1976 Elite restoration.

[mikeeech]

That sounds like the ignition light problem!

[Francisco Franco]

I had a quick look, I don’t profess to be an auto electrician butI think you are right with the two items you mention, basically most auxiliary items are fed from terminal two, so the voltage stabiliser could well be the problem, the horn circuit looks to be the easiest to get going for a starting point.

if your heater is blowing, the wiper motor should run too, fuse permitting, if it doesn’t it’s pointing to the stabiliser

Then it’s on to the regulator
I hope this helps a little, everyone’s interpretation of wiring diagrams is different 😂

Good luck

[steve clack]

Does anyone know how the panel dimmer rheostat works....mine does not pull or twist, or do anything, wondered how it was ment to work! This also might be part of my electrical gremlins....

[Francisco Franco]

From memory (33years ago) it twisted

have you tried a dedicated earth (Temporary)from the battery to dashboard?

[steve clack]

Will try that tomorrow.

[Clive59]

if light not on and all else seems ok, check bulb! unlikely to blow, but if it is the alternator won't get the exciter current required and won't start properly.

[Angus553]

Hi Steve as per Francisco the rheostat switch should twist to work. 

[EXCEL V8]

The rheostats are really flaky - I'd remove it from circuit for a while and just connect the wires together for max brightness.  You can put it back later if you ever feel the dash illumination is too bright - which is unlikely.

Pete

[Doris the dog]

Door fitting didn’t go to plan. Door beam attached to body with spacers to start , but then bolted door check strap to bracket and noticed it had worn on the pin that goes down track. So removed and built up the pin by TIG welding. Just got to make good with file back to original diameter.  

[Clive59]

On 09/07/2020 at 09:08, EXCEL V8 said:

just connect the wires together for max brightness

Max brightness is not bright, you won't miss rheostat!

[steve clack]

Timing help please.....

Does anyone know how to time the cam shafts without having any dots on them. I have D camshafts and have 110 and 100 markings on them but not dimples or dots. Distributer cam is the same, I think the camshafts have been messed with as I cannot get the car to run. Does anyone know how to set this up....

[Clive59]

not sure if this helps, but on a 907 engine I had this when doing cambelt.

[steve clack]

Thanks, but my problem is I do not have any dots on my pulleys, red, blue or green. No dots at all are cast on them.

[Tony D]

Hoping this helps:

This is as you look at engine from front of car ( exhaust on right). Both pulleys look the same. Mine have a line scribed approx 2 teeth either side of a position 180 degrees opposed from the woodruff slot ( highlighted with black pen on the exhaust pulley.

Should at least give you a starting point. Suggest winding through full 360 by hand ( always good practice) before cranking .

Now a question to the informed on engine timing. I've only just noticed that the back side of each pulley is labelled Ex110 / In115, c.f. front which is Ex115 / In110. The word LOTUS does not appear on the back. Scribe lines look to be in same place, but if pulley is reversed, I assume this alters valve timing by 5 degrees ? If so ,how would this reflect on the power delivery?

These are pulleys from a 1974  907 Elite.

Tony

 

Edited July 17, 2020 by Tony D
Extra important info.

[rjwooll]

Tony, there is some great stuff from Esprit2 in the Jensen Healey forums - here's the link: http://www.jensenhealey.com/forums/view_topic.php?id=2409&forum_id=2

Cheers, Richard

[steve clack]

Thanks Tony, so which is the timing mark that I use.

[Clive59]

7 hours ago, steve clack said:

No dots at all are cast on them

Do you have the "Ex" and "In" castings on them? They seem to correspond closely to the dots. Not sure if this is always the case.

[Tony D]

If you look back at photo Clive59 posted before mine, between the two photos it's pretty clear to see which marks are used and how. 

Tony

 

[steve clack]

It is not at all, pretty obvious which marks are used, no coloured dots on pulleys to go by, timing marks 115 and 100, all of which when set will not start the car. Can the inlet camshaft be put on the exhaust camshaft by mistake i.e. Swap them over. I have read and spent days on this and all I can deduce is mine are the only ones without dots and are either put on wrong inlet should be on exhaust or the pulleys are back to front.

i have spend nearly 1000 hours on this car and I am stumped about what to do.

[Tony D]

Steve

I assume that's a picture of your engine. You have scribed lines like my car instead of the dots. Your inlet cam looks to be in about the right position for timing, but the exhaust appears to need to be turned at least 90 degrees clockwise. You need to get two scribed lines pointing at each other. (Like Clive photo, but lines instead of dots). The line near the word 'in' for the inlet cam, and near the word 'Ex' for the exhaust cam. 

I wonder if your exhaust pulley is on back to front. I can't see the LOTUS on the casting, but can see it for inlet pulley. (If on backwards, I'm guessing you will tune the valve timing by 5 degrees, but I have not read the link Richard provided). Take the pulley off and see LOTUS is cast into the other side. 

I'm pretty sure both pulleys are identical, but others may be able to Confirm. 

Tony 

[Tony D]

Do you have a workshop manual?  Tech data page 6 details types of cam shaft that could be fitted. Engine section page 19 shows timing alignments. 

Don't worry about not having dots on the pulley. As you can see on my photo, neither do mine. You are not the only lotus owner who's dotless. 

 

[steve clack]

The cam shaft is a D type spec 1, it should be timed at 115, but have tried that hundred times and does not work.

[Tony D]

Me again. Just read back on you're initial post and you say you have D cam shafts. Tech table says this matches to 110 deg M. O. P. After TDC  for inlet and 110 degree M. O. P. before TDC for exhaust. It appears your pulleys have the 110 positions marked so would seem you have all the right parts. 

[Tony D]

Seems we were both posting at the same time earlier, so messages overlap.

According to my service manual, D spec 1 Cams should have 110 deg valve setting on both Inlet and Exhaust. Were are you getting the info it should be 115 from?

Having read the link to Jenson Healey posted earlier by Richard, and looking again at my pulleys, the word LOTUS on the casting should face front on the Inlet, and the rear on the exhaust ( it appears your photo is therefore showing correct). You then set the IN110 line at 3 o'clock on the Inlet, and the Ex110 at 9 o'clock on the exhaust cam, hence the lines point at each other. On your photo, it looks the Inlet is in correct position, but exhaust is down at 6 o'clock ! Fingers crossed for you if the engine has been cranked through at this position.

When doing the alignment check, put a ruler along the centre point of the two cam  pulley retaining bolts and make sure alignment lines are on the same ruler line.

Now with the plugs out, turn the engine by hand and feel it through 2 full revolutions. Don't force it through anything, even the slightest extra resistance. I'd probably leave the cam covers off and look for each valve appearing to fully close, just in case there's a bent valve. If it goes smoothly through, use a compression tester in each plug hole and crank it to check you have good compression on all cylinders. - Open the carb throttles fully whilst testing.

When you have confidence to crank the engine and know you have good compression, then you can deal with making sure the ignition timing is correct, but one step at a time.

Just in case you don't have it, he's the timing page from the same workshop manual.

Tony

[steve clack]

Tony, thanks for your help...I seem to be getting somewhere, set the timing, moved the dizzy, pulled the chock out fully and it spluttered into life for the first time in 34 years. Didn't actually run but closer than I have ever had it. Will do some carburettor adjustments tomorrow and go from there.

Not going to set fire to it now after yours and everyone's help.