Fed Spec

[cellaway]

The Bumper is back on, so the car looks better. Now I’m halfway through the timing belt change. I bought from S & J rather than Rockauto because of time constraints. I can’t get the belt on. The tensioner is all the way off but the belt doesn’t want to go any more than half way across. It’s bad practice to easy it on with a flat blade so I’m wondering if I put it in hot water will it stretch or even if I’ve got the right belt. I think it was labelled as “Steve’s choice”. Has anyone else had problems with the length of cam belts.
Chriso

[dapinky]

The belt shouldn't need any 'persuading' to fit onto the pulleys. Certainly, putting it in hot water will do nowt to assist.

First thing is to check it's the right belt - is it marked with anything to tell you the make & part number? I don't know which belts Steve buys for resale under his "Steves Choice" series, but it will be something commercially available.

It should have 169 teeth on it.

Have you tried to lay it on a flat surface and lay the old one over the top to see that it is the same size?

A good way is to mark both belts (ideally, mark the old one before fitting it to line up with the 3 pulleys, but we're past that point now) with tipex or similar, then use a clothes peg to hold both belts together (edge to edge, with the marks aligned) - then count round clockwise (or anticlockwise) to ensure it is the right size, with the right number of teeth.

After that, once you are happy that the belt is right, fit it to the lower pulley, then the 2 cam pulleys, ensuring the belt slack is taken up on the right-side run (past the idler), and across the top. That should give enough movement in the tensioner to slip the belt on.

Are you turning the tensioner the right way? it will go either way, but only one way is correct, so the spring tension makes it push against the belt when the 6mm allen key is released.

It may be hard to slip on, but it shouldn't need any great leverage if the slack is taken out of the belt on the right-hand side.

Once it is on, set the tension with the engine in the right place (60 deg ATDC) having turned it over by hand a couple of revolutions.

[cellaway]

Cheers Dave
The new belt has a tooth period of 7 whilst the original a period of 6. This means the teeth don’t fit into the gears correctly which I guess accounts for the half tensioner space. The cars in France and now in more bits than I’d hoped. I’ll source one in France, because of the Douane levy, rather than let it stay in this condition. Hey Ho !

Chriso

[cellaway]

The new belt was for an Esprit. Great, now I’ve got the engine on a jack so I guess I’ll have to reinstall the engine mount and stop work until I get another new belt. I’m not happy

[Elanlover]

Conversation with S&J should be interesting.

[Tuga2112]

Conversation with S&J should be interesting.

they will probably make it sound like they are doing you a favor by not asking you to send back the belt "because its a more valuable belt and you can sell it for a profit" or somehting like that.
the fact the lift/ramp is not available to make profit out of servicing another 6 customers for the next 2+ days will be overlooked obviously

[cellaway]

I would have thought that S & J would have valued reputation ahead of a marginal effect on profit. They were very apologetic and put another belt in the post the same day. Being sold the “wrong thing” is a real pain apart, from the delay and the job being half way through, I had to re install the engine mount but when the replacement belt arrives, I’ll have to cover the customs duty which is normally around the cost of the item. S &J won’t pay for that.
On the car side, the speedo drive is refusing to come out so I’ve been making a tool to remove the D plug. Dave P advised using two screwdrivers on either side of the drive to ease it out on a straight pull but at the moment “ no joy”. I guess that means using one hand as there isn’t room for two
I still can’t understand why Lotus thought that was a good idea…. After I get the new transmission oil in it will be an oil change proper

Chriso

[Tuga2112]

SJ is very quickly losing its reputation,
they do not cater after the private owners,
I dont know how well they look after the business customers. but i have spoken to many lotus owners over the past 2-3 years, from all models out there and there was 2 reactions "they are great" which always came from someone who only dealt with them in circunstances where everything went right. and "i dont expect any customer service from them" from people who had either received wrong or poor quality parts personally, or where friends with somene who did.

I Have not heard a single story about them where they admited the mistake, and put in the effort to both correct the mistake as well as ensure the customer had zero costs acciated to rectifying the mistake.

unfortunately, they are effectively holding a monopoly, sure there are other companies offering some of the same parts. but none matches on the price.

if your happy to use something that doesnt say "lotus" in the package. you very often can find alternatives... at least with the M100 that is the case.

[dapinky]

Joao,

I agree somewhat. I certainly won't use them anymore.

The thing is, they are relying on their reputation and their excellent website. If it is to be believed, they have a huge stock of everything - however, when you actually order things that are 'less obvious' shall we say, then it is usually followed by an email saying that they have to get the part in, and will let you know when it arrives. Obviously, by then they have your money, so shopping around is not such a good option.

