Wastegate Lubrication????

[mikeydude]

I just can't find this stuff in the UK, I emailed the US supplier but they did not respond.

I have used very high temp paint in the past..but it never works well.

So this could be really good.

Anyone know how to get hold og this. or would one of our U.S. Friends be prepared to send me some?

[Mark Crossley]

Back to the original matter of the sticking wastegate, I used to suffer from this a lot until some clever Lotus specialist drilled out the holes that the rod sits in very slightly (don't ask me how or where). Apparently it has always been a common problem with the Elan and this is how the more switched on Lotus garages used to deal with it. Not had the slightest problem since and turbo still works fine. Worth a try if the lubrication option doesn't work.

[GeoffSmith]

Back to the original matter of the sticking wastegate, I used to suffer from this a lot until some clever Lotus specialist drilled out the holes that the rod sits in very slightly (don't ask me how or where). Apparently it has always been a common problem with the Elan and this is how the more switched on Lotus garages used to deal with it. Not had the slightest problem since and turbo still works fine. Worth a try if the lubrication option doesn't work.

It certainly seems to be a common problem, judging by the number of times it crops up in various guises on LEC. This was one of the reasons for the discussion - how to stop it re-occurring.

I don't suppose you could find your specialist again to find out exactly what was done? It might keep you in beer for the rest of your life!

Geoff

[Mark Crossley]

Don't know what the etiquette is re. referring people to the 'trade', but the job was done by Steve Williams Lotus. He may of course give a different explanation to my crude attempt (I wasn't so interested in the how). Either way, I have owned my Elan for over 8 years and every franchise garage I tried could only come up with the short term fix of loosening it off, only for the problem to come back after a few months. Steve did whatever he did a few years back and it has never stuck since. No doubt some of you will have lots of technical questions about how to do this and what impact it may or may not have on turbo performance. Suffice to say I am never going to be a sophisticated enough conduit for this, so can only suggest someone more technically minded than me either tries to persuade/bribe Steve to explain all or lets him have a go and watches over his shoulder. Bear in mind that this is how he makes his living though!

Hope that is at least of some help. Anyone else come across a similar solution before?