S1 Project car - part 2 - the continuation

[Lotusfab]

Have just spent most of today trying to get the drivers door to fit. I'm not convinced its from this LOTUS! For anyone fitting doors this is my advice, shims shims shims. The initial fit was appauling I have ended up putting different size shims in the hinges and moving the hinges to get the door to sit right. It was Impossible to get a good fit just by adjusting the hinges. The bottom of the door stuck out and the top was in. Then the lock would't work because the catch isnt deep enough. The only way I could get a reasonable fit was to shim the door off the beam using washers. I think Ive had enough for the moment!

[Lotusfab]

Does anyone know how the choke cable and switch are connected? It looks like the cable pushes through the hole in the operating lever and a cable clip holds the outer? Also how does the choke switch fit? Thanks. This is what I have.

[jonroberts]

Does this help ?

 

[Lotusfab]

Thanks Jon, spot on! As always I'm missing some of the parts!

[Lotusfab]

Reasembled mirror and fitted. Spent ages adjusting shims to get window resistance to a minimum. Electric window tested. Adding relays.

[Lotusfab]

s and J sell the bracket and clip which I am missing. There is a metal bead on the end of the cable. Presumably this feeds in from the other side, then apparently a bullet connector is crimped onto this side - any pictures please?

[Paul Coleman]

The choke cable has a nipple on one end of it. You feed the inner part of the cable through the lever and then the other end of the cable attaches to the carbs with a screw clamp. You don't need to crimp anything yourself.

 

Looking at your pictures it looks as though you have everything you need?

 

Paul.

Edited August 2, 2015 by Paul Coleman

[Lotusfab]

Thanks Paul, missing the tunnel bit which is riveted and the clip to hold the outer sheath. Just having great fun installing relays and adjusting windows!

Believe I have found the optimum relay position, behind the door handle.

[Lotusfab]

Having spent weeks messing around with the doors I noticed they have play in and have moved since I first put them on. The bushes looked ok so I didnt replace them, big mistake! If your doing a resto replace the bushes and save yourself a lot of time and hastle. This is about the only part that isnt new and one of the most crucial. I now have to completely dismantel both doors, replace the bushes and reassemble - having spent hours getting the windows right. The only good thing is I'm now a door expert! I will mark the frame positions, and record the shim numbers. When adjusting the window, before you connect the motor, move the window up and down by hand, change the shims, frame position, window guide until you get the least posible resistance and the window rises squarely to the frame top. The motor then will work most efficiently. Replace the window felt in the guide so that you can see how much it compresses and then adjust shims to get the window in the middle of the channel. Where this is impossible half the distance from the centre channel to the edge. Will take about a day to do both doors as everything is new and comes apart quickly - the thought of doing it is worse than the job! Today will finish relay wiring and finish the few trim pieces I have. Then I will run the engine and wait for Steve Fulcher as he has most of the interior!

Jon forgot to ask you what engine and gearbox oil would you recommend. Thanks.

[Paul Coleman]

I also have play in my driver's door but it has brand new bushes in it!! The problem is that the door beam wears as well as the bush. I shimmed the bush using thin plastic sheet but it obviously hasn't worked so I also have to take mine apart - oh joy. The cheapest place to get new bushes is from JAE in the US.

 

Jon's on holiday but he used the same gearbox oil as me Redline MT90 (fill to 3L as recommended by Harry Martens). I used 20/50 mineral oil made by Castrol for the engine.

 

Paul.

Edited August 3, 2015 by Paul Coleman

[Lotusfab]

Thanks Paul, hows the engine running?

[Paul Coleman]

Very badly!

 

The original dizzy was worn and then the replacement I bought turned out to not have the correct advance curve.

 

There was also a coolant leak which Steve thinks is due to the liner nip being too high. I paid to have the engine rebuilt as I didn't feel confident doing it myself but it looks like that was a big mistake. I now have to pull the engine myself or pay SJ to re-do the job which will cost me the best part of £1,600 to £2,000. Neither solution appeals!!

[Lotusfab]

Sorry to hear that but Im sure you could rebuild it yourself, its just a pain. Still I've just popped round to Bell and Coville to buy an oil filter. Im convinced you have a very good investment and will easily make a big profit even after engine rebuild costs!

[Paul Coleman]

Yes I'm sure I could make money on it but that's not why I bought it. I don't fancy pulling the engine having only just fitted it. I suspect I'll bring it back home and sling a dust sheet over it!

[Lotusfab]

You never know, in the next week I might be taking out my engine, I didn't do the rebuild!

[Paul Coleman]

I think the standard line is if you buy a car with a rebuilt engine it actually means the engine needs rebuilding!

 

However, I think Dave knew what he was doing so I don't think you'll have the problems I have.

Edited August 3, 2015 by Paul Coleman

[Lotusfab]

Yep hes a good man, the troubles the engine design of the 907! Think youve got to fix your engine you cant put a dust cover on it, hope to see the car at some shows!

[Lotusfab]

If anyone is thinking on adding relays to the electric windows here's the circuit used. I used thin wall cable to keep the bulk down.

[Lotusfab]

Have discovered the motors are fitted with a thermal cut out so have decided not to add microswitches. The new power supply is fused at the fuse box. just need to wire the stereo and all is complete, then the engine testing!

[Lotusfab]

Doors.

As a guide it has just taken 2 hrs and 15 mins to disasemble both doors and remove the bushes. Not difficult. I drifted the pins and bushes out using a socket and some WD40. This was the easy bit. Both pins are corroded and need replacing. The new bushes are too small for the beam Steve has offered to make some up rhat are the correct size. The new pins are a better design than the old ones.

[Paul Coleman]

The bushes are not too small for the door beam the door beam is now too big for the bushes after 40 years or wear! Virtually every S1 is like this.

[Lotusfab]

Hi Paul, the original upper bushes are intact with minimal wear. After finding the new ones were loose I measured them with a micrometer. The diameter of the new bushes is 0.8 mm smaller than the original! There is no wear to the beam housing! The only wear is on the internal side of the lower bushes where the door pins have corroded. S and J can machine bushes that are an exact match to the housing, I'm going down that route as I don't want door problems after reasembly. The door pins have had it so S and J are supplying them too. If you have the original bushes measure the outside diameter. My original bushes are a really tight fit in the beam. I had to drift them out using a socket. Not convinced packing will hold in the long term.

[Lotusfab]

Seem to have reached full stop with this projectr. Steve at S and J now has my door beams, so I cant do anything on the doors and Steve Fulcher has most of the trim and is very busy! I have been repairing and triming the A posts. Took all the trim off that I had already done because you could see the white body at the side. So far two days of adjusting cutting filing and replacing the metal edge bracket to get the trim to fit so the white body cannot be seen. Have replaced all of the A post clips and female connectors as they were worn- once again supplied by S and J. They also have gromets that fit the doors for the loom. Have achieved a tight fit without the body being visible, just need to recover, if I dont run out of green cloth first!

[Lotusfab]

Having cleaned the glue off the A post trim for the fourth time Ive finally got it how I want it! It required removing the right angle steel and making a new bespoke edge out of Aluminium. Only the other side to do!,,,,

[Lotusfab]