The story of Little Red Riding Hood

[Jacques]

okay, time for a small update:

 

The errorcode 25 fortunately showed to be two slightly Loose connector legs. After measuring wires, plugs, cleaning it all (twice) and changing the ecu plus installing a new MAT sensor for testing, I could squeeze the connector legs slightly and all was good.

 

Next was to finally install the new front arb bushes, which are quite hard. It's the middle ones, and they substitute the standard Lotus rubber ones. The new ones are not Lotac programme bushes, but seems to be Powerflex. I will only use these hard ones for this purpose only. All other bushes are Lotac red ones, which are slightly softer than the harder ones from say Powerflex.

 

The purpose of doing this is to stiffen up the front arb to get less movement and weightshift in tight turns or fast turns.

 

So, I started undoing the brackets underneath, making sure all bolts are lubricated with Wera anto-seize screw grease (up to 1400 deg cel.).

Then preparing the new hard bushes with some coppergrease inside as per instructions from Powerflex.

Then install them. They are cut open underneath, so just swoops on in the right place.

My front arb is easy to undo by pulling it out (well not that easy, but still), after having lubricated the outer bushes with a slip media. But in this case, I didn't have to do that.

Apply a bit of coppergrease on the outer mating surface of the new front arb middle bushes. This prevents them from making squeaking sounds later on.

reinstall the brackets and bolts, washers and nuts, and tighten to spec.

Then take a testdrive, and cut off the old ones made in soft rubber, and clean up the excessive copper grease.

 

So, what's it's like?

I'd say a definately better drive. Lesser roling. THe Esprit now sits quite flat in fast or quick steering situations. I may say slightly more neutral steering. Car seems a little more planted now.

Very easy litle job and to a great effect. Surely worth the effort.

Little Red Riding Hood are now even more happy in turns.

 

I will add, that these bushes fits the thicker front arb on the SE etc. plus the Sport350. Not the thinner front arb on later cars. For thiese cars, there is a orange-like hard bush made as well. This will rattle in the SE's brackets.

 

Spoilers up!

 

Kind regards

Jacques.

[Jacques]

Argh, I'd like to correct my typos, but cannot, as the text is locked after a while. It just looks pretty silly.

Hmmm, never mind

 

Jacques.

[Barrykearley]

Glad to hear the arb bushes made a difference for you.

I'm mid rebuild of my front suspension - I can't wait until the first new drive..

[Jacques]

Hi Barry,

Thanks. The definately makes a difference. I have read your thread on the front end rebuild. I'll get around to that later on.

I am thinking of having all of the suspension components resurfaced and tuned up with new bushes, bolts etc. So I am stocking up on parts slowly now. I'd really really like some BIG brakes as well.

Hmm... So many projects and so little time

Looking forward to seeing your Esprit when it's done. And to hear, if you feel it sharper and more direct as a consequence of the rebuild.

 

Cheers,

Jacques.

[Barrykearley]

Cheers Jacques.

Was like Christmas morning picking up my powder coated bits and seeing the new tyres today. The old ones were at least 9 years old and very hard.... The rest of the front end was wrecked, so I'm hoping it will be amazing to drive after - was good before though...

It's all new bolts going in - cut a fair few of them off! Will make any future strip down easier that for sure

Big brakes...... Hmmmmm

[Jacques]

Hi Barry,

By saying big brakes, I mean that in my Humble oppinion, the Esprit is simply too fast for it's mini brakes. Yes, they function well if you brake early and drive 50 km/h, but if you take any power out of the engine, they are way too small.

I'd say that if someone wants even more power out of their Esprit, they have to install big brakes first.

 

Cheers,

Jacques.

[Barrykearley]

That dead right - always improve the brakes before slugging more bhp in there.

Mine goes off the line like a stabbed rat - and stops just as quick - I've never thought of the brakes as lacking - but they were rebuilt all round before I picked her up

[Jacques]

Eh...  okay Barry. Being a Dane and all, I just don't know, if that means that your Esprit is real quick or real slow ???

In any case, I think that big brakes are called for.

 

Some years ago, when I had my tuned Golf II, I hage it the beans at some narrow back roads, and when I finally came to a full stop, I had plenty of smoke out the Wheel Arches.. That's how I learnt it

So I upgraded the pads to better ones. Gave me 2 minutes more driving fast, then smoke Again.

Then I installed drilled front discs. Same result.

Then I installed rear disc brakes. Same result, jsut 2 minutes later.

Then I upgraded the drive axles, the hubs, the ball joints to bigger ones and installed bigger calipers front, bigger discs and Ferrodo DS2500 all over.

That worked !

From then on, I could trash the car as I wanted, with no ill brake effect.

 

I then did the same to my Corrado G60.

 

Now, I want to do it to my Esprit.

 

And you know, I am a bad driver, because I step too much on the brakes.

That is partly age, as I am becoming a bit paranoic about horses, busses and racing cyclists around the corner and over the hill top. So I brake more often and harder.

