Rosie's return to glory

[TorqueHorse]

The exhaust manifold is a useless piece of s...
And there is ample space for an alternative.

Do you mean the Pre-Cat, after the Turbo/Turbo manifold? I'll need to keep all that to get her registered for smog/emissions here. Supposedly they check not only emissions levels, but that all the pieces are there too. No straight, or bigger pipes for me I'm afraid.

Or did you really mean the exhaust manifold between the Engine head and the Turbo, turning the 4 chambers of exhaust into the one inlet for the Turbo? What would I replace it with that would still keep the Turbo mounted at the right angle, position, etc. ?

[Saltire]

I'm going to be so bored once this car is restored

If ‘bored’ refers to a state of contentment achieved through a feeling of a job well done and a single malt, then I’m all for it

[dapinky]

I'm going to be so bored once this car is restored

If ‘bored’ refers to a state of contentment achieved through a feeling of a job well done and a single malt, then I’m all for it

It will never happen - there is always something on them that needs some 'improvement'. I restored mine about 6 or 7 years ago - and still have a list of things to be changed/finished/improved on.

[HJ2]

The exhaust manifold is a useless piece of s...
And there is ample space for an alternative.

Do you mean the Pre-Cat, after the Turbo/Turbo manifold? I'll need to keep all that to get her registered for smog/emissions here. Supposedly they check not only emissions levels, but that all the pieces are there too. No straight, or bigger pipes for me I'm afraid.

Or did you really mean the exhaust manifold between the Engine head and the Turbo, turning the 4 chambers of exhaust into the one inlet for the Turbo? What would I replace it with that would still keep the Turbo mounted at the right angle, position, etc. ?

'
No, I mean the exhaust manifold!
There is no alternative that I know of. And I had a couple of cracked ones over the years...

[TorqueHorse]

The exhaust manifold is a useless piece of s...

Haha, got it. Yes, have to agree since everyone seems to complain of the same thing.

[TorqueHorse]

It ain't always what its cracked up to be

Bit of an emotional roller coaster with Rosie lately. Probably the typical restoration story, making progress in one area to then uncover a new problem somewhere else.
First off, Happy Birthday. I got some new tools to celebrate


Found what I'm calling the Coddled Throttle coolant line. The return port had a wall of gunk about half an inch thick. This is what happens when you don't change your coolant folks.


Checked the solenoids and vacuum lines to see what needed to be replaced. Surprisingly, most lines are pretty good, but easy enough to replace.


Learned there is no such thing as an EasyOut bit, just an even harder piece of metal to have to drill out when it breaks too. Dremel grinding stones finally got through that carbide. I'm all about the tap and die now.


Made progress on cleaning out the sludge out of the cam area and cam cover.



With the cover off, took the opportunity to clean up the outside too.



Probably good thing I'm replacing the timing belt


Then I thought I was getting close to the home stretch. After worrying there was a burnt valve in there, I was able to check them out with the manifold off. Valves are looking good, aside from carbon buildup on the top of the valves. That carbon build up, after years of not running, could have led to the low compression in cylinder 2. I'm thinking I might not need to pull the head after all.

A quick spurt of Seafoam to clean all of them up, but when I go to check that nothing leaked into the cylinders tonight...my heart dropped again.

Cylinder 1


Cylinder 2


Cylinder 3


Cylinder 4


Well pfffft

Edit March 2022
I meant to come back and update this. The "dents" I thought I saw were really just the marks from the factory, and also a piece of Teflon tape had fallen in and cast a wired shadow. So actually everything was fine (on the top of the pistons).

[378S2]

So many updates all at once!

In no order...

1. Please tell me more about the heated throttle body blockages - I am 75% sure mine is also blocked, 20% sure I don’t care because it has never been below zero here, and 5% obsessed with fixing everything no matter how insignificant which will ultimately mean I follow suit and pull it apart to fix it.

2. Love the grey cam cover, please tell me that’s not just the primer.

3. Bugger, what’s happened to those cylinders? Are you looking at a rebore & new pistons? Sorry to read that.

4. That cam belt is a cracker!

If you want that leak down adapter I made I’ll post it. Postal services seem to be running ok now.

[TorqueHorse]

1. It should be easy enough to check on your engine, but would require draining down some coolant again (but you are probably a pro at that by now). The two smallish hoses that run from the thermostat and the thermostat housing up to the throttle and back on either side. If you take them off at the thermostat area, then you could run an airline in them to see if they are blocked. The inside of my thermostat was also corroded shut on the little feed nipple I think. And those hoses just leaked lots of crap once I disconnected them. If they are blocked, just take off the throttle intake air hose, and they should be easy enough to get to and clean out with pick/pipe cleaner, etc.

