Elan S4 rebuild - my story chapter 2

[seniorchristo]

Glen
Thanks for a productive day at the "Certified Lotus Garage" where a good time was had by all. You might soon have to look at expanding the operation.
Later
Chris

[carrierdave]

Glen,
Your last photo shows the trackrod end having no rubber gaiter around it. It's an MOT failure here in the UK, and certainly won't last if you get grit inside.

Dave

[Certified Lotus]

Hi Dave, your absolutely correct they are missing. The mice ate them clean away. Why only those rubber boots and none of the others is a mystery, but new ones are on order

[oldchieft]

The brake cylinder looks like the rare Girling from the late 70s.

Fitted to some Morgans and I think some Aston Martins.

If it has the vertical flange with the captive nut in the top flange it is ultra rare, I will buy it off you.

Jon the Chief

[Certified Lotus]

Jon, see my post: lotus-suspension-f42/1969-elan-tandem-master-brake-cylinder-question-t35509.html for detailed photos.

[Certified Lotus]

The weather is cooperating extremely well for this time of year. It is still unseasonably warm and the skies are clear. Great for working in my garage on the S4. Drew and I agree to get an early start at 7am and because we are focused on installing the windshield today (I ordered a new molding and locking trim from RD Enterprises) I fire up the propane heater and make it very warm in the garage.

We get the molding installed on the frame without issue. Having a soft rubber molding makes a real difference versus the challenge we had last week with 15 year old rubber. Once that was done we liberally spray the seam for the windshield with Windex and drop the windshield in place without issue.

As Drew and I start working on the bottom corner fit, a guy in a Porsche GT3 stops buy to look at one of my racing karts for sale. I get distracted for about 20 minutes and when I head back to help Drew he has the windshield all installed! Wow, that was fast. I should get distracted more often

Windshield Molding in place

Spraying the seam for windshield install

More Windex to keep the seams slippery

Windshield installed

Windex and plastic wedges only tools

Drew left his tool for installing the locking trim at home so we will need to do that another time.

The rebuilt Weber's get installed with new gaskets. The old Weber's go back to my other engine.

Rebuilt Weber's.

Next we install a new fuse box. The old one was missing the cover and it looked a bit corroded so it was replaced.

New fuse box

I had also ordered a new master clutch cylinder as the old one didn't work. When opening the box for the master cylinder it had a big label that said don't use silicon fluid in it. Well, that explains everything. The master cylinder was full of silicon fluid from being in storage for 15 years. The old one was removed, new one installed and we bleed system, adjust the slave rod and everything work fine.

New Clutch Master Cylinder

The original Girling metal cap is completely stripped so we have to use the plastic white one. I'll source a new metal one later.

I had been able to track down one of the last SOVY brake master cylinder caps on the planet.

SOVY, new and old

New Old Stock and was ready to install it. Test fit everything first, then filled the master cylinder full of brake fluid only to find that the metal canister leaks from the threaded area at the bottom where it connects to the plastic reservoir. Close inspection and reviewing the photo's supplied by members of this forum show that my metal canister is a poor copy that wont seal. UGH! If you read my other post you will know what I am looking for: lotus-suspension-f42/1969-elan-tandem-master-brake-cylinder-question-t35509.html

We had the original starter motor rebuilt by a shop that specializes in it. They said the wiring was in poor shape and no surprised that it burned up. We will reinstall once all the electrical gremlins are figured out as I don't want to burn it up again.

We are done by lunch time and call it quits. Both of us have family stuff to attend to. Next weekend we will tackle the locking strip for the windscreen and start tracing out all the wiring behind the dash to figure out why most of the electrical systems aren't working.

My plan is to have the car back on the road by Thanksgiving. Not finished, but drivable after 15+ years in storage. Wish me luck!

[Certified Lotus]

There is always a surprise when restoring a Lotus that has been stored in a garage for many years and unused. Will get to that shortly.........