That has the ill effect of bringing the car out of balance and slow it Down, instead of sliding like an arrow through the landscape.

If only I could see that there's no hintrance around the corner, I'd hold the gas some more. But on public roads, there's no such thing.

So bigger brakes are the way forward, and have a big safety margin. And no smoke, no fade, no bent blue brakediscs.

Just my two pence.

I realised last year, that I came 5-6 years too late to the Esprit World, as I no longer can find the parts I need. They are obsolete.

Eventually, I'll get around to it.

 

BRAKE!

J     a    c   q  u  e s.... (cooling off.)

[Jacques]

Driving around the other day. Became dark, and I flipped up the headlights. Well, one headlight. The other struggeled to hold itself and went down again. So time for new gears and rollers inside the headlight motors.

I started taking off the right hand side, as it is more easy to dissasemble the gear inside.

Then off with the headlight motor and carefully loosen the three small 4mm bolts. cleaned ud the threads.

Then wiggle the big plastic gear out on it's housing, and voila, out came lot's of small bits from the plastic rollers inside the big plastic gear.

Cleaned everything up, carefully inspecting the motor, inserted new rollers in the new cnc cut aluminium Wheel; replace the shims and reassemble.

Easy peasy Work. So did the left hand headlight motor as well. And good it was taken apart, as the three rollers were split a few Places. Surely they would not have lasted many more actuations.

The left hand side is also easy to do, one just have to remember, that gear is a bit harder to pull out. Nothing wrong, just have to pass a ridge on the plastic gear.

 

Once Again Little Red Riding Hood can blink with her seductive eyes

Cheers,

Jacques.

 

Spoilers up!

[fjmuurling]

Homemade CNC wheel?

 

Nice

[Jacques]

Nope, from the us fleabay. Very nice made.

 

Cheers,

Jacques.

[Jacques]

Time for an update:

Hmm... Santa passed by this year and look what he got in his bag of presents. I Wonder how he got Down the chimney?  That guy needs a vacation!

I'll get back on this later on, when I have cleared up a "few" Things. But interesting it is  Plan is as usual to Loose a lot of weight and maximise all systems, freeing up some ponies extra, without tuning and, not to forget, making the chassis better, all reversible.

Weight is around 16 Kilo, so that is saving 10 kilogram which I really like as Little Red Riding Hood is a bit fat around the waist, and cooling should have a lot more capasity as per earlier descriptions elsewhere. I'll get back with more precise Measurements later, when I take the existing rad pack Down. At least this time, I should be able to undo all bolts and nuts, oil cooler hoses etc.

Cheers,

Jacques.

 

[Rolls]

On 6 September 2015 at 23:14, Jacques said:

from

Hi

i couldn't find them on eBay US. Do you have a link please?

 

[Barrykearley]

You won't find them under esprit - I'm sure they are listed as Pontiac parts on eBay.

[Jacques]

Here's a few links:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/88-96-Corvette-Headlight-Motor-Gear-Rebuild-Kit-Gear-Grease-Gasket-and-3-Bushing-/321759653879?fits=Make%3ALotus%7CModel%3AEsprit&hash=item4aea5eaff7:g:LFcAAOxyVLNS2N1o&vxp=mtr

http://www.ebay.com/itm/88-96-Corvette-Brass-Headlight-Motor-Rebuild-Gear-Grease-Gasket-3-Bushing-/221655262329?fits=Make%3ALotus%7CModel%3AEsprit&hash=item339baee479:g:irwAAOSwmrlUrIaJ&vxp=mtr

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1988-1996-Corvette-Headlight-Motor-Gear-Repair-Kit-Bushing-or-pellets-Pair-/221232609170?fits=Make%3ALotus%7CModel%3AEsprit&hash=item33827db792:m:mSJZ96bX93A6pnQAZt6H3Sg&vxp=mtr

http://www.ebay.com/itm/87-92-FireBird-T-Am-Headlight-Motor-ALUM-Gear-w-Bushing-/221471461681?fits=Make%3ALotus%7CModel%3AEsprit&hash=item3390ba5131:m:m0AyUjHQJVhY2CPPiI1JSJg&vxp=mtr

http://www.ebay.com/itm/88-96-Corvette-Headlight-Motor-Repair-Gear-w-Delrin-Bushings-FREE-SHIPPING-USA-/321637155230?fits=Make%3ALotus%7CModel%3AEsprit&hash=item4ae311819e:g:iFwAAOSwECZUrGyF&vxp=mtr

http://www.ebay.com/itm/87-92-Fiero-Firebird-Trans-Am-Headlight-Motor-Repair-Rebuild-Kit-W-O-Gear-/161314644611?fits=Make%3ALotus%7CModel%3AEsprit&hash=item258f1a2283:g:bkIAAOxyTjNSjWKV&vxp=mtr

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Corvette-Fiero-Firebird-Reatta-Headlight-Motor-Repair-Kit-W-HD-Aluminum-Gear-X2-/161625360026?fits=Make%3ALotus%7CModel%3AEsprit&hash=item25a19f469a:g:-HQAAOSwrklU-ISh&vxp=mtr      The full kit, which I bought.