2. Thanks! Yes, its funny the small things that get me excited. Polished up the intake plenum too. Need to take another photo after the other work. On its way to looking mean

3. From more web sleuthing, it looks like this is what a blown head gasket will get you. Areas of clean on the piston crown, as well as the thermal shock of a drip of coolant onto the hot crown makes the metal brittle and pop/crack. Don't know for sure what next steps are. Some places say just file/polish the pit down and reuse (If that is the extent of the damage, then given the age/milage of the engine that might make sense). Definitely will need to take the head off and make sure it is not warped and replace gasket now too.

4. Yes, I knew I've been playing roulette with it this long.

5.Thanks, but I already have one on the way Appreciate the good vibes though!

[378S2]

Your smart observations about the risks of taking the head off notwithstanding; I think that if I had my engine on a stand, curiosity alone would be driving me to a full strip down and rebuild - I don't think any amount of rational concerns could stop me.

You could do one of these: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_AY8bH3vxY - I don't think anyone has done one for our engine!

[TorqueHorse]

Here is my first pass at the time lapse, what do you think?

[Simon_P]

Supurb! But I'd like to mention two technicalities having watched the full video.
1. It isn't actually time-lapse
2. The paint doesn't actually dry
Other than that a great effort!

Looking at the pictures above - I was hoping that someone else would comment first but, sorry to say that the marks on the piston look like fod, and the mark on the valve looks like a chip. If it was hgf and coolant damage the piston and valve would both appear as though they had been steam cleaned - Assuming it isn't old damage.
The good news is that there doesn't appear to be any damage to the bore.

[Simon_P]

I think that if I had my engine on a stand, curiosity alone would be driving me to a full strip down and rebuild - I don't think any amount of rational concerns could stop me.

other than the price and availability of the correct parts. You can't for example get the correct main bearings ie graded with two holes and made from the correct materials. Even when you could they were £50 a pair. Of course you could use the available parts but they are unlikely to be as good as the worn ones you took out.

[TorqueHorse]

Supurb! But I'd like to mention two technicalities having watched the full video.
1. It isn't actually time-lapse
2. The paint doesn't actually dry
Other than that a great effort!

Looking at the pictures above - I was hoping that someone else would comment first but, sorry to say that the marks on the piston look like fod, and the mark on the valve looks like a chip. If it was hgf and coolant damage the piston and valve would both appear as though they had been steam cleaned - Assuming it isn't old damage.
The good news is that there doesn't appear to be any damage to the bore.

1. Well it was 100hrs, but I sped it up to only 10. Faster than that and you just lost the detail.
2. Hmm maybe, What gets wetter and wetter the more it dries, then?
Glad you liked it

3. Foreign Object Damage, hun? Yeah, I'm just going off of the grainy photos and internet sleuthing. When I take the head off I'll be able to take better photos. But it sounds like it kind of doesn't matter at this point? Just clean 'em up and reuse since that's probably the best I can get? And I think the photo is just bad on that valve and it isn't chipped. Adding to that theory is that I had the valves closed and then pooled a couple mm of seafoam on top of them for over 24 hours, and no leaks. But again, we'll see better when the head is off.

New clutch on the way too since it's Christmas.

[TorqueHorse]

2020 wasn’t horrible, thanks to LEC

While I’ve been very fortunate with the health of my friends and family, it was still a tough year, and even more so for countless others. But if you are reading this, then I’m happy you’ve passed your hurdles and made it too (just 1 hour left in 2020 where I am). For me, the consistent bright spot this past year has definitely been the Elan and the LEC. Special thanks to LEC because: I’ve met several new friends (or really good chat bots); I’ve been amused often from the “common tongue” vocabulary lessons; I’ve learned so much about the Elan, Lotus, and automobile repair in general - I literally couldn't have done it without you.

Since it has been exactly a year of LEC membership and Elan ownership, It seemed fitting to close the year out with some reflections.

Highs (which couldn’t have been possible without LEC support): Finally fixing the gas tank; Getting the engine out; Riding around for the first time.
Lows (which I overcame with support from LEC): Hearing the knocking sound; Thinking I had a burnt exhaust valve or HGF or both; Thinking the prongeron was unsalvageable; Thinking the ECU is dead*

Best purchase: Breaker bar, $21. Makes you feel like Archimedes the Unstoppable (force).
Worst purchase: Impact wrench, $200 (not including the air compressor). Takes a lot of setup which kind of cancels out the ‘time savings’.
Most controversial purchase: Non-Lotus Head Gasket

Expenses for 2020:
$3,000 for the car
$2,500 on parts
$2,000 on tools

Miles driven: 19

Months behind schedule: 8 (it’s always amusing to look back on what I thought I knew at the beginning of the journey: Just a minor cosmetic restoration )

What I did do:
Adjusted front right and prongeron suspension alignment*
Replaced light pod lifter bushings (both)
*still TBD

Resealed fuel tank and restored harness
New fuel filter
New fuel regulator
Cleaned Injectors
New horns and horn actuators
Cleaned and touched-up steering wheel

Restored the trunk lock
Cleaned trunk and spare tools
Replaced license plate lights
Cleaned exterior trim

