Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

Whew, re-installing the carbs/intake manifolds and exhaust manifolds on the pre-crossflow is a booger! I used hex key sockets rather that studs, but the angles make getting it all in place tough and getting the bolts tightened nearly impossible. I need to find some angled allen keys, or some other trick! But, they're on - will work on the linkage tomorrow, then possibly start it up.

The original used a conical shaped allen head bolt for the tight top bolts. It is a bugger of a job, especially in our case as we had resurfaced faces of exhaust manifold to get it true and flat, this resulted in approx /5mm step, meaning tweaks to the washers as well.

Vaughan

You may have tried using long ball end hex bit sockets, with an extension if necessary, for the manifold fixings? I found these useful in a similar situation on throttle body to cylinder head fixings on my Caterham. They allow you to work the cap head in/out at an angle.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BERGEN-Extra ... Sw4gpb1Yef
(Be careful to make sure the ball engages the cap head properly if working at an angle, there is a risk of damaging the cap head).
Malcolm

Thanks Malcolm, I have a long ball-head like that but there are no straight shots and the angles on most were too high for the ball-head. I ultimately ended up with a standard allen key, but the "elbow" was often just in the way using the short end and I had to get perfect entry and only had a very short turning radius, in some cases 1/8 of a turn, so tedious to get things started then tight. But finally did it.

I located these stubby l-wrenches online last evening and ordered a set, hopefully they'll make it easier in the future.

Reinstalled and running. Have some additional tuning to do but got it in the right ballpark for a short drive - enough to tell me I need to do some more tuning on the Elan, this Seven is exhilarating when in the gas!

I realized I was blowing oil from the breather. The dipstick has registered a bit over the full line since I got it so may just have been overfilled. I took advantage of today's warm-up to change the oil and filter and we'll see how it does next tuning session. I'm not familiar with these pre-crossflows or this breather apparatus - does anyone have any advice?

Great to see you're running again, the linkages etc look terrific. Like you I found the 7's to be very visceral, gruff, torquey and responsive.

I have exactly the same set of allen keys.

Re the breather, my car had a straight through type larger diameter than yours with an outlet pipe on top so a hose could be routed under the car, it was filled with fine steel wire and blocked.

The later ford engines and I think the x/flows had a chambered version with offset inlet outlet, this allows the oil vapour to condense and flow back to the engine. I've fitted one of these, currently run back to a filter, but will be installing a breather tank in front of the drivers footwell, rather than original which was simply under the car.

I'll see if I have the old one and take picture of it and one now fitted. I was going to use one of the burton 90 age fittings, the only issue it is has no oil deflector so oil gets pushed up the breather!!

Cheers

V

The original engine breather fitment on the non-crossflow engine was the metal breather that you have in the block with a 'u' rubber tube over it attached to a metal outlet tube fixed to one of the bell housing bolts and pointing free to air.
This is the only photo I can find on the web of the tube and 'u' rubber piece:-


Alan.

Thanks Vaughn and Alan, very helpful. I saw an elbow for an Anglia online while researching last night but wasn't sure if that was used on the Seven nor that my metal breather tube would be the right "connector". I'll look for the later offset box, too.

The offset box type came later and replaced the short breather stub you curently have fitted but if I remember correctly, and it was a long time ago I worked on these, you will still need the rubber 'u' tube and metal tube to fit on the offset box.
If you can't locate the correct one and to get you by until fully sorted all you need is a 180 degree rubber tube to fit over the breather stub, secured and pointing rearwards or alternatively connected to a suitable metal tube.

Alan.

Ordered. Will figure out what do on the outbound end when it gets here.

Good one!
I had feared it might just have been difficult to track one down. Pleased thats not the case!

Alan.

On my 7 the PO used PVC painted black, put a hose clamp on to hold it in place, cut the end at angle for draft.

joe7 wrote:On my 7 the PO used PVC painted black, put a hose clamp on to hold it in place, cut the end at angle for draft.

I may go that route, too. Sometimes it is best not to overthink - a beauty of these cars is their simplicity.

Here is the breather connector taken apart and cleaned up. Pretty simple itself.

Good results on compression test.



Got close on tuning, but still have some afterfire. I know the scorcher/bosch distributor is a good one, but I don't have any idea what advance should be to compare against. I have rebuilt the original lucas and it has been tested for the correct advance curve, just need to get and make some leads. Other than the afterfire popping, it is running pretty well. And looks ok, too.

Suggests either an air leak or leaning out..