I've Re-Updated the blog!
The chassis is in good nick and the engine turns by hand. The best bit - It turns on the starter too and tried to cough into life on a squirt of easy-start! I feel like it's trying to drag itself back to life from the brink. It wants to be back on the road again, it's just my job to repair the things that are stopping it. Sentimental sod.
Any advice or reccommendations (other than "give up!") are welcomed as always.
Anyway, from
http://www.danslotusproject.blogspot.com :
Today (actually yesterday) was a big day, I liberated a battery from my boat, which I MUST remember to put back tomorrow, and tried out the electrics, including the starter motor!
First I put back the 3 bolts I'd taken out of the oil cooler. Not exciting, but needed to be done.
So, battery in the boot:
The eagle-eyed amongst you may notice it's not quite a factory-fit installation.
A lot of the electrics were a bit gammy, so sprayed some electrical cleaner in and gave them a wiggle.
Results so far:
Working - Brake lights, 1 fog lamp, high beam flash on N/S headlamp, left indicator, stereo, horn, dash lights, windscreen wiper, electric windows, heater fan.
Not working - Headlamp motors, right indicator flashes very quickly on front only, interior light, the other fog lamp, hazard lights, heater pointer (I can get screen or feet but not vent), fuel pump.
No fuel pump means no starting, but I did crank it over with a bit of easy start down the intake trumpets (how could I not) and there was firing! Not running by any stretch, but he did try, and it's the taking part that counts.
Talking about taking (a)part. The fuel pump had to come out so I'll try and free it up at home. There's 3 wires attached, 1 black, 1 positive feed and one that looks like it goes to a capacitor on the body of the pump. The black needs unscrewing, the other two are just spade connectors. Then a 13 or 14mm spanner takes the pipes off, with an adjustable to hold the "socket" steady (otherwise you just twist the pipe and it springs back). I tied the clear lower one up out of the way because it looked like a direct feed from the apparently empty tank.
After that it's just 3 nuts to get a spanner on to remove as a unit. Worth bearing in mind that if you then take it home and leave it on the kitchen step in the garden, it'll get wet if it rains in the night. I'm a genius.
The other job was to get the headlamp pods up. There's a knob between the front wheel and bumper on either side that you can apparently use to wind the headlight pods up manually in case you need to get yourself home. I say apparently as they were damned near jammed solid. Ended up getting a screwdriver on the end of the knob and doing it that way. mm by mm. Took ages!
From what I understand it only goes in one direction, has a mechanism on it like a medicine bottle, so the same rotation sends it up then down then up... I'm going to get an electric drill on it next time.
"ooh, I think I've got a bit of sleep in my eye!"
So that's sunday's report. I'll be playing with the pump at some point this week and seeing if I can free it up.
One point of concern was that it looks like petrol's been leaking into the boot. I should probably fix that.
Note: if any mod can make the pictures a bit smaller to fit the screen feel free.
Keep up the good work. 