Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

Good advice. Its a simple motor. Strip it yourself and use this forum to get help if you need it. I am sure someone will come over and assist. Even the head is very simple to work on. Dead straight forward. You, as Curly just said, now have the opportunity to make the head 'unleaded' for eg.

For the record. I would suggest new seats where needed and all new valves and springs. all after thorough inspection and pressure test. A Good rebuild will bring it to as new with any luck. Cams / sprockets etc will need v careful look-see. Cam drive chain = Bin it and fit new ENDLESS.. No split-links!! (for me anyway!)


Where are you based Steve?

Alex B....

I'm based in Brighton, about to move to Saltdean (which is still Brighton and Hove District).

I have made up my mind now that I'm going to trailer the car to my new address, there's just no time to do it all before I move, even if I was to get it all done by a garage. As some of you have suggested I think I with the help of my friend, who has worked on engines before, and this forum would do a better job and be more careful than any normal garage. A Lotus 'specialist' would charge a fortune to do all the work required and I would learn nothing. I had to stretch myself to buy this car on top of paying for another house deposit and have budgeted to look after the car over time, just wasn't expecting an engine rebuild on day one!

So, I'm going to do it all properly, get the valves fitted by someone who knows what they're doing, and get the crank, if it still is in one piece, crack tested, along with anything else that needs testing.

Just to give a bit more detail, the cylinder head was rebuilt three years ago and has done hardly any miles since then. The car has been looked after very well mechanically and had a lot of money spent on it. Modifications from standard (apart from the Big Valve head, twin webers and 30/70 cams) are an electric fuel pump, alloy tank and filter, and an optical distributor. Other things that don't really affect this topic are a Spyder chassis (number 00036 fitted in 1982!) and Spyder roll over bar and side impact protection (including the bastard bars that run inside the footwells!).

I'm going to be looking at the car all weekend apart from a brief break on Sunday morning to go to the Pre-Tax themed Goodwood Breakfast Club. Which I was very much looking forward to taking the Elan to. It would be great if someone who knows Elans really well could just take a look at my car, I would obviously supply tea and biscuits!

You'll have a stampede of enthusiastic forum members heading your way. I'd love to take a look but am in Dorset - I wouldn't pretend to know anything about the engine of course, just any excuse for a cuppa and especially biscuits. There's a chapter in Mile's book on stripping the engine which I would heartily recommend.

Sean.

alaric wrote:You'll have a stampede of enthusiastic forum members heading your way. I'd love to take a look but am in Dorset - I wouldn't pretend to know anything about the engine of course, just any excuse for a cuppa and especially biscuits. There's a chapter in Mile's book on stripping the engine which I would heartily recommend.

Sean.

I need to get this book! I think Paddy is going to lend me the Lotus manual at the Breakfast Club.

Can anyone recommend/dissuade me against purchasing these items currently on eBay?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1-TON-FOLDING-HYD ... 1e5ab4563d

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SEALEY-ES350-ENGI ... 3a58591a2e

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1-TON-CHAIN-HOIST ... 1c10401a2a

http://www.flickr.com/photos/16638375@N ... 202952079/

This may help you
Neil

Steve,

Re your shopping list. With the engine hoist, make sure that the front wheels and frame do not foul the bottom of the front dampers. So you need to measure the distance between the dampers from 1 side to the other, and then obtain the measurement of the outside of the front wheels on the hoist, to make sure that they will not foul the dampers. I say this, as i have an engine hoist that does foul, and it makes the job more difficult.

Second, the engine stand. I have found that the 3 wheel ones are unstable. Buy one with 4 wheels, 1 in each corner, much better.

Third, block and tackle. You do not need this item to remove the engine AND gearbox from an Elan. I use a nylon towrope, plenty strong enough, and a metal chain just slips on the sump, to where you dont want it. I have used a thick towrope several times, just fine.

All the best,

Leslie

I am in Fife Steve so a bit far away. There will be someone who will help though I'm sure. If not I can always catch a train!! I would happily help if you are stuck.. Just buy me a ticket!

Re kit... Leslie has that answered but I would add that its not absolutely necessary to use a stand. I built lots of motors on my bench & you won't use it a lot.. Hopefully!
keep us posted.

Alex .... ... Don't worry mate it will all be fine.

PS... Nobody down that way loan or hire Steve a crane?

I have a rusty old Clarke's hydraulic lift that fits nicely under the +2. I have to use mine on maximum extension. The hydraulic item is so much easier than a chain - you have to hang that from something, and you can't wiggle it around like the lift; it's an easy job with the hydraulic lift as long as you take your time, and you have the option of moving car or lift. Scary if you open the valve too quicly though - yes I did .

