vidal
Part of things
Posts: 15
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Feb 24, 2011 10:32:46 GMT
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I adore these cars, I've been lucky enough to own a few Lotus' including an Elise and an Exige but the Esprit is my fave model, it's an awesome GT car and a capable track tool. My first was an S4 Commemorative, only 11 made: I then progressed on to the Mac-Daddy of all Esprit's.....the Sport 350 (V8 twin turbo): Words can't describe how much I loved that car, you can imagine how gutted I was when it let go in catastrophic style at the Nurburgring: FYI, removing the engine is an easy job on them, it's worth doing to change the cam belt, clutch and the manifold which is made of cheese. Good luck with the project, I'm not just a little jealous
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scruff
Part of things
Posts: 621
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Feb 24, 2011 14:16:21 GMT
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Trouble with engine out is that i haev no room to put it out of the car. Oterhwise I'd pull it to do al this work. It would make life easier.
I haev the offer of a garage but it's 3/4 hour away and I wouldn't be able to sneak out for an hour or 2 in the evenings (If it wasn't pishing down all the time....)
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1994 Lotus Esprit - Fragile red turbo with pop up lights. 1980 Porsche 924 - Fragile red turbo with pop up lights.
I spy a trend...
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scruff
Part of things
Posts: 621
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Snuck out for an hour last night, gearbox mounts off, lower suspension arms off and all the bell housing bolts cracked.
Plan tonight is to pop the NS drivesahft out so I can change the gearbox seal later, and pull the box back to get at the clutch.
I hope to have it all in bits tonight so I can get all the other bits I need ordered up.
The only thing that is worrying me is the clutch looks to be very thin on the flywheel side only which is a bit odd...
I'm worried it'll have damaged the face and a new flywheel is £700! Hopefully it's fine or at worst just needs a kiss with a blanchard grinder to clean it up. I'll find out later I suppose....!
I also plan on spending a while with degreaser cleaning up the mess left by the leaky box, everything is covered in filth!
I'll also be taking the time to clean up some of the mild steel brackets that have dissapeared under rusty brown mess...
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Last Edit: Feb 25, 2011 9:07:45 GMT by scruff
1994 Lotus Esprit - Fragile red turbo with pop up lights. 1980 Porsche 924 - Fragile red turbo with pop up lights.
I spy a trend...
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scruff
Part of things
Posts: 621
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Feb 25, 2011 18:20:03 GMT
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OK update:
Box is off and pulled back, I disconnected both driveshafts by pulling the tripode joints to bits better than disturbing the seals too much.
First impresion was not good - the input shaft was flopping about! Ohnoes! I had images of knackered bearings and box rebuilds... So I stomped back in the house and got on 'tinternet - in typical Lotus fashion TADTS*! Daft French gearbox...
Clutch is off and it's just in time, it's a gnats tadger off the rivets! Sadly the flywheel is worn and has a very slight lip so it'll need grinding back.
I managed to change the gearbox output seals, oil everywhere... The role pin that holds it all together is broken in half somehow?? Ah well I'll add it to the list of bits...
I discovered that I could stand the box on end which gave more room to work so was about to start on the flywheel but I can't work out how to lock the crank so gave up for now...
More to come
Rich
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1994 Lotus Esprit - Fragile red turbo with pop up lights. 1980 Porsche 924 - Fragile red turbo with pop up lights.
I spy a trend...
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scruff
Part of things
Posts: 621
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Feb 26, 2011 19:41:30 GMT
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Flywheel is off, not a problem once I'd jammed it with a screwdriver! Just the threadlock by the looks of things.
Flywheel isn't worn it was just filth from the RMS which looks to have been weeping for a long time. The clutch cover plate is almost black with burned on oil. I'll get the flywheel kissed with a Blanchard grinder to clean up the face anyway.
I got all but one of the rear seal carrier bolts out.... Every other one rounded out despite cleaning them out, a good fitting allan key, hammered in, nice and gentle all the good things :wallbash: The last one it well and truly stuck, I've tried the usual hammer in a torx bit and so on but still no joy... Probably going to grind the head off then tackle it once the cover is off with some molies, so close....
I'm going to turn up a convenient bit of bronze to fit the spigot bearing so I can pack the cavity with grease and pop it out.
Other than that everything is liberally covered with degreaser and I had a good scrub of the box, it's actually looking silver in places!
Rich
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1994 Lotus Esprit - Fragile red turbo with pop up lights. 1980 Porsche 924 - Fragile red turbo with pop up lights.
I spy a trend...
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scruff
Part of things
Posts: 621
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Feb 27, 2011 19:18:26 GMT
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3 hours to remove the spigot bearing :dope:
I tried the fill with grease and hammer in close fitting object. I even made said tight fitting object! I applied loads of grease I applied my medium hammer firmly...
Pop! The seals popped off the front of the bearing and the brass shaft lodged itself into the inner race firmly...
Now I have a 4" bit of brass stuck in the bearing and everything is covered in grease!
Cock.
Eventually managed to make a puller from a bit of heavy steel plate and a couple of bolts.
Also managed to get the rear seal out and ordered new.
Lotus wanted £35+£9 +VAT+post for the seal and bearing I ordered them both for £22 all in :*
Rich
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1994 Lotus Esprit - Fragile red turbo with pop up lights. 1980 Porsche 924 - Fragile red turbo with pop up lights.
I spy a trend...
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scruff
Part of things
Posts: 621
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My wheel centres are pretty messed up, they are glued in with silicon at the moment so I made some new ones: Old: New: I'm going to put an O ring in the groove which will locate and retain them in the wheel. Rich
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1994 Lotus Esprit - Fragile red turbo with pop up lights. 1980 Porsche 924 - Fragile red turbo with pop up lights.
I spy a trend...
