S2 JPS project

[LOTUSMAN33]

Yes the garage is a pain as although double width it’s only 15 foot long hence why we have been planning to move for years but have elderly neighbours we have been next to for 20 years so moving would really upset them as very friendly.

Here it is touching my Elan and here’s the space behind...I think I can just about do it if I move the Elan forward acting as a wall in case it all goes wrong 🙄

Lifting Esprit engines out the top has never been a problem as I can attack from the side, if the car was the other way around the sloping drive would actually aid me if I set it up well adding rear ground clearance.

I am thinking about a set of car skates and a few people turning the car in the garage/back yard, it’s tight but measuring is possible.

Well I have started the strip down but finally succumbed to one bolt on the compressor which won’t be going back in, it has two bolts on the back and three on the front with the middle lower front bolt beating me and my already raw knuckles for today so will attack fresh tomorrow.

The dog was not impressed as I took her bed to make myself comfortable in the engine bay, she soon got over it laying on the sofa when I came in 😂

I bought an original 70’s JPS key ring on eBay the other day which turned up and pretty cool 😎

I don’t think Lotus quality control was up to much in the day as lots of runs on my chassis which are original, they all run upwards so they must paint the chassis upside down, mine was clearly a 5 o’clock on a Friday job 🤣 

Still the coatings have held up really well so I will leave the runs as gives it a bit of real world character so just a good clean up and touch up any chips staying with the preservation rather than restoration theme I’m aiming for.😁

Roo, I still haven’t totally made up my mind but leaning towards removal to do the clutch and crank seals along with properly blanking the air injectors, mind I can access most areas for cleaning now so will see how I get on tomorrow.

Dave  

 

 

[v8vantage]

Dropping the gearbox with the engine in the car was really quite easy, gave me a chance to rebuild the brakes and UJs whilst doing the rear main seal. Powder coated and cad plated most of the bits whilst I was at it. Also resealed the gearbox and replaced the linkage bushings. Did the seals on the output shaft housings which tend to leak once they are worn.

[LOTUSMAN33]

Yep that’s exactly my thinking to re-baseline the car for the coming years sorting all the normal wear items now Roo. It wasn’t my original plan for the car but with all the minor leaks it would drive me nuts 

Question - I have measured my height and with the car on my ramps I have around 4” of clearance to drag the engine/box out from under the car, with the driveshafts disconnected and then the lower crossmember disconnected from the two lower links how stable would the car be on the radius arms and shocks alone? I would reinstall after removal to move the car again? 
My thinking is add some axle stands further back behind the engine to support some of the weight?

Dave  

 

[v8vantage]

Yes add axle stands to support engine as the rear upper gearbox mounts would be disconnected. I would not support the car on radius arms and shocks alone, the radius arm mounts are not designed/oriented for the torsional loads exerted without the gearbox/axle shafts connected.

[LOTUSMAN33]

That was my thinking Roo, it didn’t seem possible or sensible. I will see if I can come up with a good stable support. 👍🏻

[LOTUSMAN33]

Well engine is just about ready to come out with everything disconnected or loosened off in prep including engine mounts, only thing left to do is the cross gate cable.

The clutch is stuck engaged which explains why I had to pump the clutch pedal once before feeling pressure, i realised this when putting it in gear with the handbrake on to remove the three belt crankshaft pulley, ended up wedging the flywheel to get it off before the engine comes out as it sticks out really far compared to the UK cars and measuring showed it would be in my way dropping the engine unless I had a real steep angle. 

What I did forget was the driveshaft bolts are captive so the UJ will need to come apart so looks like I might as well rebuild the driveshafts while I have it apart and paint them up.

The AC compressor was a right pain in the proverbial to get out but finally removed that stubborn bolt and pulled it back after removing all the coolant hoses to get better access. 

The air con belt was close to failure with a nice split, the fan belt was in a similar state.

I have ordered four car dollies so I can move the car about in the garage easier and will pick up some timber this week to chock it up on the chassis diagonally across my garage with the plan to pull the lump next weekend. I have some spare gearbox mounts so I intend to reinstate it back on the wheels with the driveshafts removed so I can free space up for the engine work.

I will be fitting a new clutch, oil cooler and hoses, all coolant hoses with stainless jubilee clips, new header tank, all suspect gaskets and seals, blanks for the air injectors, refurbished water pump, new belts, engine mounts, clutch cylinders and stainless hose, full engine/box service, new coil, all new fuel system, full valve clearance reshim as required and do the rear brakes along with wheel bearings and the new exhaust which should give the car some excellent reliability for the future 🤞🏼🙂

I also plan to get the Air Con serviced with a new drier and R134a conversion, the R12 system is still pressurised so I need to get replacement charging adaptors somewhere. 
Steve on here is making me a complete new Wessex Wool carpet set with black leather and suede trim which should look superb with the refurbished seats and new gold trims.

