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Re: Slow re-birth of a Sprint

PostPosted: Mon Nov 05, 2012 9:52 pm
by alexblack13
And yes use some sealant of choice. I use black Sillyfanny.

LOL.... :roll:

al..

Re: Slow re-birth of a Sprint

PostPosted: Mon Nov 05, 2012 10:01 pm
by types26/36
I'm not sure that the clamps were fitted by Lotus but I use one on the intermediate pipe to Y piece but I do not use them on the two Y piece to manifold.....I just use RTV blue, seals and makes it easy to disassembly.

Re: Slow re-birth of a Sprint

PostPosted: Mon Nov 05, 2012 11:11 pm
by slowsprinter
Alex

You are a diamond. I inherited an old mig-welder, though I am almost ashamed to admit on this forum I have never welded. I will send my dynamo bracket to you to see what you can do with it. I can drop it in when I am in transit to Option 1.

I heard nothing from Frank for weeks. I pinged off a couple of emails and heard nothing and got quite worried. Though Sue did answer my second very apologetically. She has been off work quite a bit following a car accident I believe and got well behind on her admin. I think they are running a bit behind schedule. I did point out that I have plenty to do and I am in no rush to get the body back. My timing was very bad in that I dropped my car off on the eve of Frank and Susan's wedding! Anyway I don't really want to hassle them, they know what I want and they are the professionals, I prefer to let them get on with it.

Susan did say that although my bodyshell initially looked reasonable they have found quite a lot of filler around it that needs to be dug out. They maybe preparing me for an even bigger bill :shock:

To cut a verbose answer short no news on when I get it back. My guess would be after Christmas now. Should put me into the good weather for a thousand mile trailer trip to collect :cry:

On the plus side should give me more time to get some jobs done. E.g alternator, starter motor, pedal box, exhaust manifold, fuel pump and oil pump. I will send my instruments off for a re-furb too soon.

Thanks Alex and Brian for your advice.
Ian

Re: Slow re-birth of a Sprint

PostPosted: Tue Nov 06, 2012 12:44 am
by billwill
slowsprinter wrote:Richard

That looks just the job. Do you know if anyone supplies these adapters? I know lotus sometimes cut a few corners but really did they gaffer tape heater pipe to vents?!!

Ian, since I got the elbow from McLaren F1 my radar van is a white elephant (silver elephant really) Mrs SS starting to apply some pressure now - says it blocks sunlight into the lounge. Can't see the problem myself - we live in North Scotland, we rarely see the sun! Anyone want a LHD sprinter van with a radar in the back?

Ian



Check a B&Q for plastic plumbing bits, you might find just what you need.

Re: Slow re-birth of a Sprint

PostPosted: Tue Nov 06, 2012 1:07 am
by billwill
Getting the Y-piece onto the manifolds, (or the Y onto the long exhaust pipe if you already put them on the manifolds) can be a tricky job, under the car. I use a technique that some might want to try.

Tie a rope tightly to the long pipe, with several feet of rope either side of the knot.

Tie the free ends together after looping it over the front cross-member, so that you now have a double rope tie between the rear-exhaust and the front chassis.

Put a tommy bar, from a socket spanner set, in between the two ropes & twist them like a tourniquet. This will pull the exhaust towards the manifold AND hold it, while you engage the pipes together. After partial engagement you can twist more to pull the pipe(s) into the slit pipe. It will hold them while you put the clamps on.

It would be very difficult to do any other way as there is no suitable place that you can hit with a mallet to knock the pipes into each other.

