steve clack

Thanks, as you know the amount of time and money it takes to just restore the Mini is ridiculous! The lotus unfortunately isn't something I have the time for now. I have spend far too much time in the garage than I should have and it it time to sell to someone who has.

Sorry, I ment I wanted to sell the Lotus Elite!

Hello Peter, I want to sell my totally original (been stored for 38 years) Lotus Elite 1975, I have just run out of time to complete, let me know if you are interested. steve

Sorry for the radio Silence! The car has Stalled some what. I bought a couple of Mini Mk1's and have just finished a complete restoration of the 1962 one. I am thinking of selling, would anyone be interested!

No Dan I didn't, there was so much crap between the piston and liner that I would have been differcult to spot. I had to hit the liner on the side many times with a hammer to get the piston out i has accured to me after the strip down that you have to have lotus special tools to take things like the crankshaft pulley snouts off, I waited four days and paid £60 for the tool and have used it once for five minutes. Maybe we can set up a little rent "a lotus tool" thing on the forum. I would have been delighted if I could have rented the tool for £15.

Engine autopsy complete, number 4 piston and liner welded together, had to remove the piston and liner to free them from each other. Took a large hammer and bingo piston released, ordered a secondhand piston and liner (£70 all in including rings) from SJS. Ordered rebuild gaskets for top and bottom of engine, new oil strainer filter and a few other bits. Total rebuild should cost should be under £350. Another Elite on it's way to a new life....

Thanks but the engine is nearly completely stripped already, I will pull out the crankshaft and Pistons tomorrow and hope that it is not terminal. Hopefully when the engine was starved of oil the crankshaft just stopped and not caused to much damage. Wishful thinking but it is all I have at the moment.

No unfortunately not, the oil strainer was completely blocked with mastic, paint and all sorts of stuff. I think the crankshaft has seized. The pistons do not move, I am waiting for a tool to get the crankshaft pulley off. Then I can get the crankshaft and Pistons out. Then I can assess the damage.

Thanks for the replies, what's the best way to lock down the liners if you don't have a special tool? It is an early matching engine numbered car 9727, so engine change is not an option. If the engine is not repairable the the car will have to be sold for spares.

Just a quick update, engine has been cleaned and cleaned, have still not been able to turn it over. I decided to have a closer look inside, cams off, cylinder head off and the pictures show why the engine does not turn. Looks like the car has driven 67,000 miles a bit rich. Time to get the angle grinder out.

Does anyone know how to get the front seats out? The four bolts that hold them in seem to be designed to never unbolt. The top of the bolt cannot be accessed by a socket or a spanner, any thoughts.

Thanks for that, just what I wanted to here! Body off then recon chassis and engine then body back on.

Engine finally out ready for soda blasting in the next few days! Those of you that have done the engine out job, you will know how high the engine has to go up to get out. Had to push the car back a few feet, while the engine was in mid air! Just as well I was on my own lots of ***** words. Body off next! Has anyone put the body back on over the engine and chassis. I think that maybe this might be the way to go, when the body is sprayed.

Thanks for the link to the manual, all is explained, this has been a great help.

Hello Ant, the clutch wire has been released from the clutch fork, then the wire and shroud goes into the car just above the brake servo, I cannot work out how to get the connector off. Otherwise the wire and it's shroud is still connected to the engine.