Snapping Sound

[Quart Meg Miles]

Thanks Alan, Nic and Urs,

It looks like a bend 3/4" (2 cm) deep would be best to retain strength, starting soon after the engine mount and extending some 2" (5-6 cm). I'll have to see if I can stabilse the rest of the flange while hefting the hammer. I don't have welding skills and don't fancy it that close to the resin. Perhaps a U section, or solid bar, bolted behind the bend over would preseve the rigidity and shape, and even could be fitted before the hammering. Where's my box of bits?

[alan.barker]

If you have some solid bar you can make a Saw Cut the thickness of the Chassis. Slide the Saw Cut over the chassis flange, pull on the other end of the bar and ease it down.
On mine i had to cut the chassis because the engine was already in place and i was too lazy to remove it a second time 13 years ago. Last week i removed the engine to change the Clutch so i tidied up the notch with a half round file.
Alan

[nmauduit]

Hi

I've bent down the chassis rail, when I've fitted a Tony Thompson manifold. It was in 1992. To date al is ok.
No stress for the chassis and strong enough.

D211.jpg

D210.JPG

Urs

nice job : that is what I had in mind initially, smooth curves aerospace style... Though during the day of the engine swap I did not feel I had enough access and time to get sufficient room this way (TTR headers are tight enough to install as it is, cf. previously posted photo :



Bending is something that should be more straightforward to do on a bare chassis. As for a bit of MIG welding to restore the chassis continuity if one decides to cut and box, one can use wet rags in the back, this is minor welding and not directly against fiberglass.

[mbell]

If I was doing this, I'd buy/find a length of strong pipe. Cut it just short than the width of the engine bay, then cut in the end the depth i want to bend and use that to gently bend the frame edge over small amount at a time..

[alan.barker]

+1 like i said above and that means you can ease it into shape without using a big hammer.
Alan

[Galwaylotus]

This was all I could do in situ. I drilled a series of small holes with a Dremel (couldn't get a larger drill into the available space) then used a hacksaw blade to finish the cuts and a half-round file to smooth it all out. I brushed on a few coats of zinc-rich paint to cover the raw edge.At least I could move the manifold far enough to get some sealant on either side of the exhaust gaskets. I'm going to wait a day or two to ensure it's set before starting the engine and hoping I've stopped the exhaust leak!

[Quart Meg Miles]

Apologies to Galway for nicking your thread (though you've nicked in yourself!), but there's a wealth of good ideas popped out for me in the last few posts; thank you to all.

Yesterday I fitted the stripped block in the chassis, minimal bolts to bell-housing and loose bolts into the mounting lugs, dropped the stripped head on it and tried to fit the 4-branch to it. !! Expletives deleted !! After removing mounting bolts and exhaust side mounting block, messing with the block height and pushing it to the inlet side I managed to force the pipes in. Returning the block to its proper position in the mounting lugs the pipes just cleared the chassis flange with the third pipe and I marked the position of closest approach! The pipes hung a bit low under the car but not much I can do about that.

I needed the head out again (to take to a workshop today) and it seemed that the head would lift out with the pipes still attached, which it did though not all the way, and it was enough to unbolt them and slip them off the studs. After clearing the head out of the way I made a careful note and photos of where the pipes were so I could refit them by the "assembly is the reverse of dismantling" method.

Highest position with pipes attached

Today I decided to relieve the chassis flange, as discussed, and with two G-clamps clamped an old file at the back of the flange fold, to try to maintain its shape, then tightened another G-clamp at the bend point and pulled it over. This is a simplification of a long process of search and trial!

As far as G clamp would go

The clamp is at about 60? from vertical in the picture and wouldn't stay in place further. I took out the file at the back but that didn't help so I used a King Dick ( in the UK this is a powerful adjustable spanner) in place of the G-clamp and bent it to vertical.

Final position of King Dick

Finally I hammered a thick metal rod sideways into the hole to deepen and smooth the shape (without much effect) and it totals 3/8" (10 mm) in depth.

Top view of final product.

In retrospect I should have just used the King Dick but I thought the round end of the G-clamp might have matched the desired result better. Two of either, which I have, would have allowed a longer bend and perhaps deeper. In effect I did what Alan and MarkB suggested though the KDs are a bit short. Next time!

[Galwaylotus]

This was all I could do in situ. I drilled a series of small holes with a Dremel (couldn't get a larger drill into the available space) then used a hacksaw blade to finish the cuts and a half-round file to smooth it all out. I brushed on a few coats of zinc-rich paint to cover the raw edge.At least I could move the manifold far enough to get some sealant on either side of the exhaust gaskets. I'm going to wait a day or two to ensure it's set before starting the engine and hoping I've stopped the exhaust leak!

Success! I took the Elan out today for a drive and it's running better than I can remember in the almost eight years that I've owned it. Now I can work on the other niggles - electrics, vacuum for raising the headlamps, change brake fluid, engine oil, etc. There's always something!

[alan.barker]

+1 well done, just get some miles in driving it with a big smile
Alan