New owner in Brisbane, Australia

[Owen L]

Thank you for letting me join. My M100 S2 (#229) arrived yesterday. They are relatively rare here in Oz and i really didn't expect to be buying one on Saturday morning. But a deal was done and it arrived on a truck Tuesday 13th April 21. It has been in storage for 5 years. I put a new battery on it and fresh plugs. It runs, has spark to all four and all four injectors click when you listen using a screwdriver. I've tipped in 20L of Shell 98 and a bit of injector cleaner but after 12km of running around the local private farm road, it isnt any happier. It hen dumped some very rusty water onto the garage floor in protest. I've just spent 3 hours extracting the injectors, while wishing i had smaller digits. I've watched various homebrew methods of energising them and squirting brake cleaner through them, so i'm off to buy a small battery to try that next.

[Simon_P]

Welcome! She looks nice and original.

I'd change the oil (thin end of the range - 5W 30 fully synthetic), change the fuel filter, flush and refil the coolant (30%). It might also be worth checking the cam belt.

Then run up to temperature fans cycling (they should come on at the 3/4 mark) - Start her whenever you get the chance and after a few heat cycles problems often resolve themselves or become aparent. This has the advantage that you don't need to take things to pieces until you have a list of jobs and leaks, breakages and failures happen at home rather than by the side of the road.

[Owen L]

Day3: Yesterday I established that it has sparks to all 4 and all 4 injectors are firing. The cylinder furthest to the right (does it read 1342 left to right with the timing belt on your left as you look sadly down into the engine bay?) is not producing any power. removing the lead does not change the engine note. Today i had a mobile injector chap clean them but he said there was nothing wrong with them and have I done a compression test? Starting to wish I had done that before i bought it now. Anyway, we are into it and its MY Lotus now!. Tomorrow we will do the compression test. Last night i removed the undertray. The bolts were rusty on the surface but 3/4 came out with a light pressure from the spanner. One was rounded but pliers had it off quickly. The tray itself is in rough shape. I see that they are available, so at some stage i might get a new one. The rubber lip is gone and given the huge curbs here for driveways, it wont be a feature. It sprang a leak, no way to see where from yet. just drips from the mount for the undertray that is far right. Currently mulling if i need to remove the bumper and get the radiator out, flush it and inspect all the pipes at the same time. The header pipe is very crusty. To do that i have to remove the wheel arch liner, so about to watch that video from the crazy Englishman with the ear ring. He seems to know his stuff. I'm going to keep a diary here on the forum. possibly not here but in the main section under a life in the day of an Ozzie Elan? Jacking points - that's another thing i need to read up on. Oh and do coked up valves come good or are they always a head job? Has to be a head job video i can watch somewhere?

[Rambo]

G'day mate.

I suspect HGF. A compression test will sort this out and, if necessary, full gasket sets are available

[Saltire]

G'day mate.

I suspect HGF. A compression test will sort this out and, if necessary, full gasket sets are available

with Rambo about the head gasket; it’s not an uncommon issue. However, I had similar symptoms of low compression in one cylinder last summer, removed the head - and the gasket was in perfect condition. My problem was sticking exhaust valves (rusted stems). Head was fine and perfectly flat, didn’t need skimming at all.

TorqueHorse is currently doing an engine overhaul - described in this thread, and you can see details of my experiences here.

Finally, don’t despair! Most things you’ll experience on these cars have been seen and fixed before, and are documented on the Forum. There is no question too dumb - and I should know, I’ve asked plenty And when they’re fixed, they’re a fantastic drive

By the way, here’s mine. Snap!

Good luck!

[dapinky]

I have just read your other thread with the 'story' on, but wanted to comment here, so as not to upset the flow of the other thread.....

... I have to say that if the engine ran rough (at best) and died when you remove #3 lead, then I would suggest that#3 is actually running right, but that something else isn't!

You have ruled out injectors, changed plugs and that only really leaves coil pack(s) and/or compression.

I initially thought like Jonathan (stuck valve) reducing compressions in 1,2 or 3 cylinders........

....... or insufficient pressure in the hydraulic lifters...

... I like to look at the difficult stuff first!


But then the story of the incontinence of the coolant system...... this makes me think that maybe it was stored away without antifreeze (because maybe you don't get cold Winters where the car was?).... forgetting that the antifreeze also protects against corrosion, so maybe the system is a bit 'bunged up' and has led to bad water in contact with the Head Gasket, causing a failure point during the past 5 years.

A compression test is definitely the next step that I'd recommend.

[HJ2]

And a leaky water pump, and a leaky and corroded heater valve, and a leaky axillary pump, and a stuck thermostat, and and and...

[MackieRM]

That's a beautiful M100!