Fuming!

[simonknee]

Here's me at work with a throbbing head again...
Prime suspect this morning is that oil and breather-dribble is dripping onto
the exhaust.
I could see oil stains on the section just before two become one!
In particular it seems to collect on the clutch slave.
There is always a drip waiting to drop straight onto the pipes.
Has anybody ever fashioned a protective plate for this area?
If it was made out of aluminium then would it get just as hot and burn off
the oil too?
What could I use?

cheers

Simon
'67 S3 FHC

["Ian"]

Simon

Even if the oil is dripping on the exhaust and burning/smoking its way off,
it should still not find its way into the car interior. My car has several
small apertures between the engine bay and cockpit and I have never been
aware of any odours other than from the surrounding vehicles when in
traffic.

If you run the heater fan then the interior of the car would be 'ever so
slightly' pressurised so that would help a bit.

How do the drips from the breather on the right hand side get to the
left-hand side of the engine?

Ian Phillips

S4 DHC

----- Original Message -----
From: "Simon Knee" <***@***.***>
To: "Lotus (E-mail)" <***@***.***>
Sent: Wednesday, October 23, 2002 3:49 PM
Subject: [LotusElan.net] Fuming!


Here's me at work with a throbbing head again...
Prime suspect this morning is that oil and breather-dribble is dripping onto
the exhaust.
I could see oil stains on the section just before two become one!
In particular it seems to collect on the clutch slave.
There is always a drip waiting to drop straight onto the pipes.
Has anybody ever fashioned a protective plate for this area?
If it was made out of aluminium then would it get just as hot and burn off
the oil too?
What could I use?

cheers

Simon
'67 S3 FHC

[elansprint71]

Simon,
I don't suppose it could be the slave cylinder that is leaking? I had to
change mine recently due to a leak, the smell is totally different from that
of oil and it would certainly give you a headache! Hydraulic fluid burns
rather well too, once ignited.

Pete
----- Original Message -----
From: "Simon Knee" <***@***.***>
To: "Lotus (E-mail)" <***@***.***>
Sent: Wednesday, October 23, 2002 3:49 PM
Subject: [LotusElan.net] Fuming!


Here's me at work with a throbbing head again...
Prime suspect this morning is that oil and breather-dribble is dripping onto
the exhaust.
I could see oil stains on the section just before two become one!
In particular it seems to collect on the clutch slave.
There is always a drip waiting to drop straight onto the pipes.
Has anybody ever fashioned a protective plate for this area?
If it was made out of aluminium then would it get just as hot and burn off
the oil too?
What could I use?

cheers

Simon
'67 S3 FHC

[simonknee]

I think the problem is like unlike the average lister as I sit in traffic in
the Lotus everyday of the week.
The average speed across London is 2 miles an hour or something.
Lots of time in stationary traffic. But turning my engine off helps.
I do keep the inside pressurized with the fan but this doesn't help.
So I open the windows and this doesn't help (bit better though).
The exhaust is sealed and manifold isn't leaking still I'm gassed.
I've triple sealed the gear gator and am still working on this as definitely
worse when this isn't properly sealed.
Poked black-tac in all the small bulkhead holes.
Sealed around the large cable holes/steering column/heater pipes/etc etc
Sealed up the hole in the chassis near the drivers seat (what's this for?).
The exhaust does poke out the back.
Tried my best to seal the boot lid (this is a pig as top don't match
bottom).
Sealed all the drainage holes in the boot and the drainage hole in the
heater intake.
There is duct tape over the diff mounts in the boot.
There is black tac in the holes in the boot e.g. spare tyre bolt hole.
Checked the exhaust for burning plastic detrus.
It's not other cars fumes it's definitely mine as I still get it when
driving home at night through a deserted London!
The only respite is driving at decent speed without stopping.
Could under bonnet fumes be building up and then getting sucked into the
heater intake?

I do need to try and seal the airbox better as there is always a pool of
gunk beneath it.
Hence my interest in moving the breather location too.
I know stuff like oil on exhaust seems like straws clutched but as you see I
am really floundering on this one and it is really spoiling my enjoyment and
my health!!

ho hum

Simon (head hurts)


-----Original Message-----
From: Ian [mailto:***@***.***
Sent: Wed, Oct 23, 2002 19:44
To: ***@***.***
Subject: Re: [LotusElan.net] Fuming!