Cheers,

Jacques.

[Rolls]

Okay. Do you happen to have any more links 

 Lol!

thanks -  excellent!

 

[Jacques]

You're wellcome. I think this kit is the sort of thing that is made by a guy WHO put a lot of his freetime in it, and WHO only make a few $ per set. In my Humble view, it's all about getting a full kit, while able to get it, as some day, he's gone, and voila, no more kits. Even if you don't need it right now. Your headlight mech will fail sooner or later anyway. Real easy to repair and Works a treat. "Lot's Of Trouble Usually Serious", does not apply here  Cheap and easy and one of those Little mods that make you smile.

As a little comparison, I can tell you that on a watercooled 911, the 996, the headlights are over 1500$ per piece, and each and every time you need them out, for say a bulb change or something else, the bottom plastic tray breaks, and that alone is 215 $ per piece. They notoriously break. Every single time. Guess how I know...

Porsche - Piece Of Rubbish Shit Crap Heap Eternally

Cheers,

Jacques.

[Jacques]

Time for a small update.

Today I began the Work of deleting the ebpv, the cat and the cast manifold. actually pretty easy and uneventfull.

First, I took off the three bolts securing the cat to the exhaust. Then loosened the ebpv, it's hose screw and took the ebpv out. Next was the three nuts and washers securing the cat to the turbo. Two from underneath and one from the top, 17mm. Before lifting the cat and pipe out, I loosened the left hand black cover with carpet, to undo the wires to the oxygen sensor. Since it's unbelievably tight, I bought a new one to have ready. Next, I lifted out the cat and it's pipe. I took a look at the turbo, and there's no trace of oil in it's port. All done in ½ hour with no problems yet.

The new Alunox 321 manifold weighs 5,2 Kg.

Old cast manifold's weight is yet unknown. I'll post that when I find out.

The old cat and it's pipe weighs 5,1 Kg, and

The new cat and it's pipe weighs 2,9 Kg.

So far saves me 2,3 Kg on the cat and pipe. Not bad at all.

More later.

Cheers,

Jacques.

Looks like this:

 

 

[Barrykearley]

Wow an ebpv in one piece !!! Did it actually still work as well ? If so - get it sold !!

now my fingers are crossed for you on them manifold nuts. The old cast manifold weighs nearly as much as the engine !!

[Jacques]

Yes, it Works.

Yeah, I'm going to try and pursuade the turbo and the manifold today, and I guess I need luck  And really long arms...

Would it be any help to take off the left rear Wheel?

Cheers,

Jacques.

[Barrykearley]

Had new rear tyres on mine last week - removing the rear left wheel - you can see a lot of the manifold etc.

if the nuts are horrible on the manifold - use Torx sockets - these are great for removing rusted nasty manifold nuts.

good luck

[Jacques]

ARGH!!!

4½ hour and 1, read one, nut off the manifold, and two more loosened.

Nuts are easy enough to loosen, if only I can get to them.

Problem is, that I just cannot see, how to take them off.

First of all, all nuts are secured with the locking tabs bent up. That is hard to reach or just impossible.

Next, three nuts are either off or loosened and not off, because the cast manifold (original but almost new) is cast in such a way, that the nuts cannot come off, with the manifold in place. It seems that all nuts have to be loosened, manifold moved 5mm outwards, and they can be tuned off.

I am really puzzeled as to how on Earth someone can change a manifold in situ?

Any advice is most appreciated!!!

Alternative is that I take an anglegrinder and cut the new Lotus manifold to bits and pieces. I'd rather not, but could be last resort.

Next is the turbo to exhaust manifold, which is assembeled in such a way, that only 1 nut came off, Rest is either out of reach, or cannot come off because of the casting on the turbo (which is the original turbo). Hmm... Maybe in the same way as above?

Or, if the exhaust manifold can come off, the manifold and turbo can be lifted out as one unit, if I detatch all hosed etc, from the turbo?

HELP!

Jacques.

[Advantage]

Yes, it is a test of patience. One or two of the nuts are difficult to access but your method of undoing a turn then repositioning the manifold is correct. Persevere! 

[Jacques]

Hi Advantage,

Thanks, but i don't understand how to reach them. I am in a pit under the car, and is that possible, and should I use some fabricated tools? Or are there some secret tricks?

Kind regards,

Jacques.

[Chillidoggy]

I can't help with the getting the old one off Jacques, that's Sparky's Gyno Specialities department territory, but I would recommend you use high-temperature K-nuts when you put the new one on. Then you won't need those awful tab washers.

And when you get to put the new one on, you need to get the tubes lined up as best you can before you even attempt it. PM me when you get to that point.