'Buying me a coffee' here www.buymeacoffee.com/emijohnsonp This channel is all about cars, and associated engineering projects. I’m an ex circuit racer and fabricator, having built several formula race cars over the years. I have a passion for motor sport and race cars of all types and in particular classic and historic Lotus’.
Very useful and timely video..llI am also in the process of installing the same Kelvedon CV joints and lhaving trouble with tight holes in the diff and hub "ears" ; interesting to see you using a reamer: pls tell me what size you used. Thx.
Hi Tony, I used a 7/16 reamer. The first drive shaft I fitted I didnt ream the holes and as you saw in the video I struggled a bit. The second one I did ream the holes and managed to get the drive shaft in much easier and without having to compress the springs. Good luck with your install
@@ianj3663 thx..7/16 is the nominal stud diameter and is too tight on mine; I deformed the thread on one stud trying to bang it in, needed to withdraw (slide hammer!) and re thread the damaged stud; just found and bought a 29/64 reamer on ebay..Hope that will be OK.. thx for the idea...Tony
I installed CVDS from Elantrikbits this week. They were a doddle to fit and have transformed the way the car responds to the throttle. I also no longer have to worry about the doughnuts failing as I've fitted 3 sets in the last 3 years.
I have the Mick Miller CV joints on my +2, best £400 I ever spent on the car, it transformed the slow speed in traffic movement, no more kangarooing & power take up was instant, not having to wait for the donuts to load up.
Interesting, but about that elephant in the room…. You forgot to mention there’s a cork gasket that goes between the head and the valve cover that’s about 3mm thick. That should account for any interference with the camshaft studs.
Think about it. If there is a 3mm gap between the head and cam cover a 3mm gasket wont be compressed. I my case the gap wasn't even all the way round so some part would be compressed and other parts wouldn't. I didn't want to rely on silicone sealant alone to get a seal
Never liked poly bushes on the elan. The fronts I even made different s/s tubes as they really don’t fit well. After buying a complete set many year s ago the only ones I used were the rear inners, the rest were terrible. Cheers Mark
I'm inclined to agree. These polybushes don't seem great. I'm concerned that there will wear over time with use and the suspension will become slopy I'm considering sticking with the standard metalastic bushing for the front.
I turned 1mm off the inside faces of the chassis side bush top hats. As a result each bush sits 1 mm deeper in the trunnions, which gives a bit more rotation freedom. Turning the hub side bushes the other way around is a nice thought, didn’t think about that yet. I don’t like the idea of having to machine the hubs in order to mount the bushes as suggested by the bush supplier.
Interesting! I thought about machining the bushes but decided it would be too difficult to do accurately as the polyurethane is 'soft' and must be difficult to get a clean cut. I too didn't want to machine the uprights.
The problem with generic pullers of the operating principle you made is that the hubs being cast of steel rather than iron, they can easily distort when pulled (or banged) unevenly on the outside (one would need to be quite cautious to apply pressure very gradually all around). Then the wheel contact patch not being flat the wheel nut may/will tend to undo under use. Many hubs have been damaged over the years and that was becoming an issue, till hubs copies were manufactured again alleviating the increasing scarcity of good hubs. The hub puller shown at the beginning (which is the one recommended in the Lotus manual) is the safest, most efficient way to remove rear hub (you may achieve that with a sacrifical nut, needs heat, bang on the pressure point, and repeat, with some luck), as the pulling effort is coaxial and very close to the mating surfaces. They're not that rare or expensive anymore, and could be lent by a fellow enthusiast I'm sure.
Thanks for you thoughts. The aim of my puller design was to ensure an even pressure on the flange of the hub. The first hub I pulled off i did use some heat. The second one I didn't and it came off really quite easily.
Never an easy task and this is a sensitive way to put in the bushes without damaging the wishbone. Having just checked my Elan WSM (not +2), The Elan WSM says "Note that the bolts are fitted with their heads towards each other (i.e. from the inner faces)." Perhaps double check this point for the +2?
@@ianj3663 Ian, there is no issue with fitting the bolts either way on a plus 2 because there is plenty clearance between the suspension mounts and the body shell. On the baby Elan the bolt heads must face one another or you will have to cut off the bolt heads to remove them. Whoever assembled my suspension before the body shell was fitted didn’t do this and I’ll have to cut the heads off the bolts on mine.
