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Lotusfab

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Everything posted by Lotusfab

  1. Finally solved the issue I had with the ignition switch. Basically it was worn out. After rebuilding it I still found it to be unreliable. The only new one I could find was supplied by S and J. This switch looks Identical but internally is different. The Accessory position is unpowered at the second turn of the key when the Ignition becomes powered. 8n the original switch the Accessory position remains powered. The accessory position powers the electric windows and fans. I decided the only solution was to use the new switch and join the accessory wires ro th3 ignition wires. Now like a modern car the windows and fans only work when the ignition is turned on. This is a simplification of the system and with the new switch hopefully will be totally reliable. Will be taking the car for a full service on a ramp soon. Obviously I can do all servicing myself, but sometimes it's a good iidea to get it on a ramp and inspect everything.
  2. Thanks Phil very kind of you to say so. I am glad the new owner is getting the Lotus out there for all to see. Hopefully contributing to promoting what is a very underrated classic car!
  3. Happy to say the new owner drove again from Manchester to Hethel, some four hours each way with Skis on! The car has now done this twice and is driving perfectly, without any faults at all. A major achievement for a Turbo! it has now covered about 3000 miles with the new owner. hopefully some of you that live near Hethel went along to the 75th anniversary and took a look at the car. Think this second engine build can now be confirmed as a complete success. Hopefully anyone undertaking an engine or gearbox rebuild will read this blog very carefully and avoid all the initial mistakes I made.
  4. Cheapest job yet was fixing the choke. Bought a brake cable from the local bicycle shop and a ferrule. All working nicely now. oil change needed just incase of fuel in the oil. Hopefully I can enjoy driving it for a bit now!
  5. Well I found some damage to the face of the ring gear all in a small area, the face of the teeth worn. The new WASP starter has a different pinion and it has a longer reach by about 5 mm. I installed it and tested it. The screech noise totally gone. Very lucky escape as the damage is not significant enough to affectbthe operation. Please be careful where you buy these high torque starters. I bought one from PNM which worked fine in my Turbo. This new one is branded WASP and came from Lotusbits and works fine on my S1. The high torque starter I had on there caused all the damage! I started the engine the new starter was good, but the engine sounded terrible. I traced the noise to the choke on the rear carb.It was stuck open! Further investigation revealed the choke spindle screws loose but the cable was snagging on the very poor cable holder that was originally supplied. I plan to redo it all with a better solution.
  6. I wrote both my blogs to help pass on knowledge and save time and money. Glad its been of use. I am now on to my next problem. The new high torque starter I bought some years ago is making a screeching noise. The car has done only about 1500 miles since a total restoration. Its hasn’t had many starts! I am hoping it has not destroyed the flywheel teeth. The mesh of this starter is completely wrong for the car. Once again supplied by a well known supplier and I know of at least one other owner who fitted this and his flywheel was destroyed! I am told all the damaged occurs on the same tooth where the starter engages because the engine always stops in the same place due to the compression stroke. I have ordered a WASP high torque starter from Lotusbits, as I know it works correctly. If my flywheel has been destroyed by this unfit for purpose part I will not be happy. I have said before almost lots of the recent issues I have had with both the Esprits have been from substandard new parts. I am slowly getting this car to the same standard as my Turbo. Recently, the new ignition switch I fitted disabled my cooling fans which overheated the coolant and caused the forward engine hose to split longitudinally exposing the fact it was not reinforced and totally unfit for purpose - as was the ignition switch. If anyone has a purely rubber front hose change it before you have a disaster. I have Lotusbits making me a 5 ply reinforced silicone replacement. More expensive, but fit for purpose and all part of making the car reliable. If anyone is going to the Shere hill climb Surrey Hills and wants to have a close up look the car will be on the Bell and Coville stand on 3rd September. Thats if I don’t have to remove the engine to replace the flywheel! 😡😡😡😡😡
  7. Totally agree, one of the few businesses in the classic car world who supply great quality products at a reasonable price and know everything about seat belts.
