Restoration of S2 Elan - EOK

[Elanintheforest]

Geoff, space behind the dash is very tight when everything is crammed in, and given that some body repairs have been made there it's worth a trial fit to ensure that everything does indeed....fit!

It's worth mounting the heater and plenum, and ensuring that the dash and dash top fit along with the windscreen surround.I would even mount the wiper motor and drive / spindles, and the pedal box just to complete the bits 'under' the dash. Lots of movable bits, and you probably don't want to be messing about with more fibreglass work once the paintwork is all completed.

Mark

[robertverhey]

Couple of tips from me

Mount the fuse box and solenoid before fitting the heater, as the speednuts are inaccessible to fit once the heater's in place. A bit of strategically placed araldite on the speednuts will keep them in place, should you ever need to remove/replace solenoid or fuse box

Yes wiper motor rack and spindle first then heater, but leave the wiper spindle nuts loose while fitting heater, as (in my case) heater wouldn't squeeze past them when they were firmly mounted. Then tighten wiper rack last.

Robert

[Geoffers71]

This is all good stuff, thanks guys Two things I'd like: has anyone a picture of the bulkhead of an S2 taken from the engine side? Sure would help to know what fits where and what all the holes are for. Also has anyone produced a digital version of the wiring diagram for an S2, so that I can print off a bigger version. Eyes aren't what they were I had a full colour version of the wiring diagram for my Europa when I had it, and for my Scimitar. Anyone produced one for the Elan?
As usual any help much appreciated.

[Elanintheforest]

Here are a couple of bulkhead photos Geoff which should clear things up a bit!
If you click on them to enlarge, then right click to 'save image' you will be able to view them full size.

The right side picture shows, from bottom to top, the accelerator cable (in horizontal footwell), Bonnet pull catch, oil pressure pipe (just visible going under the air filter housing), speedo cable, choke cable.

On the left side, below the bonnet put catch, is the washer pipe and temperature gauge sender pipe.

Now mark them up on your bulkhead and see what you have left!!
Mark

[Geoffers71]

Thanks Mark, that should start me off, though I seem to have more holes than that How are the various bits fitted to bulkhead, self-tappers? Bolts?

[Geoffers71]

Finished off the painting this w/e, although I still have the hardtop to do

Not too bad as it is if I say so myself although it's amazing how a seemingly flawless finish in primer can show up tiny hollows and defects in final gloss Just have to leave it now for a month or so before flatting back and final buffing.
Haven't fitted the doors yet as I see the plastic ball hinge bobbin thingies look pretty worn. Can you still get replacements, and if so how can you get the old ones out? Seem to remember they're screwed in, but they aren't too keen to move at all so far!
For Mark's (Elanintheforest) benefit I trial fitted the heater and offered up the new dash and there doesn't seem to be any problem, although I did forget to check if the holes lined up or not. What do the screws look like that fix the dash? I've got a couple of sets; one set chromed the other black. And what do they screw into ? Just nuts at the back? There doesn't seem to be any threaded bobbins.
The heater has to be dismantled and the motor checked before actual fitting. Same with the wiper motor. Have to get a set of bulkhead grommets before doing much more. Just going to love this next assembling phase

[robertverhey]

Brian Buckland's' book covers the hinge assembly quite well I think, probably lots of posts on this forum as well. The nylon domed hinges will move if lubricated and soaked for a while. You need to fabricate a 1/4" square section tool that goes into the recess in the nylon part, took me 5!minutes to grind down a suitably sized bolt.

My advice is to leave the reattachment of the doors for as late as possible in the reassembly phase. Ditto the windscreen. I'm finding I spend a hell of a lot of time with one arm up in the footwell and one in the engine bay, reattaching things. This is much much easier with no door in the way.

[silverlink]

Brian Buckland's' book covers the hinge assembly quite well I think, probably lots of posts on this forum as well. The nylon domed hinges will move if lubricated and soaked for a while. You need to fabricate a 1/4" square section tool that goes into the recess in the nylon part, took me 5!minutes to grind down a suitably sized bolt.

My advice is to leave the reattachment of the doors for as late as possible in the reassembly phase. Ditto the windscreen. I'm finding I spend a hell of a lot of time with one arm up in the footwell and one in the engine bay, reattaching things. This is much much easier with no door in the way.

