Red Turbo Esprit recommission project

[Chillidoggy]

14 hours ago, top-plumber said:

Ok. I have proved to myself on my car the chattering relay is definitely a leaking servo. When I remove the valve elbow and put a thumb on the end the vacuum builds immediately and shuts off the pump. If you take the relay out of the equation and just run a live through the switch you get the same outcome when pipe is connected to the servo, rapid pump fluctuations. I’m going to leave this alone for a while as when I get the engine running the vacuum rail may take up any vacuum that leaks away hence leaving the pump static until required. 

Question... does a servo have any vacuum pressure loss as a matter of course or should it hold pretty static over a given time period?

Make sure you revert back to the original wiring diagram, that switch won't cope with the current draw. And the servo should hold pressure with no fluctuations. In fact, if all the parts are in good order, and fitted correctly, the gauge should show vacuum pressure being maintained for hours, rather than minutes.

[top-plumber]

Ok so this is my understanding of the servo brake vacuum pump saga. My car pulls 15hg on the gauge I have fitted when the engine is running. After engaging the brake peddle the engine alone struggles to replenish the servo quickly enough to assist the brakes for a further rapid application of the brakes. This is where the vacuum pump takes up the short fall. It engages immediately that the pressure drops in the servo and pulls it straight back up to operational levels then cuts out via the vacuum switch. The pump vacuum is set at just below the vacuum rail as to facilitate the rail doing the heavy lifting and the pump backing it up under high demand. This is all being carried out in the workshop but I don’t expect the performance to be any different when on the road. Overall a good outcome in my opinion and looking forward to trouble free assisted braking for many years. Tah dah....✌️

[Andyww]

I think thats about right. The main issue with the brakes is at low speed. Braking from a high speed is fine as there is plenty of engine vacuum. But driving around town at 25-30 mph there is pretty much no vacuum from the engine, so when lifting off for an emergency stop there is virtually no assistance just when you need it. The pump should ensure that assistance is always present.

[top-plumber]

[top-plumber]

So the TE has now done 600 miles and is behaving it’s self perfectly. 

Straight through the mot with no problems. Keeping off boost ATM but engine feels strong and tight. Brakes are sweet and all gauges read normal. 

Bit of creaking on the front when reversing on full lock out of my garage on the dropped kerb. Investigation needed. Long term front end will be refurbished but for now I’m just driving it as much as I can.           

I love these cars...❤️😁😁😁👍

[top-plumber]

[Lotusfab]

Looks great, nice job Wayne!👍🏻

[skiing]

Let me know if you get to the bottom of the creaking when reversing - mine has always made some strange noises when reversing on lock.

[Andyww]

Anti roll bar bushes can creak especially if the bar has been powder coated, or if poly bushes have been fitted which have a rotating inner sleeve they also can. A spray of silicone oil usually cures.

 

[top-plumber]

7 minutes ago, Andyww said:

Anti roll bar bushes can creak especially if the bar has been powder coated, or if poly bushes have been fitted which have a rotating inner sleeve they also can. A spray of silicone oil usually cures.

 

Would you recommend poly bushes on the front end all round Andy? It’s a job that needs doing but wondered if you had an opinion on rubber or poly? Got poly on the rear and to be honest can’t really tell the difference. 

[Andyww]

The ones which are definitely not recommended are those which have a sleeve which rotates in a hard poly outer part. They squeak and they fundamentally change the suspension characteristics because unlike the originals they offer no resistance when the suspension moves, which is part of the springing. They also resist moving off-axis and the Esprit suspension needs to do that.

The OEM bonded rubber have the characteristics tuned by Lotus, who knew what they were doing. There are some later ones which the factory came out with as part of the suspension/damper upgrade programme which should be fine as they were tuned by them.

 

[910Esprit]

I've got poly all round and it gives real confidence on v high speed sweeping curves.   However, for the compromise on NVH I'd probably suggest sticking with OEM bushing, if all still available.   The one exception would be on the lower links to the arb, which seemed to trash the OEM 'foam' bushes very quickly.    

Edited May 28, 2019 by 910Esprit

[Andyww]

12 minutes ago, 910Esprit said:

I've got poly all round and it gives real confidence on v high speed sweeping curves.   However, for the compromise on NVH I'd probably suggest sticking with OEM bushing, if all still available.   The one exception would be on the lower links to the arb, which seemed to trash the OEM 'foam' bushes very quickly.    

Yes those are questionable. The problem is, the service notes gives a really low torque figure for the nut on the end of the ARB, and several people have reported that it comes undone if that figure is used. I have always wound it hard up to the shoulder.

Problem with that is it either over-compresses the rubber bushes and damages them or if poly are used there, they are rock solid as they are compressed so much. Maybe the answer is not wind the nut fully up but use threadlock on it. 

It was a good move to get rid of this whole issue on the later re-design.

[910Esprit]

24 minutes ago, Andyww said:

It was a good move to get rid of this whole issue on the later re-design.

Not to mention the trunnions and their maintenance, which seem a throwback to an earlier motoring age....    Like you, I've always tightened the ARB to the max and assumed that the distance piece controls the overall tension on the bush.  

[top-plumber]

[top-plumber]

To too bad IMO...

[pete]

Quiete day at work😁

[Lotusfab]

1 hour ago, top-plumber said:

To too bad IMO...

Nice work! How did you do them?

[top-plumber]

10 hours ago, Lotusfab said:

Nice work! How did you do them?

They stick on. They are from the states and are like the old inner tube patch on the reverse with the strong contact adhesive we all remember from our push bike days. 

[Lotusfab]

That's great. Exactly the idea I was going to do, saves me a job and silicon moulding! ! Have you got a link to them please Wayne? Cheers.

Did you use inertube patch glue?

[top-plumber]

11 hours ago, Lotusfab said:

That's great. Exactly the idea I was going to do, saves me a job and silicon moulding! ! Have you got a link to them please Wayne? Cheers.

Did you use inertube patch glue?

 

eBay seller. Supplies all glue and gloves glass paper and instructions. ✌️

Just one thing. They are not single letters they are on a strip. 

[pete]

Will they be on the car for the next meet

[top-plumber]

9 hours ago, pete said:

Will they be on the car for the next meet

Hopefully. What do you think. 

You just want to rip the piss outta me don’t ya..😁

[top-plumber]

[top-plumber]

ARB bushes let me down so needed to get them sorted before Goodwood. No point in doing just them so big strip down of the front end and chassis and steering rack. Nearly there now ✌️