Next task on the cards will be the electrics and a good refurbish of the front end mechanics as required.

Dave  

[v8vantage]

Full on case of mission creep. May as well tear down the whole chassis and replace every bushing while you are at it. Strip the front end, remove the rad and recore, clean off the underside, plate all the nuts/bolts powdercoat suspension/brackets, fit new brake discs, rebuild brake calipers with stainless pistons/new seals, remove fuel tanks and clean properly or replace. Fit the Turbo radiator pack and electric fans, add new fusebox and extra relays for electrical circuits. Don't forget the upgraded turbo engine mounts whilst the engine is out. I reckon you may get to drive it by next summer unless you do the LHD to RHD conversion whilst its apart.

[LOTUSMAN33]

Absolutely Roo, but with the clutch seized the engine was coming out no matter what so only want to do this once.

Turbo mounts, I was aware there was an upgrade? I’ve already bought one standard one..

I have considered just taking the body off but as you say if I go down that route I would convert it to RHD, I will keep that for the future when and if I decide to get it painted.

All my suspension bushes are in great shape thankfully so dodged that bullet and all the fastenings are still excellent so just a degrease and re-use.

You are right about mission creep but after removing the coolant hoses which looked very good the rubber was hard and perished, nothing worse than breaking down miles from home with a split hose, it happened to me twice with JPS 099 with once being the day I was selling it to a German fella.

People can’t help say Lots of trouble...blah blah as they walk by when you break down either 🙄😂

I will be happy with next summer having a reliable car and expected to spend a fair sum after being off the road for so long. I could get away with lots of bits no doubt and will keep anything which is salvageable cleaning for future projects as I still have my eye on a complete basket case S1 which I won’t want to sink much into really.

I may upgrade the radiator when I do the front end refurb along with fans as they look like originals and 41 years old now.

Dave  

[v8vantage]

You can find the details on the engine mount upgrade in this thread, about halfway down are the photos of the Lotus by Claudius upgrade I have. 

 

[drdoom]

2 hours ago, LOTUSMAN33 said:

 

I also plan to get the Air Con serviced with a new drier and R134a conversion, the R12 system is still pressurised so I need to get replacement charging adaptors somewhere. 
Steve on here is making me a complete new Wessex Wool carpet set with black leather and suede trim which should look superb with the refurbished seats and new gold trims.

 

Dave  

https://coldhose.com/

I've been very satisfied with the service and bits from the firm at link attached. Steve did carpets for mine, look very nice indeed.

 

[drdoom]

Roo, I'd very much appreciate you sharing impressions of the car in terms of the mount conversion.

Cheers

[LOTUSMAN33]

That Claudius mount kit does look tempting I must say, I actually removed the extra mount system which sat below the Air pump but think I will replace and upgrade the bushes as my exhaust mount sheared through the engine travelling fwd, the rubber appears good so I will also check the gearbox spacing when assembling as plan a full suspension set up anyway. My heat shields is in as new condition but I normally wrap the mount in scandura and alloy tape with metal bands, we do this to mounts on steam systems on the Submarines to protect them from heat.

Steve, do you remember what bits you ordered for you R134a conversion or did you get these guys to do it? They have a very comprehensive range just not exactly sure what to order.

Dave  

[fjmuurling]

Don't fotget to do the aircon hoses when converting to R134a and the expansionvalve.

[drdoom]

10 minutes ago, fjmuurling said:

Don't fotget to do the aircon hoses when converting to R134a and the expansionvalve.

Freek is correct in this, at least in terms of the hoses which must certainly be renewed both for the R134a refrigerant and also for the sake of your aged oldies. Not as certain of the need for a change of expansion valve but I'm a novice in A/C technology. My system has been built in an attempt to optimise the components as currently available, rather than preserve originality. Proof of concept remains a long way off right now. The contact link at Cold Hose will put you in touch with support on questions pertaining to bits, as long as you are able to describe pieces to be connected. Typical hose sizes are #6 for liquid from condenser through receiver/dryer, #10 for the gaseous suction line from evaporator to compressor, and #8 for the hose carrying compressed gas from compressor to condenser. Elsewhere in the Forum you will find postings from those who've converted to R134a, plus at least one who's switched compressor to the more compact, rev tolerant SD7B-10 Sanden. Most straightforward refresh of your OEM kit would be modern hoses in correct sizes with flare type end connections, requiring fresh copper sealing washers in annealed condition, and the R134a with compatible oil. Lots to digest in all, perhaps making a case for turning to the known Lotus specialist suppliers for support.

