Elan specialist switzerland

[sprinter]

Does anybody know of a specialist in the lake geneva area who could service my elan?

Have a small leak too which seems to be getting bigger. The previous owner reckons there's nothing you can do about it (bar an engine rebuild). This car is gonna cost me i reckon.

Andrew

[gherlt]

The previous owner of my 340r was using Ultra garage and was quite pleased.
But I do not know if they have experience with classic Lotus.

[rgh0]

where is the leak from and how big a puddle does it leave overnight on the ground? There maybe an easy fix than a full rebuild

cheers
Rohan

[sprinter]

Rohan,

It definately leaks overnight.

Here is what the previous owner said:

'The valve cover seal is a problem on these engines. I changed it two or three times. You have to take care for the screws. Do not over tighten the screws of the valve cover. Make sure the seal is in correct position. I never changed any other seal or the head gasket. I think oil leaks are not from the head gasket'

Thanks,
Andrew

[rgh0]

If it is just the cam cover seal that is the easiest to fix and anyone can do it. It takes about 30 minutes to pull the cover ,check it for flatness and if its OK to reassemble with a new gasket and the right sealants and a little care to make it oil tight.

Leaks from the front timing chain cover are common and need more extensive dismantling to check flatness of components and reassembly with correct gaskets and sealants to fix. If its an early car it may still have a rope seal for the rear of the crank and these always leak a little from the rear of the engine. Leaks from the head gasket in the front left where the oil passage comes up to lubricate the cams in the head can occur and require the head gasket to be replaced. Gear box leaks especially at the rear output shaft seal and the speedo drive are also common. Finally the oil filler cap is another common leak point if its gasket is not in good condition. Quite a few other less common leak sources ( eg oil pump and filter, fuel pump, sump gasket, front and rear crank lip seals) so you need to do a careful diagnosis of the sources as there may be more than one.

You need to clean down the engine and then take it for a drive and inspect to see if you can pinpoint the leak sources precisely. Then leave it overnight and look for the drips on the ground and try to trace them back to the point that you may or may not have found the day before. You can also get UV dye that you can add to the oil and then shine a UV light on the engine to identify those had to find leak points.

They can all be fixed with some effort but 1960 English sports cars are not like modern German and Japanese cars in terms of oil tightness so it is a source of pride when you finally achieve a leak free engine

Any good mechanic should be able to fix them but if they don't know the twin cam engine they will be on a learning curve at your cost so if you cant do the more complex fixes yourself you need try to find someone who has built twin-cams before if possible. We have a few Swiss members on the forum who can perhaps advise

cheers
Rohan

[el-saturn]

......just to give you a proper (not necessarily geographically) answer: switzerlands' best is schaffner racing in birmensdorf 044 737 28 00 - bruno weibel speaks english. this little company builds (and has built) some of the finest FF, formula junior and TC engines for all of the various "world historical championships" - the others here are not as good and even more expensive - 36 / 4982 sandy

[sprinter]

I couldn't agree more regarding paying someone to learn as they go along, thats why i'm keen to find a specialist. There's plenty of MG garages around but I want an elan guru.

I don't really have the time do it or the experience of tinkering with cars. Therefore it sounds like I should take it to Bruno Schaeffner in Zurich and ask him to sort it out.

Thanks for your insight- i might sound like I know what i'm talking about now, so hopefully he doesn't recommend the full rebuild (unless it needs it).

Many thanks for your help.

[kenb]

Hi,
My Morgan & Lotus 7 friend suggests John Paul Brandimarte-Garage Cristal.0041219214555
[email protected]
Good Luck
Ken b

[piple]

......just to give you a proper (not necessarily geographically) answer: switzerlands' best is schaffner racing in birmensdorf 044 737 28 00 - bruno weibel speaks english. this little company builds (and has built) some of the finest FF, formula junior and TC engines for all of the various "world historical championships" - the others here are not as good and even more expensive - 36 / 4982 sandy

I have good experience with Lotus Pfenninger, but with a far more modern Lotus
I am not so happy with Kumschick for my Caterham, but also far more modern version