Here's a pic two from the archive:





So your neighbours will presumably have seen this lovely Elan arriving, then returning on a lorry, now will see tools arriving. I can almost feel that really annoying saying in the air. Definately time to move house. Have they heard swearing from the garage yet - I've emerged a bit sheepishly from mine a few times...

All the best.

Sean.

I have a rusty old Clarke's hydraulic lift that fits nicely under the +2. I have to use mine on maximum extension. The hydraulic item is so much easier than a chain - you have to hang that from something, and you can't wiggle it around like the lift; it's an easy job with the hydraulic lift as long as you take your time, and you have the option of moving car or lift. Scary if you open the valve too quicly though - yes I did .

That's very true Sean but you can't do this with a hydraulic lift................

To ease the engine-gearbox removal (assuming they are coming out together) I wouild recommend putting the front wheels on blocks (say 4 inches high) and then jacking up the rear of the car quite high, say 30 degrees. This makes the angle of the dangle (engine-gearbox) so much less relative to the car and really makes the whole operation easier. Also check that there is a swivel in the lifting hook so that the towrope doesn't keep wanting to turn the engine around.

Last thing on the wishlist would be a remote valve for the hydraulic ram!

Regards

Gerry

gerrym wrote:Last thing on the wishlist would be a remote valve for the hydraulic ram!

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/EP0015296.html

If you wish for it someone has probably patented it. This wouldn't be that difficult to make, would it?

Great advice there guys, thanks. I'm getting excited at the prospect of kitting out my new garage as an engine workshop! As for the neighbours, luckily the AA truck hauled me up the drive at one in the morning so no curtain twitching. Ironically, I was worried about getting it in the garage quietly, I needn't have worried! The next day I did see one older neighbour do a double take when they saw the little Lotus in the garage, they're used to seeing a White Honda.

I've got it!

http://www.wilcoxengines.co.uk/twincam.htm

They can't be that expensive can they? More than both kidneys and a lung?

Roger, very neat. I have considered fitting an RSJ across my garage to do the same.

All the best.

Sean.

Just spotted your thread....
Well I think I have just about everything you need - the Wilkins book on the Twink, engine hoist, engine stand, all the tools you need - and I am not too far away. I am near Emsworth - about 5 miles west of Goodwood.

The Wilkins book along with the Lotus manual are all you need. I have the Brian Buckland book, but it doesn't add much.

If you were at the Goodwood breakfast meeting, mine was an S4 in gold leaf colours not far beyond the chicane (there was a Sprint about 10 cars east of mine!)
Happy to help, just can't offer garage space right now - I have the builders in.

I rebuilt my twink about 2 years ago, so I have made most of the mistakes!
I got my machining and balancing done at QED, but I think they have stopped doing machining....

Happy to help (builders permitting) so what do you need first?

Let me know
Bruce

Bruce Crowthorne wrote:Just spotted your thread....
Well I think I have just about everything you need - the Wilkins book on the Twink, engine hoist, engine stand, all the tools you need - and I am not too far away. I am near Emsworth - about 5 miles west of Goodwood.

The Wilkins book along with the Lotus manual are all you need. I have the Brian Buckland book, but it doesn't add much.

If you were at the Goodwood breakfast meeting, mine was an S4 in gold leaf colours not far beyond the chicane (there was a Sprint about 10 cars east of mine!)
Happy to help, just can't offer garage space right now - I have the builders in.

I rebuilt my twink about 2 years ago, so I have made most of the mistakes!
I got my machining and balancing done at QED, but I think they have stopped doing machining....

Happy to help (builders permitting) so what do you need first?

Let me know
Bruce

Hi Bruce, thanks for your offer, I PM'd you but had no reply yet. I'm watching a couple of books on eBay right now, do any of you know the difference between the original workshop manual and the new book, links below;

New book;
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/LOTUS-ELAN-1962-7 ... 588639ba76

Original Manual;
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Lotus-Elan-Worksh ... 4a9e1fb1ca

I would like the most informative detailed book available and have decided to buy it (even though I have had lots of kind offers to borrow this book) as I'm going to have the Elan for the long term hopefully and want my own copy. I would still like to borrow the Miles Wilkins book if possible though.

Just in the way of an update for those of you following my tale of woe, the cylinder head is with an engine builder now, he rebuilds race engines (and vintage motorbikes for Goodwood) and used to own an Elan. He is going to fit new valves, balance and polish the head all at cost (around ?80) so I'm very chuffed about that. Then I'm borrowing somebody's hoist to get the engine out in two weeks time where the same guy is going to check out my bottom end(!) Hopefully the car will be running again by April.