Heater valve clearance?

[rgh0]

Well I checked the exhaust side mount and it's the correct way up!

Both mounts were brand new 5 years ago when I started the rebuild!

The engine has not run since, so the mounts can't be knacker can they?

I have now noticed the nearest stainless steel exhaust downpipe is awfully close to the fibreglass corner of the footwell body also !

So where do I go from here ?

The heater valve will snap if it's left in its current position, that's Bound to happen at the most inconvenient moment - you can bet your bottom dollar!

Things are not looking best good here!

RECAP:-

Footwell fibreglass is going to burn.

Heater valve is going to snap off - with engine vibration.

Filler cap will foul the underside of the bonnet .

Phnumatic tubes will melt.

Wiring loom gets rubbed into pieces !

Oh Jesu! I've constructed a failure!

How much of this is reality???

There should be a gap you can get a small finger into in the top of the mount between the centre steel plate and the top of the outer steel inverted U shape. If that gap of about 10 to 15mm has closed up excessively then yes the mount is knackered

Its tight in there for all the issues you have listed but none are insurmountable problems !.

Are you sure you have the right heater valve assembled the right way. The cable fitting appears at the top when it should be at the bottom in the picture you posted ( sorry did not see that before). A picture of mine below

If the fibre glass is getting to hot from the headers cover it with stick on heat shielding -I use the woven Kevlar with aluminium facing and stick it on with high temperature silicone gasket sealant ( The Loctite red coloured one). You will note in my photo that I wrap the heater water hose in heat insulation as this gets hot with the TTR competition headers which rise up above the foot well at the rear

My filler cap has 80 mm clearance to the bonnet with 15 mm clearance on the heater valve to foot well

The vacuum tubes are OK and don't melt as the headers run back and the tubes forwards so are never close. The tubes are routed to generally follow the line of the chassis outer edge are the run down the outside of the radiator mounting side plate

You should run the wiring loom outboard of the heater valve sufficiently so nothing rubs on it.

cheers
Rohan

[AHM]

Phil,

Do you have the engine mount spacers in correctly?

Yes the manifold will cook the side of the footwell - to the extent that you get smoke in a traffic jam - so worth putting some kind of heatshield on it. The original cast iron one didn't get so close, so when you put a new tubular one on you get a terrible smell and smoke.

[elanner]

Does this entry help? lotus-twincam-f39/engine-mountings-t15838.html

Take a look at the pictures at http://www.rdent.com too.

Nick

[l10tus]

All,

Thanks for the detailed replies, it's much appreciated.

I'll check the engine mounts to ensure the gaps are still good.

My heater valve is as noted, opposite to the one in the picture you have supplied, however, the Bowden cable line is almost dead straight, so seems a better operating option in my opinion?

That's assuming that the flat steel flanges on either valve are the same shape / diameter - because it's these 'outer extremities' that will foul first?

Any reason that they can't be reduced with a grinder or similar butcher tool?

Are there two versions of this valve available? If so, which is the correct? The one with the orientation of the cable pull towards the top or the bottom ?

When I look at the gap between the nearest exhaust down tube and the corner of the fibreglass - it is only about 1/8" ! - hardly enough room to get anything I between to act as a heat shield?

Am I still better to try to get something In between, that may make heat transfer even easier? - or just leave an air gap and ignore the burning !!??

I would have thought the dull red glow of the exhaust would always get the better of the combustible fibreglass !!

What size extinguisher does one carry. - any advice?

This is not very well engineered is it? - can't help thinking someone should have come up with a better solution by now - how many years since tubular exhausts were introduced.????!!!!

Oh! Dear ! - can't help thinking my pride and joy is fast becoming a 'mantle piece display item' - rather than an actual enjoyable drive ?
'
I understand they can be / are, a 'weekend hobby' like early Landrovers, requiring hours of 'tatting' in the workshop, but surely some of this is basic poor design that could / should have been sorted by now?

This is where the need to perpetuate originality, falls short of practicability and becomes un- enjoyable and annoying!

