It's a sad day

[andydclements 788]

Oh that Elite is so tempting if I had the space and the time.

[johnpwalsh 1,345]

Hi Andy, thats what I keep saying, just as well the new Mrs W loves the Lotus and understands I had cars before she knew where Scotland was ( she is from Englandshire ) this Elite came with second car for spares but has a rotten chassis and way beyond saving so she will be used to build up my stores stash again, mmmmmmm, I think I said that with the last one as well, or was it the one before that. It equates something like, 5 years = 6 Lotus = 3 back on the road ( 82 Esprit S3 None Turbo, 79 Eclat, 77 Eclat. ) 1 Eclat used for spares, 1 Elite presently for spares and 1 Elite for sale, cant be that bad.

John W.

Edited November 3, 2012 by johnpwalsh

[johnpwalsh 1,345]

The beast lives on, ex fire damaged Esprit S3, now running fine after a few tweeks to the carbs and the timing, just found a few of the gear linkage bushes must have suffered in the fire so new ones on order as I have a shortage of gears and hopefuly when I get back home she will be down for a fresh MOT and out and about again, now that will be a great day. The plan is to get all 5 of my toys lined up together for a group photo then decide which one I am selling but I stronlgy think it will be the Ex Team Lotus Eclat that will be going as Wendy has taken a fancy to the Elise and the Elite has been earmarked for a guy in the Netherlands so the collection will come back to a manageable few.

 

Any interest in a very well presented Eclat, previous best in show car at Donnington, had full body off restoration with new chassis etc etc, full photo album of restoration and the biggest history file you have ever seen including documented evidence of her first five years with Team Lotus under the ownership of Andrew Ferguson where she was serviced and maintained by Lotus. She will have a full service before being sold as the belts are due and the rear brakes need an overhaul. I also plan to change the gearbox as syncro in second is beginning to show signs or ware.

 

 

John.

Edited December 30, 2012 by johnpwalsh

[ramjet 1,090]

kudos.

[johnpwalsh 1,345]

The Beast lives, up and running, still with a little bit of a misfire, fine tuning required on the carbs, took her out for a run this afternoon and went in past my local MOT station where I was promptly told just get it in on the ramp and we will check her over now, so on she went and got a failure ticket for a number plate light being out! ok so new bulb fitted there and then, back in checked it was working and a pass ticket issued so now she is almost road legal again, just requires road tax which there is no point getting as I am due away again in a week so she will have to wait until I get home next month. Phoned the lovely insurance people and told them the car was MOT's and fit for the road again so please put the insurance back to full cover which they did immediately. so look out for the Beast on the tarmac.Now I have just fallen in love all over again.

 

Keep the faith.

Feel the love

Love the Lotus.

 

Just.

 

   

Edited February 19, 2013 by johnpwalsh

[johnpwalsh 1,345]

Anyway want a cheap Esprit.

Its a SAD SAD day update, well after a good run out yesterday with the Elise and meeting up with the TLF guys in Edinburgh I got up nice and early this morning thinking all positive, boiler suit on, coffee drunk in one gulp and out I goes to the garage. So I thinks to myself, OK last little tweak at the fuel mixture and idle settings and that's her all done so go for start up, half choke, two pumps of the accelerator, turn the key and she fires up on the second turn of the engine. I am happy, she just has a little splutter now and again so I thinks, twenty minutes or so get the gauges on her, get her up to the correct temp and do the final settings. So once again I climb inside the engine bay, now it's a final tweak so first of I refit the trumpets and air box, after all I wont need them off again will I, analyser tubes all connected and here we go, a little tweak here and a little tweak there and now sounding good. Shit! spoke to soon, whats that bang, rattle and puff of white/blue smoke, oh f++k, engine blown and never been out of the bloody garage yet. Totally despondent, back to the house for a good old fashioned greet (Scottish for Crying like a 5 year old). What now, phoned magic Mike and relayed what had happened with a few choice words thrown in. Mike in his coolest calmest voice, OK we can fix it no problem, remove the cam-box covers and have a look and see whats happened, me well pretty pi++ed off just reply OK and thanks Mike I have to go back overseas at the end of the week for work so really don't want to start delving into her innards and leave it half done so she will have to wait now for another couple of months when I get chance to get back at her. Downside, engine has to come out again after getting everything bang on and looking good. Upside, well at least it was at home and not hammering down some back road in the middle of nowhere and Mike has offered to help out with another engine, cant really ask for better service than that can you. Lotusbits, just love them, thanks Mike.

Keep the faith.

Feel the Love.

Love the Lotus.

OK just still out on that one now.

Edited March 4, 2013 by johnpwalsh

[Al. 294]

Oh dear..a        &   moment followed by                  moments.  Sorry to hear the news.

 

Is this why you were jokingly asking me about carbs the other day?

 

Love the Lotus. (eventually)

[johnpwalsh 1,345]

Partly, just wanted to see if any of the other guys had had the same problems getting them set but out of my hands now engine going to the big breaker in the sky. BUT she will live on, net giving up on her yet.

John

[mikec2126 11]

Not so good to hear John 

 

Still I will bet  you will have it sorted and on the road before mine  !!!

 

Mike 

[johnpwalsh 1,345]

Well the saga goes on, with the assistance of Bill Mutch the knacked engine is out and on the deck, must be getting good at this only took six hours this time. May have been a blessing in disguise as we found a crack on the real oil seal casing once it was out. The plan now is to get down to Lotusbits on Wednesday night and see the replacement engine on Mike's new test bed on Thursday morning, all being well we should have the engine loaded in the motor and back up to snowy Scotland the same day so fingers crossed. I cant thank Mike Taylor enough for his assistance as there was no guarantee given on the first engine even though it was test run prior to delivery as he gave me it a very good price, cheers Mike thanks for the first class service.

