Cbaileyuk Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 Hi all, Spent the afternoon prepping my exige pre the meet. Went to fill up with fuel. Took a detour home, half way through I saw what looked like a washer jet squirt from the front passenger grill onto the windscreen. Thought I was seeing things at first. Drove a mile keeping my eye ion temps which stayed stable. About another half of a mile saw the temps raise to 95,pulled into layby to watch the remaining coolant pour out of the front of the car. Sat there and had a little cry. Watched my very clean car cry with me. Called for a low loader and waited until 11:30pm for it to arrive. Have just got back home. Car is now in the garage but needs to be inspected. I imagine my radiator has broke or the pipes to it. This is my start of learning how to remove a clam. Fingers crossed for me. Gutted I can't make the meet tomorrow. I would have loved to have been there as I loved my elise and the exige is even better. I hope it's a good day for you all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dobbo Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 Nooooo. Seems coolant is the new HGF this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cbaileyuk Posted July 27, 2014 Author Share Posted July 27, 2014 Can't sleep and now surfing how to undertake a clam removal. I think I will fail at the first hurdle because I know my jack will struggle to get under the car. On my elise I used to drive it onto wood then the Jack fitted but I can't start this now due to lack of coolant, so haven't got a clue how to fit the Jack under What a mare, car stuck in my little garage, face forward which has a slope to it so I can't get it out to get to a specialist if I struggle for space Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonnyboy Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 Is this on the new Exige? Can only be the Rad. If you get stuck with anything just gibve me a bell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbotoaster Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 If you need help taking the clam off let me know and i can always pop over to give you a hand, ive got a low profile jack I use on my car and my car will be lower than yours so it will work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cbaileyuk Posted July 27, 2014 Author Share Posted July 27, 2014 If you need help taking the clam off let me know and i can always pop over to give you a hand, ive got a low profile jack I use on my car and my car will be lower than yours so it will work. Hi all, thanks for the awesome offers... (Johnny, yes, new exige damned 9k garage queens). The rad is completely fooked. Clam is now off. Attached garden hose to it, completely squirting up the seam of the right hand side Need an alloy replacement. I am a little flummoxed by how it comes out. It seems to be intertwined with aircon stuff. This is progress to date: The rad has completely fecked. Its split up the side. Removed hoses once the clam was off, attached garden hose to one side, literally pissing out of the other side, in line where it sprayed the screen. Its toast. This is a pic of 8 (yes 8!) hours work In process of getting new alloy rad and so we start again Head mashed. Learned a lot about the car though. What confuses me though, still, is that I have an aircon exige S and it looks like a bit of a mare to get the rad out of the support structure. been told that the aircon is strapped to it so be mindful of that. Quit for the day and will start again next week Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonnyfox Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 You are so almost there...... Watching you don't drop screws or bolts behind the front crash structure, top shroud off, 4 screws. Rad/oil cooler shroud off, remove loom running around the side and front, double bolts and brackets infront and behind rad and the others around and abouts. Pipes off, split, change, pipes on, shrouds...sorted! Honestly it isn't that bad. I too drink while working on the car....good man :-) well done stick with it. My AC was removed a while ago btw which bust the brittle fans so replaced with Pro Alloy fan kit and rad. Edit yes no oil coolers either, got rid of them too so may be a case of just loosen the shroud with said double bolts out etc (reminded via exiges.com). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cbaileyuk Posted July 28, 2014 Author Share Posted July 28, 2014 I'm getting a right rep on that can! It was a celebratory beer after a crazy weekend! I read this on another forum: I managed to remove the radiator without unplugging the AC or anything else! The trick is to lift the rear of the radiator as far as it will go, then reach in and up from the front of the car where the air comes in, and undo the 2 nuts that mount the front of the radiator to the AC condenser. Then undo the 4 screws on the rear side - those are easy to see and access. Any use? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_h Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 I would have a good look at the condition of the the aircon condenser before refitting the rad. All the cores started falling off mine so replaced both rad and aircon at the same time. It would be a right pain to have to re do the work in the near future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonnyfox Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 My car had only done 12k miles and was 18 months old when I bought it, might of lived outside but same here Chris, when the rad was changed the condenser and fans pretty much fell off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cbaileyuk Posted July 31, 2014 Author Share Posted July 31, 2014 My plan is to see how the condenser looks when the rad is off. If the condenser looks fooked, then off road the car for a few more weeks and then order a new condenser and fans, then swap the lot. If the condenser looks OK, just do the rad swap. Fingers crossed the condenser doesn't implode when the rad is shifted :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_h Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Seem to remember when I bought mine that Elise-shop were the cheapest for the condenser. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cbaileyuk Posted July 31, 2014 Author Share Posted July 31, 2014 I'll have a look. Hopefully I don't need one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cbaileyuk Posted August 2, 2014 Author Share Posted August 2, 2014 Fans tested and fine. Phew. Ac condenser looks great. Cleaned and spraying with a bit of sealant to lower oxidation. Slight update. New rad in, just need to get coolant in and bled now. Job for tomorrow. It's a long job to swap a rad in an exige. About 16 hours for me atm but a bit of a novice. I expect 23 hours when complete. I think lotus do it in 10. Massive novice alert but really enjoyed it. You might find this interesting And Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cbaileyuk Posted August 4, 2014 Author Share Posted August 4, 2014 It's done. I found it a job from hell on first run. My hands feel like they have been soaked in acid. 22 hrs to do it. I know the front end of the car intimately. But at least the wheel arches sparkle now For those that may need this doing... I'm not a skilled mechanic, just a patient and methodical novice . I can do discs, pads, oils changes on my old cars, have a reasonable collection of good tools now, a couple of decent jacks, etc but I am eager to learn new things and lotuses, despite their weaknesses are pretty simple beasts. I read lots of guides, posted threads and talked to people. It's essentially a big meccano kit but everything is dead sharp and my hands are scratched to fck. Getting things in and out takes time. Like stated, it's a 22hr job for my skills and I still have a tray to screw on. What is good advice is buy some freezer bags and make labels and name the bags and put the fasteners in the bags and tape them to the thing you took off. That means you have a good understanding when reassembling. I would have got confused when I did that bit had I not kept good control. Also when refilling coolant I thought you poured it in and away it flowed but it's a little more involved than that. I fashioned a pressure kit and got it in, did a lot of bleeding and refilling, then idling and testing and it was done. Can you remove a rad only, without disturbing ac in an s2? Yes you can. Do you need to drill or cut anything? No you do not. But, a hinged ratchet spanner in 8 and 10 Mill is a tool from the gods. Without those, things would be different. Go and buy a set now. Do it. Even if you don't use them, just look at the wonder of them. I love that tool. Absolutely brilliant. So what did I do? Stripped the front end clam off Removed internals to permit restricted radiator access Removed split rad Cleaned ac condenser Dc tested fans Refitted new alloy radiator Kurusted any surface rust I could see Fitted new silicon hoses (rip off 90 quid) Fitted new stainless tow post as old one was nasty Reassembled and copper greased Oh and cleaned anything I could get my hands on. Also swapped rusty old fittings where necessary If anyone need this doing, and lives in the North /Midlands please contact me as I would like to payback some of the help people have given to me. It will take 2 weekends but anyone with a good methodical approach and the correct tools can do this job. Any advice from other newbs, message me and I'll try to help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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