Catastrophe on Elan ownership day one!

[Steve G]

Well that's all very interesting. The fact is that the choke cable was supposed to be attached to both carbs but had snapped at some point. The previous owner told me that I would need to use the choke on cold mornings and besides, even if I'm never going to use it I want it set up right. Why enrich the fuel mixture to two of the cylinders?

I think I read somewhere that it is recommended only to use the choke on the webers when the temperature is below -10 C. I'm not sure where I read it and can't find it now. Anyway, it is very rare, if ever, that it is needed in practice. As Leslie said, it is meant to operate both carbs, and you could fit it so everything is "correct", but the practical value is almost negligible. I'm sure lots of people don't bother. For me it is permanently on the "when I get around to it" list.

Paddy

Your car didn't look like it had a very long "when I get around to it" list when I saw it Paddy!

[paddy]

Your car didn't look like it had a very long "when I get around to it" list when I saw it Paddy!

I have a fantasy list of things to do that don't really need doing, such as putting the dash back to original. I also have an itch to rewire it because behind the scenes the wiring is not pretty and it's only a matter of time before it lets me down (again), or catches fire, or both.

Paddy

[SADLOTUS]

aha! right place at the right time?

elan-f15/qed-steel-flywheel-t20376.html

[foggy]

interesting happening to the bolts.
i've never seen that failure, either. Though heard of same, and argument to then add pins for assurance.
I scrounged a tilton flywheel and 7 1/4" rally pp and disc for 6 bolt, near new, has pin installed. I have a 4 bolt crank and pan, etc.

I might be willing to offer you the above, or just the flywheel. I need parts to fit 4 bolt, or to procure 6 bolt crank, pan, seal assy, etc. Anyone know of any parts available?

thanks, all
Steve

[Steve G]

interesting happening to the bolts.
i've never seen that failure, either. Though heard of same, and argument to then add pins for assurance.
I scrounged a tilton flywheel and 7 1/4" rally pp and disc for 6 bolt, near new, has pin installed. I have a 4 bolt crank and pan, etc.

I might be willing to offer you the above, or just the flywheel. I need parts to fit 4 bolt, or to procure 6 bolt crank, pan, seal assy, etc. Anyone know of any parts available?

thanks, all
Steve

Thanks for the offer Steve, Colin has agreed to sell me his flywheel so I'm picking that up this weekend hopefully. I just ordered all my stuff from QED, my engine guy is going to rebuild it while I'm away in France and then I just need to get it back in the car before our British three day summer is over!

[Steve G]

More updates! I picked the flywheel up from Colin last week, it was very nice to meet a fellow owner and see such an interesting project. The crankshaft and con rods have been crack tested with magnetic particle analysis by Caparo Testing Technologies http://www.caparotesting.com/services/service-overview.asp?sid=93&gid=34. There were no cracks evident so I'm very relieved. It was ?112 but I do get a certificate so well worth it. I'm picking up the assembled crankshaft and flywheel tonight and taking them to be balanced by BDS Engineering http://www.bdsengineering.co.uk/ in Edenbridge tomorrow. Everything else has been done, new valves and springs fitted, head ported and polished, cylinder bores honed and pistons polished. It all looks clean enough to eat off (although I wouldn't want to get baked beans in the oil galleries so I will resist the temptation).

After I get the engine back, I've decided to get him to fit the head to the block before I refit the engine, it will make it a bit trickier but that way the timing is all done and I know the gaskets are fitted correctly. It's going to be a fun job moving it around, the block was heavy enough on it's own.

[billwill]

If you have double-Y exhaust manifold/downpipes, don't forget to put those in place first and tie them in roughly the right place as you may not be able to get them in when the engine is in.

The original cast-iron 4-branch exhaust manifold is short & can be fitted after the engine is in and then the down-pipe fitted to the bottom of it .

[Steve G]

I picked up my fully rebuilt engine last Wednesday. Total cost for labour was ?800, this was for around 70 hours so pretty good value I think. Parts and other services another ?900, so ?1,700 in total so far. Quite an expensive stuck pedal! I have got an effectively new engine now that should last a while if I look after it. I have bought the Lumention Rev Limiter (included in the ?900) to help protect the shiny new twink. I have attached some pictures, he even repainted it for me!

I haven't started to put it back in yet because of the Goodwood Festival and the friend who is helping me is away. I have cleaned up every thing inside the engine bay and that is going back onto the engine.

I have no idea how to fit the rev limiter, fix the horn or the handbrake, not to mention refitting the engine so I've got lots of head scratching and possibly swearing to do this weekend.

I have been compiling a guide from the Lotus Manual and Brian Buckland book and other sources, it is far from complete, I have just tried to get a framework down and then flesh it out. I eventually want torque settings all the way through and possibly pictures too.

