Esprit Turbo project car - part3 - the further continuation

[Lotusfab]

[Lotusfab]

Done half the anti roll bar. Please can someone confirm the round edge should be at the top. If not the roll bar is inverted! This isn't covered anywhere and there's sommuch dirt on my picture I can't tell. This looks correct to me just being cautious! Bottom picture, anti roll bar flat on front hand curved at top???

[TAR]

not sure this helps. Interstingly you appear to be missing the clamp plates which fit over the mounting rubbers.

I'm missing the tie bracket. You can just see the remains of it underneath the lower bolt.

 

[Lotusfab]

Thanks Tim Think you have a later roll bar.  I have the clamp plates but not fitted yet. It's all just loosly put together to,try and sort all the bolts and parts out of which there are many! You've given me an idea I will check  the S1 as it may have the same roll bar.

[910Esprit]

And in std Lotus tradition  - My 84 also has a deeper U shaped bracket that touches the chassis at each end, but its again different from your two cars.

My roll bar drops away from the chassis bracket and then curves back up to the suspension arm.   i.e. the appearance of it 'sagging'  

[jonroberts]

Looking brilliant, especially that chassis. Magnificent - you can eat you dinner off that !

[Andyww]

What is that piece running across under the ARB? Never seen that before, mine does not have it and I dont think the dry sump car I used to own had it. Cant find it in the parts book.

[910Esprit]

I don't have it either....

[Lotusfab]

Thanks!

The piece under the front anti roll bar is the front cross brace. My car is one of the first wet sumps and his feature was on the S1/S2. They seem to have modified the chassis later on as they did the front suspension lower links.

[Lotusfab]

Tim the tie bracket (front cross brace) is available from S and J or you could make one. Search using S1 parts. My original was rotten as well.

[Andyww]

The S1-S2 parts book does show it and lists it as "closing plate/mounting bracket" which is not a very clear description, what is is closing or mounting?

The later post-85 cars have a cross member there which is part of the chassis itself. 

If this is a load bearing part which spreads loading between the two ARB mounting points then presumably it should be there. What is it made of, is it strong enough to be a load bearing part?

There was a change in this area, the pictures above show it, from washers under the ARB mountings, and visible mounting bushes in the chassis, to large rectanglar shims and hidden mountings. Mine is the later version, maybe these didnt have this part.

[Lotusfab]

From what I can see the chassis evolved. Thats strange when I bought it it was called the front cross brace, are we talking the same bit? The early dry sump (Tims pic) and the first few wet sumps had the crossbrace design. Just enough time to bolt on a new steering rack before heading to Bell and Coville with the S1, see you there!PS Tim I put the brackets on just need some spring washers in 12 mm, there's always something you don't have! 

[Andyww]

Not sure if mine is suppose to have that part or not. I have the later type of ARB chassis mountings but not that piece. Cant tell from the parts book as its not mentioned at all for any version.

Crikey this picture makes me want to rip the front suspension apart and power coat. Cant be having that rust! I will do that this winter.

 

 

 

[Lotusfab]

Have just been rebuilding the right front upper link, trunnion etc.

cleaned it thorily and blew the oil way out with compressed air. Took a while to get it clean. I then filled the grunion with EP90 gear oil, easy when it's off the car. 

Make sure when you take the steering arm off you have a picture and take careful note of the bolts. In true Lotus fashion they are a mismatch of imperial/metric and differing thread pitch! It's a nightmare when ordering replacements. I am using 8.8 grade high tensile steel zinc plated for all of them. 

You cant get the disc sheild or any parts wrong as they won't fit together, with the exception of the steering arm and trunnion. The trunnion is labelled left/right and the steering arm can be put on inverted! Be very pedantic and get it correct -  you can't afford to get this bit wrong.

Its fun trying to get the distance tubes on the end if the ARB! Remember the first washer has a chamfer and also must go on the correct way around.

The biggest annoyance here it the constant switching of metric/ imperial and pitch. By the way the end of the ARB is 12 mm, as is the front cross brace. The end of the ARB is a great design, it's so tight in the lower link you need a ring spanner to access it! The rest are 1/2 UNF AND 7/16 UNF, 8 mm, 12 mm. You need quite a lot of 8 mm spring washers! 

Nearly finished the damper mod, pictures to follow!

[Lotusfab]

Thanks Andy, you have the later design with what appears a different roll bar? Here's the aerial type I was considering. I have a new electric aerial the same as the original. The design is flawed so think I will fit it but use this new design bonded to the fiberglass in the rear quarter or the front wing   

[Andyww]

34 minutes ago, Lotusfab said:

I then filled the grunion with EP90 gear oil, easy when it's off the car. 

 

I have heard of trunnions and bunnions but grunions are new to me

For some reason the service notes specify a torque figure for that nut on the end of the ARB which is a stupidly low value of 6-10 lb-ft. Thats so low that it hardly overcomes the friction of the nyloc nut. There is at least one post on this forum from someone who has had it come undone shortly after a rebuid where they were using this figure.  Not really sure whats going on there but I wind it up much tighter than that.

Let me know if you want to borrow this: I bought this when I got fed up with putting the Protex shocks off and on owing to that issue with the adjuster.

[Lotusfab]

????Never was any good at spelling, maths man myself! 

That looks good, I'm in the Stone Age with the old spring compressors. Just spent about an hour,drilling and rettapping the left verticle link! The anti roll bar end I have tightened so the lock nut will hold. Beyond this the bushes compress too much. 

Hope to get these links finished today. About another hour of work, has to be done slowly and carefully! This chassis is taking quite a while, but I think I have overcome most of the problems. Still sourcing a Reuben washer for the damper.

[Andyww]

30 minutes ago, Lotusfab said:

The anti roll bar end I have tightened so the lock nut will hold. Beyond this the bushes compress too much. 

 

They do end up very compressed if the nut is tightened against the "distance tube" as its called in the parts book. Thats what I did. Not sure if thats correct but the description suggests so.

[Lotusfab]

Thanks Andy, will check that. Have to go through it all with a torque wrench once I've got all the parts correct. With the bushes I have, If tightened to the distance tube, they will splay out a lot. With this sort of compression not sure if they will function correctly?

[Lotusfab]

Andy,

the picture does show it tightened to the distance tube. Can't find anything in the text?

[Andyww]

Sorry what I meant by "The description" was the name of the part, ie distance tube, which it wont be unless the nut is tight.

Also presumably if the nut is not tight the tube will rotate on the ARB giving metal-metal contact? I agree the bushes look over-compressed when this is done but I figured that was better than having it rotate and wear or come loose.

Not really sure about this though, seems a very grey area but a safety issue.

[TAR]

That chassis is looking great now you have some suspension bits attached. How I wish I could get my car further forward.

 

[910Esprit]

I don't think a torque setting would be provided unless they are designed to be fully nipped up (as mine are).    The genuine original bushes are relatively spongy soft, so I feel the need to take as much movement out of them as possible.   

[Lotusfab]

That could be the issue I have new type bushes that I assume are less spongy. Will investigate further.

Thanks for  picking this up Andy.

[Lotusfab]

Here's the anti roll bar bushes. The distance tube was very difficult to replace. I had to saw it through then prise it off. The new ones had to be drifted into position!  Still have to tighten these up! Waiting for new trunnion bushes to arrive, might as well replace everything now! 

Those brake lines have to come off they are for a  later Esprit, thanks EBay!

I spent several hours drilling HT steel bolts out of and tapping the vertical link. If  I did it again I would retap first and save a lot of time!