If you use U-clamps fit them sideways with the threads horizontal, so that they won't hit the road on any bumps.


~~~~


I suppose you could use a ratchet strap instead to get a similar affect.


<later>

I forgot to mention, that while the 'tourniquet" is pullin the pipes together you need to tap the side of the outside one with a hammer to encourage it to swallow the other one. You can test when it is fully in by trying to poke a thin wire into the tubes at the bottom end of each slit.

I just performed this operation today, for the umteenth time.

Re: Slow re-birth of a Sprint

PostPosted: Wed Nov 07, 2012 4:27 pm
by slowsprinter
Bill
Thanks for that tip, I will bank it for when the time comes! I'm just not clever enough to come up with innovative solutions to problems like this!!

Alex
Have placed an order with NCC for those clips.

Thanks guys
Ian

Re: Slow re-birth of a Sprint

PostPosted: Sun Dec 16, 2012 6:23 pm
by slowsprinter
Fellas

A little more progress to report.

I am still waiting for Option 1 to finish my drop head body. (Included below is my recent progress plus a couple of questions for you that this has prompted).

In the mean time I have purchased and fitted a new starter motor exchanging my original with one from Sue Miller. I stripped cleaned and painted my fabricated exhaust manifold which was in a poor state. I completely destroyed my original Y-piece and had to buy a new one but all is now done and is loosely fitted to new studs on the engine. Is there any reason not to torque it all up with high temp gasket sealant now before putting the body back onto the chassis? I have left it loose in case I need access in this area later on as it is all a bit tight on this side of the engine. Indeed I had to remove the engine mounting to get the manifold in. I replaced all studs and torqued them in with thread locking compound. New brass nuts are also bought. New clamps for the Y-piece of the type Alex recommended to me with high temp sealant inside the joints. Manifold painted with black high temp exhaust paint.

Clutch slave cylinder bought and fitted as my original looked poor. It was simply pushed into the housing joining up with the pushrod which was located in the clutch fork. Fitting the cir-clip certainly was a struggle. The return spring was fitted and the large nut was screwed up to the lever and the gap set to 0.08ins as per the Lotus Manual and the small locknut tightened to hold it in place. Just wondering if it is valid to set this gap with no hydraulic pressure in the system?

A new alternator has been purchased and new top and bottom brackets from Matty's. This has all been loosely fitted. The bottom bracket fits fine but the top one does not seem to give much adjustment. The fan belt is tightish thus the alternator is right at the top of the adjustment. Also the oil dipstick seems to locate between the top alternator bracket and the fan-belt. Is this correct? I also think I need to make a bracket as per Brian's book to fit inside the rear face of the top alternator adjusting bracket that bolts up to two bolts just behind the rear facing front right of the twin cam.

My photos updated. Any advice or observations from you all always welcome!!
Ian.

Re: Slow re-birth of a Sprint

PostPosted: Wed Dec 19, 2012 6:38 pm
by lotusfan
Hi Ian

I can comment (knowledgably!!) on setting the clutch push rod, see elan-f15/clutch-slave-cylinder-piston-pushed-out-t25748.html I think you have probably got it correct judging by the amount of thread behind the lock nut but it might be worth absolutely confirming that the piston was all the way down the cylinder by removing the yellow blanking plug or opening the bleed nipple. There is no need to have fluid in the system to do this.

Leave the exhaust manifold loose until you have hung all the rest of the system under the car, every bit of movement helps get it right.

Finally do you have the tin cover that goes over the starter pinion? It's shown on page 394 of Brian's book.

Good luck, I have been following this thread with interest and wonder what colour you eventually decided on for the body.

Re: Slow re-birth of a Sprint

PostPosted: Wed Dec 19, 2012 7:13 pm
by slowsprinter
Mike

Thanks very much for your reply, I am glad you are interested in my trials and struggles with my project. I will get there one day, I promise!

I did read your thread, it seems you were very unlucky there. It is a good cautionary tale for someone like me, I hope you don't mind as I benefit from your misfortune?

I did push the piston right to the back but I will double check everything. Please could you comment further on the master cylinder to slave cylinder pipe you used and especially on the routing for my future benefit?

I was wondering whether there is a cover for the pinion on the starter motor. I don't think I have one I will look through my collection of Elan artefacts! Please tell me I don't have to take my bell housing apart to fit it?!!!

