Gold '78 Elite 503

[cbceclat]

I have never had a problem with one fan.

 

[Farmer Bob]

Nearly took up smoking again last weekend, engine dangling from a strop on the end of my JCB tines. (Note to self, buy an engine hoist!)

Engine dropped in fine, all the fresh oil from the gearbox leaked straight onto the floor, bruised hands and a couple of paint scratches but other than that all went well.

[Testdriver]

Hey Bob, any news about your stunning project? Looking forward to hearing more about it :-)

[oilmagnet477]

I'm guessing a true 'farmer' won't have been around to work on his Lotus over harvest?

Once drilling has finished, I'm sure he be back on it.....

[Farmer Bob]

You are absolutely correct, been busy. However been to Goodwood revival today, reved up and ready to get started again! I need a power steering pump if anybody has one?

[Farmer Bob]

I promised to get started again and so fitted the new aluminium radiator today, bought from winner racing on ebay. The old fans were both broken so I found a pacet fan on ebay, turned the blades to make it push and have fitted this to the front of the radiator which I think will look neater. The radiator has slightly different mounting brackets (I think for the Excel) so I made up some brackets and bolted to the plywood on either side of the nose (much stronger than the original).

My old otter switch was held together by wire which worries me a little and I have heard they are not too reliable. Would I be as well to buy a modern 32mm top hose thermostat http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/Product.do?method=view&n=1847&g=632341&p=632350&d=124&c=4&l=2&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=Base&utm_campaign=Fan Controllers & Thermostats&gclid=CjwKEAjw652_BRDfkebVrdOGkDISJAD0Q2RudJWsL7N9f8tUdcpK7xde04e3e6Ck1YWJjqaaNECOnhoCHS_w_wcB  

[silverfrost]

Nice work John, regarding the metal clip for the otter switch,  Some peolple have been putting stainless steel tie wraps round them as extra supports.  Glad to see your back at it. 

[soldave]

Looking good. Let us know if the new radiator reduces temperatures by a significant amount. I might be on the lookout for a replacement radiator and I've had good experiences with the Winner Racing ones.

[oilmagnet477]

Robert, the link to the new controller looks like a must for my 2 pence worth, the relay and optional overide switch version for less than £50 is money well spent - old otter switches have a bad rep. Combined with the new radiator, this combo should be a serious upgrade.

Is there a reason you put the fan on the outside pushing air rather than sucking from within? Does this make any difference? Also why not 2 fans?

I suppose the fan might help protect the rad from damage from foriegn objects hitting it?

[mikeeech]

On 25/09/2016 at 19:40, soldave said:

Looking good. Let us know if the new radiator reduces temperatures by a significant amount. I might be on the lookout for a replacement radiator and I've had good experiences with the Winner Racing ones.

My radiator appears to be copper which has a better coefficient of thermal conduction than aluminium and doesn't rot. Is my car unusual?

[oilmagnet477]

Mike, it is my understanding that the mix of metals is the problem with corrosion so an all ally system reduces that to a minimum.

I may be wrong of course - I'm sure the original rads weren't aluminium but the project M50 video (widely available hereabouts) makes reference to an aluminium rad - not sure what led to the ultimate change (assuming there was one? cost???)

[Farmer Bob]

Power steering pump and new pipes (very expensive) refitted this weekend, I also purchased a second hand "air deflector" for the engine bay from LB as my car did not come with one. Unfortunately there is no cut out for the top hose (as shown in the photos), does the deflector differ from model to model?

[Herc]

I've got photos of two different thermostat housings on car. One - like yours and the car I owned (a 1978 502) - has a hose connection which comes out forward with a bend to the offside, and another where the hose connection comes out much straighter, which appears to have exactly the defector you have.  

I'm not sure the spec of the car in the latter photo, but it seems to have PAS, so I presume another 503, but with the early pancake-type alternator, so maybe an earlier car? 

I'd speak to LB about it - I reckon you may have the wrong defector.

 

Herc.

Edited October 16, 2016 by Herc

[mikeeech]

Mine has exactly the opposite configuration!

[Farmer Bob]

Unfortunate!

[oilmagnet477]

Mike/Robert,

Looks like you have completely different top hose design - I would suggest that if you swapped your deflectors, they would fit?

One casting looks to go in a straight line and the other goes at a sharp angle. Is the 2 year difference in age to blame?

