a bit of a bodge using ATF, but BW say to use it, and they designed the box. Ah well. So I decided to use Redline Superlight Shockproof - this stuff. Ordered it up - it's bloody expensive, so it better be good! I drained the gearbox of the old ATF. It was very clean, suggesting that either the car's had an easy life (usually there is some browny tinge to ATF or other discolouration, especially as you come to the dregs draining out), or it's been changed recently. In any case, my job was made possible by the use of one of these, which works pretty well overall. Got the new oil in there (which is a nasty opaque snotty yellow colour) no problem. Now I just need to hope that the forum'ers are not right and I should have used ATF!
I couldn't change the diff oil as I didn't have the right spanner. I am hoping that it is the same as the V8's sump plug - it looks like it should be, but we'll see. The Heath book says the oil should be changed in the diff every 12K miles. My car has a FSH, but we'll see when I get the old oil out how clean it looks. On this oil I took no chances - there are dire warnings about using crap oil in this diff - it's a BGR diff with LSD in it. I got this Motul Racing stuff which as you can see is stupidly expensive, but these diffs are hugely stupidly expensive! Same one as in the Cerbera too (not sure about Sagaris et al. though)
In other news I want to rip my DVDs to a disc drive on my network and then play them via my PS3. Anyone whose used iTunes (or similar) to do this for audio CDs would not believe the faffing about you need to do to get this one the go. Unbelievable. If I can be bothered and I find a halfway workable solution, I'll post up what I did on here perhaps...
No comments:
Post a Comment