Removing a Lotus Esprit engine and trans // SOUP Classic Motoring E.35 

Yes! Timed perfectly with the opening of a beer!

That stop- motion stuff was fenominal. I love old cars. I love old Lotus. I love old land rovers. Nuff said, I'm subbed.

This is Definately the best editing on a automotive video i have seen. fantastic! you deserve more subs

Superb episode. I had a Lotus Sunbeam with a bigger sister to that engine. Looking forward to the strip down.

I’m awestruck by your mastery of camera work. The brilliance of stop motion makes me smile every time. I had the same reaction when watching Roger Federer at his best. Intense pleasure. Thank you so much!

Loved the closing line/shot to the Esprit segment Excellent work, as always

Ive never commented on a youtube video. I love what you are doing- the approach, the message, the editing and long term planning. Keep it up- the sponsorship will come. I think if there is any failing to the logic here its that exactly the type of viewers who might love your content are not the type of people who use youtube to get their classic car fix. If youtube had an oscars, I would nominate you. I watched every minute of your land rover stop motion- mesmerizing! I am hoping to buy a cheapo mig or tig setup and start learning to weld a bit this winter. Have meant to for years, but this series has stuck in my head and cemented the nottion that a lot can be done with a little initiative.

Love this channel. Great to see an Irish guy adding to the youtube car project universe. LOVE the stop motion elements

You sir deserve way more views on your videos

George, thanks for this, we never get tired of, or enough of, these great videos!

Ah great episode as always mate! Really loving the progress you've made on the Esprit. So true what you said about waking up next to the car! I remember when I was young going to sleep with a didgeridoo which I'd got as a present! My brother used to sleep wearing rollerblades! Sure must be nice waking up next to a car you love!

"Remember when you were a kid and you got a new toy, and you went to sleep with it just beside your bed so it was the first thing you saw in the morning? Well it turns out your never too old!" Not gonna lie, I got a little weepy at that. Damn, t'was another good episode!

This was a good Soup episode,. Having that space to work in makes all the difference with a project, especially at this time of year. As always, Soup updates are always a welcome thing on my subscription list.

Loving the Esprit project, can’t wait for the next

Like your work and the lovely way of presenting it. Thanks a lot for sharing

Great stuff - really inspiring and thanks for all the encouragement and motivation you put into this lark. My update: 1993 Range Rover Vogue now has a replacement reconditioned auto gearbox and did a round trip to Liverpool with no fuss, but now has sprung a leak from one of the steel fuel pipes just above the rear wheel - so frustrating. I finally finished replacing the damaged valve and the rocker assembly in my beloved 1984 Rover Vitesse. Had some trouble with tappet pre-load because I replaced the tin head gasket with a composite one, but got it sorted in the end. Now on to the brakes. And then it's bodywork time..

George thanks for all of us that dream in cars specially that awesome Lotus Esprit,great job you deserved more subscribers

This is the third video of ours I watch. Well what can I say but great presentation. I watch so any videos with thumbs, gloves or bad angle.

Enjoying this series, especially since I pulled an engine out of my of my Esprits, and the other is a body off restoration. Some comments on this video: 1. don't use chains on the engine, use ratcheting straps. They are nicer to the places where it contacts the engine. 2. The exhaust cam cover is on upside down. 3. An excellent penetrating fluid can be made with acetone and automatic transmission fluid. You'll need it. 4. The parking brake mechanism on the rear brake calipers can be freed by soaking them in this penetrating fluid for several days, occasionally taking them out and exercising the lever. 5. If you have any bolts that are frozen into the aluminum housings, such as water pump bolts, you can remove them using a Rescue Bit. Look it up on Amazon. GREAT tool to have. It allowed me to chew up a frozen water pump bolt without damaging the block. Threads were still there, but not strong enough to hold a bolt. A top tip is to place a magnet in a plastic sandwich bag just below it when you use this rescue bit. The magnet catches the steel bits, and take the magnet out of the bag and all the metal bits fall into the trash bin.6. Look into Time Serts. They are WAY better than helicoils for repairing striped threads in housings. Easy to install and strong. 6. Finally, you can get a good searchable copy of the parts manual here: www.holycows.net/Lotus/Manual-Parts-Esprit_S1,_S2,_S2.2.pdf

LOVE these vids! Love the Esprit! Watched one and had to watch them all....well done!