Cheers

[LOTUSMAN33]

As the hoses go through the sill I take it access can be made okay via the cabin Portable sill section without removing the actual sill itself? My hoses are in good condition so could I not just get the system tested and re-use? 
I’ve not had much to do with classic air con tbh so advice is always appreciated.

I am guessing if I get one of the many mobile air con specialists out they have the gear to actually vac down a R12 system?
I will do a forum search and see what I can find.

Dave  

[drdoom]

The wisdom as I have it is that older hose will not contain R134a due to its smaller molecule size. Better news is that the runs in cabin do indeed travel under the carpeted sill section, so lifting that affords access to the hoses and clips that retain them. I chose the reduced size hoses for my re-fit and they are altogether more flexible than the originals, making an easier job of running them into place as a result. I believe the extraction and fill kit to be not all that large so a mobile technician would likely be so equipped. To the required parts list please also add receiver/drier, by the way.

[LOTUSMAN33]

Thanks Steve, I will park this until the car is back together and running, I’m fitting new carpets anyway so will get the system tested and then make all the alterations and improvements going forward. I have read up online and the forum this morning so getting a good idea in my head of costs and involvement. 👍🏻
Dave  

[910Esprit]

Dave - I see you have found my AC conversion thread.   Give me a shout if you need any help.   I had no idea what I was doing when I started but its all pretty straightforward (in retrospect!!)  In addition to what Steve has mentioned above, the fundamental differences I found  between the 'hardware' of an R12 and an R134 system are:  

• R12 Compressors/Receivers typically use flare fittings, Later hardware typically uses O-Ring fittings  (earlier condensor may also be o-ring)
• R12 Compressors typically had the service ports (shreader valves) attached to the compressor body.  Later compressors typically dont have service ports, as these are fitted directly in the high/low pressure pipework itself
• Re-using existing hose is a false economy (I retained a very small section of good condition hose from the receiver to the evaporator and even now my gas tester goes off if you 'sniff' that hose)
• Imperial is the standard for A/C stuff. The '#' references are effectively 16ths of an inch.  e.g. a #12 hose requires a 3/4" fitting

NB - Have you got registered yet?

Edited September 6, 2020 by 910Esprit

[LOTUSMAN33]

Hi Steve

Good thread with plenty of useful reading. 👍🏻

Thanks for that information it’s very useful, yes mine has the shreader valves on the body.
SJ sell replacement hoses so not sure how suitable they are however RHD 🙄

No not registered yet but I now have the original title, provenance certificate, Nova paperwork and V55 form along with the car being insured by the chassis number so I plan to get that all sent this week with the £55 fee.

Dave  

 

[LOTUSMAN33]

I thought I would remove the water pump today as it sticks out a long way so will make manoeuvring the engine a little tougher but one of the bolts is captive behind the oil pump pulley, not seen this before as done non A/C pumps in place. So to do a water pump would mean removing the three Aux belts, pulley and cambelt! 
The water pump is very tight I noticed when turning the shaft so glad I’m removing the engine now along with a fairly suspect front crank seal which appears to be leaking when I put the LED inspection light in behind.

On removing the rear brakes one of the calipers is free to move but the handbrake mechanism is doing nothing so a rebuild as spare for the future ( I have two brand new ones I’m fitting which I already have).

Are the SJ crank seals any good or are they cheap gaco seals?

Dave  
 

 

[Fridge]

A well known problem Dave.

One of the reasons for removing the engine is usually to include a new water pump. I replaced that bolt with a cap screw. Can still be problematic though I've heard.

I've no idea about the old water pump, but new ones aren't designed to turn without lubrication. That's what Gary Kemp told me anyway.

[LOTUSMAN33]

I did one on my old white S1 but don’t remember the issue but that was 20 years ago 😂

A cap screw sounds like a sensible plan 👍🏻

Dave  

[Fridge]

Didn't you fit one to Fabian's S1 before he bought it to finish?

I'm not sure how useful the cap screw mod is TBH. Still looked tight to me.

[LOTUSMAN33]

Yes but again that was out the car and don’t recall the issue so may have fitted it first before the aux housing. I may machine the Allen head down a little on the works lathe but then the new pump should last the timing belt life ok.

Dave  

[LOTUSMAN33]

Engine out day, going for it on my own although wife and son about they often aren’t due to work commitments, wish me luck 🤞😁

Hubs and driveshafts first then to attach the lift as everything else is loose and ready to go. 

🍺 already chilling in fridge 👍

Dave