What did you do to your Lotus today...

[Mazzini]

A very ingenious forum member with an S1 made and fitted them for me. I traded him a set of original hub caps. I think he used an alloy strip he found in a local hardware store.

[elansprint71]

Cap-head bolts for exhaust manifold shortened and trial-fitted. Cam-cover off ready for new gasket- think I'll use a smear of clear silicone sealant on both sides of the cork this time; I used Wellseal last time but that only lasted a year and then leaked like a sieve (rather unexpectedly, as I've sworn by it for years; I bet H&S has outlawed the vital ingredients!).

[reb53]

Used a flaring tool to tighten the crimp on the pump to Weber fuel line, and annealed the copper sealing washers where the fuel line bolts to the carb.

No more weeping, and no more petrol smells !

P.S. The fuel line was new only 8 years ago......

[reb53]

Cap-head bolts for exhaust manifold shortened and trial-fitted. Cam-cover off ready for new gasket- think I'll use a smear of clear silicone sealant on both sides of the cork this time; I used Wellseal last time but that only lasted a year and then leaked like a sieve (rather unexpectedly, as I've sworn by it for years; I bet H&S has outlawed the vital ingredients!).

So you're not going the 100% silicone route ?
As in, lay a bead of high temp silicone around the head, light smear of grease on the cam cover, and then rest it on the head without bolting it down.
As long as you put enough on, and some squished out the sides a little, you can lightly bolt down next day as you've just made yourself a silicone gasket.
Which is still removable in the future courtesy of the grease you put on the cover.

I did this several years ago and it's worked out fine.

Ralph.

[HampshireMush]

Took my S4 on a run to Brooklands Museum to celebrate the 50th anniversary of it leaving the Factory on Feb 5th 1969.

Managed to get some photos alongside another 50 year old - Concorde had its first flight on March 2nd 1969.

Photos attached - Question is which has aged more gracefully the Elan or Concorde???

John

[types26/36]

........removed the water pump from my Sprint.

[JonB]

Discovered my newly waterproofed garage has a leak. Spent 1/2 hour vacuuming up the large puddle, whilst glancing wistfully at the Elan.

[Certified Lotus]

Had my Italian Weber carbs rebuilt for my S1. Pierce Manafolds. The best in the business.

[gjz30075]

Interesting. Mike Pierce talked me out of rebuilding my 18s and suggested I buy new onew (151s). Financially
it made more sense. But I'd rather have the vintage 18s in a vintage car.

[Certified Lotus]

He didn?t try to talk me out of restoring these. Told him why I was restoring (wanted vintage Italian Weber?s in my S1) and sent him the dyno plot.

[baileyman]

Mailed off my 54 year old Smiths instruments to Nisonger for refurb. Fingers crossed, 'cause they're yugly...

John

[ericbushby]

I found one of the unobtainables this week on ebay ,
A bonnet lock handle and inner cable. It was a bit scruffy and took a bit of cleaning up but ended up looking splendid and most satisfactory. I do not know if the seller is on this forum but if you are, thankyou again. I am highly delighted with it.
It doesn`t take much does it !!
Eight years I have been looking for that (and some other things).
Fitted it today. Well suited and only cost me ?14. 00
Eric in Burnley
S3SE Type 45

[SENC]

Found TDC and got my distributor installed, then contorted myself to fit under the dash to reinstall my clutch master cylinder - after that went out to work on my truck (no contortions required). Hope to get the slave reinstalled and clutch bled tomorrow.

[prezoom]

Day before yesterday, I fussed a bit over a very small fuel leak from the fuel cap of my Plus2. Even being a Federal model, with the external expansion tank that seems to serve as a place for sloshing fuel to be captured, when the tank is filled to the brim, I still get a couple of streaks of fuel that escape from the filler cap.

The metal disc that supports the rubber seal has a hole in the center that fits around a shaft that keeps the disc and seal centered over the fuel opening. A spring behind the disc provides pressure on the disc/seal against the opening when the cap is closed, or is supposed to. However, there is no method of sealing around the hole in the disc and the shaft, other than a washer, secured by a small screw that holds the whole assembly together. The washer, though located centrally at the end of the shaft realistically cannot provide much of a seal to keep fuel from leaking past the shaft/disc and out from under the cap onto the top of the wing.

On my cap, there is also a couple of thick rubber grommet like discs on the shaft behind the disc that I believe are supposed to provide some sort of seal against the disc, when closed, but do not seem to be doing the job. With a brisk mountain drive in the schedule for yesterday morning, I searched through my O ring collection and found a small O ring that fit tight over the shaft and appeared to bridge the gap between the disc and the rubber grommets. While success was still illusive, it did reduce the spillage significantly, with only one short small trail of escaped fuel on the wing. Back to the O ring collection to see if I can find a slightly thicker O ring, with hopes of future success. Future film at eleven.

[miked]

Rob,
Re Plus 2 fuel cap.
I bumped an old thread. Look in fuel section. I figure you are talking about the seal behind the disc.
With some experimenting I fixed mine. I think most rot off or just go hard.

Cheers Mike