Ian's S4s refurb

[Sparky]

Ah, at 104/104 you have to reduce your mileage by dividing 1.025 into it.  So 2.4 miles to go.  Do I have to explain everything?

[Chillidoggy]

19 minutes ago, Sparky said:

Ah, at 104/104 you have to reduce your mileage by dividing 1.025 into it.  So 2.4 miles to go.  Do I have to explain everything?

No, because I already know everything.

[Sparky]

I thought only wives knew everything.

[Chillidoggy]

50 minutes ago, Sparky said:

I thought only wives knew everything.

Funny, that’s exactly what mine told me, so it must be true.

[Giniw]

(104° is the green dot pulley angle spec, isn't it? Has anybody ever made a before & after dyno run?)

Edited June 20, 2020 by Giniw

[Chillidoggy]

I expect someone has dyno tested, probably @CHANGES

The only way to be sure the engine was timed @ 104/104, in order to eliminate any variables, it had to be properly checked. Fitting the Vernier sprockets eliminates variables, and allows cam timing can be set perfectly to whatever is required. With fixed green dot sprockets, there's no adjustment, so it's a gamble.

[CHANGES]

I believe there were comparable test done many years ago , not sure of figures . However I found improvements when setting up with 104/104 over 100/110..   You need to remember 100/110 was done for emission reasons for the USA market . To save on costs Lotus did a one fits all policy , this mean't the Esprit was built to meet the tightest  emission laws it would encounter in the markets sold in.    

We did some back to back on an S4, which after fitting verniers with 104/104  cam timing and Alunox exhaust manifold , managed to achieve 300 bhp using oem ECU set up and 1 bar boost  and not much else . 

As Ian said , any cam timing is only an approximation based on where the closest dot alignment at TDC can be achieved .. The moment an engine no longer has the original factory head gasket format , the cam timing goes out .. only slight but not perfect .. The only other way to keep this spot on is to measure your original gasket , get the crushed dimension of your new gasket , and then skim the head for the different thicknesses ..... Assuming the new gasket is thicker, and the timing was cock on before.     When you consider the allowance on the original head skim and gasket replacement was 0.018'', it does not take much working out to realise , with what is available in gaskets , and how many times a head has been skimmed , chances are cam timing will change .. 

When i do a customers engine, i always do a cam timing check before disassembly , In most cases the cam timing is not to spec.. This gives me some idea on machining history before i start ,    I always recommend 104 /104  and verniers on rebuild , as a result  those all get spot on cam timing . They all seem to run smoother , i expect this is to do with timing accuracy and the 104 set up ..  

On emissions , i have not had any issues with 104 set up  on MOT's in the UK ..   

Great job @Chillidoggy , well thought out and executed with precision .,.     

Edited June 21, 2020 by Bibs

[Choppa]

 

8 minutes ago, CHANGES said:

Great job @Chillidoggy , well thought out and executed with precision .,.     

I'd expect nothing less from a Watford Exotics franchise

 

[Sparky]

Our affiliation qualification criteria are most demanding.

[pete]

How much?

[Sparky]

A monkey should cover it.

[Chillidoggy]

He calls it an ‘annual insurance policy’ against breakages.

[Sparky]

Lovely cambelt, shame if it got a nick in it...

[Chillidoggy]

Up to 800 miles now. Engine still sounds very nice at idle, and behaves itself at all other times. It’s used no oil whatsoever, and mercifully no leaks from engine, gearbox, or driveshafts. I reckon another 200 miles and I’ll do the oil/filter change.

[Chillidoggy]

Now 1,059 miles, that's all the running-in. Oil and filter change today, and we're away. Thorough inspection and I can't find  any leaks from engine, gearbox or driveshafts. The engine is still very nice, smooth, with an addictive power delivery.

TWAT noise is taking some getting used to, might have to buy a baseball cap, a shell-suit, trainers and some fake gold chains to hang round my neck, innit bro.

[Sparky]

Have you managed to sort the annoying whine from the passenger side?

[Chillidoggy]

Funny you should say that, but after some serious research I've found the whine can be cured by wine.

[Sparky]

I'll give that a go, cheers.  I've thrown a fortune at it; still it persists.

[Chillidoggy]

Try putting less ice in.