I will update at the end of the week, hopefully with an engine in the car by the weekend.

 

Keep the faith.

[andydclements 788]

Not great but at least you are getting assistance, facing it on your own could be a lot worse.

[johnpwalsh 1,345]

 Hi Andy, yep been a bit of a pain but I cant knock Mike for what went wrong just pure bad luck as the engine had all been rebuilt by another garage and that was part of the problem sealant blocking the oil ways to the cams, in all honesty Mike could have just said well tough luck but straight off when I called him he just said don't worry we can sort it out with another engine, how many dealers would do that straight off the cuff, the important thing for me is getting another tried and tested engine and hopefully have it home, fitted and the beast up and running in time for Donington, now that will be a run to prove the engine. fingers crossed, a few prayers said and try and hold back on the cursing and I am sure all will be well.

 

John.

 

Keep the faith, well I am trying. 

 

     

[johnpwalsh 1,345]

OK the Beast update. 0400am. Just back from Coventry with a rebuilt engine in the back of the BM so now for a couple of hours kip and get the thing out. The guys at Lotusbits bench tested the engine while I waited then decided to replace All the gaskets and oil seals, 10 hrs later the engine was loaded and heading home, good oil pressure, compression and temp was perfect after half an hour running on the test bed, these guys really pulled things together to get this done for me. Cheers guys, greatly appreciated.

 

John.

[andydclements 788]

I expect you are now really really tired. At least it should be worth it.

[johnpwalsh 1,345]

Tired but a bit happier, engine on the deck and all bolted up to the gearbox so hopefully tomorrow she will be lifted into place, desperate to try and get her ready for Donington next weekend.

 

Cheers Andy.

 

John.

[johnpwalsh 1,345]

Ok so the chassis and gear box is all painted and looking good, cut out all the old unused wireing from  previous modifications and the engine bay is looking nice and tidy now. Replacement engine No2 is in and fitted, only the drive shafts, brakes and a heater hose left to fit. Now tomorrow being Sunday and the traditional day of prayer, please say a few for me and the Beast as I would dearly love to have her running tomorrow night. 

 

Keeping the Faith, just.

 

  Now for another look at the manual just to check.

 

 

  

[johnpwalsh 1,345]

  She lives and breathes and starts off the button, oh great joy. Started by removing the plugs and giving her a spin over to blow the crap out of the bores after being upside down on the engine stand to have the sump and gaskets changed. Everything refitted, pull on the choke, two pumps on the fast foot pedal and hey presto, pop, bang splutter, and off she went, oops throttle jammed so quick shutdown, reset the cable and start again. After about ten minutes she has settled down nicely with a nice clean exhaust and a steady idle but the timing still requires final setting. Left her running to get the temperature stable and to check and see if the thermostat would kick in and it did at 92 Deg so all seems well, or so I thought now I am getting a strange noise from the gearbox which could be one of the spring retainers has popped off,     ah well at least its not another engine out job. Fingers crossed for Donington   this weekend.

Keep the Faith.

Feel The Love.

Love the Lotus.

 

It's coming back.

Edited April 14, 2013 by johnpwalsh

[scottmgibb 1]

Great news! Will be great to have a pair of Esprits ripping down the road to Donington!

[johnpwalsh 1,345]

Cheers Scott, yes it will be if I can find out whats gone wrong with the clutch, I am sure it's the springs retainers come off the bearing but means gearbox has to come out to find out, bummer.

 

John.

[scottmgibb 1]

just the exhaust, driveshafts, calipers, gearlinkages, speedo cable and rear chassis thing to come of though... you should have it out in an hour (or three)!

[johnpwalsh 1,345]

Thanks Scott. Gearbox has been out sorted and refitted now just to rebuild the brakes etc and get her back on track for the road.

 

John

 

Why does this underscore thing not switch off.

[Simon350S 192]

Your noise isn't anything silly like the nylon washer being missing off the end of the input shaft?

[johnpwalsh 1,345]

Hi Simon, nothing as simple as the Nylatron washer although it had also come off, the cause of the problem was the 2 springs holding the bearing to the fork had come off and the fork was running against the pressure plate hence the crunching noise, gearbox out, repaired and back in last night so just the brakes to rebuild then try her again, Oh and when you rebuild these systems don't do as I did and fit the discs the wrong way round DOH,

 

Cheers.

 

John.

 

Still cant get this underscore off, it seems to be going on automatically.

[johnpwalsh 1,345]

well head scratching time, gearbox out and checked, retaining springs replaced, Nylatron bush replaced and gearbox refitted and still it crunches as soon as you depress the clutch pedal, any suggestions.

 

Help.

 

John.

[johnpwalsh 1,345]

OK so the saga goes on, gearbox out again and new clutch release bearing fitted also a new spigot bearing, all put back together and tried again and still  the same noise, getting pretty good at this game gearbox back out in 40 minutes, checked everything over again and the only thing that is visible is that two of the springs look loose on the friction plate so sod it, new items on the way from Loutusbits, fit them then try again then that is everything replaced on the drive train. If that don't cure it we may just have another fire as I am getting pretty pissed off with the thing now. If anyone has any suggestions please let me know before I buy a box of matches.