Is it possible to get these niggle's / issues sorted - or are there a million more to come?

Have you all been through this route before me?

Regards,

Phil.

[rgh0]

Unless you have the TTR full race headers there is no way they should be so close to the fibreglass; it sounds like your engine is to far left and maybe tilted to far also so something strange is going on - more photos would help. This problem is also probably contributing to your heater valve problem also

The upside down heater valve is certainly not original and if its like mine the flange on the opposite side to the lever is the bigger part and would put it closer to the foot well. You cant grind it off much as there is a rivet in it that holds the whole heater valve assembly together.

cheers
Rohan

[billwill]

I used to have a cast iron manifold, but it was replaced with a tubular type, but they do not come near the fibreglass. Maybe the 'poor design' in your case was of the tubular manifold not the rest of the car.

[billwill]

Are you missing the spacers from the engine block to the engine mount?

They go on the exhaust side.

[l10tus]

Colin, Rohan, and all,
I
Just had a shiver down my spine!

I have rebuilt the car with a new Lotus Galv chassis, so maybe the body is not sitting how it used to?

I just remembered that when I separated / parted the body from the original chassis, I noticed large penny washers on the floor of the garage, I later thought that these were probably packers between the body chassis mounting points and chassis rails, thus used to lift the body higher above the engine etc. is this the case??

I rebuilt it onto the new chassis without these because I didn't realise at the time what they were for!

If this is the cause of my challenges, I sort of knew this would come back to haunt me later, but have ignored it, up until this point !

Problem is now, that all my chassis rails are drilled and bolted in place! maybe this is causing the lack of clearance I require?

Any thoughts on how to progress this to a positive solution?

Not having a very good time of it recently, as these issues are delaying its rebuild completion

Another one to add to the list!

I will investigate the engine mounts and associated issues tomorrow and post some photo's to maybe attempt to help you, to help me, with some suggested or adjustments if possible?

Thanks for bearing with me on this one, Regards,

Phil.

[robertverhey]

Unless logic fails me, mounting the body on chassis without the spacers referred to would actually result in MORE clearance between the heater valve and the body not less. So I'm thinking the solution to your issue is still gonna be fettling with the left hand side engine mount. Robert

[AHM]

Phil,

Do you have the engine mount spacers in correctly?

Yes there are two types of valve one is push to close the other is push to open - you can't get a push to close with the bits on top - so we are stuck with them on the bottom.

We all have a tendancy to consider everything is wrong - you have a small problem somewhere - Take a step back, a deep breath, and logically work out what it is.

[AHM]

This is not very well engineered is it? - can't help thinking someone should have come up with a better solution by now - how many years since tubular exhausts were introduced.

Phil, It is all exceptionally well engineered - That is the point!
It is the subsequent fixers, bodgers and parts makers that are not very good engineers!

[elanner]

My car is a rebuild or two from the factory, but here's a quick measure from the chassis to the top of the footwell.

I've edited this a couple of times because I can't figure out if my brain is working right. But I think you need the valve lever to be under the valve in order for the dashboard heater knob to work rationally - push it in to turn the heater off. Of course, if you have the wrong type of valve it might be the other way around.

Nick

[rgh0]

Washers are used if the body is not eactly level and does not evenly match and sit on the chassis at all the bolting points along the bottom flanges. To avoid distorting the chassis flanges when you do up the bolts to the body, a washer is inserted as needed to fill any gap..

Provide the body was sitting on the new chassis flanges properly it does not need washers and it is a low as it will go and thus maximises the clearance for the heater valve over the foot well.

cheers
Rohan

[l10tus]

Gents,

Thank you all for the well informed replies.

I feel a little better now all the points covered seem to suggest "it'll be all right on the night" !

Engine mount looks like the obvious answer here - I intend to investigate more and report back with better pictures ASAP.

Thanks for your assistance.

Regards,

Phil.

[peterexpart]

Just a thought, if the Manifold is so close to the passenger foot well that it is making the body smoke how is it fitting down between the Chassis Rail and the Bell Housing ?????