As for colour, I dabbled with Colorado Orange over white which I liked but Mrs SS told me to forget it. I need her on side for this whole project and I am often sailing close to the wind with the money I am spending. Therefore I am going for Lagoon Blue over white. She is happy with that so that's that. Its the only slightly positive reaction I have got from her since I bought my project. I did see Alex Black's beautiful Sprint in this colour and if mine turns out half as good I will be over the moon.

Happy Christmas to all my readers!!

Ian

Re: Slow re-birth of a Sprint

PostPosted: Wed Dec 19, 2012 8:20 pm
by alexblack13
Ian.. Ask Sue if she has the newer type handbrake tree with longer 'S' shaped lever arm. And get some adjustable rods at the same time.. You wont regret the investment.

Looking good bud.

Alternator. You mentioned very tight belt? Is that with alternator adjustment at minimum? if so obtain a 1or 2 CM longer belt. DONT fit a tight belt. Run the belt just tight enough to drive the unit without slip. tight belt can = water-pump bearings lasting no time at all.. NO tight drive belt bud...

What news on Body?

E mail me.


Alex...

Re: Slow re-birth of a Sprint

PostPosted: Wed Dec 19, 2012 9:01 pm
by slowsprinter
Alex

PM sent

Ian

Re: Slow re-birth of a Sprint

PostPosted: Thu Dec 20, 2012 6:54 pm
by lotusfan
Ian

You asked about my clutch pipe and routing. It is a braided Goodridge hose from Susan Miller, it has banjo fittings at both ends and looks much neater than those with right angled fittings which I have seen. The route is from the slave cylinder around the bell housing, over the TOP of the starter and then under both master cylinders finally turning back on itself to meet the clutch master cylinder. When I first got it I thought it was too short but it is just right.

+1 on Alex's comments on the 'S' shaped hand brake tree and adjustable rods. Fit them before the body goes on and use 'R' clips instead of split pins in the clevis pins. I retro fitted them after the body was on and it is a *** of a job, I had to cut an access panel in the boot. You might consider an access panel anyway before the body goes on, it is useful for topping up the diff.

Re: Slow re-birth of a Sprint

PostPosted: Thu Dec 20, 2012 10:00 pm
by billwill
I've shortened my exhaust studs, so that there is very little projecting past the brass nuts. This make it much easier to get the exhaust manifolds on and off.

There exists a cover for the starter pinion/bendix. It looks a bit like a tin can with a rounded end (imagine the top bit of a windmill) It is a push fit from the rear into the bell housing. They do sometimes fall out as I found to my cost, as mine has gone and I use a tin can at present.

Re: Slow re-birth of a Sprint

PostPosted: Sat Feb 02, 2013 8:08 pm
by slowsprinter
Update chaps

In getting my chassis prepared for transport to go down to pick up my body from O1 I decided to dig out new (20 year old) wheels that are in my loft that came with my project bought by the previous owner.

These are 4x13" 5-spoke revolution wheels in black. I never really liked them but thought I would put them on for the transport south. Having tried them I quite liked them and I thought they would be ok initially at first when I get my car on the road. I sourced some tyres at ?40 a pop which I thought was great value (Yokohama A drives)

What I did not check (bugger) was the rear wheels which I found very slightly foul on the inside to the bottom of the suspension legs. Now I'm not sure if I should attempt to grind back the suspension legs a few mm to achieve clearance. If so how much clearance do I need to achieve? Do the wheels flex under load? I know people have had these issues with various wheel combinations. I'm unsure what to do for the best, now. Maybe I should bite the bullet and try and sell this wheel/tyre combo on ebay to fund the purchase of minilites or refurbished steel wheels.

The steel wheels I have are in poor condition and 2 are accident damaged.

Please check my latest piccies below
Regards
Ian

Re: Slow re-birth of a Sprint

PostPosted: Sat Feb 02, 2013 8:43 pm
by paddy
slowsprinter wrote:Now I'm not sure if I should attempt to grind back the suspension legs a few mm to achieve clearance. If so how much clearance do I need to achieve?


Is it fouling on the bolt heads or do you think it will foul on the casting itself? I think any 13" alloy will foul on the bolt heads but my Minilites are fine if the bolt heads are chamfered.

As far as flex is concerned - I would be surprised if that's going to be an issue. The other issues I think you need to worry about when the clearance is so marginal are end-float or play in the bearings and also check that the hubs are completely true. I needed to replace my original hubs because even the slightest wobble is a problem.

Also note that you're constrained on the placement of any balance weights - they need to be some distance inboard of the rim so they don't foul.

Paddy