The story of Little Red Riding Hood

[Jacques]

Hi Ian,

I have them ready. I just cannot get the old nuts off, as I cannot reach them. No Tool I have can get to them. Only the first two upper and for lower.

Cheers,

Jacques.

[Chillidoggy]

Sparky? Where are you!

[Barrykearley]

He's laughing hard and exercising his bifold arm joints !!!

you need to borrow a really well trained super skinny monkey

[Advantage]

It's been years since I've had to do this job (thankfully) but I do seem to recall using a thin walled 3/8 drive socket for one or two of the nuts along with a specially adapted spanner (grinder time!) for some of the others. 

Am I right in thinking that it's worthwhile removing the engine mount and its associated heat shield for decent access?

[Jacques]

Is it needed to take out the storage compartment box (the big glasfiber thing), as it take some time to undo all the Electrics, hoses etc?

Jacques.

[Bibs]

I remember @Sparky doing mine mainly from the wheel arch. Only took him a couple of hours, legendary!

[Barrykearley]

And I bet most of that was with his eyes closed mouth open and just by feel alone........

 

close your eyes jacques - become one with the manifold 

[Jacques]

I feel the force is strong in you my son.

Jacques.

[Sparky]

It's entirely possible without removing anything else, but it does help if anything from the shoulders down can bend in strange ways.  You should be able to get 8 or 9 of them off without too much hassle, but cyl 1 is tough.  Long screwdrivers and tyre levers (with help from a hammer) to bend the tabs.  Jacques, if you really want a good shot at it, remove the towers.  Very handy if they need resealing, but I suspect yours don't!  Makes the job a doddle.

I use modified spanners - rings ground very thin, and open jaws with the sides ground off.  And 1/4 inch drive, short/long sockets, ground down if necessary.

I've done plenty, and never had to pull the engine, but I may have been lucky...

[Jacques]

Point taken, I'll shop around tomorrow, if someone's open. And a few grinding discs too

Sparky: how do you undo the turbo from the exhaust manifold? It seems that only two nuts can be loosened or removed?

I'll report back.

No, no seeping from cam Towers

Jacques.

[Sparky]

Worry about the turbo once the whole assembly is off.  At worst, you then have room to grind anything off.  Turbo can be reattached once the new manifold is insitu.  Be prepared for minor alignment issues, but they can be addressed when encountered.

If you're not going to remove the towers, then it's a case of pure bloody-mindedness!  They will come off, but you'll be doing most of it by feel, one flat at a time.  As Sir Advantage states, if you're having a really bad time it might be worth removing heatshield and engine mounting, then lifting the engine a little.  Never had to do it myself, but it might allow a bit more space.

[Jacques]

Thanks Sparky (and Sir Advantage). I will do it the hard way  What else to do on a New Years day anyway?

Just spent 12 hours replumming and generally messing about with the central heating in the Building where the garage is, because someone overlooked a hole in the roof, Water came Down, spoiled an old working table, which became soft, and the 120 Kg drill on top tilted Down on the central heating, which bent and leaked a few hundreds liter of hot Water all over. Oh well. All good now

Jacques.

[fjmuurling]

Like sparky said big assortment of different spanners etc and "on the feel"

I used aerotight nuts and nordlock washers for putting it all back again

[Chillidoggy]

The high-temp K-Nuts will withstand up to 425C, are the best for turbo exhaust manifolds, and don't need washers. That's why I chose them, and I've had none come loose, nor any leaks. They're not cheap, though. Also, if I had to take the exhaust manifold off again, I would take the engine out as the hours spent struggling will outweigh and engine-out job.

NB: Aerotight nuts are rated only up to 300C.

[Jacques]

Thanks I an, great pricure, which clearly shows that more Space is available when Alunox manifold is in place. I think I actually bought those K-nuts and have them somewhere on the shelf.

Anyway, here's some good news: I spent two hours today grinding a 13mm open/ring spanner to be thinner, plus crawling underneath and removing the engine tray plus the 4 small heat shields. That and generally crawling in various positions underneath, brought me some more nuts off the manifold. I have have 6 muts off!  Hey, going slowly but surely towards the new manifold

Happy New Year everyone!

Jacques.

 

[johnpwalsh]

It's a nightmare job. My last but one that I did I used a hard point pound through screwdriver and slowly cut through the nuts. I was replacing them and all the studs anyway. I had to remove it again about 6 months later and they came off no problem. I have never had to remove an engine yet to get it off. Ask again end of Febraury and I will let you know if this is still the case when I take the engine out of the yellow Peril for a partial rebuild.Persevere and you will get there.

[Jacques]

Thanks Guys, much appreciated!

In April 2016, I should be driving  I hope.

Jacques.

[Jacques]

And for the ones WHO just ned the rollers:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Headlight-Motor-Repair-Gear-Delrin-Bushings-or-Pellet-Made-in-USA-and-Free-Ship-/221655220659?fits=Make%3ALotus%7CModel%3AEsprit&hash=item339bae41b3:g:5jkAAOSw6aVUrHTh&vxp=mtr

Jacques

[Chillidoggy]

Jacques, you might have to 'relieve' the engine mount heatshield to clear No.1 primary tube. It's a case of bending it back once you've got the new unit on the engine.

There are some photos I took of 'Rubik's heatshield' assembly on page 5 of my engine/gearbox thread which should demonstrate how it goes back together if you get stuck.

[jonwat]

22 hours ago, ian29gte said:

The high-temp K-Nuts will withstand up to 425C, are the best for turbo exhaust manifolds, and don't need washers. That's why I chose them, and I've had none come loose, nor any leaks.

Great picture Ian but without lock tabs, part numbers A910E2419F &  A910E2420F,  the studs will unscrew from the head. 

[Chillidoggy]

5 minutes ago, jonwat said:

Great picture Ian but without lock tabs, part numbers A910E2419F &  A910E2420F,  the studs will unscrew from the head. 

 

Not on my engine they won't, Jon.

I've driven over 2,000 miles since the new manifold was fitted, the studs are still in place, as are the K-nuts, and the manifold hasn't loosened, or fallen off.

 

[Jacques]

If I should wear belt and braces, I would probably use some Nordlock washers.

Cheers,

Jacques.

[Sparky]

K-nuts and no washers on mine, and everything's still tight after a couple of thousand miles, as it should be.  You'll find that the new manifold allows plenty of room for checking/tightening if necessary. 

[Chillidoggy]

My apologies, I made a mistake about the K-nuts.

They'll withstand 650C, not 425C.

[Barrykearley]

What do these manifolds add to the car ??

better sound? Better performance? And yes I get the fact it will be a whole load lighter !!