soldave

I have, and I've quickly realised my stillsons from Halfords aren't very good! Edit: Just went out and got a good grip on the head of the plug. All it's going is pulling chips of metal out of the head which is getting more and more rounded. Think I might have to accept defeat on this one

Very good idea but unfortunately I've tried it and it's not worked. Even if I put pressure on it from the bottom, it looks like it might be lifting the diff as it pushes the socket off. I did try turning it tighter a degree or two and it did move so it's not completely seized; just nothing I have can get leverage on the rounded head. I'm thinking my two options are: Get my garage to do it when they're cutting the track rod to bring alignment back into spec, possibly welding a nut onto it or something to get it off Live with it stuck on for now and do a diff oil change using my suction pump to suck the oil out of the fill hole..

Thanks, Pete. Just the info I needed. Have found Land Rover Defender plugs will work, and also an interesting article on diff plugs (never thought I'd write those words!) from an E-Type forum here I'm probably going to get a pair of these magnetic plugs: https://www.jgs4x4.co.uk/land-rover-defender-magnetic-differential-diff-gearbox-drain-plug-tyb500120/.

Possibly, although the plug I have is pretty rounded now so I'll be replacing regardless. I'd worry if I stuck a magnet on, it would come free at some point and start flying around the diff!

I'm looking to replace the drain plug on my diff (once I get the damn thing off!), if possible with a magnetic plug. The problem is finding what plug will fit. Both drain and fill plug currently are the square head type which look like these ones that SJ Sportscars sell (and which they sell as drain and fill plugs). My understanding is that the diff in the Elite/Eclat is a Salisbury 7HA, the same used on a Morgan and some Land Rovers. I've found a Morgan 7HA drain plug listed here which may fit, but it's not magnetic. Looking at Land Rover ones seems to be a bit if a minefield though as I'm not exactly sure which this diff was fitted to. Also, the Land Rover diffs have an inverted square head and sites seem to say that the filler and drain plugs are not the same. Does anyone have any idea which plugs are compatible and if there's a magnetic drain plug alternative we can get for our diffs?

I could, although I'd rather not go from power I could, although I'd rather not go from power-assisted to manual steering. That would probably be a last resort.

Yeah they're different; at the very least thinner track rods on the manual rack I believe.

Are you going to be making a cheeky bid?

Passenger side track rod end was pretty much welded to the rod itself! Torque, blow torch, penetrating fluid... nothing had an effect. Cut into it in the end and then stupidly cut about 2mm into the track rod thread , so my own damn fault

Well, damn. Just got back from the garage after my alignment and they confirmed what I suspected; the track rod isn't the right one now on the passenger side and with everything else set up the passenger side is toeing way out. Garage is going to try and set up the passenger side first and then align the driver's side and steering wheel once the passenger side is in spec. I may lose a little bit of steering angle but it looks like the only solution right now. Nothing's ever easy! One thing I'm pretty sure of though; the power steering rack may be Ford Granada but the passenger side track rod isn't.

I was thinking of taking the line off the carbs and doing it that way. Still a bit risky with potentially hard line but that was my thought. Spiral wrap could be an option though.

Spotted an unfortunate Esprit fire on a Facebook group and got me thinking about the bare fuel line that's in my engine bay to my carbs. Now I don't fancy replacing all the fuel line through the chassis any time soon, but I thought of other ways to protect it. Do you think this would be worth getting to go around the line in the engine bay from carbs to as far back as I can go? Just a bit of protection from heat and possibly a bit of abrasion too? https://www.amazon.co.uk/SUNDELY-Colour-Shield-Protector-Sleeving/dp/B06XKFV7P5/

She lives! Got steering all back together and apart from one broken bolt it went together fine. Started up right on the button (or key turn) despite being down for around 3 months. No leaks which is promising Need to drop the car into its wheels but right now the toe looks waaaay out on passenger side when the steering wheel is straight. Will definitely need an alignment and then probably an adjustment of the steering wheel once that's done. I'll also leave the fact that my new track rod on the rack is smooth and has nowhere to get a grip to turn it!