Rekeyed glovebox lock
Replaced Mirror control
Cleaned out and remounted ventilation ducts
Cleaned old trim glue residue
Cleaned and repaired interior leather
Re-anchored fascia mounting points
Reattached various loose trim pieces
Cleaned and restored instrument cluster
Repaired convertible drains
Repaired seat tilt adjuster

Cleaned and restored left rear suspension
Replaced and repacked left rear bearing hub
Replaced rear calipers
Replaced rear parking brakes
Rebuilt Front calipers
New front rotors
New pads and fluid all around
Restored and repacked front right Inner CV joint

Cleaned and corrosion treated the engine bay, and major brackets
Repaired leak in power steering
Cleaned out power steering reservoir and pump
Cleaned out oil cooler

What I am doing:
Cleaning the head
Cleaning the lifters
Cleaning the valves
Cleaning the manifolds
Cleaning the coolant hoses

What I (have, but) haven’t put on the car yet:
New clutch
New timing kit
New accessory belts
New vacuum hoses
New re-circ pump
New spark plugs
New sensors
New Heater valve
New Thermostat
New Fluids
New Turbo bearings
New Oil Cooler hoses
New o-rings and gaskets
New wipers
New window guides


At this point, I’m hoping I can hit my deadlines with just an extra year. Well thanks again to everyone who has helped me. It’s been great getting to know you all a bit more beyond the user name and profile picture - as well as making progress on the car. Here’s to keep passing on the knowledge to the next one! Happy New Years, and may your 2021 be filled with much Elan.

[378S2]

Hi Matt - same same but different here - before the lotus arrived I had done a full strip down on my lawnmower... way less interesting! HNY!

[Saltire]

Happy New Year to you also. I’ve had my S2 for 5 1/2 years now, and been to most of the places you’ve been (or are intending to go). And I haven’t finished yet, although I continue to believe the end is getting closer

Good luck in 2021, and let’s hope we can all look back in 12 months time having made progress, met people and, especially, experienced that special joy that comes from driving a sporty British car on the right kind of roads

[TorqueHorse]

Finally getting into some of the Turbo rebuild. Just following the rebuild doc, which has been great so far!

And the current stumper is getting the turbo manifold studs out of the turbo. Hoping to borrow a welder from a neighbor to get something on there to then leverage. But one of the studs already sheared when a nut got stuck, so I'm worried that will happen again. And I wasn't even planning on rebuilding this now anyway, I just wanted to put some anti-seize on there to make it easier when I'm ready, but I've discovered that the tips of some of these studs are missing threads. Why was oil leaking from the return and why was someone in here before? Blah, scope creep piling up.

The big advantage of the uneven length of the studs is that you can weld a piece of flat bar on the longest one, and have enough clearance to unwind it without other studs getting in the way...

... then the next one and so on (you may need to trim the length of a short one, but it is the way I have done it previously.

The studs thread gets destroyed because of the type of nuts used in the installation - they are sort-of ratcheted so they will do up, but not undo easily, except by ripping the thread from the stud.

You may find it useful to read the document in the manuals section (link at top of page) on rebuilding the IHI turbo, it may help with some of your issues.

Got a new welder and learned how to weld (a bit) over the Christmas break and finally got the stuck studs out. One of the studs was short and I thought it would be faster to cut off and then drill out and re-tap though. Big mistake. That took days to finally get all the bits of the high tensile steel of the stud out, and I don't know how many bits I dulled in the process. But with those out I had easy access to port the wastegate. I don't think it will have any immediate impact since I'm not upgrading the downpipes or mountain chipping right now, but since I'm here, just go ahead and do it in case I want to do that stuff later.

Newly ported

And

I can smell the lovely scent of a turbo rebuilt!

I think I found the source of what you were smelling HJ2

[TorqueHorse]

Finally had a chance to use the new leak down tester. Here is cylinder 2's results (the cylinder that had the low compression from before)


Of course with a new tool, I may have been doing it wrong, but this is what I got (set pressure/cylinder reading)
1st cylinder 85/80 (~94%)
2nd cylinder 87/85 (~98%)
3rd cylinder 89/85 (~96%)
4th cylinder 89/81 (~91%)

If you want that leak down adapter I made I’ll post it. Postal services seem to be running ok now.

In fact all of them seemed to be leaking past the connector at the spark plug hole, so maybe I do need that adapter (j/k)

Happy to hear if other folks have a different takeaway, but I'm going to say this is generally positive and just keep on the course of removing & cleaning the head, replacing the valve seals, and lapping the valves, if not reseating them outright.

[TorqueHorse]

Turbo progress mini update

Happy weekend. Got everything pulled apart, soaked, cleaned and prepped so it is all ready for rebuild.

Turbine shaft before


Literally hours of scrubbing, rinsing, carb cleaning, ultrasonic bathing, and tiny pick scraping later


Maybe once I finish this, the rest of the rebuild will be turbo speed.

[HJ2]

As we say over here in the Netherlands: ' Een feest van herkenning!'
Did you mark the relative position of shaft / turbine?

It will drive so much better when refurbed