1997 Esprit V8 rebuild - remortgage needed

[Rob C]

hello, I know all about what your saying, even Alex had a similar story to tell, ok I've been building cars are my life.(long life) One does need to understand how these fantastic flat plane engines work.

My own Esprit story started with a 97 (98) year car.....now a Sport 350.... Six Speed gearbox.    Just wanted to say, in the end you will love the car, the photo looks fab. ps done roughly 60k miles in these fab V8's all together, Super Unleaded.

Jay from JAE is a great bloke and very very helpful, dealt with him since around 2005/6.. they have custom parts you can't buy now.

Lastly I don't get on the forum very often, although I was in at the start before Bibs went on to grow to all things Lotus .regards Rob

[Mightymetro]

Thanks for the words of encouragement Rob

things are hopefully getting there slowly.  suspension is now getting put back together and hopefully shocks will be here on Monday.

considering how hard the split bush was to remove the new ones went in perfect

even after cleaning you can see the aluminium oxide that’s built up in the hole hence destroying 3 of them getting them out.  Have new ones from SJ and just need to clean the holes out 

[cweeden]

Hi @Mightymetro everything has scrubbed up beautifully, I am green with envy now looking at all those better than new items, I guess I'll have to get my finger out. Not long now and it will be back on the road, awesome work. 🙂

cheers

-Chris

[Mightymetro]

Bit of a long time since I updated but the car is getting ready for the engine hopefully arriving this week.

 

so, radiator pack finally finished and installed.  I repaired the radiator support tray with new reinforcement plates and also has new hoses and all new nuts and bolts etc.  Refurbished oil coolers and brand new lines through the chassis and also the front cross pipe   Used closed cell foam on the top and bottom of the radiator

 

so, 

[Mightymetro]

Then moved onto the suspension and re fitment.  I cannot believe how difficult it was to get the front arm taper bushes onto the chassis.  Seemed to take forever.  Had to file a few items on the suspension like the new lower bush tubes on the shocks as they were slightly too long etc.  Fully rebuilt Lotac shocks.  All in all apart from those frontconical bushed the others were not too bad.  I’m still confused as to the rear radius arm bushes that are for the 12mm bolts whereas I’m using the 7/16” standard bolts that are loose in the bush tube but that’s how they go.  Guess they rely on the force of compression once tightened not to move

fitted brand new Ferrodo DS2500 and gave the calipers a clean and touch up as they were only fully rebuilt a thousand miles ago.  

Also fitted new Moog track rod ends.

new nuts and bolts all round on all the suspension components and all torqued up except the ones stated in the service manual that must be done once weighted and I need the engine for that 😂

brand new PNM poly gearbox mounts and new `lotus pink dot engine mounts along with all new mounting bolts and buffer washers etc

[Barrykearley]

I do find it easier to bolt the gearbox and engine mounts onto the gearbox and engine for plonking into the car

Do post up part numbers of the track rod ends 👍

[Barrykearley]

12 minutes ago, Mightymetro said:

12mm bolts whereas I’m using the 7/16” standard bolts that are loose in the bush tube but that’s how they go.  Guess they rely on the force of compression once tightened not to move

That’s wrong chap. Early units were the 7/16” ones - later they went to 12mm.

you need to get the trailing arms drilled out to 12mm or change the bushes. Don’t leave the play - it won’t be acceptable to rely on the compression force and you risk the back end going very wayward.

all else looks great - sneaky use of different shimming washers in the front tops. I bet you can’t wait for that engine to return from the master engine builder 👍

[Mightymetro]

Gearbox needed re-sealing as it was leaking from the shaft seals and the rear cover gasket so decided to strip the whole box down to get it cleaned up and change all the seals........wish I had left it 😂

 

‘’followed the notes in the service book and also a helpful `deloreon owners videos on YouTube and it stripped down very easy although I decided not to take the gear clusters apart.

wondered why I was getting oil everywhere as I thought it was drained but it wasn’t as the drain plug has been butchered to try and remove it but it’s seized in solid.  Tried everything to get it out, heat, welded bolt etc but it would not move.  So........off to the machine shop and had it milled out and an insert welded in with a standard m10 thread and magnetic drain plug fitted.

 

on removal ,of the 5th gear cover the casing actually had a all crack above the brass bush so had that repaired and also fitted new selector arm bushes.  I’ll send the part numbers over to `Swindon alan to add to the list but I think one was a special order for one side so bought 5 so I have 4 spare if anyone wants one as they are an odd size and the large one was from a Renault Clio gearbox.  Couple of quid each as GTO don’t sell them hence sourcing them elsewhere

because I was having it vapour blasted I removed the selector shafts also so it could be better cleaned afterwards to stop any contamination.  The fill plug also needed a bolt welding to it to get it out as it was seized solid but at least that came out and it looks like a 3/8 BSPT so will order another.  After cleaning I started to assemble it as per the notes and used the specified loctite to seal the cases.  Unfortunately I could then get any gear at all.  😤 

stripped it back down and spent 10000000000 hours removing the loctite I had just applied and realised the roll pin on one of the shafts was too high.  It is noted in the service book to ensure the roll pin does not stick out past the spring coil height but I didn’t understand it correctly as when you make it level with the spring coil height it sticks through the other side and past the coil height about 10mm so I guess it should read this only applies to the top coil spring.

now I could get all the gears so checked the preload on the diff etc and then rebuilt it back up, sealed the case, put the new front and rear paper gaskets on with a small coating of threebond and was dead happy..........until the box would select all gears but the primary shaft would only rotate in neutral and not any gears.  Aaarrrggghhhh.  
 