  8. If ye need webbing replaced, decent quality seatbelt reels or anything seatbelt related heres the place to go. Very reasonably priced Old school business. http://fdts-seatbelts.co.uk
  9. Roger watching over the Esprit at a car show during the weekend. Another fault has developed. My seatbelt reels which were new from a well known supplier have now both failed! I replaced the drivers side some time ago and now the passenger side has failed. You can’t pull the belt out! I now use a professional seat belt supplier. She said the reels I had on she won’t sell as they are rubbish! I am annoyed they have both failed after only a hand-full of pulls, but I am more annoyed at all the extra fitting work this is causing! I also have to replace the high torque starter I bought. It is making noise. That was also new and totally unsuitable, as the mesh is all wrong. So frustrating lots of the new parts are rubbish - especially when are supplied by specialists. Despite all this I love the S1. Its not the fault of the car. Still waiting for the cooling pipe to be remade.
  10. Lotus in the Peak Best in Show. Picture from Midlands Lotus Club Thks.
  11. I am happy to report the new owner took the car to Lotus In The Peaks, something I had wanted to do - but in the end didn’t get the opportunity. The Northern Lotus fans seemed to like it, as it one car of the show. I hope to make it to this show at some point and bring the S1. Lotus really cracked it with the colouring and design of the Copper Fire FYEO Lotus. Its like a full size matchbox toy that you always wanted.
  12. Thanks Paul I found the fault with the original switch and repaired it. Seems to work fine now.
  13. No. Unless the new one I have is faulty these will cause your car to overheat! Why? Well its pretty simple there are four wires. The brown is positive, blue/brown (assesories incl windows and fans), white all the other services, red/white start monetary position. The original switch at first turn position connects the positive brown wire to the blue/brown, second postion- connects the Blue/brown and white wires to the positive. This switch in the second position removes power from the blue/brown wire leaving you with no accessories which include your windows and cooling fans. Installing it will result in all the coolant boiling out when the car gets hot, unless of corse my new switch has an internal fault which is very unlikely, but not impossible. I have fixed and reinstalled the original switch which is now working.
  14. Well the fuel pump fixed itself! Now working properly. I true Lotus fashion I am now removing the ignition switch again! I discovered its not turning completely off. Not sure why. Will have to removed the Araldite and examine inside. Does anyone know a source of new ignition switches that work?
  15. First mechanical issue since the rebuild. The SU fuel pump is continuously ticking. It should stop when the fuel pressure has built up. The pump was new when I restored the car. There are no fuel leaks, so I believe the pump itself has malfunctioned. Still safe to drive, but probably fuel contamination. I need the car for Newlands Corner tomorrow, so will fix the pump after. The SU pump has a built in filter, so maybe it needs a clean. Still very good fuel pressure and no carb leaks.
  16. Superb! Love the helicopter and full size pic with your car in front, really sets it off!
  17. Here she is The Spy Who Loved Me S1. Quietly sitting in Deezerland Car Museum Orlando. And some other cars you might know! Tried to get a look at the white Turbo engine, but no luck.
  18. Yep they are correct but installed wrong. The front of the clip must pass through the hole so it can hold the perspex and instrument mask.
  19. Car all repaired. Had no choice but to repair the original ignition switch. I cleaned it internally with a dremmel and wire brush, contact cleaner and greased the moving plastic and ball bearing. Where the tabs were poor I used epoxy to hold it firm after roughing the edges. I then drilled the steering lock to make a new ignition switch screw hole. I also replaced all the connectors on the loom and switch harness. The art to this is a correctly adjusted crimping tool and a very hot solder iron. Its all about the quality of your tools for a good job. Its now all working nicely. I have to resist the temptation to by new parts. They always seem to have issues. The originals are better quality and there always seems to be a way to repair them. If you post a clip picture I can tell you if its the correct part.
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