Norfolk mustard S4

[Barrykearley 6,358]

Run your hands down the leads - my old ones had a spark breaking out that contributed to a slight splutter. I never noticed it - my buddy did when we were fettling with something manifold like prior to pulling the lump

[Clarky5150 93]

Interesting Barry. I used to have an XR3i back in the day and when the rammle motorcraft leads went bad you could see the spark tracking down the wire at night. Looked great and made me think how cool a mod it would be to have clear spark lead sheaths....... I was young and it was 1987.

[Clarky5150 93]

Ok coil packs taken off and cleaned. Noted a small amount of cracking in 2/3 packs rubber shell. Sprayed liberally with contact cleaner. Rebuilt. Now firing on 2 ? 

Here is a close up of the pack in question. Would these be significant enough to cause the misfire/cold start throttle issue and by dousing them with contact cleaner will it have exasperated the issue? 

Hoping the answer is yes.

 

[Chillidoggy 4,218]

I personally don’t think that’s the cause, but a new pair of coils won’t set you back too much if you fancy them.

MSD 8224, try Summit Racing, highly recommended.

[Clarky5150 93]

Well the pack went from weak spark to no spark with a dousing of contact cleaner so something is definitely amis there.

[Barrykearley 6,358]

Make sure the contacts are clean - don’t just spray the pins - get some emery cloth on them and make em shine.

also - the bolts that bolt them up - im sure they provide a grounding to the pack - so get that rust crud off the mounting

[Clarky5150 93]

Did both Barry Pack 2/3 still down. New packs en route. No point playing the guessing game. 

On an aside finally got the coilovers set about right. Felt nice today on the way home from work.

[Barrykearley 6,358]

If there’s cracking on the packs - according to the po of my S4s that’s a bad sign and immanent failure is on its way. They were both damaged and hence I had a new set in the parts boxes. The MSD ones claim to give a more powerful spark - and they look nice in red ? - but I’m simply and like new colourful things 

[Clarky5150 93]

Managed to get the replacement pack for 2/3 on and the new O2 sensor before the rain came. Still an intermittent Miss on tickover but back up and running. Will get second pack on asap. Managed to get a quick spin out. Feels more responsive again. Placebo effect? Looking forward to getting the second pack on. Certainly testing the new pack by removing a lead from plug showed a significantly stronger spark than the old pack.

[mr.oogieboogie 121]

The coil packs can fail internally. When I had issues with mine I cut the coil pack open and found the corroded section looked like water had got in somehow 

[Clarky5150 93]

A dose of bacterial chest infection and lousy weather have slowed jobs to a crawl of late. Not great for pictures either but.....progress!

rear wheel bearings done. No more 'whump'ing at speed. Tracking redone so the steering wheel isn't a quarter turn out (thanks to Stevie Wonder for the first effort but I would stick to the keyboard pal).

abs sensors cleaned. No more random yellow light activation.

sunroof lining retrimmed in tailors grey alcantara (incredibly close match to original but shagged trim)

Coil packs now sorted.

new bracket made and fitted for Larini exhaust. 

New grille fitted to nose and under trays refitted from the rhinoplasty last year.

 

 

[Clarky5150 93]

Lip on bonnet returned to textured black instead of body colour

Lip on bonnet returned to textured black

 

[Clarky5150 93]

[Clarky5150 93]

Had a dabble with fitting SMD Led headlights. Had to butcher the heat sinks to fit and looked very chavtastic. Removed and replaced the completely knackered lights with a set of classic car lamps from t'eBay. Only 5 3/4 jobbies but all 4 cost half of the cost of one PNM lamp. Look fine and work brilliantly.

 

[Clarky5150 93]

Went to the launch of the new Porsche Cayenne at Sheffield Porsche last night. Mrs C was out in ours so gave the Esprit a run to test the new lights. 

Was running late and as I haven't detailed the paint properly yet I broke my own rule and took it to the local Polski wash. Give the lads there due they were very good and didn't start at the bottom and work up as I've previously witnessed. 

They all took turns having their photo took with the car.

At JCT600 I watched as several parties (including staff) walked past the row of Gt2RSs, Caymans and Macans to look over the Esprit. As I left a guy with his young lad was taking photos so stopped to have a quick chat. Total car nut who announced if he could have any car there it would be the Lotus.

Topped off whilst I was queueing to join the M1 going home 4 guys in a new CLA Amg pulled along side and shouted nice car mate!

I have owned some very nice cars and driven a fair few more but I have ever experienced the love that this car gets. 

No wonder the prices have firmed up massively over the last few years.