[xmission]

I just finished reading the entire thread, while trying to wind up my Esprit, that's been sitting unfinished for quite a while after a tank and header replacement. I'm very close, but waiting and trying different parts to get from the fuel pressure regulator back to the pump with braided line. With any luck I'll get it together this week when more parts arrive.

This thread had been a great source of info and inspiration, and your Esprit is beautiful Ian. Fantastic job.

[Chillidoggy]

11 hours ago, xmission said:

I just finished reading the entire thread, while trying to wind up my Esprit, that's been sitting unfinished for quite a while after a tank and header replacement. I'm very close, but waiting and trying different parts to get from the fuel pressure regulator back to the pump with braided line. With any luck I'll get it together this week when more parts arrive.

This thread had been a great source of info and inspiration, and your Esprit is beautiful Ian. Fantastic job.

Thank you for saying so.

I started out as a complete novice when it came to Esprit's. I had in no way realised what kind of a journey it was going to be and now it would be easier to list what I haven't done, rather than what I have. It's fair to say that I will never recoup the outlay, either. Still, I started this thread so that others may benefit from my experiences, good and bad, and if it's helped, then that's great news. Being a pedantic old sod, the work is never finished, but now it's regular maintenance than major projects.

So far, I am very pleased with the engine and gearbox rebuilds. It's now covered 1,300 miles since then. No oil leaks (hallelujah), zero oil consumption, and the engine pulls very well as @slaywill no doubt agree after our little jaunt the other day. If there's any other work of interest I will be posting on here.

[tobyg]

I saw this car in the flesh today and it's absolutely lovely, nice to meet you Ian. I took your advice too, went home, got the elise out the garage and went for a good drive!

I'll be working my way through this thread, although I should really be getting on with changing my wishbone bushes!

[Chillidoggy]

3 hours ago, tobyg said:

I saw this car in the flesh today and it's absolutely lovely, nice to meet you Ian. I took your advice too, went home, got the elise out the garage and went for a good drive!

I'll be working my way through this thread, although I should really be getting on with changing my wishbone bushes!

Good to meet you too Toby, and thanks for the kind comments about my Esprit.

Not often I get to meet other Lotus owners around here, hopefully we can meet up again at some point in the future. Glad you had a good drive!

[Chillidoggy]

I finally got around to correcting something that had been bugging me since I bought the car. On the S4s (probably other S-cars, too), there's a satin black band across the car in front of the windscreen. On mine, up near the screen, was a load of black sealant, and a piece of tape that someone had tried to hide it with. It niggled me, and eventually I caved in. The screen needed to be replaced due to damage, so I thought I would combine the two jobs.

Now, my car bodywork skills are, well, crap. So I sought some advice from @CHANGES as to whether I could DIY, or whether it was going to be a pro job. I decided to have a go, and if I cocked it up, then the fall back position was a pro job.

During this time, I delivered a couple of brake kits to Gerald at GST, and he told me there's supposed to be a recess under the front edge of the glass. The screen should sit on a bead of sealant, but it shouldn't be visible. I had no idea this was the case, but it made sense; no visible sealant to clear up and spoil the black satin finish, like it had on mine.

The guys that arrived from National Windscreens to fit the new screen had never seen an Esprit before, so I gave them the instructions and the fitting spacers. I'd already ordered new carriers and finishers, so they could pull the old ones out without worrying about damaging them. I had to drop the headrail down, but they managed to leave the A-pillar trims in place, thank God. Sadly, as predicted by Gerald, they put sealant right at the front. Great. After it had dried, I cropped it square with Stanley knife, and removed any excess.

I then started off sanding, which I find tedious, and when I thought it was ready to paint, gave it a spray of primer. It wasn't ready, it looked like crap, and I ended up sanding the flat surfaces right back, blending them in where the edge of the trough is at the front. I'd already removed the wiper and it's plate, and masked off the wiper jets, as there was no way on earth I was removing the dash to get to them.  I gave it 3 coats of Plasticote satin black from a rattle can, and after it dried, I was fairly pleased with the result. It's not perfect but it's definitely a lot better than it was before, and much tidier, with now horrible smears of sealant anywhere.

 

[CHANGES]

Well done that man