Jump to content

litp.jpg

Lotus in the Peak
28th - 30th June 2024

Project Leeloo - Elise S2 resurrection after 7 years


Virgiltracy

Recommended Posts

Welcome to MLOC, without doubt the friendliest and most helpful lotus forum .Looks like a great project . It will bring you hours of joy, fun, frustration, learning and satisfaction. My son and I have just finished a mild resto project on an S1 , and learnt lots . Nothing looks too serious or bad , but we did lots more than expected . Light housings , def new radiator, hoses , brake lines , etc etc etc . It makes sense to do them properly and right whilst you have it in bits . 
enjoy the process and the car even more , and keep us updated with progress 

 

richbk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 76
  • Created
  • Last Reply
On 25/06/2022 at 08:59, richbk said:

Welcome to MLOC, without doubt the friendliest and most helpful lotus forum .Looks like a great project . It will bring you hours of joy, fun, frustration, learning and satisfaction. My son and I have just finished a mild resto project on an S1 , and learnt lots . Nothing looks too serious or bad , but we did lots more than expected . Light housings , def new radiator, hoses , brake lines , etc etc etc . It makes sense to do them properly and right whilst you have it in bits . 
enjoy the process and the car even more , and keep us updated with progress 

 

richbk

Thanks Rich, I did read your entire thread last week, yours and my projects are very similar!

You're right about the hoses and lines and such, they'll all be done in one go

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Right, it's Monday so that means a post-weekend update!

Didn't get off to a great start when I was left standing at the desk at the local ECP waiting for them to find the battery I had ordered and was in stock, turns out it wasn't in stock and they wouldn't exchange it for one they had got in stock as it was an online order...

So refunded that and off to Halfords with my trade card for a Yuasa, my reasoning being that if ECP were being stupid when i'm trying to buy the battery, I can only imagine what they'd be like in a warranty situation!

I digress,

Saturday was a big day for Leeloo as the addition of a fresh battery, sparks and new fuel meant that I was going to see if she'd start! 

I will be changing the cambelt and waterpump shortly, but I wanted to make sure I had a known working base, before I started to take it apart.

Old sparks out:

sparks.thumb.jpg.d4ae23c7d2e631e8c731c547b89a462f.jpg

You can tell which were under the coil packs and which were just under the rubber plug leads...

 

New Fuel in along with some Octane booster in case any old fuel was left in the tank, this one had some injector cleaner in it too...

stp.thumb.jpg.37ee277be579423a126553285b7dc400.jpg

 

New battery hooked up - As a project car I didn't want the battery connected long term, so I've added a quick disconnect switch to the negative terminal.

batterydisc.thumb.jpg.dfcd0e11df53a7b40b056d2735ef70e7.jpg

 

And guess what....

 

She fired up on first crank!!!! I couldn't believe it, I'm not ashamed to say there was a happy tear or two at that moment!

A little victory pose -

started.thumb.jpg.810cb93b0f376f650e675aa26196c281.jpg

(the t-shirt says "undefeated hide and seek champion, and has a, picture of a 10mm socket, very apt for working on the Elise!)

 

Next up was front clam removal, first time doing it so I drew a cardboard bolt map:

1992870723_frontclam.thumb.jpg.41c8f864de59ba385a32bb7e9ae17ef5.jpg

Everytime i removed a bolt, it got pushed through the cardboard in the place it came from (first bolt is already in)

After that the clam did come off, although it was very tight over the radiator shroud -

clamoff.thumb.jpg.68b2aee6a03b9b4de559001598bcc515.jpg

 

As expected, the tow post was toast!

towmount.thumb.jpg.496e2f769ca43efdd1c0fcd719ea677e.jpg

 

Sprayed the front suspension joints with plusgas ready for the full dissemble this week, I also removed the bolts to the shroud so I can inspect the rad and blower housing-

frontsuspension.thumb.jpg.55cdda9ede36a162e2189bd474317687.jpg

 

Sunday morning I managed to grab a barely used 111s Exhaust from a chap locally - this has the vacuum valve on the OS pipe, I'll see if thats something I can add in via a T-junction or if its better just left open the entire time.

exhuast.thumb.jpg.f12db00b14e2c24e013e9479c088cf15.jpg

 

Finally a little update from this morning, those mesh grills that were horribly rusty when I removed them two weeks ago, they've had a double coating of gloss black and lacquer, they look amazing now!

grills.thumb.jpg.0fba215a51887aecb16264cdcd96f839.jpg

 

So I'm back to it on Friday this week, plan being to remove the suspension components entirely, front and back. If i have time i'll also drain coolant, remove rad and set on that blower housing.

