Because front cover need replacement I need advices

[Pistacchio sprint 72]

Hello my dear colleagues, I start to love you all

You might have followed and already adviced me many times. I am here today in the engine section because I needed a Gearbox rebuild. Gearbox is not out yet but when I began to clean the engine bay to prepare for the engine and gearbox removal I saw that my front cover was corroded to death.

It would not be serious to hide my eyes and act as if it was all going to be fine.

[Pistacchio sprint 72]

I own a Lotus Elan S4 1972 powered by a Lotus Twincam Big valve.
Casting number on block is 701M6015B
I think I understood the 701M is considered as the 1500 short block. Do you confirm? how many links should have the chain? are the chain from QED different from Burton in terms of quality?

Pistons are +0.030 power max and the last engine refresh was in 1992 at 37176 miles. The car has now 63 000 miles.

My oil pressure seems good to me. But do you think I should change the cranckshaft and conrods bearings after 25 000 miles or should they be OK ?

Before taking the engine out I will check the compressions and assess if the pistons rings need replacement.

Before starting to strip the engine and taking the head off, I am concerned and not fully at ease with the valve clearance thing. When I do it on my xflow the valve clearance is adjustable and you do it on a warm engine.
Now on my twink, I removed carb and exhaust so the engine will be cold. What kind of valve clearance should I have?

There is too much choice of head gaskets, which one should I get?

[rgh0]

A few comments on your questions below

cheers
Rohan


Casting number on block is 701M6015B
I think I understood the 701M is considered as the 1500 short block. Do you confirm? how many links should have the chain? are the chain from QED different from Burton in terms of quality?

---- Yes the 701M was the standard 1500 block used in the Elan Sprint .It should have the standard 120 link chain. You want a continuous chain without any split link and with solid rollers (not rollers with a seam) check that they supply to these specifications which I would expect to be the case from both.

Pistons are +0.030 power max and the last engine refresh was in 1992 at 37176 miles. The car has now 63 000 miles.

---- should be OK if you have been using a modern synthetic oil but should measure bore for wear once the heads off

My oil pressure seems good to me. But do you think I should change the cranckshaft and conrods bearings after 25 000 miles or should they be OK ?


---- again should be OK but I would inspect for wear or scoring and replace if needed.

Before taking the engine out I will check the compressions and assess if the pistons rings need replacement.

---- yes worthwhile to do the check to add to the measurement data

Before starting to strip the engine and taking the head off, I am concerned and not fully at ease with the valve clearance thing. When I do it on my xflow the valve clearance is adjustable and you do it on a warm engine.
Now on my twink, I removed carb and exhaust so the engine will be cold. What kind of valve clearance should I have?

---- Valve clearances are adjusted with shims under the followers and clearance cold should be around 6 to 8 thousandths of an inch for inlet and 8 to 10 thousandths of an inch for exhaust. Check before you remove the head. The valves can hit each other and the pistons so be careful once you disconnect the cam chain not to turn the engine crank until you remove the camshafts or remove the head

There is too much choice of head gaskets, which one should I get?

---- I prefer the composite material gaskets personally

[Keith Scarfe]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lotus-Twincam-Elan-Cortina-Escort-removable-water-pump-front-cover-module-/301351298189?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item4629efe48d

[Pistacchio sprint 72]

Qed is asking me this in order to sell me the correct bottom end gasket:
"Does your engine have a 4 bolt flywheel and rope seal or 6bolt 2 dowel and neoprene rear oil seal?"

As my elan is 1972 with 701m of the later type, i would say no to rope seal and yes to 6 bolt ans neoprene rear oil seal.

Can you confirm? I think it is odd that the guy asked me this while i gave him the birthdate of my car (1972, s4 , sprint...)

[Pistacchio sprint 72]

This is what icurrently have. I am trying to figure out ( except from the burton kit) all the parts and gaskets that i will need for that front cover surgery.

[mbell]

Can you confirm? I think it is odd that the guy asked me this while i gave him the birthdate of my car (1972, s4 , sprint...)

If it is the original engine my understanding is it will be a 6 bolt but I wouldn't take my word as confirmation. I guess they ask as a lot of cars are modified and don't have original parts so they want to be sure.

[Pistacchio sprint 72]

On the other hand i could buy both kind of sump gaskets... It is not a big deal compared to the rest if the bill

[rgh0]

It will be the six bolt crank with the rubber rear lip seal not the 4 bolt crank with the rope seal in your engine.

cheers
Rohan

[Pistacchio sprint 72]

Yeah rope seal sounded like... old stuff!

[jono]

after 2 copper gasket failures in quick succession the Ajusa gasket from QED works for me

[Pistacchio sprint 72]

Ok order of gasket and chains and halfmoons completed at Qed

I still have the Burton front cover / water pump to order.

What bother me is the shim thing. May be I should check the clearance before ordering from Burton.
this way I will be able to order new shims of the correct thickness as well as the front cover stuff.

Do I need also a special tool to access to the shims?

[Chancer]

Before you go rushing in and stripping down the head check the valve clearances first, they are probably OK, did you have any excessive tappet noise?

[Pistacchio sprint 72]

Hello Chancer. I Intend to check compressions before taking the engine out.

Then I will also measure valve clearance at cold also.

I got an answer form Burton : "bolt the new covers to the block and have the cylinder block and cover face skimmed as one to make sure it is flat."

AAARGH this means taking the engine to a machine shop???

[promotor]

Yet again Burton prove how little they know about anything - "bolt the new covers to the block and have the cylinder block and cover face skimmed as one to make sure it is flat".

The top faces of the water pump unit/front cover sit below the level of the cylinder block to accommodate the cork gasket. If you do what they say you will need a custom thickness gasket every time you need to replace one.

And even if you did follow their advice - and use a thinner/overcompressed gasket - you would end up removing material from the block (that otherwise you may not need to) just to satisfy that point.

They really never fail to surprise me.