Drew and I started early this morning, 7am start as we wanted to get the Weber's tuned and then install the trim strip in the windscreen molding and hopefully start on the electrical issues. We had a plan, unfortunately it got side tracked a bit.

The trim installation in the windscreen molding was easy, until we got to the bottom corner. There was no way you could make the 90 degree turn without significant distortion to the rubber molding. It just didn't look right. Researched a couple of posts on this site and didn't find a real answer so we made up our own minds and decided to miter the lower two corners as it would be a much better fit. After that it all went smoothly and with liberal spraying of Windex we didn't even need the special tool, only a plastic wedge.

Molding trim tool

Installing trim

Using plastic wedge to install trim

Use plenty of Windex to keep lubricated

Marking Mitered edge

The Weber's needed the gaskets installed to attach the airbox to the carbs. Of course the gaskets didn't fit. The interior openings for the throttle bodies was too small for the trumpets to fit inside. Some custom trimming solved that problem. Also installed a new cork gasket in the airbox. Sealed one side with silicon and taped it in place. Then installed the airbox backplate.

Installing Gaskets for Weber to airbox seal

Trimming Gaskets because they don't fit!

Airbox back plate install with gaskets

Once we got everything set up with the gaskets & airbox backplate it was time to balance the carbs. Pushed the Elan outside and started up the engine. It turned right over. While the engine was warming up, I was looking over every aspect of the engine while it was running to see if anything might be amiss.

Balancing the Weber's

It was clear the engine wasn't running as smooth as it should. We took the timing light out and realized it wasn't timed exactly right. Adjust the distributor, got the timing spot on and and went about the carb balancing.

[Certified Lotus]

While Drew was making fine tuning adjustments to the Webers, I was looking over every aspect of the running engine now that it was at temperature. I had a powerful flashlight and was searching every inch of the engine.......only to find things I did not want to see.

First I spotted a large freeze plug with water droplets below it. I wiped away some paint and the water to find a very small rust hole in the plug on the exhaust side of the engine. Well, that's not good. Then I find a small freeze plug on the same side of the engine with a very tiny water droplet leaking out of the seam.

While the engine is now running hot I detect some oil smoke. Where is that coming from?

We turn the engine off (its running like a top and idles very very well). Push the car back into the garage and up on the lift.

There is clearly engine oil leaking from somewhere. But where? We are looking everywhere, the cam cover gasket is dry, the fuel pump gasket is dry, the head gasket is dry, the oil breather tube is dry, the trans cover plate is dry so no bad seal, what the heck?

I bring out an inspection mirror. Can't fine the source of the leak. Where is the engine oil coming from?

Drew and I pour over the spare TC engine I have on the stand and we look closely at the spare TC head I have. We both see the plug an the rear of the underside of the head at the same time. I'm thinking, no way could someone rebuild the head and not put the plug in.

Out comes the inspection mirror and low and behold.......no FREAKIN plug! The oil is pouring out of the head from the bottom of the rear of the head because there is no plug installed.

I know we had very good oil pressure the entire time we ran the engine because we watched it carefully. I pulled the dip stick and the oil level was still high. Phew! Good we caught that early on.

Large Freeze plug leaking

small Freeze plug leaking

Plug on end of TC head at rear

Missing plug on TC head at rear

After much discussion we determine we should pull the engine, replace all the freeze plugs, install the plug on the bottom of the head, send the radiator out to be professionally flushed, and flush the engine cooling system.

Kind of changes my Thanksgiving target completion date for having the '69 Elan on the road. But I I'm not in a rush and I only do things one way......the right way. No shortcuts.

Stay tuned. Drew and I agree we going to go over every inch of this car and insure that everything is up to spec.

[gjz30075]

Glen, looking good! Can you post of picture of the finished mitred corner?

[Certified Lotus]

Greg, here is a detail of one of the corners. Once the molding is dried out (from Windex spray) will add some black silicon seal to fill in the small voids that are part of the rubber molding. Should blend nicely and have a good detail when done.