 

I've got one of the chaps in the works making me a new tow post, update when he's made it!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, duncx said:

Great work so far, don't forget to check the heater/fan blower and resistor pack whilst the front clam is off.

Thanks Duncx, I’m pulling the suspension on Friday and then if I have time removing the rad.

Is there anything in particular I need to be looking for on the blower and resistor pack?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Sorry for lack of updates, that's being rectified now!

To start with... its amazing what a couple of beers will get you with the welders in my work:

towpost.thumb.jpg.5c0696747a3fe1a66b445631dfd138cb.jpg

Two lots of measurement checks, drill and pin in position and then weld to finish. double layer powdercoated in gloss black and lacquered.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Last Friday did indeed see all the suspension come off LeeLoo - 

susp1.thumb.jpg.95aa22246efebee3417ca10b77cd2d37.jpg

susp2.thumb.jpg.ee46a838df8c60cba0fcc371bf8b734c.jpg

susp3.thumb.jpg.01fd9df7cf0a7a86f8372c18eb0d5233.jpg

 

The sticking points were the nuts on the ball joints, they got half way up the thread and stopped dead, as they're being replaced they were cut off with the angle grinder.
The passenger side lower wishbone nut was also a pain due to access, my S2 has the footrest bolted in from below, 3 bolts came out, the fourth spun the rivnut, the head got cut off enough to pull through and then I could get a socket on the bolt head for the wishbone.

These have been shotblasted and are off for passivating and then back to me for powdercoating.

I've also done the same with the hubs:rust.thumb.jpg.a7bf19a99127cb9957f5c1af9a265736.jpg

clean.thumb.jpg.7a7e8e87f5ab9cce08d997fc6812a17e.jpg

 

Don't worry, the bearings were left in to mask the mating surface against the shot blast, they're not staying!

 

After suspension I removed the rad, I;ve never removed a radiator without covering some part of myself in coolant and depsite how careful I was, this time was no different.

on the mounts one bolt came out of its spire nut...

rad1.thumb.jpg.e2c867a09de1d718950abe7579389f79.jpg

The other didn't

rad2.thumb.jpg.3afd1975ee5285b4aaaf60af013e231c.jpg

 

The radiator itself looked ok! no sign of leaks at the crimps, but it's going to be replaced anyway.rad4.thumb.jpg.7c2ea9913000b43f1ba5e11b63ab281d.jpg

 

rad3.jpg

norad.jpg

Lots to clean in the front crash box!

A question: Fan looks ok, for the new rad do I re-use the rusty mounting points? if so just drill out the rivets and rivet onto the new rad? (giving a blast and powder first probably)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good stuff. If you haven't bought your refresh kit yet Seriously Lotus have donated one for the Lotus in the Peak charity auction at Chatsworth on Sunday.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, DeanB said:

Good stuff. If you haven't bought your refresh kit yet Seriously Lotus have donated one for the Lotus in the Peak charity auction at Chatsworth on Sunday.

Sadly everything has been bought! Just waiting on delivery from EP, great donation from seriously Lotus, can;t wait to join you all when Leeloo is mobile!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

41 minutes ago, Virgiltracy said:

Sorry for lack of updates, that's being rectified now!

To start with... its amazing what a couple of beers will get you with the welders in my work:

towpost.thumb.jpg.5c0696747a3fe1a66b445631dfd138cb.jpg

Two lots of measurement checks, drill and pin in position and then weld to finish. double layer powdercoated in gloss black and lacquered.

 

 

You could sell a few of those!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Virgiltracy said:

Just drilled the rivets off the fan mounts ready for the new radiator…

 

fan is entirely seized, guess it’s new fan time!

I was going to suggest that replacing the radiator with an old fan was probably just asking to have to take the clam off a year later.  The fan rarely runs, is exposed to rain, and in a very sheltered position that stays wet.  They are very prone to seizing.    At least you found out now :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Lithopsian said:

I was going to suggest that replacing the radiator with an old fan was probably just asking to have to take the clam off a year later.  The fan rarely runs, is exposed to rain, and in a very sheltered position that stays wet.  They are very prone to seizing.    At least you found out now :)

I suppose that’s fair! 
 

I’ve inadvertently ended up with two different radiators to choose from, I’ve got a brand new OE one from Lotus or I’ve got an all alloy one by Coolex.

the original lasted 15 years with no issue but should I go all alloy now just in case?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. Terms of Use