Simon

Even if the oil is dripping on the exhaust and burning/smoking its way off,
it should still not find its way into the car interior. My car has several
small apertures between the engine bay and cockpit and I have never been
aware of any odours other than from the surrounding vehicles when in
traffic.

If you run the heater fan then the interior of the car would be 'ever so
slightly' pressurised so that would help a bit.

How do the drips from the breather on the right hand side get to the
left-hand side of the engine?

Ian Phillips

S4 DHC

----- Original Message -----
From: "Simon Knee" <***@***.***>
To: "Lotus (E-mail)" <***@***.***>
Sent: Wednesday, October 23, 2002 3:49 PM
Subject: [LotusElan.net] Fuming!


Here's me at work with a throbbing head again...
Prime suspect this morning is that oil and breather-dribble is dripping onto
the exhaust.
I could see oil stains on the section just before two become one!
In particular it seems to collect on the clutch slave.
There is always a drip waiting to drop straight onto the pipes.
Has anybody ever fashioned a protective plate for this area?
If it was made out of aluminium then would it get just as hot and burn off
the oil too?
What could I use?

cheers

Simon
'67 S3 FHC





.
<.> Read





<http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

[gjz30075]

--- In lotuselan@y..., Simon Knee <simon@a...> wrote:


Simon,
I'd have another look at that boot seal. That's been a culprit
before on my car. Use duct tape to seal the entire boot lid to body
seam and see if that makes a difference.

Greg
'72 Sprint

[gobw2]

how come your breather is on the same side as the exhaust?

On Wed, 23 Oct 2002 15:49:41 +0100 Simon Knee <***@***.***>
writes:
Here's me at work with a throbbing head again...
Prime suspect this morning is that oil and breather-dribble is dripping
onto
the exhaust.
I could see oil stains on the section just before two become one!
In particular it seems to collect on the clutch slave.
There is always a drip waiting to drop straight onto the pipes.
Has anybody ever fashioned a protective plate for this area?
If it was made out of aluminium then would it get just as hot and burn
off
the oil too?
What could I use?

cheers

Simon
'67 S3 FHC

[gobw2]

Well, now that makes sense - I could not figure out how draft tube oil
was dripping on exhaust as they are on opposite sides. You seem to have
the crancase vented to the airbox like mine - as they are both 67 S3"s.
Hence gunk below it.Your engine use a lot of oil? It sounds like worn
rings, lots of blowby and leaky airbox letting fumes out. Fumes here will
escape rear of bonnet when car not moving and be sucked into heater inlet
- yea ha - a headsplitter of a headache!!

What do you do -
#1 - put vent holes in fenders per archives - there are even pix there -
gives underhood air a place to go. #2 replace the foam seal at rear of
bonnet opening ( is yours still there?)and extend it around corners and
up sides. This will reduce fumes getting to heater inlet .
#3 install a catch can on crancase breather.
#4 fiddle with fiberglass airbox cover and gasket and seal it better - if
gunk gets out, so do fumes, and probably dirty London air in -
unfiltered.
#5 think of future lower end rebuild to reduce all that blowby.

The first 4 should greatly reduce your problem and minimize your
headache. George 67 S3

On Wed, 23 Oct 2002 22:53:42 +0100 Simon Knee <***@***.***>
writes:
).
heater intake?

I do need to try and seal the airbox better as there is always a pool of
gunk beneath it.
Simon (head hurts)



Simon
'67 S3 FHC

[Rob_LaMoreaux]

This is for access to the prop shaft during installation of the transmission, or when replacing the prop shaft. It is also used when replacing the transmission rear seal in situ.

Rob LaMoreaux
Ann Arbor, MI USA
(734)-971-5583
***@***.***
Too many Hobbies.... Too Little Time
1969 Lotus Elan....It's not a restoration, it's a never-ending adventure.

