Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

You probably didn't actually need to take the tensioner out. If you had put a bit of string or wire on the top of the chain and tied it up so that the top of the chain doesnt fall down to the waterpump-boss. You could take the chain off the camshaft sprockets (or take the sprockets off). and have a very slack chain.

With the tensioner slacked off, you could probably have tapped the jammed chain free of the mainshaft & casing jam by using a long metal rod. You can then juggle the slack chain until you can see/feel that it is correctly on the mainshaft sprocket and then using the pull-up string/wire keep it taught until you have got it on the exhaust cam sprocket and then the inlet cam sprocket and tensioner. The important bit is to get the exhaust side of the chain reasonably taut & straight, while ensuring that the timing marks line up. The rest just more or less follows naturally.

That's pretty much how I do it, though I have never yet jammed the chain at the bottom

I just leave the sump off until I get the head fitted and timing done, makes ensuring the chain its fitted correctly easy and also enables easy retrieval of anything you drop down the chain cover

cheers
Rohan

rgh0 wrote:I just leave the sump off until I get the head fitted and timing done, makes ensuring the chain its fitted correctly easy and also enables easy retrieval of anything you drop down the chain cover

cheers
Rohan

But that's only applicable if the engine is out of the car.

billwill wrote:But that's only applicable if the engine is out of the car.

a common mod consist in making the U profile brace under the chassis removable, so that the sump can be removed with the engine in place...

nmauduit wrote:

billwill wrote:But that's only applicable if the engine is out of the car.

a common mod consist in making the U profile brace under the chassis removable, so that the sump can be removed with the engine in place...

+1. Can't understand why Lotus didn't do it back in the day.