@@ianj3663 I managed to pick up a 10 ton press off ebay for £100 a while ago and was able to do all of my bushes and found it invaluable for many other tasks. Admittedly, they seem a bit more expensive now but make the job a real pleasure!
Interesting! I always assumed polybushes were just a stiffer (and more garish colour) of ordinary bushes but it appears they operate more like a bearing? Are they stiffer, I wouldn't think so from the video? The thought of having to regrease would put me off & I thing I'll replace mine with standard bushes, assuming they are as good as the originals. One tip I would give is give everything a good power-wash first, having dust drop in your eyes whilst under the car is one of my biggest gripes & wearing goggles as an alternative is a pain, they either fog up or you knock them & as you know there is not much space to work on an Elan.
Yes they act like bearings. The 'stiffness' question is interesting. The polybushes put up little rotational resistance. They do provide sum by the friction between the flanged ends and suspension components. The original metalstic bushes on the other hand are captive and don't rotate. The rubber in the bush is distorted by twisting as the suspension components move. Rubber acts like a rising rate spring ie it get stiffer the more its compressed. Therefore I assume that polybushes are less 'stiff' than the original set-up.
I believe your new upper "Lotocone" mounts are the same replacement part that I received. They are not the same as the originals that were on my S2. The lower concave surface that left marks on the spring seat dome is smaller diameter and thus sits higher, raising the bolt flanges 13mm above where the originals' were. It appears your original mount was on the lower center of the video screen. If it has the larger concave bell that sits lower on the dome, your rear ride height will now be 13mm higher than before. If you are using re-rated springs, your resulting ride height will be part of our adventures in Lotus world. The raised seating position of the new mount also creates a larger space between upper spring seat and Lotocone flanges, obviating the need for the thin-headed bolts. You can now use a crow's foot wrench (perhaps thinned a bit) on regular headed bolts which would have fouled the spring seat before. Folks using small 2 1/4" diameter springs can use ordinary socket wrenches. The previous procedure was to install the Lotocone on the frame w/the bolts, slightly compress the springs with ratcheting tie-down straps, arrange all components onto the strut, engage the strut to the control arm with the thru-bolts, then raise the arm + strut with a floor/trolley jack. Fun! There are some assembly moves that aren't relevant if you use the new mounts as-is, pre-assemble as modern struts are, and accept the altered ride height. I found the threads on my strut rods protruded insufficiently and had to machine the upper end of the mount's inner steel sleeve. It was just possible to gain full thread engagement that way without cutting into the mount's rubber. Your strut rod appears to have a sufficiently longer threaded section. My very reputable US supplier told me they haven't noticed or heard of any fitting problems and used them on their S1. I've had a new spare mount and the original on the spring seats, side-by-side. They are different. I did find one archived mention of this on the Elan forum we all enjoy and he machined, too. I also used a less-than-simple way to restore previous ride height. I'll find out if it was worth the effort sometime soon, I hope. Keep up the good work. It's both informative and inspiring! "rohanhodges" and "olivernaylor" are well-known enthusiasts and highly respected contributors. Thank you, to all.
Hi Oliver, I'm looking for sum advise on tyre choice. The Elan is almost on the road and I need to start thinking about some new boots. Like you I do intend to do track days so though you may be able to give me an insight into the tyres you've used and would recommend? Ian
@@ianj3663 tough one, you can spend a lot on modern ‘period’ Michelins or Pirelli’s. I hear they are very good. The only thing I can say for sure is avoid rainsports. They are too soft and you lose all the ‘directness’ of an elan. I run Falken sinceras. They’re cheap, don’t have bags of grip but have great feel
The alloy spacer is supposed to be crimped onto the shock tube to stop it rattling around. As far as I am aware the spacer plastic washer is supposed to go on top to protect the aeon rubber spring. This alloy spacer was a Lotus afterthought on later +2 so not a well documented assembly anywhere.
Thanks Rohan, Yea I think I prefer the original arrangement too but the new SPAX damper inserts come with a hex nut inboard of the outer tube and there is no recesses to crimp the spacer to.