[Rob_LaMoreaux]

You could also try sealing the bonnet lid. Since you are sitting still the fumes of oil dripping on the headers could be coming up out of the bonnet and getting sucked in by the heater fan. I believe this was one reason for the foam seal at the back of the engine bay.

Rob LaMoreaux
Ann Arbor, MI USA
(734)-971-5583
***@***.***
Too many Hobbies.... Too Little Time
1969 Lotus Elan....It's not a restoration, it's a never-ending adventure.

[ecamiel]

It is primarily for greasing the front U joint according to the manual.
Eric 64 S1
"Robert D. LaMoreaux" wrote:

[simonknee]

What I did today....

Resealed the airbox, cleaned up the gunk.
There is a foam seal though it doesn't extend all around

This hasn't helped, still the same headache today.

What I will do next...

Revisit the boot, somebody at work has just found some real chunky
sticky-backed foam seal strip.

And this weekend (maybe)...

Cut the engine bay (fender???) holes as it gets too hot under there too
anyway.
Install a catch-can and use the front cam-cover hole, fed up cleaning the
gunk out.
Put an aluminium plate in as protection for the exhaust and the slave
cylinder for that matter.

Replies to comments:
You're right the the gunk on the exhaust isn't from the breather.
(However it is a bizarre the way that a tiny oil leak will spread over the
entire engine)
The slave cylinder is fine. (been there in the past and that stinks bad)
The engine (should be) is fine (rebuilt 5000 miles ago) but of course it
uses a lot of oil that's what Colin intended!
Actually I don't think consumption is too bad but never had a straight
answer on that from anybody.
It used around 4 litres doing 2500 miles around France, very much fast
road.
cheers

Simon
'67 S3 FHC

[jivers]

Simon,

I have fixed a heat shield between my exhaust and clutch slave
cylinder. The heat shield is made of aluminum plate that I have bent
in a shape kind of like a question mark. The top of the plate has
affixed to it a piece of foil faced foam insulation like used on heat
ducts. The flat base of the question mark is screwed to the frame
under the car and the curved part curves up over the exhaust. This
was installed to protect the slave cylinder but with some
experimentation, you could probably prevent drips on the exhaust.

Jeff Ivers
67 Elan S3 FHC

--- In lotuselan@y..., ***@***.***e:

[jivers]

Simon,

One other thought on this topic. Carbon Monoxide will cause serious
headache. Have you checked the exhaust manifold for a crack and made
sure the exhaust manifold gaskets are up to snuff?

Jeff Ivers
67 Elan S3 FHC

--- In lotuselan@y..., ***@***.***e:

[Arno Church]

Worse, it will cause serious death !
Arno


Simon,

One other thought on this topic. Carbon Monoxide will cause serious
headache. Have you checked the exhaust manifold for a crack and made
sure the exhaust manifold gaskets are up to snuff?

Jeff Ivers
67 Elan S3 FHC

[elansprint71]

Simon,
At the risk of being rude, are you sure that it is the car and not your
aftershave?

Pete

----- Original Message -----
From: "Simon Knee" <***@***.***>

Sent: Thursday, October 24, 2002 4:32 PM
Subject: RE: [LotusElan.net] Fuming!


What I did today....

Resealed the airbox, cleaned up the gunk.
There is a foam seal though it doesn't extend all around

This hasn't helped, still the same headache today.

What I will do next...

Revisit the boot, somebody at work has just found some real chunky
sticky-backed foam seal strip.

And this weekend (maybe)...

Cut the engine bay (fender???) holes as it gets too hot under there too
anyway.
Install a catch-can and use the front cam-cover hole, fed up cleaning the
gunk out.
Put an aluminium plate in as protection for the exhaust and the slave
cylinder for that matter.

Replies to comments:
You're right the the gunk on the exhaust isn't from the breather.
(However it is a bizarre the way that a tiny oil leak will spread over the
entire engine)
The slave cylinder is fine. (been there in the past and that stinks bad)
The engine (should be) is fine (rebuilt 5000 miles ago) but of course it
uses a lot of oil that's what Colin intended!
Actually I don't think consumption is too bad but never had a straight
answer on that from anybody.
It used around 4 litres doing 2500 miles around France, very much fast
road.
cheers

Simon
'67 S3 FHC