Nice work again George - as always, a joy to watch.

Great episode. Just can't wait to see the Lotus get finished. You inspire me to just quit my job and get to work on my cars.

Love love LOVE the stop motion. It must be hugely time consuming, but it's so distinctive and really makes the work easy to follow. Fascinating to watch.

Another great episode. Its getting there and gets more rewarding the closer you get. Oh for the covered space. Mines outside under a tarp ( and has been since aquisition) so working on it needs that little bit more dedication and fortitude. Good luck with the MIG/TIG, I think you'll enjoy it after the gasless unit.

superb, a great diversion from working late in my home office - with my own MX5 project outside looking at me.. time to get stuck in!

the arrows are indicator lights with the accompanying sound. Nice touch

Nice one George, great to see some more progress ! Keep going !

Buddy thank you for posting this. I just bought about a month ago a 1978 Lotus Esprit S2 over in the US and am currently doing exactly what you are doing in this video. Video has been a HUGE help already. Pulled the transmission to do a clutch job and remembered the water pump is leaking like mad. Will be getting a new one but ill be removing the motor to get to it so yeah. Thank you for the amazing video as there isnt much out there for this car video wise let alone information wise with the low number of them ever produced

Very inspiring as usual, George. Hopefully we'll get to see Tina again in a future episode?

You are smashing it George. Great stuff.

Hello! New sub here! I have a 83 Investor limited edition # 33 Turbo Esprit. Had the engine removed and rebuilt another party, but noe it's in my hands to complete the engine install. This will help! Cheers

Losing weight can't be easy as Colin Chapman was famous for putting one bolt where two would do.

Keeps getting better, thanks for the episode

Keep up the good work. Cheers

Another brilliant episode as always. Grate to see tina is staying local.

Sleeping in the unit, proper legend status! Just ordered a couple of T-shirts. Keep at it!

Another great episode

Fabulous episode, can’t wait to see you tearing into that 900-series engine. And, once everything is apart, all you need do is show all your videos in reverse and we’ll all believe you’ve got it back together ;)

If you’re ever stuck for lifts to of from Delta, I am regularly on the M50 and live very locally! Anything to keep the series running and more Land Rover works! I’m currently on the search for my very first Land Rover!!!!!

GR8 Bro, keep them coming.

Good work George now to blast rustbullet & paint every component, it will be a work of art bud!

Just awesome! Just found you! 👍🏆

Legend!

Was sat in my SOUP 'hoodie' earlier and had a brew from my SOUP mug.....after having a 'fiddle' with the only bit of my Jag I have here at home...the battery clamp...ten days in some vinegar and now I will media blast it with my cheapo ALDI blasting gun...all down to you, George. Now, you need to get that inflatable mattress...as if you sleep badly on that floor you will take DAYS to recover...and sleeping on hard surfaces isn't good for your back at all...thats an old wives tale. Firm? Yes...rock hard...No!! Get some sort of kneck support or pillow too. Got a case studies test tomorrow then a couple of days training and I will then be earning a fair wage...thats an advantage as you mentioned but won't be as close as yourself project wise for a couple of months. Hopefully can wangle a low loader to transport the Jag back home...Great progress George, inspirational stuff and I notice a slight raising of your camera skills in this one....Take care...

Sleeping at the shop? that’s dedication!