Hi, Make sure that the inner front bolt on the wishbones goes in thread first from the rear, the opposite of what you have in the video. Certainly in the little elan this bolt cannot be removed by pulling it forward. Cheers Mark
Hi Oliver, Yes I think they are on the right side. The pics you've seen where before I finally tightened up the top diff mounts. This pulled the whole diff up quite a bit. I will check however. Ian PS I like you videos keep them coming!
Hi Ian, I fair enjoyed your video and thank you for taking the time to make it. I do have one comment on the assembly of the diff tie bars, there should be another two dished washers per side that go between the polly bushes and the diff housing. When I purchased the bush kit for my Elan the the steel dished washers came in the kit. 👍🏻
I have a 1968 +2, interesting that you have a cut out in front of the tank. I’m fairly certain that I have a fibreglass firewall, I’ll check when I have time. Does anyone else have an early car (ie not +2S) & if so do you have the cutout? I assume you are going to replace the nylock nuts once you have the car back on the ground?
When I did this on my Europa Special I just matched the head ports & cast iron manifold to the gaskets, so you also need to check the gaskets are also not impeding the exhaust flow.
Never port to gaskets. Gaskets often are oversized to allow room for improper alignment and movement for those who just sparingly place them on . There made just to seal. They do no flow research.. Always port match. This is exactly what this gentlemen is doing correctly.
Hi Kevin, Yes it does work well. I do need to change the plastic on top quite regularly as it clouds over particularly if it gets hit by the grit when blasting large pieces. I have made some improvements which I might put it a video.
Great video. I just removed one of my hubs using the little insert and three eared spinner. Tightened it up then waited 10 mins and it was loose - so I had it easy this time.
The thermal conductivity of oil is about 0.13wm/k that of air is about 1.04wm/k . So oil would perform worse. Nearly 10 times worse but like your thinking process
Oh dear, I was shouting at you to reverse one of the Irvine clamps, so you could get your full hand round each pair of grips without trying to squeeze with just you fingers - frustration!!!!!!
0:59. Kind of a dumb question, but what's wrong with the thermostat clamp? 1:23. Have you considered replacing the plastic fuel line with metal? I used brake pipe with a piece of rubber fuel line just before the pump as it moves relative to the fuel line. 4:54. I've never replaced mine, but if you're going to replace the rubber brake lines, have you considered upgrading to braided brake lines? I understand that because they minimize any expansion under pressure, the brakes become rock hard which is a good thing. As usual, another quality video by Ian!
If you were only replacing the seal you could have marked the pinion nut & the flange & then worked out from the mark on the old nut how far from the thread start on the new nut you needed to make a mark. Or alternatively used thread locker on the old nut & put it back so the marks lined up. That of course assumes the preload was correct before hand! I’m enjoying this series, I have a 1968 +2 & will at some point have to replace the seals (currently not leaking). I also have the CV conversion from Mick Miller, which was the best money I have spent on the Elan. I’m also really enjoying your tooling to remove bearings etc & to break the taper. It seems a shame that the maker of the preload tool didn’t open up the centre, so that you didn’t have to take it off to tighten the pinion nut. One question on the rear handbrakes, the two little tabs that bolt on are they supposed to be sprung to keep the pads off of the discs, mine had no spring in them?
There should be a compression spring slid over the handbrake adjusting rod to keep the handbrake pad levers from exerting any pressure on the disk when the handbrake is released.
Solved my cam cover leaking by simply gluing 4 sheets of sandpaper to a flat surface. Then moving the cover over the sandpaper in a figure eight motion until the cover was completely flat. Solved the leakingm completely.
Sounds like a good simple solution for your issue. It wouldn't have worked for me as the cover was being held off the head buy the studs that were too long.
Hi Mark, Seized pistons..... see my video Brakes Part 1. I though mine were seized but soaking them in Blaster and then making up a special tool worked for me.
Great job! I was worried I might not be able to take my diff apart to replace bearings and seals, but now that I’ve watched you do it, I think I can handle it. Thank you!
Thanhs for nice videos! A tips: Always heat up the housing and bearings pop out easy. This way you will not loose any material where bearings are seated.
