alzmoore

Yes it's gearbox oil... You are right it has a particular smell....

Filip, thanks for the encouragement.... I guess I better just bite the bullet...

Thanks Sailorbob...... Looks like a nightmare but I think I'll get the House of Commons to make no leak illegal and that should solve it....

I knew it was too good to be true. Car has been running well but now it seems to be leaking something that looks like brown gravy from the bottom of the clutch bellhousing. The engine doesn't seem to be losing oil, so i guess it must be the gearbox seal. It's the Renault gearbox. Has anyone had a similar problem and how difficult is the fix? Many thanks Alan

Many thanks Dave. I never seemed to get anxious before I had a Lotus........

After 5 years my 1989 SE turbo project now has an MoT and is actually on the road...!!! ...However, panic set in when I got the dreaded flickering oil pressure light and low/zero reading on the guage at idle and flickering lights on gear changes once it got warm. I have removed the sensor and fitted a temporary manual gauge and am very relieved to find 60psi at idle when cold which drops to just under 30 when hot. At 3500 I get about 50 psi (hot). Because I suffer from extreme Lotus anxiety, I'm now wondering if that is too high as it seems to be well above the manaul spec? I guess i obviously need a new sender unit. Any recommendations?. many thanks Alan

I have always had problems get a decent idle on my 1989 turbo esprit SE project, but maybe I have stumbled on the cause of the problem? It will start from cold and behave itself more or less all the way up to 85C and beyond (can't go much further as the fans won't kick, which is another problem to sort..)..If I restart when warm it idles badly and usually eventually stalls. However, if i restart when warm with the O2 sensor disconnected, it seems to idle reasonably well. But why does it not stall when started from cold and run up to temperature? The system goes closed circuit because the idle speed drops, so the sensor is doing something. The sensor is an SJ alternative. I can't road test yet as I haven't got any door yet... Before I lash out on a new Lotus sensor, does any of this make sense?

No luck so far.. Next plan is Tufnol rod and file......

Bob, It looks like you are right. Sj can't source it... So scratching my head now for a solution... I'll try the other spares outfits and scrappers, but if anyone has any ideas please let me know. Thanks

Brilliant many thanks. Just need to find one now... Will try SJ tomorrow.

Barry, Thanks for the reply. I can only get a voltage if I rotate the tps clockwise about 30 degrees, to give the required 0.5-0.7 volts. I have to clamp in this position as the holes are way out of line. The throttles are closed and it will start and run (unevenly) in this position. I think the previous owner had dismantled the bodies for powder coating, but i can't see how you could reassemble the butterflies the wrong way round anyway....very puzzling. I got a new tps from SJ and it's just the same as the one the car came with. i will get some photos tomorrow Alan

Hello, I've finally managed to get back to my 1989 SE project.. I can't get the tps to align properly with the screw holes on the end of the throttle bodies and get the right voltage and my mate is convinced that there is an adaptor missing from the end of the throttle spindle. The shaft end is basically a small flat spade on the end of the shaft which fits into the tps. It does operate the switch...... but should the be an adaptor on the end of the shaft that fully fills the 'hole' in the tps... And if so where could it get one...? Many thanks

Great stuff guys. Until you sent the photos I was trying to fix the dampers in completely the wrong place....disaster avoided.

Thanks Atwell, Photos would be great as it looks I will have to make some, unless someone knows where to get them??? Alan

Hello I have two questions about tailgate dampers Firstly, I have two dampers, one seems shorter than the other and it has a electrical spade connector at each end. Which side is which and what are the connectors for? Secondly, the parts manual shows the car end bolting to a bracket which fits to the body. SJ say that part is obsolete. Do they bolt directly to the body or do I have to make some kind of bracket. If so, anyone know what it looks like? Many thanks