I've just removed the headers and y piece from my 400 chim today. Took 3 hours in total in my driveway. Mine is a 97 model with no cats. Not sure why but they're not there and no lambda sensors. Great video, I totally using the zip tie trick for the gaskets when it all goes back together. Weekend will be spent cleaning and polishing the lungs. I can't wait to trawl through your videos for more gems and help. Thank you for making this very informative video. I learned a lot. Subscribed!
*GASP* And is that a Citroen SM I saw in the background...... you've not mentioned that (recently) 😉 Another great example of problem solving and fixing..... and show casing how awesome Blackpool engineering is. 😄
A couple of questions... You showed that the outlets had been bored out a little, then also showed the horrific witness marks that suggested that the outlets didn't match up remotely to the manifold. Would this have potentially hastened the failing of the gaskets (as well as the pitting)? Would this make the larger inlets pointless, since the extra area created for gas output just gets caught up on the factory spec manifold and gasket size? Surely the whole point is to provide a more freely breathing exhaust with less back pressure, but if the manifold and gaskets are in the way then it just nullifies it?
More than likely could be matched better, yes. The main reason for demonstrating the larger bore of the ports was to highlight why the gaskets fail more often. Would still give you a performance advantage over the 3mm smaller port, though. I didn't mention anything about larger inlets. AFAIK the trumpets are the same size. Throttle body certainly is.
Wish we had more TVR’s in Denmark, absolutely love seeing (and hearing) these cars Lovely tinkering as well, uncovering some mystique of these British beasts and educating my intrigued brain on how genius they actually are Cheers for another great video 👍
I have the later 450. Slightly different front clamping arrangement but great to see it done by a pro. Just doing the Brembo 4 pot front brake conversion. Self made . On my channel. Thanks for sharing.
Looking at that manifold as you were cleaning it off,it looks bent slightly,a straight edge along the ports would tell you if it is, like you said earlier they do warp a bit . Nice car though,I'd certainly have one for sure 👍
I don't think you'd be able to tell that from a phone's camera perched on a pot of paint! But yes, they do warp sometimes. This one is pretty true along the mating face, but in relation to the Y-piece connection it could well be pissed.
Mmmm, not as much as the rumours would have you believe. The access to certain components is tricky, but for a specialist car they're quite simple to work on. Time consuming but not too difficult, but then I suppose I'm used to them.
Great video! I recall the spark plug extenders: ran a few Mk1 Astra GTEs which had them, I think three out of four needed them. There was also a later version where the shield was fitted to the lead. I guess fitted to an FWD car, facing the radiator, they probably didn't suffer the same heat issues as the TVR, as they'd be in the airflow.
I know nothing about TVRs, they do look and sound fabulous. One of the guys I worked with often got slagged off though as he had to get the bus to work quite a lot.
I think they made everything a bit marginal in the widened port / manifold area compared to the original Rover design… much less clamping / sealing area and a complex exhaust hanging way off the front of the enlarged tuned engine on a sports car chassis… the weakpoints will be found out. But you’ve sorted it until the next time. I’d suggest a belt sander to quickly clean up the manifold and dress the face nice and flat and without the pitting ?
When you were talking about the exhaust spitting bits of sealant at the cat, I had an image of you running it up in the sitting room until I realised what "cat" meant in this context.
As for why the gasket blows: Two reasons. 1. The gasket itself is utter rubbish. I would guess Olds or Buick still has that same gasket flange, if not the exact gasket in some of their heads. A proper black one with copper spray would hold for significantly longer. 2. The flange gets hot, bcz it restricts exhaust flow. While you had it on the bench and your witness marks were visible, you could've ported the flange to fit the head. Just blending the hard ledge out would've saved you from doing this same job next summer. A shop vac saves the cat. 3 mm is enough wall thickness for a gasket to seal, if it doesn't heat up from exhaust vortex and extra pressure. If it does that, it also warps the flange and no gasket is capable of handling that. Blending/port matching the header solves these.
Good work, I have to attempt to fit my Clive F Manifolds to my Griff yet, they are looking shiny in their box atm and my knuckles are in good nick so im good to go soon for a day of Pain! Love your Channel and content. I have a few Tvrs and i do need some one to give my Cerbera a good tune up , its running on Emerald ecu and want someone clever to get a good map sorted. Interested?? 🤔
The equal length ones? Those are a work of art! (And an absolute bastard to fit) Tuning not my speciality, sadly. Powers are probably still the guys for that on a Cerb.
@@UPnDOWN Clives Gt manifolds, don't think equal length and agree they are a masterpiece of manifold creation. Ok Thanks i think i will try and book a slot to get Joolz at Kit and classics for a tune up, its probably in good tune but just to get it checked and micro adjusted could be beneficial. My kind of Micro adjustment is a Big Hammer and a block of wood.... Colin Apps at TVRS SW looks after my Tivs, A Big Bear of a man and like yourself Proper mechanic. Not Many left ... Top work Pal.
Manifolds will be creating a reversion dam and reduce the potential of the headwork, without some smoothing of the mnifold that engine will be down on its potential power output.
I hope you have not blown asbestos dust all over your garage. My dad died from asbestosis from dust in the air of his workshop. I would use Coppaslip on the bolts rather than 3 in 1.
Unlikely to have asbestos in modern car parts, what with it being banned since 1999. I used to use copper grease, but stopped when the bolts still galled. Since I've used 3in1, it's never happened.
Fixing manifold faces, get yourself a piece 1/4 inch strip of glass, spray the surface with WD40 and knock off the high spots with a grinder, sorted. Love the (paying jobs), but get the wife to buy you a watch that fast forwards time, she might see more of you. 😁😁😁
400: 4.0ltr 430: 4.3ltr (actually a 4.2) 450: 4.5ltr (actually a 4.6) 500: 5.0ltr This particular car is quite a rare one as it has '250' on the badge. It basically means it's an early version of what became known as the 400HC (high compression). 250 means 250bhp, and while it might not be quite there, it's probably a lot closer than most 400s!
