Lotus Elite / Eclat / Excel

This post is rather late but I have just reassembled my engine and manifold/downpipe. The subject was how to get the manifold off. Remember you have to get it all back on. Normally the nuts are so rusted even spanners with good access do not release the nuts and Dremel cuts are necessary. Replacing ...

To change the crank oil seal you need to get the crank toothed belt drive off, consequently the belt has to come off. Before you remove the belt loosen the crank front bolt, anticlockwise to loosen. Some people use a long bar wedged on the floor and thrutch the starter motor. When did you last do a ...

I have a 1985 LC Excel with no air con and as I live in Malaga intend to install A/C. If someone is ditching their gear I am interested. That would save me selling my much worked on car to buy one with A/C. Besides facia controls are there technical problems that render the installation not worth th...

I have finally achieved a set of balanced conrods and pistons/wrist pins. To measure the little end weights I had to rig up a friction free support to the big end using a new ball bearing almost the size of the big end and removing the grease retainers and cleaned all grease off with petrol. Little ...

Hello Bryan, early last year I got two Dunlop 215/50 ZR 15 with sidewall protection for 125 Euros each before 21% VAT and free delivery to Spain from France. The supplier is order.neumaticos-online.com@delti.com.
You may need to try order.tyres-online to get a connection in English.

Dave the Cog.

Hi Bauke, can you provide more information. Model, mileage(or kms), photos of tired interior, Dutch equivalent to MOT, Air Conditioning?.
My email is shamal.david@gmail.com

Hope it does not sound silly! Have you got a stuck open thermostat?

Loctite 504 is a Lotus Manual statement, although the manual is now 40 years old and there may be later sealing products, but I doubt you can get a zero sealant. The tolerances we are talking about will only be noticeable if you are chasing a Ferrari down the Mulsanne straight. Try using a sealant a...

Thanks Paul. I have weighed the pistons/wrist pins and have a 3.5gm underweight on one. I will now weigh the pistons and wrist pins separately and see if I can take weight off the wrist pins as to take 3.5 gms off a piston requires removing a lot of material. The old con rods have up to 2.5 gms diff...

The aluminium cradle perimeter has no difficulty in absorbing the thin (very) joint. However you will have a different circumstance when you assemble the cam carriers as with the recommended Loctite 504 between head and cam carrier you will get an extra 0.0015 in of lash on the valve shims and when ...

I am in the process of rebuilding my 912 LC engine after a big end failure. I have purchased a set of (equally balanced) con rods to replace any defects with the con-rod where the big-end failure occurred. May I ask Forum members to advise on allowed tolerances of weight difference between 1. Con-ro...

When assembling the crankshaft cradle to the main block you only need to seal the perimeter and should not not apply sealant to the main bearing housings.

I am on an engine rebuild for my LC, chasing out a big end failure. Although I have the time to make two liner clamps I preferred simply to use large diameter steel washers under copper pipe on head studs. This still allows the piston to be removed, the main load on the liner is when you are asking ...

As anyone who has opened up the exhaust cam carrier cover there is a large amount of oil which puddles naturally on the lower side of the cam and must hinder oil and head cooling. On other engines I have worked on there are known tweaks to provide lower drainage paths usually with small holes drille...

Can someone tell me what the Excel World Map is and how to make an entry?