Water Pump

[rogerch]

Question Number 11

How many times did I have to crank the engine before it started, ONCE !!! What a player,,,,,,,haven't even put the trimming light on it yet. Yes the belt does go tighter when the engine is hot.

New water pump (re-conditioned actually)

New Timing belt

New Plugs

Oil and Filter change

Fresh Coolant (Nulon Ultra Cool)

Thanks for all your guidance guys, it's like having a friend over your shoulder.

Now for the brakes, kit through the master cylinder.

Happy

[Rich H]

Good work!

[stevem]

Well done Roger, you've cracked most of the really awkward jobs now so should be good for a year or three. How about some new wheels ? I think that's my next project, so when you've worked out what sizes and which adaptors required let me know.

[lotus4s]

Good job Roger.

[rogerch]

Not so fast,,,,,,,,, bugger, bugger, bugger !!

Giving myself more room, better vision to clean up and mark the timing marks, I remover the back panel.

Where upon I witnessed the expansion tank weeping, bugger, bugger, bugger. Yes the same tank I repaired a few months ago, different spot this time but no excuses, I should have had it done properly in the first place.

Any way the tank is off and on it's way to be repaired, could be worse, but that's life with a Lotus.

[rogerch]

A very nasty moment !!! All back together, repaired expansion tank $22.00 what a bargain, brakes all done new master cylinder. A modest test rum this morning, oh joy, never got as high as 90 on temperature gauge. Came home, wonderful, looked back at it, "drip" from underneath the front of the engine, cold sweet breaks out, 2nd drip, full on panic, get the jack back out, up we go, stands in, under I go, can't see a trace of a leak, OK where are the drips landing, a bit to the left, the down hose where it goes back through the chassis, the clamp seemed tight enough, but a couple more turns with a screw driver, and it stropped.

I cannot tell you what a relief that was.

[stevem]

Thats great news. So now you can stop buggering about with it and enjoy some driving over the cooler months. put the hammer and spanners away until November, that's an order !

[rogerch]

Hi Steve, the belt gauge tells me the belt is too loose when the engine is cold and too tight when hot, but only a smidgen , the variance is more than the calibrations on the gauge, so I have gone with the hot readings.

In the absence of any conflicting advice, I'll run with that, so I can return the now overdue gauge, with thanks.

[Mike6]

Well done Roger. I missed a cracking classic car meet this morning, or at least my car did so fingers crossed there is not to much wrong with my car - the weather is glorious at the moment

[rogerch]

Just thought I'd do a final update. Had my first long drive on Monday, down to Port Macquarie to see the specialist. Between finishing the car and now there have been no issues, no water consumption, no temperature spikes, no pistons hitting valves from misplaced timing belts, and a reassuringly more solid brake pedal.

So my Monday run, absolutely rock solid consistent temperature 80-82 the whole trip, most gratifying, though not forgetting this is winter.

This whole exercise started out to keep the engine temperature as low as possible, ie 80-82, in an effort get the maximum from the turbo without adding a charge cooler, well I think I have achieved that and am certainly getting more consistent boost pressures. What's interesting is that I used substantially lees fuel on this trip.

Now you may recall, (idle hands) I upped the pressure setting on the waste gate actuator to 8psi. well I arranged to meet a fellow Esprit owner for lunch, so we took off in tandem, but he was driving quicker than normal, (no wife today) still only half way around the roundabout I noticed he was suddenly halfway up the hill !! So I gave it some wellie off the roundabout,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,the back sort of light up ! not my usual style, indeed had I been a teenager I would have lifted off for fear of antagonising the local Plod, but being as I'm a mature, middle aged, responsible gentleman,,,,,,,,,, I kept into it proceeding up the hill at a 10 degree angle, I could smell the rubber, oh what fun.

Got do a country run now, still haven't fully tested the front roll stiffness.