Motor Rebuild – (hot-to-trot)

[Doc Fizzix]

Yes, I have been out of the loop. I have a connection cable that goes from the ECU connection to a serial PC port, was there a box or something else I needed or do I just hook up the cable to the ECU and the PC? Sorry to ask, I just cannot remember (old age) I am sure I can check the forum.

[GeoffSmith]

If you've got a serial port on your pc/laptop then you're OK. A lot of computers don't do serial any more so I now do a USB version as well OR I can source a USB to serial converter that works with Elanscan. Most cheap USB-serials do not support real time data transfer and will not work correctly.

[Jackonicko]

But when are you going to port Elanscan to the Mac, Geoff?

[Doc Fizzix]

If you've got a serial port on your pc/laptop then you're OK. A lot of computers don't do serial any more so I now do a USB version as well OR I can source a USB to serial converter that works with Elanscan. Most cheap USB-serials do not support real time data transfer and will not work correctly.

Yes, I will need the converter or even a USB version. Let me know if you are doing this or if there are plans so I can make my own

[GeoffSmith]

Shop! 20% discount for longstanding LEC members with unbroken commitment to the cause.

Sorry Jon, I don't do Macs and I didn't do ElanScan - can't you use Bootcamps or Parallels? Whatever they are!

[Doc Fizzix]

So it begins again

Just bought an Elan motor with 30K on the engine. I am going to strip her down and build another, I have learned a ton from the first go around and now I am going for perfection








AND MORE TO COME...

[Doug]

are you just going to route a chain from the flywheel to the wheel/axle next to it? that should be one fast hand truck!!







on a more serious note: have you gone bonkers? what's wrong with the old rebuild with 10 miles on it?

[ailwyn]

Al,

Please add as much detail as possible, I hope to do the same myself, hopefully in parallel, but have never done anything remotely close to this complex before, so all pictures, pointers, parts sources and tips greatly appreciated.

Ailwyn

[tigerdog]

You are a glutton for punishment, aren't you, Doc?

[Doc Fizzix]

I enjoy tinkering with things, it is what I like to do to relax. Plus, the motor that I have in my car now was so highly upgraded with custom made parts that I want to build a real nice stock motor as a "safe" spare.

[Doc Fizzix]

Al,

Please add as much detail as possible, I hope to do the same myself, hopefully in parallel, but have never done anything remotely close to this complex before, so all pictures, pointers, parts sources and tips greatly appreciated.

Ailwyn

I am going to start tearing the motor down next week, I will post a lot of pics. I have spent the last week finding parts and coming up with a plan of action.

[Doc Fizzix]

No motor tare down yet, I need to get a new engine stand first. I did receive a few items this week, I would take some pictures but my wife is away and has the camera. This week I received a full gasket set from Dave Bean and a new turbo from LotusM100Parts.com, Dave stated the turbo was used and rebuilt by Lotus but after receiving the turbo and talking with Dave again we think it is new other than a used wastegate. (I will post pictures when I get my camera back)

Also, I am thinking that I will start a new thread just on dissembling the motor and rebuilding it. So I think I will stop posting to this old thread unless the MODs tell me different.

[Doug]

I am thinking that I will start a new thread just on dissembling the motor and rebuilding it.

[Doc Fizzix]

I am thinking that I will start a new thread just on dissembling the motor and rebuilding it.

I have been very busy but I hope to get started on the new motor rebuild very soon. I need to get started because I need something to distract me from this crappy economy Man, my sales are horrible, I started the year with 9 employees and now I am down to 3, once Obama gets in I will have to let the other 3 go and stop making money so I can get the free hand-outs (oh well, thats another story) Boy, how quickly do people forget that the democrats have been in charge for the last two years and the whole world has gone to hell, before that things were actually very nice but now Barney Franks and the boys have really screwed things up

Yes, I will start a new thread and this time LOTS of pictures and step-by-steps

[1bad91rs]

Impulse rs turbo motor has oil squirters that the n/a versions do not.Im not sure if this is the hole your talking about,go search oil squirters over at isuzone.

[Doc Fizzix]

Impulse rs turbo motor has oil squirters that the n/a versions do not.Im not sure if this is the hole your talking about,go search oil squirters over at isuzone.

??? Yes, the RS motor has squirters and so does the Elan motor, not sure where you are going with this. The Elan and RS motors are identical in every way (because they are the same motor) other than hydraulic lifters and the cams. The blocks are identical including the squirters. The heads are identical other than the use of a oil check valve (replace the check valve and they are the same) The injector housing is slightly different on the RS compared to the Elan, this was so the IAV could be moved to the injector housing from the top of the throttle body in order to give more clearance to the hood on the Elan.

[Enright]

I am thinking that I will start a new thread just on dissembling the motor and rebuilding it. So I think I will stop posting to this old thread unless the MODs tell me different.

Sounds like a good idea. In fact I would recommend starting immediately and copying the post with the original pic of the new engine on the hand-truck, so that we can see the major project from genesis (inc project brief) to fruition.
By the way, do you have access to any decent enough scales to get the weight of the unit?

[Doc Fizzix]

By the way, do you have access to any decent enough scales to get the weight of the unit?

Yes, the shop where we will do most of the work has a very nice scale that we can use

[kmckmc]

Great post!

[Doc Fizzix]

Great post!

Michael

The best advice I can give you is find a quality machine shop you can really trust and work with them making sure you read everything possible and double check all measurements. My motor runs great and is very smooth but there are two things I would not do again on my next project: the first is the flywheel, I would NOT use a lighter flywheel but would stick to the stock. For the type for driving I do (non-street racing) the lighter flywheel causes the smallest of vibrations at an idle and the car can sometimes stall depending on the situation because of the missing inertia needed to keep the motor running at an idle. The second thing I would do differently is the pistons, I went with the 2618 alloy with the low silicon content but this means they expand more and require a larger bore. Some times at start-up you get some piston slap before the pistons expand and fill the bore hole. Originally I was going to build this motor to be a fire-breathing monster running nitrous and high boost but now I just want to put the original motor back in the car