What did you do to your Lotus today...

[Quart Meg Miles]

You have noticed the gel coat star crack in the photo, I hope?

Mine is the Elan of 1000 star cracks, that area is fairly free of them, Bill.

[The Veg]

My Plus 2 has so much cracking on the roof and other upward-facing surfaces that in certain light it looks like a yellow alligator!

[draenog]

My bonnet was free of star cracks until I replaced the engine mounts and closed the bonnet without checking

[vstibbard]

We've been busy blasting and painting the last few days, we've stripped the suspension off our Vetrosina 308GTB blasted, primed and painted wishbones and fitted new bushes and got inspired so got into the Elan front wishbones, tomorrow its the rears then fitting bushes and next week the chassis will go off to the blasters to be painted.

V

[mark030358]

I ate it (them)

[steve lyle]

New Robbins Stayfast top and cover.

[TrevorJones]

Hi All

Finally got my car back from storage yesterday after 7 months and the Clutch Gods smiled on me for a change, so no work to do. This left me time to sort out a long standing stutter/flat spot in the change over from slow running to main jets at around 2500 - 2900 which made for really difficult driving around town.

The engine is 83.65, 12.5:1 comp, full steel with 10.5 lift on 1.625/1.4 valves on DCOE 45's. The engine absolutely flies from 3k to 8+k which is great on the track but murder getting it away from the lights or sensible driving in traffic.

The car has been on a rolling road but could not sort out the flat spot so I have lived with it a few years now.

I read a great article on this site about checking the progression holes on the 45's and blow me there was only 2 holes. comparing the throttle angles with a standard 40 DCOE 18 sure enough the dead spot could be helped by the addition of another progression hole. Out came the 1mm drill and after a load of minute measurements and setting out - bit the bullet.

Run it up, re-tuned the tick over mixture and off for a run, god what a difference, stutter/dead spot now down to 2800-2900. Back to garage, out with a load of jets and decided on a 55 F9 re-tuned and off for another run. Drives brilliantly and behaves in traffic at last - years of looking like a real boy racer going ever where at 3k rpm now behind me.

Massive thanks for the contributors to this excellent site.

Trevor Jones
1967 Elan S3

[baileyman]

Speaking of the dead spot, Bill McCurdie tunes the low end mixture rich so that it reduces the lean out.

Meanwhile, went to the Lotus racers' lunch at Tiny's in Ayer, MA, and here the guys are checking out the project:

250 miles since state inspection (MOT), taking it easy because of all the new gears in it, and every drive creates a new project or three.

Here at McCurdie's in Harvard, MA checking out new pistons and rods. 90mm bore, short wrist pin, DLC, I think it's 87mm stroke, have to recheck.

John

[pharriso]

Meanwhile, went to the Lotus racers' lunch at Tiny's in Ayer, MA, and here the guys are checking out the project:

John

I spy Gary Anderson observing at a distance

[MrBonus]

As I learn more about what deferred maintenance from prior ownership (as well as my own) must be performed, I used a grease gun for the first time in my life to grease the trunnions. There was a faint noise when the car took really tight turns which is now completely gone. I know this is a really simple item but it feels like a victory that I wasn't going to have to replace the wheel bearings.

[vstibbard]

Lotus recommended Gearbox/diff oil for the trunnions, I was told reasoning was that grease hardens over time.

[alan.barker]

I think someone has just opened the Can of Worms again
Alan

[rgh0]

I think someone has just opened the Can of Worms again
Alan

Yes I see worms leaving cans and running everywhere. Enjoy using a grease gun with modern EP2 grease--- it works and is actually what you should use despite the somewhat aged advice from Triumph engineers from the 1950's

cheers
Rohan

[MrBonus]

Lotus recommended Gearbox/diff oil for the trunnions, I was told reasoning was that grease hardens over time.

Yeah, I read like 50 threads on it. I chose grease because I was more confident that I'd be able to use a grease gun than an oil gun.

If I die due to hardened trunnion grease, pour out a bottle of 90 weight gear oil in my memory.

[MrBonus]

I think someone has just opened the Can of Worms again
Alan

Yes I see worms leaving cans and running everywhere. Enjoy using a grease gun with modern EP2 grease--- it works and is actually what you should use despite the somewhat aged advice from Triumph engineers from the 1950's

cheers
Rohan

This was my thinking as well. I imagine either is sufficient given how much better modern synthetic-based greases are than they were 50 years ago.