Elite restoration begins!

Restoration threads may be posted here. I can move them from any other topic if you wish.

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Hawaiis0
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Model: Excel SA (No 3); Elite 504
Colour: BRG; Dirty White
Year: 1986
Location: West Oxfordshire

Re: Elite restoration begins!

Post by Hawaiis0 »

A video of you (your face within shot), torquing the 300bhp, would be fascinating.

:lol: :lol: :lol:
Nothing is fool proof. Fools are clever!

Pete Boole
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Model: Elite
Colour: Monaco White
Year: 1974
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Re: Elite restoration begins!

Post by Pete Boole »

I'm using Gary Kemp's head studs and the latest Lotus head gasket which should use torque angle settings. The idea behind the torque angle gauge is that all studs on an assembly are tightened equally. Plain vanilla torque settings are principally there to ensure no fasteners are over-tightened - not quite the same. I'm planning to experiment with the torque angle gauge on some spare head studs to see what the recommended settings translate to in terms of a torque figure to be able to get some idea of the difference in clamp load.

There will be no photos of me squirming with the torque wrench!! :lol: :lol:

Pete

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Lotus-e-Clan
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Model: Excel SE - EWP/Waterless!
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Location: Swaledale

Re: Elite restoration begins!

Post by Lotus-e-Clan »

Yes, I used an angle gauge to evenly clamp the Smart Roadster head last year.

It was a nightmare. :shock:

I bought one of those attachments thingies for my breaker bar /socket wrench to use after initial tightening with my trusty 1970s Norbar torque wrench.

The initial problem was anchoring the angle attachment base such that all the angular movement through the wrench registered on the dial.

Then I had more issues with it. I had to modify the angle gauge to stop the reading disc rotating inside the gauge because the reading needle base was dragging the reading disc along with it.

My latest rebuild on the Clan engine also has head studs rather than the usual bolts, and it too will need use of an angle gauge, but I need to buy something a tad more reliable than the piece of sh1te I have atm.

Hopefully you have something better than mine. If you have an angle gauge that works accurately and reliably, I'll probably buy one for the upcoming rebuild.
Peter K

Pete Boole
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Model: Elite
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Re: Elite restoration begins!

Post by Pete Boole »

I've not used my angle gauge for several years but it was OK last time I did. It's just an ordinary mechanical type - I'll let you know how it goes!

Pete

Mike C Sailor
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Re: Restoration begins!

Post by Mike C Sailor »

Lotus-e-Clan wrote:
Thu Nov 02, 2017 17:21
Pete Boole wrote:Took the rear bumper off to look at the condition of the rear lights and found this! :shock:

.................................................................

Looks like it's had a tow bar on it at some point! Anyone else seen an Elite with a tow bar? Be interesting to see how wrecked the bodywork is when I unbolt it :roll:

Pete
Yes.

Way back in the early eighties I saw a motor magazine piece on an Elite as an 'in-house long-termer' (can't remember the colour ...but it could have been white :shock: ! ) ...

.... to which the Jurno had fitted a tow-bar so he could justify using it as a normal family car - ie 'An Everyday Lotus'. I think the Jurno was doing his house up at the time so needed to shift building stuff /go to the tip etc.

That was a long time ago, but I'm 63 now which means I've got 3 years of extra brain-rot on you Pete so I could be wrong ... :roll: :wink:
In viewing this thread as I start my own Elite restoration, I found the above. I remember from a long time ago (1970s or 80s) seeing, in a caravan magazine, about a Lotus Elite gaining the caravan towing speed record. IIRC it was a white Elite. The test was carried out on a track as the speed was of course highly illegal on the road.
I have tried google but can't find details.
Could it have been the same car?

Pete Boole
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Re: Elite restoration begins!

Post by Pete Boole »

Wow - I haven't heard of this! Thanks. The tow bar on my car was only fixed to the body - no chassis fixings - I can't imagine it getting up to any sort of speed without tearing the back of the car off!

Really interesting though! Anyone else heard of this!