Finally got the power steering rack back and with a brand new track rod. Apparently the whole rack is Granada Mk1 but the power steering track rods are rare as hens' teeth. In the end my garage managed to source a brand new one from Germany! Now to get the thing back in the car. I'm guessing it'll slide in from the driver's side, but any tips on getting the bulkiest part in? Looks like there's gonna be a lot of wiggling it around trying to make it fit through the gap!

Good luck. I got nice tight handbrakes for about 3-4 months and then they slackened off (I'm guessing the auto adjusters in the drums aren't as "auto" as they once were!

Have had a garage refurb the power rack on my Eclat over the past couple of weeks as part of my front end overhaul. The main part of the rack is all sorted but one of the track rods themselves needs replacing, and the garage can't seem to find the right match for them. I'm sure they're not going to be Lotus specific and the rack is a Ford one (Granada possibly), but does anyone know what track rods would work? Just to be clear, it's not the track rod ends I'm looking for; it's the rods/drumsticks themselves.

Took it to a place this afternoon who specialises in classic car radiator refurbs and is reasonably well known in those circles. The guy was optimistic about giving it a refurb and clean until he saw inside it! Then He said he hated turning down work but after he found out how much a new one would be he said that would be my best bet. Yet another SJ order coming in!

Very nice. I will get an original one from SJ if this place tomorrow think it's too far gone or can't do a decent refurb on it. Would be a no-brainer but they're 110 pounds plus VAT from SJ.

Yeah I get your point. There a local car radiator place near me - might go there on Monday and see if they can check it and give it a bit of a refurb. Will get them to drill those bolts our too for me!

Do we think this coolant tank is on its way to coolant tank heaven, or still plenty of miles left in the old girl yet? Had to take it off and was forced to cut through the nuts & bolts under the wheelarch to get it off so am wondering if it's worth the effort of drilling through the bracket bolts and cleaning it up or not If it helps with the decision, after it was emptied I was shaking it around and there was a fair bit of rattling and rust chunks coming through, along what looks like the bottom of a previous radiator cap and spring!!! Also, the air bleed hose outlet has resistance sometimes when blowing through it, sometimes not.

Really cool colour. These cars already stand out but with paint like that even more so! Good luck with the project 👍

Finally the front suspension and steering is all apart. All it took was a breaker bar, a crowbar, a heat gun, a blow torch, and a carbide saw blade, plus the usual set of tools. Need to take the lower links to a garage to get the outer race of the bush out; managed to kill the rubber bush with fire(!) but am replacing with poly bushes so need the outer out too. Another order going in with SJ today or tomorrow for some final bits but then we should be ready for putting things back together. Only other decision to make is whether to have the springs powdercoated. Yes, it'll look nicer as the paint is flaking off them right now, but is it something I need to do? Possibly not.

Not sure whether it's because the exhaust runs on that side of the car so it'll be hotter, but taking apart the suspension on this passenger side has been a pain. The damper will come off this weekend once I have the tool kindly lent by @Trunnion 74, but I've come to a grinding halt at the lower link pivot bolt, which has become seized to the metal distance tube inside the bush. So I can get about 45 degrees of movement (and can even see the rubber bush moving) and then it just goes tight and I can't get any more rotation out of it. Can't get a dremel or grinder in as there's not enough space. Once the damper's off I could get a reciprocating saw blade in and cut down through the bush, distance tube and bolt either side of the link, but will a carbide reciprocating saw blade even have much effect on this hardened bolt? Am thinking something like this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Irwin-10507365-800RG-Carbide-Blades/dp/B007ZYJUTQ Or possibly: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bosch-Carbide-Reciprocating-Blades-S1256XHM/dp/B00OC88YSG

Yeah they flop around like a dead fish too so have got new ones!

This is going to seem like a really strange question, but is there any reason why this power steering fluid wouldn't be good for a Lotus Eclat power rack? Seems to be good value from Euro Car Parts but other places seem to say it's for older Mercs. https://partsfinder.bilsteingroup.com/en/article/febi/08972