‘’had enough and went for a sulk.

 

came back to it a couple of days later after a bit of advice from a few members on the esprit owners Facebook page and stripped it down again.  After another bazillion hours scraping sealant off the mating faces I rewatched all the videos I made on dis-assembly and realised I had put the idler  gear on the wrong way round so it was like engaging two gears at once.  Only took 5 minutes to find the problem and subsequently changed it round and sealed the case one more time.  Luckily the £35 tub of loctite managed 3 case sealings 😂.

 

ordered new paper gaskets and rebuilt it back up with the bell housing and 5th gear cover and happy to report it now actually seems to work.  Have new shaft seals to fit but awaiting the tool for setting the depth.

[Chillidoggy]

I had a similar issue with the gearbox drain plug. Drilled it out, and collapsed the remainder with an air saw and a drift. It's in my refurb thread somewhere.

 

[Mightymetro]

2 hours ago, Barrykearley said:

That’s wrong chap. Early units were the 7/16” ones - later they went to 12mm.

you need to get the trailing arms drilled out to 12mm or change the bushes. Don’t leave the play - it won’t be acceptable to rely on the compression force and you risk the back end going very wayward.

all else looks great - sneaky use of different shimming washers in the front tops. I bet you can’t wait for that engine to return from the master engine builder 👍

There is only 1 part number for the trailing arm bushes and that is with the 12mm insert.  When I asked the question no one said any different So assumed they were just bolt on...........

 

don’t tell me they have to come off 🙈🙈🙈🙈🙈

im guessing its a drilled 12mm rather than a reamed 12mm hole?

 

with the shims I just put some washers in there while the old shims were in the citric acid.  All out now and back on the car awaiting geo set up 

[Barrykearley]

Sorry I’d missed that post. Yes to change to polys on mine I needed the rear arms drilled out. Local machine shop did mine for almost nothing - they do have to be perfectly central 

Polys as I understand it are only 12mm the older rubber ones are the 7/16

[sailorbob]

I am not sure that you need to modify the 'C' level radius arms when using the Lotac polyurethane mounting bush. I say this because I have a recollection that the original Metalastic A046D6000F rubber mounting bush had a 1/2" bore. But as I might be wrong has any one got one handy that they can measure?

[Mightymetro]

They did seem quite loose in the mounts I took out.  I’ll see if I have them still but I might have thrown them.  I would have thought it would have listed the new bolt with them as a kit.  Grrrr

 

any help appreciated

[mike_sekinger]

Ready for collection tomorrow

[Mightymetro]

😍😍😍. Engine crane, balance bar and straps all ready for Friday delivery

 

[Barrykearley]

I couldn’t recommend borrowing an engine hoist like this enough 👍

[Mightymetro]

Barry, this isn’t an engine crane willy waving competition 😂😂😂

 

also, I am quite restricted with room 

[Clarky5150]

My dear old Mum said its not the length, its the width you have to worry about. You seem to have that very problem. Shame the weather has broke or it could have all been done outside.

[Mightymetro]

On 26/04/2020 at 12:42, sailorbob said:

I am not sure that you need to modify the 'C' level radius arms when using the Lotac polyurethane mounting bush. I say this because I have a recollection that the original Metalastic A046D6000F rubber mounting bush had a 1/2" bore. But as I might be wrong has any one got one handy that they can measure?

SailerBob, you are correct, it was a 12.2 bore in the original one.  
 

spoke to PNM today and they advised to stick to the current set up rather than modify the radius arm

 

im just trying to understand the reasoning for and against.  I guess if it’s too snug a fitting it could end up seizing in the bush itself and stop the radius arm lifting and dropping but surely that is the point.

 

 

[Mightymetro]

Today I had a final check of the front suspension and also fitted the brand new ABS sensors.  The old shims were corroded and after soaking in citric acid there wasn’t a lot left.  I fitted them but the gap between the ABS sensor and the pick ups was only 0.5mm and I think 0.6 is the minimum.  I ordered some 1mm spacer rings and fitted them so they are now 1.1mm away and within spec 

 

also refitted the rear brake lines and bled the brakes out using a Clarke pump up pressure bleeder.  Considering the brakes were off the car for 3 months and no fluid left in the system they bled out well within 3 rounds and pedal feels ok for now so I can move the car and then get it back in the garage once the engine arrives.  My drive is on a slip and didn’t wasn’t to push it out the garage and not be able to stop it 🙈🙈

 

 

[Mightymetro]

Couple of photos of the new oil cooler pipes and the ARB.

 

this is the bleeder I was talking about above 👍🏻.  Really happy with it at the moment but will let you know once the cars going through the neighbours fence !!!!

[drdoom]

Don't care for the look of that bush to A-R bar fit, see comments over on the V-8 forum.

[Jacques]

No slop should be there on the arb middle bushings. It seems you need a pair of SJ's purble ones, possibly.

Kind regards,

jacques

[Barrykearley]

Polys all the way - but they are far too loose

[Mightymetro]

It’s so frustrating that lotus haven’t addressed the variations in parts.  That’s the rear radius arm bushes that needed modifying and then these ARB bushes

might just bite the bullet and order a 16mm ARB as most V8’s should have.  Don’t want to go for the 17mm s350 as I don’t have the stiffer springs and don’t want to promote under steer

anyone got a 16mm bar?  Can swap for a 15mm 😂