My Esprit S1 import finally arrives!

[drdoom]

Hi again, Lez

The rad may indeed be an S2 which, off the top of me head, measures something like 13" H by 25" W overall. The first Esprit had a unique rad which had the appearance of a 4' wide oil cooler, so nearer 7-8" tall at best. The trick for you is to see whichever rad used is properly fitted, as airflow control is entirely important. For trundling about in mild conditions and usage what you have will surely suffice, once things get hot and the traffic bungs up, or once you get to wringing out the car properly in warm weather you will then encounter the limits of heat management. Note that the taller S2 rad was fitted at an angle to accommodate some of its greater height and mounted to a pod shaped for the control of airflow, whereas the under nose area of early cars is configured for the very shallow rad fitted there. The lower edge of the S2 pod reaches roughly to the lower reaches of the S2 airdam (spoiler), as seen in the attached pic.

Cheers

[Fridge]

Yes I mentioned as much above. Could be seen in the previous sellers .pdf document.

Common to add an inclined, and therefore larger S2 radiator. Though this is taking it to another level.

I'd get rid of those rubbish Morphy Richards hair dryer fans and replace with modern low file ones with greater powder and efficiency. I've details and photos of my set up but cannot post on here due to none membership limits

Send me your email address by DM if you want them. I'm.vack at my desk next week.

You can get that radiator re-cored with a modern triple core version also. I paid £275. It all depends how original you want to go or keep the current set up. 

Can the correct spoiler accommodate this style. I'm of inclined radiator? I doubt it.

[Fridge]

My set up. I'd attach the fans to brackets if doing it again though.

 

[williamtherebel]

Thanks guy for your imput. Food for thought. Im going to measure the rad exactly because it looks around 36 inches long which would seem as if it will fit the new mounting duct?? On the 'big' resto I'll be changing the Micky Mouse fans anyway. Thanks for the photo David. I like your set up. Although I think I'd fit them at the front. The rear mounted fans wont get much cooling -- unless of course you plunge them in cold water!

[Paul Coleman]

3 hours ago, williamtherebel said:

Thanks guy for your imput. Food for thought. Im going to measure the rad exactly because it looks around 36 inches long which would seem as if it will fit the new mounting duct?? On the 'big' resto I'll be changing the Micky Mouse fans anyway. Thanks for the photo David. I like your set up. Although I think I'd fit them at the front. The rear mounted fans wont get much cooling -- unless of course you plunge them in cold water!

If you buy fans for the radiator be careful about what size you need. There were 2 designs of radiator housing, one had a separate front spoiler and the other was integrated. One has more room than the other and will need a different sized fan. Ask me how I know

[williamtherebel]

I love your posts Paul. Every time I read them it inevitably ends with "Ask me how I know"!! You must have had a fair few disapointments on the way to driving your Esprit.

[Paul Coleman]

15 minutes ago, williamtherebel said:

I love your posts Paul. Every time I read them it inevitably ends with "Ask me how I know"!! You must have had a fair few disapointments on the way to driving your Esprit.

Oh yes I've found out most of it the hard expensive way! I've got 3 spare fans here that don't fit

Edited July 27, 2018 by Paul Coleman

[Rolls]

On 27/07/2018 at 07:11, Fridge said:

 

My set up. I'd attach the fans to brackets if doing it again though

 

Why would you use brackets? 

[Fridge]

3 hours ago, Rolls said:

Why would you use brackets? 

These, and other fan's diameters may not stretch across the full radiator depth of frame.

[williamtherebel]

Had a look underneath today. Looks as if someone has 'uprated' the engine mounts. I seem to remember reading about melting polyurathene ?? bushes on the forums. That is the case with mine. What's the best thing to do? Replace the polyurethane bushes and try and put some sort of heat shield around it, or just revert back to the original rubber bushes? 

[drdoom]

Clearly a failed poly bush set, got to be heat related, of the conversion offered by SJ. Much written on the topic of early mounts, here and any of the other Esprit forums. TLF is acting up this morning on my PC, so will reply in parts.

[drdoom]

Insights offered in published literature by Lotus insiders with direct knowledge have been oblique at best. Your set-up is of the form of the earliest version, preceding the more common biscuit type.

Experienced owners have contributed the bulk of the common wisdom, agreeing that the biscuit type are troublesome and contribute to further grief with things such as the transaxle hanger bushes. I'd be greatly interested to hear from owners with experience of either rubber or poly bushed examples of the early design.

[drdoom]

Informed American enthusiasts speak highly of the conversions using Turbo/S3 bushes. These are available through JAE and Lotus by Claudius in California, though I find their prices quite disagreeably high. Your most ready solution would be to purchase a set of replacement poly bushes and their heatshield from SJ, p look at any way that cooler air might be directed to bias exhaust manifold heat away from the mount. 