[cbceclat]

On 9/9/2016 at 22:59, Farmer Bob said:

You are absolutely correct, been busy. However been to Goodwood revival today, reved up and ready to get started again! I need a power steering pump if anybody has one?

My car does not have power power steering, I think my non power steering is better. There is less to go wrong, I can strip and rebuilt it in less than a day and of course I can feel the road, just how I should in a 70s sports car.

[mikeeech]

17 hours ago, oilmagnet477 said:

Mike/Robert,

Looks like you have completely different top hose design - I would suggest that if you swapped your deflectors, they would fit?

One casting looks to go in a straight line and the other goes at a sharp angle. Is the 2 year difference in age to blame?

Regretably since I took this picture I have filled the original hole with fibre glass and made the cut out for the water pipe much smaller and neater...

[Farmer Bob]

Struggling to get on really, every job requires a new part that needs ordering and takes another week! 

I did want to fit some aftermarket filters but I followed a lot of advice and refitted the original airbox. It had looked pretty bad but I stripped off the original sound insulation which was in poor state, repainted in wrinkle paint (the smell did not go down too well with the better half when I cooked it in the oven) and it no longer looks too bad.

At the bottom left hand side of the air box is a hole that requires a pipe, is it the breather that looks like it comes from the bell housing? None of the pipework I have seems to fit!

Lastly, fitted the black and silver lotus nose badge that I was told I should have (not the green and yellow), I hope that is correct!

[mikeeech]

1 hour ago, Farmer Bob said:

Struggling to get on really, every job requires a new part that needs ordering and takes another week!

I know what your going through with this. It used to be that you could pop to the shops but with everything going online it just slows stuff down. Particularly with specialist items

1 hour ago, Farmer Bob said:

At the bottom left hand side of the air box is a hole that requires a pipe, is it the breather that looks like it comes from the bell housing? None of the pipework I have seems to fit!

Correct!

1 hour ago, Farmer Bob said:

 

Lastly, fitted the black and silver lotus nose badge that I was told I should have (not the green and yellow), I hope that is correct!

The black and silver badge was fitted after jim Clark was killed lotus reverted back to yellow and green some time after Colin Chapman died.

[soldave]

1 hour ago, Farmer Bob said:

Lastly, fitted the black and silver lotus nose badge that I was told I should have (not the green and yellow), I hope that is correct!

There's a bit of background info on the badge colours here: http://www.lotusespritworld.com/EHistory/lotusbadge.html

[Testdriver]

Bob, I know exactly what you're talking about... But I love the detailed work you do!

 

9 hours ago, soldave said:

There's a bit of background info on the badge colours here: http://www.lotusespritworld.com/EHistory/lotusbadge.html

[oilmagnet477]

10 hours ago, mikeeech said:

I know what your going through with this. It used to be that you could pop to the shops but with everything going online it just slows stuff down. Particularly with specialist items

Correct!

The black and silver badge was fitted after jim Clark was killed lotus reverted back to yellow and green some time after Colin Chapman died.

When I did up my 1933 Rover, without the internet, I would have been absolutely knackered. Finding specialist stuff (like fusion welding for the head) would have been a complete wildgoose chase without google. Whilst I agree needing parts at every turn does slow things down, parts for these cars would never have been widely available - not sure when Lotus stopped making and supplying parts but I'll bet the advent of the internet has helped people find stuff. I still pop into to my local old fashioned 'car shop' in our local town, who does a surprising range of bits and bobs. My father did up an MG J2 (1930s) in the late 50s and he said that if you couldn't find stuff within 10 miles, it was a nightmare.

Anyway - loving what you are doing Robert - keep it up. Think how much business we are all giving to Royal Mail and other couriers!!

[johnpwalsh]

On 9/9/2016 at 22:59, Farmer Bob said:

You are absolutely correct, been busy. However been to Goodwood revival today, reved up and ready to get started again! I need a power steering pump if anybody has one?

I have a spare pump if you still need it. Ping me back.

[johnpwalsh]

The hole for the pipe at the bottom left of the airbox should have a small elbow through the airbox which is connected to a small bore pipe which again is fitted to the cambox cover by the oil filler cap, there should be a small spigot coming off the cambox. Connect this with a piec of hose to the metal pipe going to the air box.