Robert,
All you need is a 1/4" square drive extension piece from a 1/4" socket set. You can even use the ratchet to tighten/loosen the nylon domed hinges.
Ian

[Geoffers71]

Moving forward nicely at the moment, with just the odd hiccup thrown up just to keep me on my toes A few new parcels of parts arriving including electronic ignition modules, coil, ignition leads, new bulkhead grommets, heater pipes and new heater valve and a new main wiring loom. I struggled for days with the old loom, but just couldn't reconcile what I had with the wiring diagram. It had been seriously butchered by a PO including many joins of wires just twisted together and a general disregard for colour conventions eg lots of plain yellow wire which is not even listed So bad was it that I had serious doubts about it being the loom for this car! The new loom from Paul Matty will most certainly preserve what little sanity I still have. Really nice period of the restoration now though, assembling and fitting new or refurbished parts . Pedal box and master cylinders now installed, heater all connected up, dynamo stripped, cleaned, checked and installed, wiper motor, bundy tubing and wheel boxes in (but not screwed down yet). Almost ready to fit the engine side of the loom. Getting closer!!
BTW, just a thought, is there anyone with a complete S2 who is not that far from me here in Plymouth? ( I know....we're at the end of the world here). It would be very useful to take some photos of various parts of the car, just to confirm what goes where, I still have loads of bits that I have no clue about what they are and where they go

[robertverhey]

[/quote]
Robert,
All you need is a 1/4" square drive extension piece from a 1/4" socket set. You can even use the ratchet to tighten/loosen the nylon domed hinges.
Ian[/quote]

Good thinking but alas didn't work for me, all my 1/4 drive bars had a collar that bottomed before the square section had gone in far enough to get any purchase.....and you really don't wanna round these little suckers!

Here's my tool

[Mazzini]

Moving forward nicely at the moment, with just the odd hiccup thrown up just to keep me on my toes A few new parcels of parts arriving including electronic ignition modules, coil, ignition leads, new bulkhead grommets, heater pipes and new heater valve and a new main wiring loom. I struggled for days with the old loom, but just couldn't reconcile what I had with the wiring diagram. It had been seriously butchered by a PO including many joins of wires just twisted together and a general disregard for colour conventions eg lots of plain yellow wire which is not even listed So bad was it that I had serious doubts about it being the loom for this car! The new loom from Paul Matty will most certainly preserve what little sanity I still have. Really nice period of the restoration now though, assembling and fitting new or refurbished parts . Pedal box and master cylinders now installed, heater all connected up, dynamo stripped, cleaned, checked and installed, wiper motor, bundy tubing and wheel boxes in (but not screwed down yet). Almost ready to fit the engine side of the loom. Getting closer!!
BTW, just a thought, is there anyone with a complete S2 who is not that far from me here in Plymouth? ( I know....we're at the end of the world here). It would be very useful to take some photos of various parts of the car, just to confirm what goes where, I still have loads of bits that I have no clue about what they are and where they go

I'm several hundred miles away, but I just finished my S2, it's all still fresh in my mind, let me know if you need help identifying parts or photos.

[Geoffers71]

. I'm several hundred miles away, but I just finished my S2, it's all still fresh in my mind, let me know if you need help identifying parts or photos.

Thanks Rob, Your help (and others too I'm sure ) would be most helpful. I'm threading things through the bulkhead at the moment and am still confused (actually quite a normal state these days) about what fits in which hole. For example, where the main loom comes into the engine bay there's also the heater hose and normally (at least on later cars with the battery in the boot) the main cable to the solenoid. This cable runs along the bulkhead above the engine to the solenoid. But on the S2 the battery is behind the driver's seat, so wouldn't it make more sense for the cable to run along the RHS of the cockpit and enter the engine bay next to the solenoid? Maybe this IS what happens in the S2.. there is a suitable hole next to the solenoid. Can you clarify? If it not the case what is the large(ish) hole outboard of the solenoid for? .........and if it IS the case what is the same sized hole between the hole that carries the loom into the engine bay and the heater pipe ( 4 holes in a vertical line next to the control box). See, I told you I was confused and now you all are too
Seriously Rob, if you wouldn't mind perhaps taking the odd photo if and when I need one that would be great. I'll pm my email address in due course. Ta!

[peterexpart]

Just a thought but I would fit the Washer Nozzles before the Heater Unit and Wiper Assy it much easier than leaving them until last !!

[Geoffers71]

Update..... I've glassed in a new battery shelf in the boot, cleaned it out and sprayed in Satin Black and new battery cable threaded through. Before I connect up the dash I needed to fit the washer jets and the windscreen frame, which meant I needed to flat back and buff up the top of the scuttle. Should have waited a few more days to give the paint a full month to harden, but it came up beautifully, very pleased

The loom is also threaded through and connected to the control box and the fuse box

I'm puzzled at the moment as to what one of the holes in the bulkhead is for, I'm sure someone will enlighten me.
Between the hole for the loom and the hole for the heater pipe there are 2 smaller holes, so that all 4 holes are in a vertical line. One of these is for the heater valve cable, but what is the other for? I think I did know at one point, but have since forgotten
Anyway it's all coming together quite well, despite the odd problem to overcome. Fitting the windscreen frame was great fun....not! I used black windscreen sealant and I was covered in the stuff, and my nice new bodywork, by the time I'd finished. Luckily it comes off cleanly with white spirit.

[Elanconvert]

I'm puzzled at the moment as to what one of the holes in the bulkhead is for, I'm sure someone will enlighten me.

geoffers....just a guess.......speedo cable??

fred