Mitered Corner detail

Windscreen with Trim

[Certified Lotus]

I'm a fairly organized guy. I think about the projects that I'm going to tackle and the time, tools and parts I will need to get the job done and plan accordingly.

That would be wishful thinking when it comes to the restoration and rebuilding of an Elan.............

I knew I would be pulling the engine this weekend to replace the freeze plugs (or core plugs) in the block and head of the twin cam. Miles Watkin's book says to always replace all of them when you have the engine out as they may look fine but maybe paper thin. I knew one of the core plugs in the block had a hole rusted through and a plug was missing on the underside of the head so I was well prepared (or so I thought) to pull the engine and replace all the core plugs with plenty of time today to reinstall the engine. All in one day. Drew was over the help me so I really thought this would go quick as we have done this a couple of times.

I had turned the car around on the lift so we had lots of room to use the engine hoist. I also drained the cooling system and removed the radiator, fan, and vacuum canister the day before to move things along quickly. I will be taking the radiator to a shop to have them flush it and pressure test it.

Remember, this car had been sitting in a garage for close to 30 years. Water & air take it toll on iron with oxidation.

Leaking core plug

As we are removing the exhaust system from the car I notice that a couple of chassis bolts are missing. Mmmmm, that's not good. Go into my class 8 bolt box and find the right size with washers and lock washers and bolt them in.

Chassis Bolts

It takes about 2 hours but we get the engine out without complications.

Engine removal

Drew knocked out the core plugs on the block and head with an old screw driver and hammer. There is lots of rusty water and some sediment flowing out. We decide the roll the engine outside and flush the block and head water jackets with high pressure clean water. Then we blow compressed air into the water jacket areas to dry out.

Removing core plugs

Collection of core plugs

Blowing compressed air into water jacket to dry out

I had ordered a complete core plug set for the block that included everything I needed to replace all the plugs including threaded ones from RD Enterprises. Ray had told me he didn't have the core plugs for the head but they were 3/4 inch so no problem sourcing those locally.

When it came time to install new core plugs we quickly realized the plugs we had for the head were not the right type. We needed concave steel cup expansion plugs (also called Welch plugs). We called every auto parts supply place with 20 miles of my house. No deal. No one carries those. Another internet order to be made on Monday and my timetable for getting the Elan back together this weekend is shot.

As we are cleaning up the shop I stare at the heater hoses in the engine bay and think, the water we flushed from the block and radiator was very dirty......I wonder what is in the heater core? Out comes the hose and a bucket. Thank goodness I thought of that as the dirty water coming out was gross. We flushed the system out a couple of times in opposite directions until the water was crystal clear.

So we finish early and have everything ready to go once I have the proper plugs in hand.

Engine ready to reinstall, once I have all the core plugs!

I'm treating myself to a pint of Bodingtons Pub Ale and wondering why I didn't realize the head core plugs were of a certain type. I go back and look at my Lotus Elan shop manual, then Brian Buckland's book and finally Miles Watkins Twin Cam Engine book. No where could I find the specification for the proper head core plugs. Did I miss it somewhere?

I go back to my ale.

[john.p.clegg]

Glen
If you like Boddingtons,you'll love Marstons Pedigree..

John

[Certified Lotus]

John, I don't think I have ever had Marstons Pedigree. Will need to see if I can find it here in the States. Thanks for the recommendation! I like keep the garage fridge full of interesting ales to enjoy after a long day of Lotus work

Update: I went to three different liquor stores that stock hundreds of beers and ales from around the world. No one carries Marstons. Unfortunate. Now I have to wonder what I am missing

[fattogatto]

Boddy's is good - very good. However, try Caffreys if you can find it. Irish, but from Northern Ireland so many Irish Pubs won't stock it. Often British Pubs do. I too am not familiar with Marstons.

[pharriso]

Should not be a problem https://www.beermenus.com/beers/8111-marston-s-pedigree

One of my favorite beers as well...