[Clarky5150 93]

DRIVERS DOOR MIRROR REPAIR

For the uninitiated the door mirrors used on the SE onward Esprit is sourced from Citroen (a company synonymous with  reliable and robust creations) used on the CX so as you can imagine it is held together with crappy plastics and monkey metal. The central turrets are known to shear but another common problem is the detente which locks the mirror back in place after being folded in for tight spaces gives up the ghost. 

Thanks to Eeyoreish for suggesting it might be the spring which may have come detatched.

Trawled the tinternet for a walk through but couldn't find one so made one. Fiddly to do but can be done in situe. Far easier if you happen to be removing the door cards etc for another job.

The mirror glass is removed by sliding the small tab under the gas in the centre toward the left. This unlocks the ring and the mirror will come away. Inside you should find the broken off Spring.

[Clarky5150 93]

The tab can be seen at 9 o'clock on the image. The ring is quite stiff and the plastic brittle so I advise lining and freeing up before relocating at the end of the repair.

Next remove the glass adjust motor ring by removing three small torx screws.

 

Remove the 3 Philips head screws securing the painted outer cowl.

[Clarky5150 93]

the Spring tab lives here

Drill out the old rivet supporting the frames from behind so as not to stress the monkey metal main body and do the same for the spring.

[Clarky5150 93]

I used a large head rivet and shaped the head to fit. A rivet gun won't fit all the way in so add a small nut to the rivet shaft to give the riveter nose something to push against.

Rebuild is simply reverse order.

once the detente is working you may need to fine tune the position of the body. This can be done by sliding up the black plastic collar (very brittle, patience required) and loosening the small hex head grub screw.

Twist the body to the desired position and re-tighten. 

 

Jobs a good'un!

 

[Barrykearley 6,358]

Not sure I could see that missing bit of bent metal when I looked at mine - feel a making session coming up 😫

[Clarky5150 93]

 I couldn't see it either but it should be trapped by the glass unless someone has removed it. 

If not here are some more photos for reference.

[Clarky5150 93]

Wow, not updated the blog for a while I notice.

I must admit the running resto has given way to just enjoying the car over this lovely weather (and a bathroom refit).

I have however completed a few little jobs including...

1. finally finding the last of the leaky breather hoses and giving the cockpit a full valet to finally rid the exhaust/fuel smells.

2. New door seals.

3. Engine general clean and spruce.

4. MOT (first pass without advisories on the car for about 15 years so must be doing something right).

 

[Clarky5150 93]

Another month rolls by. Been happily driving the car rather than taking it to bits.

One job has been completed tho and that's the replacement of the mightily scratched drop glass.

 

Bought some nice new glass from Lotus, very reasonably priced

 

Unfortunately the mounting channel which attaches said glass is no longer available.

[Clarky5150 93]

So here's what I did. 

Remove door panel (well documented)

Heres the controversial part.. Unbolted and moved the window frame but didn't have to remove from the car! If you lift the front by about an inch and raise the back of the frame up to the elbow in the frame itself the glass will clear it by twisting it.

 

Ground and repaired this localised rust in situe with epoxy metal putty. looks a lot worse than it was from the photo.

The frame itself is held at the rear by a 10mm nut inside the door and an 8mm on the door edge. 

The centre bar has two 10mm nuts and a 10mm bolt which attaches to a floating guide spaced with packers (large washers)

[Clarky5150 93]

The front of the frame is hels internally by two 10mm nuts.

All the 10mm nuts are on threaded bar which is fastened to the alloy main door beam. They have a 10mm nut part way along the threaded bar which acts as an adjustment for frame angle.

 

 

Contrary to what others have posted you can alter the angle of the frame quite some way and providing you adjust the upper retainers in the opposite direction to the lowers the frame will remain true from front to back and the glass will open and close without undue tension. I moved wine inward by about 4mm on the top of the frame to create a better frame to body weather seal.

The glass metal guide channel is mounted onto the regulators scissor arms with two white hard plastic slides which move within the channel. They attach to the arms with a ball and socket. This can be popped apart to release the glass but the plastic is very hard so application of heat greatly assists the levering!

Once the glass is removed the fun begins.

The glass is not an interference fit as you would expect but bonded with enough mastic to take the weight of the entire car. The frames runner is very soft metal and any attempt to knock the runner from the glass will damage it and stop the slides from moving. 

The only method to do the job is to hold the pane inside a wheelie bin or similar and smash the glass!!

You will be left with some chips of glass and the sealant which can be levered out with a screwdriver and hammer.

 

 

once out thoroughly clean and degrease the glass channel, slide and plastic slider as the white grease from the factory will have hardened over time. Brake and clutch cleaner is ideal.