I would be very grateful if any of you could provide feedback, add comments to or even rewrite parts of the instructions. You can put your lines in quote marks and sign them if you wish.

https://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0ATGF ... y=CNqg66AF

If anyone has fitted a Lumenition Rev limiter and has a Lumenition Optical Distributor, I would be grateful for any advice there too.

[curly type 26]

Money well spent Steve, may i also complement you on that lovely shiney new flywheel! Have fitted lumenition optetronic on all lotuses ever owned & found to be reliable & straight forward to fit, never had the rev limiter but would expect fitting instruct to be supplied. If all goes well my elan will be going to next years goodwood on one of its 1st runs after 35yrs of the road so hopefully catch up with you there, ps get your chum to fit engine you supply beer or tea that way you avoid the lotus cuts. Enjoy, particularly that 1st turn of the key Curly

[Steve G]

Thanks Curly, it certainly is a lovely flywheel, all balanced to within half a gram along with the new crank pulley. Can't wait to turn that key!

[69S4]

Thanks Curly, it certainly is a lovely flywheel, all balanced to within half a gram along with the new crank pulley. Can't wait to turn that key!

I had the flywheel balanced when I was doing the last rebuild some years ago and I was quite surprised at how much smoother the engine was afterwards. Obviously that was what I was hoping to achieve, but it was the difference between knowing something and feeling it. Some of these little things improve the driving experience disproportionately.

[alaric]

Good for you Steve. Looking forward to hearing that it's going again. The engine looks fantastic - there's a silver lining on every catastrophe. My twinc spent two years as an ornament in the lounge post the rebuild - but it was so clean and shiny shiny.

All the best.

Sean.

[Steve G]

Thanks Sean.

I'm having a few problems. I got the engine down into the engine bay and the flywheel/clutch assembly right into the bell housing but can't get it onto the input shaft. I have been wiggling it about, gearbox up and down on jack, engine up and down etc. I have turned the engine slightly (it is all timed for TDC on cyl 1 so I don't want to lose that!) to try and line up the splines but it doesn't seem to be mating together.

Is there a technique for doing this? I know some people prefer to fit the gearbox first and I can see why now. I would rather not do that as it means emptying the gearbox of oil etc. I haven't fixed the mounts on yet, have fitted the exhaust manifold loosely, as suggested (it is a real pain and keeps sticking inside the bell housing). I had to lift the engine back out a bit as I forgot to fit the clutch cover plate and couldn't get it on afterwards. That is also a real pain as I can't fix it in position until the engine and gearbox are together and it keeps dropping down and getting in the way.

I also seem to have lost some nuts, I've been very careful with them but they've gone astray. There should be some nuts for the bolts that fix the engine to the gearbox, some thread into the block but some need nuts. Where can I get these from? I don't know what sort I need.

There are no torque settings for these bolts, or for the engine mount bolts in the manual, are they somewhere else or are they included in the generic size related torque settings? I don't know what sort they are anyway, UNF etc.

I still need some advice on fitting the rev limiter, and also an example of where the ignition coil can be fitted so it's not sitting under the intake trumpets. I saw a picture on here but can't find it now.

After an initial burst of enthusiasm I now feel quite disheartened, I'm way out of my depth and can't seem to learn all the things I need to know quickly enough.

[paddy]

It's always a pain getting the two to go back together so don't let it get you down.

First, how did you align the clutch before tightening the pressure plate? Are you absolutely confident that it's perfect? Also, I assume you can turn the gearbox input shaft and there's no sign of it being bent.

Once you know that, then there's no magic. Make absolutely sure that the engine and box are aligned in all directions and in a straight line. Make sure that there engine isn't fouling on anything on the bulkhead that stops it from moving all the way back - I seem to remember that there was something in the way (maybe the solenoid) and you have to have them at exactly the right height so that there is clearance on the chassis member below and this at the top.. Don't force it but you can wiggle it around quite a bit. Sometimes it helps to get a couple of long bolts and screw them into the bellhousing or block as a guide to make sure they are aligned as they approach one another. Don't use them to force it together, but they will ensure that when you wiggle it it stays in the right place.

If after 10 minutes of wiggling it doesn't go in, have a cup of tea then try again. Doing it when you're tired and impatient won't work.

Suddenly, for no apparent reason, it will decide that it's happy and then will just magically slide together.

I'm pretty sure you can leave the manifold off, provided you fit it as soon as the two are joined together, before fitting the engine mounts.

Re-establishing TDC isn't difficult afterwards. Putting it in gear and turning one of the wheels (jacked slightly off the ground) is going to be a lot easier than trying to turn the engine.

On the coil question, I think the popular location is on the rad mounding bracket but I haven't tried that myself. I'm sure someone has a picture.

Paddy

[john.p.clegg]

I take it your builder did centralise the clutch plate as he fitted the cover?

John

Sorry Paddy you must have hit the button just before me...