New addition to the MLOC family

[richbk]

Cheers Dean.
I am going to get the wishbones blasted / passivated  and then paint with clear POR15 I think as will be easier to keep an eye on . The new ball joint was passenger / near side so makes sense that it wears quicker as most of the potholes / kerbs are that side .  
But the bent wishbone is same side as the newer / heavier uprights , so maybe it’s had an issue early in its life that required replacement bits …. Nothing in the big stack of papers that covers last 16/17 years .  
back to eBay , EP and FB. On a wishbone hunt then I guess …..

[DeanB]

Try UK Lotus Centre too?

[Jonathan E]

12 hours ago, DeanB said:

I should get one of these. Never occurred to me before  goodness knows why not!

Fitted one to all of my K cars, simple job, presented here by our very own Elise guru: 

 

[Martin R]

Rich, as you probably know Eliseparts sell S1 wishbones. I would also want the uprights to match if it was me. Nothing is ever straight forward on a Lotus.

[richbk]

A quiet week of progress with front end now at maximum deconstruction . 
battery out , heater / expansion tank out and more cleaning , wire brushing , prepping , flatting , Krusting and Hammeriting to come . Strangely therapeutic . 

The wishbones are off to be blasted, once I remove the bushes and ball joints ( holes and fit points are masked , sealed during process )  
I need to get these out and wondered if anyone has the removal tool close to Stoke on Trent ? Martin R has kindly offered to lend me his but I am away in Wales this weekend and wondered if there was anyone closer with the tool that I could dispatch Ethan to ?

cheers

richard

[richbk]

So any way …..that Covid is a bugger , totally wipes you out for a while .
However we are now back on project and should see some progress this week actually putting things back together rather than continuing to take them apart. 
whilst I was house bound and working at 2 m distance we have managed to 

complete the clean and restore of  the battery and heater matrix bay, minor corrosion removed and treated , and painted with special metals primer and hammerite for future protection . 

refurbed , de rusted, painted and refitted with new seals and solenoid  the heater matrix . 

Fitted  the radiator and new hoses. 

Decided to replace the brake lines with new Goodrich braided ones . Images to follow one in place 

 

cleaned , de greased , prepped the brake callipers for what ever colour they are going to become , probably black. 

Started prep work on mounting points for the wishbones and suspension to remove and minor corrosion and ensure all in protected in the future (duralac and ACF50 at the ready ) 

cleaned , treated, colour restored and sealed the roof , plus a couple of small stitching repairs . 

This week should see the wishbones back and with the help of the very generous Bill Hassell’s tools that he has kindly loaned us , the bushes and ball joints will be fitted and we can start to get the thing put back together . 
Any  helpful hints or tips or suggestions on fitting bushes etc gratefully received as ever .  
 

Richard and Ethan 

 

 

[Martin R]

The caster shims are a real pain to fit and you will be convinced they will not go back in but they do. No idea on your configuration but super glue them together as appropriate. It makes it far easier. I also use a pin punch through the bolt mounting holes to line things up to get the bolt through. Have fun.

[richbk]

Thanks Martin , not sure if I am looking forward to that task!!. I figured putting it back together with shiny new parts would be easier !!

fitted the front bushes today , but 2 of them are still sitting 1 or 2mm proud , and without hitting them very hard with a mallet I am at a loss how to get them fully engaged ….any ideas or experience ?

richard 

[Martin R]

Rich, they should go in if you used some bush lube on them?

[richbk]

A few days off , and when We weren’t  hiking or paddle boarding in the beautiful Snowdonia we were under and around the Elise making some progress .
Wishbones back from blasting and triple coating and fitted , steering and arb fitted , toe links and brakes back on . Radiator connected , filled and bled , brakes stripped down to as far as I felt comfortable going ( not dismantling the callipers I am not that brave ) cleaned up and painted and back on . Rotas have not seen many miles but have a few score marks which I might get skimmed when car is back on the road . New pads , fluids and pins , and bled to a good standard . 

For peace of mind I think I will take a trip over to Gav once re built and get him to check everything over , but happy with our efforts and progress. 

couple of questions for the great and the good as always . Bolts on the upper rear wishbones don’t appear to be long enough , but must be short enough not to foul the other near by fixings , everything else in the Elise parts kit I purchased are longer than the ones I have used , but nuts only just cover the end of the bolt when tightened , is this correct ? . 
New brake hoses seem tighter in length than originals from the pics do you think there is enough length to allow movement up and down without stressing them

 please add comments and thoughts before I progress any further, easier to amend and adjust now than later

cheers 

richard and Ethan 

 

[Martin R]

Rich, without looking im pretty sure my top wishbone nuts had locking tabs on them you knocked over to prevent them coming undone. This maybe just on the Sport models though? I also use nylock nuts on mine. I would want at lease 3 threads sticking out the end of the nut? Google suggests its 1 to 3 threads. There is plenty of room one side no idea about the other? 

Edit, just had a look on Deroure. Great website for Lotus parts diagrams. On the S1 they used a 10mm flat washer and Nylock nuts.

Parts Shop - Bell and Colvill

Parts Shop - Bell and Colvill Thats for the Ally rear hub. there is also a diagram  for the steel hub if you look.

[richbk]

Cheers Martin . I have the NYLOC bits as part of the refresh kit , but 0 threads , just flush to the end , might take a look at using the original bolts and see if length differs …

[Lithopsian]

Are you trying to use washers?  Washers are listed for those bolts, but not usually seen in the wild because there isn't room.  Have you got your original nuts?  With the alloy uprights, Lotus used (special thin) flange nuts.  Then they switched to nylocs with the steel uprights, or at about the same time as they switched to the steel uprights.  With the S2 they started using tabbed washers.  Aftermarket kits all seem to have nylocs.

[richbk]

Washers was the problem !!. Kit supplied has thick washers and nyloc nuts . Have swopped out for some thinner washers I already had and got 3 threads showing now ….

cheers guys .

next little job , re building the headlights , new foam surrounds arrived , but can’t for the life of me see how they go back together symmetric around the light fitting , should have taken more pictures !!!!

[Lithopsian]

Too late now, but marking the clips before you dismantle is a huge help.  Even then, when I did it I only marked one side and the clip positions are different on each side.  Luckily I had a photo of the other side, so eventually got it all together.  Does this help at all?  Don't know which side this is, but I could probably work it out if you need it.  You can see the screw heads for the clips if you look closely.