[williamtherebel]

Thanks Steve, I liked the look of the uprated ones, (and it looks as if my set up is pretty new), so will probably take your advice and get some new poly bushes with the hear shield. Cheers.

[Fridge]

@Paul Coleman and certainly @jonroberts will know more.

Personally I fail to see the benefits of fitting poly bushes for engine mounts. These things don't need to be anything more than tough, and more importantly, resilient to heat.

I prefer this early S1 arrangement to the design fitted to the later S1/S2 etc, as it seems more robust, but I have nothing on which to compare.

Certainly the S3/Turbo Esprit engine mount design would be best I assume, but I don't think these would be easily retro-fitted without chassis modification.

Best to fit the standard metallastic style engine mounts and spend the remaining effort fitting appropriate and uprated heat shielding.

@Tony K has suggested fitting thick penny washers to the outside of the transaxel mountings to prevent the whole engine and gearbox assembly from moving forwards, under hard acceleration I assume. Thereby reducing the wear on the mountings. I may do this in future. Transaxel poly bushes already seem to have this protection inherent in their design. Though they need slight adaption for them to be accommodated when tightened up against the alloy transaxel upright brackets. I know of one other who has fitted transaxel poly bushes, but the arrangement is as yet untested.

Edited August 4, 2018 by Fridge

[drdoom]

I too tend to favour rubber over poly in most applications particularly where heat is a concern and it may be that SJ can provide the Metalastic units for the early legs. As to TE/S3 conversions they do not require chassis modifications as the kits offered include redesigned legs.

[jonroberts]

8 hours ago, Fridge said:

@Paul Coleman and certainly @jonroberts will know more.

Personally I fail to see the benefits of fitting poly bushes for engine mounts. These things don't need to be anything more than tough, and more importantly, resilient to heat.

I prefer this early S1 arrangement to the design fitted to the later S1/S2 etc, as it seems more robust, but I have nothing on which to compare.

Certainly the S3/Turbo Esprit engine mount design would be best I assume, but I don't think these would be easily retro-fitted without chassis modification.

Best to fit the standard metallastic style engine mounts and spend the remaining effort fitting appropriate and uprated heat shielding.

@Tony K has suggested fitting thick penny washers to the outside of the transaxel mountings to prevent the whole engine and gearbox assembly from moving forwards, under hard acceleration I assume. Thereby reducing the wear on the mountings. I may do this in future. Transaxel poly bushes already seem to have this protection inherent in their design. Though they need slight adaption for them to be accommodated when tightened up against the alloy transaxel upright brackets. I know of one other who has fitted transaxel poly bushes, but the arrangement is as yet untested.

I do not recommend the poly bushes for the engine mounts in the early S1 setup.  I replaced my (melted just like yours) replacement 'uprated' poly bushes for good old standard equipment rubber ones. Added a heat shield and all has been well for many years.

[drdoom]

Jon, thanks for your feedback. Did the rubber bushes install readily into the legs previously carrying the poly?

[jonroberts]

Hi Steve. Yes, they are a push fit into the tubes making up the two engine mounts.  Its also possible to fit them 'in situ' with the engine still in the car, but needs a good raise of the rear end on sturdy axle stands plus some dexterity with your fingers and small tools to access the mounts as they have to be removed to fit the bushes in them.

[drdoom]

Hi Jon. I have observed the motor of cars fitted with the biscuit type heaving luridly up and down when given the boot. These are with the mounts in new condition. Does your car display anything like this?

[jonroberts]

Nope, can’t say I’ve noticed that. 

[williamtherebel]

While Im pondering the pros and cons of poly bushes verses original rubber, I sent my Wolfies away to get bead blasted and polished (mirror finished). Just got them back and am bowled over by the results. Superb. However, looking on the back ,spotted the 'deliberate' mistake?? Is this like stamps and banknotes in that if there is discrepancy, different from the usual its worth more cos its so rare? Or does it just mean that someone in Turkey, India or China are banging these out for fun?

[Fridge]

Standard.

Post a few photos of the outer faces as I'm interested in the finish. I decided to do mine myself. Took 60 hours to complete 5, inside and out. Photos are on Facey B.

[williamtherebel]

First couple of photos are the 'before'. The third one shows the new mirror finish. Im currently painting the inner bits but you will get the drift.

[williamtherebel]

Both the throttle and the choke cables are in a ridiculous position dangerously chaffing on the fan belt where they come into the engine bay. The choke cable looks an easy fix just by re-routing it. However the throttle cable looks too short where it is. It has the same set up as my Eclat in that it come round the top of the engine and DOWN onto the linkage. However in photos of Esprit engines Ive seen, the cable seems to come UP from between the carbs and ends on the cam cover. This might account for it looking too short. Is this correct?