Pete

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MetBlue
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Re: Elite restoration begins!

Post by MetBlue »

There's an Elite restoration thread on TLF by Trunnion74 entitled 502M. On page 6, there's mention of a caravan being fitted to his early Elite way back when. The car is also White ! No mention of speed records though IIRC.
The first few pages are a fascinating read if you've not seen it. He just got to DVLA before the data protection nonsense went live. - Lucky man
Tony
What goes together.... Must come apart.

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Hawaiis0
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Model: Excel SA (No 3); Elite 504
Colour: BRG; Dirty White
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Re: Elite restoration begins!

Post by Hawaiis0 »

Hi Pete

Picture of Rad Cowl Duct

Image

Stu
Nothing is fool proof. Fools are clever!

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Lotus-e-Clan
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Re: Elite restoration begins!

Post by Lotus-e-Clan »

Is that modded for ram-air oil cooling?
My 89SE rad tray doesn't look like that.
Peter K

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Hawaiis0
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Model: Excel SA (No 3); Elite 504
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Year: 1986
Location: West Oxfordshire

Re: Elite restoration begins!

Post by Hawaiis0 »

Lotus-e-Clan wrote:
Mon Apr 10, 2023 16:53
Is that modded for ram-air oil cooling?
My 89SE rad tray doesn't look like that.
MY90+ redirected air inlet - before the rad . Comes in over the top via a slight cut mod
Nothing is fool proof. Fools are clever!

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Lotus-e-Clan
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Re: Elite restoration begins!

Post by Lotus-e-Clan »

Hawaiis0 wrote:
Mon Apr 10, 2023 18:12
Lotus-e-Clan wrote:
Mon Apr 10, 2023 16:53
Is that modded for ram-air oil cooling?
My 89SE rad tray doesn't look like that.
MY90+ redirected air inlet - before the rad . Comes in over the top via a slight cut mod
Ah!
Peter K

Pete Boole
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Model: Elite
Colour: Monaco White
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Re: Elite restoration begins!

Post by Pete Boole »

Can't see the picture Stu!

Pete

Now I can! - weird!!

I think I can mod that to fit, or at least use it as a pattern. Thanks :D. I'll contact you.

Pete

Pete Boole
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Model: Elite
Colour: Monaco White
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Re: Elite restoration begins!

Post by Pete Boole »

I've just started on my the resto-mod again :D. Seems to be about a year since I did much! :roll:

Of course there's no order to some of the jobs I'm tacking so I've started on the exhaust - even though there's nothing to attach it to yet :D

I've decided to make most of my own exhaust. I'm going to use an SE cast iron manifold port-matched to the ported cylinder head, into 1.75" OD downpipes (the OD of the manifold outlets is 1.625" - just right for 1.75" OD tubing with a 1/16" wall thickness) - this matches very closely to the cross sectional area of the head exhaust ports. These will go into a 2 into 1 merge collector with a 2.25" OD outlet and into a 2.25" system. This should maintain good gas velocity within the exhaust. I've chosen to start with this setup so that if I go for a full-on tubular manifold/system later on I will be able to see just how much difference in torque & power there is - not sure there is any real data on this at the moment.

To enable me to port match the manifold I had the exhaust ports laser scanned and a steel template made:

Image

The manifold is in a typical condition for its age so I had to get a bit creative with work-holding on my old (and small) Bridgeport to enable me to machine it :D:

Image

Skimmed and ready for Helicoil inserts:

Image

I think I've worked out a way to add a heat shield as well, but I'll try it first before posting! The bodywork near the manifold was wrecked by the exhaust - I don't want the same thing happening again.

Great being back in the shed again :D

Pete

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bash
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Re: Elite restoration begins!

Post by bash »

Nice to you back on it. Keep the info coming.

Bash
Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.

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Lotus-e-Clan
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Re: Elite restoration begins!

Post by Lotus-e-Clan »

Lovely . It's like watching Kindig Customs. I like seeing your clever solutions.
Peter K

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