Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

mac5777 wrote:Hi Russ, I was willing to drive up to one of my most favorite places, Lake Tahoe, with my Elan but if you have 6 inches of show already, I'll bring the Volvo.
I want to talk to you about a new part that your talent could help. I'll need between 500 to a 1,000 made up. Lets talk.

Sarto

Sarto, I promise I'll call you, but I need a day or 2. Just took a break from demoing a bedroom and bath, and going to the dump. More snow on the way tonight, plus I pulled my exhaust and fuel tank yesterday so I need to clean the garage so I can get my other car in.

Great ideas everyone, does anyone have a lip seal pan (mine is rope seal) they want to sell. I'd say borrow but you may never see it again so I'd prefer to buy it. Doesn't need to be perfect, just needed to reverse engineer.

Russ,
Id be interested in the sump too.

I also have another idea.As my plus 2 has knock on wheels,and have a habit of coming loose,Id be interesed in alloy hubs that can take bolt on wheels.Ive asked around but no one I spoke to was willing to take up the design.

Regards,

Paul

Hello Russ,

I have an old pan that I would be glad to contribute to the cause. Please let me know your shipping info (pm or email) and I will get it on its way to you.

Btw, this is exactly how the early Elite guys get their "unobtanium" parts. They make moulds, fabricate fixtures, get patterns and castings made.

Regards,
Dan Wise

vstibbard wrote:Hi,


Thermostat housing cover, most of mine are getting pretty thin now.

Cheers

V

We already have a member who makes those. A better one with a filler cap on it too and which (unlike a similar standard Ford? part), has the outlet pointing in the correct direction.

pauljones915 wrote:Russ,
Id be interested in the sump too.

I also have another idea.As my plus 2 has knock on wheels,and have a habit of coming loose,Id be interesed in alloy hubs that can take bolt on wheels.Ive asked around but no one I spoke to was willing to take up the design.

Regards,

Paul

Paul,

Please have a look at your wheels. The pin drive holes can become elongated with time and wear. The action of braking and acceleration on worn pin drive wheels will cause the wheels to come loose. If the pin drive holes in the wheels are good, you may not have enough torque on the K/O's or else the hubs have been installed on the wrong side of the car.

If you do an front oil sump you may want to groove the mating surface for O-ring material so the pig does not leak. The next choice is more visible and that is the Twin Cam valve cover with LOTUS over each Camshaft, and Yes I want the same groove in the valve cover for the O-ring material. I know you can make a twin Cam that doesn't leak, I would like to see one that stays that way. The front covers are done by others so that would round out the ally parts.

Gary

piss-ant wrote:If you do an front oil sump you may want to groove the mating surface for O-ring material so the pig does not leak. The next choice is more visible and that is the Twin Cam valve cover with LOTUS over each Camshaft, and Yes I want the same groove in the valve cover for the O-ring material. I know you can make a twin Cam that doesn't leak, I would like to see one that stays that way. The front covers are done by others so that would round out the ally parts.

Gary

Drifting off topic, sorry!
I wouldn't put too much faith in using O-Ring profile seals on such applications.
The big boys found out years ago that "coffin" profile seals do the job, not the "O" profile.
The groove they fit into is also specific.
Even so those "posh" seals don't cure all "ills" & quite often liquid sealant is also applied in critical areas.

Basically clamping force is what it's all about.
An alloy oil pan will distribute the available force provided by the exiting screws better than the pressed steel item but, as has been mentioned before the cork gasket remains the weak link in the chain.

There's no way to improve the Cam cover unless an enormous amount of stiffening is added to the casting.
This is because the 8 available studs provide very poor clamping force spread.
Provision for more studs maybe?

I'll say no more about the downfalls of cork gaskets & the advantages of liquid sealants because we've hammered that topic to death in the past.

Nevertheless, a small edge groove/chamfer to accept a bead of sealant rather than an O-Ring would be good.

Cheers
John

Hi,

My hubs are slightly worn in the lug area.However only one wheel has ever come loose.No matter how hard i tighten it.I would still be interested in bolt on wheels.Is this possible?I understand that baby elans have bolt on wheels too,but these will not fit as a direct swap,there are plenty of wheel manufacturers that will do split rims to suit.

Paul

A quick update on what I'm planning. I've decided to start with only one part, and that will be a lip seal oil pan. The pan will be sand cast with the provision to add bolt in baffles. It will have a magnetic drain plug, and as an option a boss for an oil temperature sensor. The boss could be drilled and tapped as part of machining process or left for the customer to drill and tap if required. Any other features you think would be useful to have incorporated?

I'm currently waiting for the sheet metal oil pan before starting CAD work. I'm also looking for used pushrod lip seal engine for fit up purposes. I had a 711M engine that a friend gave me, but he needed it back because he blew the engine in his 7.

Tahoe wrote: <snip> The pan will...have...as an option a boss for an oil temperature sensor. Any other features you think would be useful to have incorporated?

Cooling fins p'raps???

Cheers - Richard

ardee_selby wrote:

Tahoe wrote: <snip> The pan will...have...as an option a boss for an oil temperature sensor. Any other features you think would be useful to have incorporated?

Cooling fins p'raps???

Cheers - Richard

Yes they will have cooling fins

Russ, are you looking for the engine, complete with crank and rods, to determine clearances for the baffles? If not, a bare block, front cover and rear seal carrier should suffice.

Greg Z

gjz30075 wrote:Russ, are you looking for the engine, complete with crank and rods, to determine clearances for the baffles? If not, a bare block, front cover and rear seal carrier should suffice.

Greg Z

I'm looking for as complete an engine as possible. I located a '71 pinto engine which is a 711M. Should be the same as far as the bottom end goes except for the front cover. Anyone here a Pinto expert? The engine is not close by so I'm asking for pictures.

I know Kent Xflows quite well (its not a Pinto in Europe).....the Pinto here is the SOHC engine and is a different design to the Kent engine.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Pinto_engine
The 711M is a 1600cc Xflow ohv engine, the block has the same dimensions as the TC engine except for the height (longer stroke) and it is slightly wider at the engine mountings but these do not make a difference as regards fitting the sump.
The 711 sump has the oil bowl at the rear with a different oil pick up and dipstick at the rear of the block, also as you say the front cover is different but the Lotus timing cover is interchangeable.

Brian, the earliest Pintos here in the US were 1600 cc, using the 711 block.

Russ, any Kent pustrod front cover should be the same as the t/c front cover, where it matters to you,

Greg Z