Whereas, SWLC (or whatever acronym they currently go by), are the complete opposite - the website isn't the most user friendly, and it doesn't list an awful lot - BUT - if you phone up and speak to Mike, he will either tell you he has it, and quote a price, or tell you how long it will take, or tell you that he will look into it and let you know if you wish to place an order - now, that is what I call customer service.

After that, I don't think that the prices are any more than SJ's - unless you are looking at a "Steves Alternative" part - - - and that is only any good if you get an Elan belt instead of an Esprit one!!!!

[FunElan]

Agreed with the sentiments above ^^

SJ has a great site, but I just bought a hub from them that would've been unsafe to use. The splines were barely there. Shipping that to the US was $50

Mike at SWLC has always been very helpful!

[cellaway]

Back to the plot. I’m still tying to get the D plug out. The Mk 2 tool appeared to be better but still didn’t shift the boy . Mk 3 is on the way. It looks like the overall inside diameter is 30 mm and the flat edge 18 mm. The mark 3 is a tadge tighter on the flat edge.Dave P thought the plug should come out easily but I’m wondering if it was put back with some sort of sealant. I have wondered if I was trying to loosen or tighten the thing but even with my advancing age I can’t have forgotten those engineering basics, I hope………

[FunElan]

Back to the plot. I’m still tying to get the D plug out. The Mk 2 tool appeared to be better but still didn’t shift the boy . Mk 3 is on the way. It looks like the overall inside diameter is 30 mm and the flat edge 18 mm. The mark 3 is a tadge tighter on the flat edge.Dave P thought the plug should come out easily but I’m wondering if it was put back with some sort of sealant. I have wondered if I was trying to loosen or tighten the thing but even with my advancing age I can’t have forgotten those engineering basics, I hope………

We were able to get it out with some channel lock pliers fairly easily (federal car). I hope your tool helps!

[cellaway]

I'm still stuck with the D plug. I'm wondering if it was put back in with some sealant. I've made a couple of tools and thought the Mk 3 was going to shift it . No chance. Dave P has said he'll lend me his. So that's the fall back option. The advice and offers of help from the LEC is amazing.

I'll try making a Mk 4 and. see if that's any better. Perhaps welding a lug onto the plug is the way to go

Going back to the speedo option. Is there anything to be gained by removing the speedo cable housing before trying to remove the drive ? Looking at the parts manual and the workshop manual, there doesn't appear to be an advantage but it doesn't want to move. I made a couple of small pry bars but didnt want to use excess force.

The new timing belt turned up today. We didn't hear the courier so it will be back next Tuesday after armistice day. Then I get to pay the 16 euro customs duty.

Chriso

[RonR]

I've never been able to remove my speedo cable on it's own, but there's a small retaining piece held with a 10mm nut just behind it. Removing that enables the cable to come out complete with the whole speedo drive assembly.

[cellaway]

The retaining plate and 10 mm bolt wasn’t a problem but getting the drive out at the moment isn’t happening. I’m making a small “Y” shaped pry bar to see if I can get a more balanced lift on the thing. Obviously the amount of pressure is limited because of the fragility of the drive. Maybe removing the plate and bolt rather than rotating it, is a better solution.

[RonR]

There's a rubber O-ring between the diff casing and the speedo drive, if the rubber's become stuck to the casing a squirt of releasing fluid then rocking the drive from side to side can help to unstick it.

[cellaway]

Thanks Ron,
Jamie, the seal oracle has said the same so I’ll dose it with penetrating oil this afternoon and leave it for a day or so.

Chriso

[Tuga2112]

i know the D plug is annoying but i think its best to persevere at it and swap it with something else...

i also have been advised to "just weld a big nut to it" which i think i done with one of the cars... i cant remmeber which, and im not ruling out that option for future.

i have also fabricated a negative of the D plug in metal. which has worked to an extent (single time use situation). but not well enough to boast about it.. its one of those things that im going to revisit in the future

i believe given my current level of understanding of the tools available and my welding skill, i can fabricate a negaative that will be reusable next time i need it

[TorqueHorse]

On the car side, the speedo drive is refusing to come out...

With the prongeron off (the engine bay underframe), you can put an open wrench (I used 7/8") around the top of the speedo drive, by shoving the wrench through the hole in the transmission support that goes back to the chassis. Then you have leverage to pull down on your wrench and "pop" goes the speedo drive up and out of the transmission. Combined with the penetrating oil, rocking it back and forth, and this, it should come out no problem.

[cellaway]

Thanks TH
I’m making another D plug tool so if this one doesn’t shift it, I’ll take the prongron out. I made a small pry bar to try and lever the speedo cable housing but it doesn’t want to move, so hopefully the prongron out tactic will give a better angle.

Chriso