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Re: Clutch Slave Cylinder take it out

PostPosted: Mon Sep 02, 2019 9:25 am
by billwill
Make sure the battery is fully charged and terminals clean and tight.

Check that there is a good earth connection in the boot from the battery.

Check the earth connection from engine to chassis (thick woven cable). Clean the contact areas.

Take the spark plugs out and use the starter to turnover the engine for at least 30 seconds to get the oil flowing.

You did oil any reachable oily parts when you assembled it I hope.

Re: Clutch Slave Cylinder take it out

PostPosted: Mon Sep 02, 2019 10:22 am
by Helio_s
I do everything you said.
When I take out the spark plug, the engine turn correctly.
Is between the pressure in the piston and the power of the starter.

May be I need to clean the starter (rotor in the engine).
:| :| :?:

Re: Clutch Slave Cylinder take it out

PostPosted: Mon Sep 02, 2019 3:41 pm
by billwill
Helio_s wrote:I do everything you said.
When I take out the spark plug, the engine turn correctly.
Is between the pressure in the piston and the power of the starter.

May be I need to clean the starter (rotor in the engine).
:| :| :?:


Maybe, as you think, the starter motor power is not up to full strength, but be VERY sure of those earth contacts first, and the contact in the starter solenoid can also get dirty and pitted reducing the current. You can check for this by using a fat cable (such as a jump-start lead) to make a (very) temporary connection across the two fat contacts of the starter solenoid. Take care as this will spin the starter motor.

~~~~

After you get the starter motor out of the car, first check the brushes (carbon blocks with a spring & wire contact). I don't know how long they are supposed to be, just that there should be a substantial part of the carbon remaining. It should press firmly on the commutator; that end of the carbon block will be curved to fit around the curve of the commutator. Make sure it s not fitted at right angle as then only a small portion of the carbon will be touching the copper segments.

Cleaning the commutator of a DC motor, like this one is not easy. The commutator is often blackened and you can clean with fine emery paper, but it is essential that you then clean off any emery cleaning residue with say petrol (no oil). Then with a fine squared off point you should scrape every gap between the copper segments of the commutator, and then clean again with petrol. Let it all evaporate or the motor might catch alight.

If you suspect it is not up to full strength, it might be a LOT simpler to trade it in for a refurbished motor.


Lotus seem to think that the only user service action is changing the brushes.
http://www.lotuselan.net/wiki/MA_-_Elec ... e_%26_Horn

Re: Clutch Slave Cylinder take it out

PostPosted: Mon Sep 02, 2019 3:54 pm
by billwill
There are relevant videos on Youtube.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_ ... tor+repair

Re: Clutch Slave Cylinder take it out

PostPosted: Wed Sep 04, 2019 8:48 am
by gjz30075
If you're trying to start the car and find that the engine turns over very slowly, but with the spark plugs out it
turns over freely, then maybe you have the firing order wrong, ie, the wires are connected to the plugs in
the wrong order.

If this is the case, disconnect the coil wire from the coil but leave the plugs in, and try again. If the engine turns freely, then the firing order is wrong.

Re: Clutch Slave Cylinder take it out

PostPosted: Wed Sep 04, 2019 9:50 am
by Helio_s
Thanks,
Strange because i put the order from the information from this pictures on my lotus elan +2

Re: Clutch Slave Cylinder take it out

PostPosted: Wed Sep 04, 2019 11:32 am
by billwill
You may have the distributor mounted 180 degrees wrong. Check that when piston 1 (front one) is at the top, the rotor arm in the distributor is near the contact for spark-plug 1.

Re: Clutch Slave Cylinder take it out

PostPosted: Wed Sep 04, 2019 11:44 am
by billwill
The photo shows the lead connections are they are set on my working Elan S3.
I think others have confirmed that it is the 'factory' setting.

The leads can be in other holes in the cap as long as the sequence 1,3,4,2 is the arrangement, but you still have to ensure that the rotor is near the contact for plug 1 when piston 1 is at the top of a stroke. Then you do the fine adjustment of the ignition timing after you get the engine started (erratically at first until you get the distributor at the correct angle).


Here is another picture from the internet.
Image

And here is one showing the wires moved by one position.
Image