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I feel for you ! One siezed bolt after another etc. Lucky your handy with a lathe I know about Lotus prices, i can understand parts being expensive if they are unique to the car cos of the tooling costs, but a bearing is a bearing Hope the spigot was the last of your troubles
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scruff
Part of things
Posts: 621
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Trouble is most of the bits are GM. This Esprit was solidly in the GM ownership phase so all the electrics are Omega/Carlton and many of the enigne bits can be traced back to the original ford bits used.
The most annoying thig is the mix of imperial and metric measurements! The bolts are all metric but the seals are all imperial.
Also bits of the car that have survived unchanged from the early ones are imperial ie: the heater controls are all imperial!
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1994 Lotus Esprit - Fragile red turbo with pop up lights. 1980 Porsche 924 - Fragile red turbo with pop up lights.
I spy a trend...
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Stiff upper lip old chap, youre making good progress!
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Koos
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scruff
Part of things
Posts: 621
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No worries - I'm not giving up! I'm a Midlands engineer - always miserable...
When my mates heard my description of my Esprit they all commented on how much better it was in the plastic than my descriptions!
I'm a glass half empty sort I suppose!
I have tomorrow off to visit Blackburn Bros to see about getting the flywheel tidied up then I need a gasket to turn up and I'm on rebuild!
I can fit the spigot bearing and RMS without the gasket but can't get any further. I might even manage some pictures...
Rich
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1994 Lotus Esprit - Fragile red turbo with pop up lights. 1980 Porsche 924 - Fragile red turbo with pop up lights.
I spy a trend...
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Wardy
Part of things
Posts: 71
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Great read, keep up the good work and post more pictures
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scruff
Part of things
Posts: 621
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OK got some more work done. Rear main seal is back in and rear cover on: Rear steelwork replaced with stainless, out with the old: In with the new: Flywheel has been dropped off at Blackburn Bros for a tidy up. It needs 3 pins taking out, milling down and skimming to maintain the 0.5mm step. They were really apologetic as it might cost £40... erm, a new one is £800 - £40 is a bargain! :lol: Should be done for Monday. Found another water leak - feck knows how I managed to get that pipe clip on though! I'm off to get a 6mm spanner so I can get a couple more turns on the clamp. Then it's plug change on the Porker (Again - see if it'll stop pinking...) and order some more gearbox and engine oil from Opie Oils (Free post this weekend!) Rich
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1994 Lotus Esprit - Fragile red turbo with pop up lights. 1980 Porsche 924 - Fragile red turbo with pop up lights.
I spy a trend...
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scruff
Part of things
Posts: 621
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Bit of progress: Managed to replace the leaking jubliee clip eventually and found another one loose too. Also found out why the gear lever crossgate is so rubbish, this spring is supposed to have parallel legs, you can see the crack: Also there is a pin missing from the pivot too! Should improve things a bit! Rich
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1994 Lotus Esprit - Fragile red turbo with pop up lights. 1980 Porsche 924 - Fragile red turbo with pop up lights.
I spy a trend...
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scruff
Part of things
Posts: 621
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Also found the one of the gearlinkage bushes was really stiff to move! Probably part of the reason the spring failed. Trouble is the spring appears to be part of the assembly which is £450! Now exploring motorbike gearchange return springs...
Any thoughts on where to look for something similar?
Ta Rich
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1994 Lotus Esprit - Fragile red turbo with pop up lights. 1980 Porsche 924 - Fragile red turbo with pop up lights.
I spy a trend...
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scruff
Part of things
Posts: 621
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Mar 11, 2011 19:22:21 GMT
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Rain stopped - gearbox is back on!
Hopefully tomorrow I can get the inner CVs back together and the gearbox full of oil then I think it's back together... Don't think I have any significant bits left over...
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1994 Lotus Esprit - Fragile red turbo with pop up lights. 1980 Porsche 924 - Fragile red turbo with pop up lights.
I spy a trend...
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scruff
Part of things
Posts: 621
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OK then it's very very nearly done. I got as far as trying to start it last night but soem twot didn't do the starter motor bolts up...
So the boot floor needs to come out again so I can get to them - again.
I did however investigate the rust on the exhaust...
Then I applied my wire brush....
Then a hammer...
Then the twisted knot brush on the angry grinder (AKA Hamish)...
Oh dear... it was only the rust keeping it airtight... It's a bit frilly in the middle.
curse word.
Off to homebase for a sheet of galv plate (500x500x0.5mm gavly £4!) halfords for some repair gunk (radde card £1.15) and then a couple of hours hammering, drilling, and riveting and it's airtight again. Not brilliant but it'll do until I can afford a new one!
Hopefully be back on the road this week.
On the upside all the internal fluids *appear* to be remaining internal, which is a step forward, it was leaking oil (engine and gearbox), coolant and fuel for a while but now it's just leaking a tiny bit of oil, but it's British made so it's got to.
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1994 Lotus Esprit - Fragile red turbo with pop up lights. 1980 Porsche 924 - Fragile red turbo with pop up lights.
I spy a trend...
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Mar 14, 2011 13:42:41 GMT
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Excellent work so far, gkad it is nearly back on the road. John
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scruff
Part of things
Posts: 621
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Mar 23, 2011 19:15:29 GMT
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OK update: Look what turned up today! Despite it's appearance it's heavy gauge stainless and 20 mins of elbow grease and the tailpipe has come up nicely! I was thinking of polishing the lot but I'm not sure it's worth it or I can be bothered! To be fitted this weekend! Rich
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1994 Lotus Esprit - Fragile red turbo with pop up lights. 1980 Porsche 924 - Fragile red turbo with pop up lights.
I spy a trend...
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Mar 23, 2011 19:22:24 GMT
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keep going Soon be together and running again
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