To others taking an engine out like this, the easiest way to do to not struggle and not damage the gearbox is to use the engine hoist from the front/side and take the engine out of the chassis towards the front rather then up over the cross member to the rear. If you have the hoist to the front you can simply slide it forward just like if you take the body off a Ferrari 308.

wow solid rotors

George, Tim Engel (Lotus 907/910 expert here in the USA) says the early spring loaded timing belt tensioners have some issues and he recommends upgrading to a later tensioner. One of the biggest issue is a problem where previous mechanics leave the ground strap off that runs between the stationary part of the tensioner and the moving part that actually carries the bearing. I put the original one back on my 1974 Lotus Elite that I am reconditioning from a long storage with the previous owner but I will investigate replacing the assembly with a later one on the next timing belt change. When you get some time can you possibly post some video or photos of what the timing belt tensioner on your Esprit engine looks like? If you are interested I have posted pictures of the tensioner (as well as other photos) on my 1974 Elite on the lotustalk.com in the "Other Lotus Models" section of the forum.

I like the Tony Hart . Vision On. video theme.

Really enjoying the format at the moment and its great to see the Esprit coming to bits. How is the Vogue?

Awesome

Ah, that excitement of waking up with toys to play with right next to you! It feels just like Santa has been by the workshop & left you a present outside the tent!

One of the best videos yet George! Keep up up the great work. Also, excited about the merch :) Now I know what the tent is for. Guess it helps if I watch these glorious videos in order (even though I thought i did!).

George, Another great video and your getting to the nitty gritty now! I will sponser you for a 2 or 3 day TIG / MIG course at my local Goverment training centre BBZ including Accomidation, meals & drinks on me! You have my e-mail address just let me know if your up for it! Cheers Dave

TIG is a huge commitment to learn from both time and cost perspective, and it needs almost daily practice to get to a level you’d be comfortable putting your name to. It’s taken me 5 years of regular use to pick it up and carbon, stainless and alloy TIG welding all need different settings and techniques. If you’re mainstay is restorative work stay with MIG / spot welding.

the struggle is real.

I've seen a serpentine belt used to lift engines.

I have to have a radio on in the background. It is something my dad always did when in the shed so I got it from him. We both have tinnitus which is annoying at times. Nobody does the filming as good as you. Kinda reminds me of that old plasticine Morph cartoon we used to watch on BBC as kids. You are flying along now she is dismantled and it looks less trouble than the range rover.

Almost looks like a power train that was made to remove/install from underneath the car? Moreover, how is it done with the body on?

Hello George, Think the otter switch would be lower down a pipe and usually immersed in coolant (placed on the lower half/section of pipe) and not on a vertical section??? Looking 'online' it appears somewhere forward of the steering rack, not sure if that correlates to where that hole is...?? Jaguar ones are either in or near the header tank....FYR...

I hope the guys from body shop are going to feed you scraps of their leftover sandwiches to keep you going! :-0

Sleeping in the unit 😂

Old seatbelt are much kinder to soft alloy engines, and plenty strong enough, chains are too Savage, also an engine tilt adjuster is invaluable for mid removal angle adjustment s love that spine chassis tho, most unusual.

It must take you ages to complete a project with all that stop motion filming. Looks very cool though.

I watched the engine removal in horror.....shouting at my laptop "get some strops for lifting, you're going to damage the bloody engine!". Sorry, i'll calm down now :)

You are a god of automotive film! I fucking love the stop motion. I just need an esprit. You wouldn't happen to have a spare one you could lend a guy while he gets back on his feet, would you?

Like, comment, view, repeat...

Brilliant epsisode mate. I love your esprit. Well I live them all actually lol. Are you going to sand blast the chassis? Car thieves are the worst scum. Glad to hear Tina has a new owner who can look after her better though.

Did you actually sleep there?! :O

Boy do I know about the manifolds coming loose. It's my biggest nightmare on my esprit.

wouldn´t it be easier to disconnect engine and gearbox, drop the gearbox down and lift the engine out?

Combi mig/tig plants are DC only, no good for ali welding for which you need AC

My good man, ditch the chains and use nylon webbing.

I love your style of video, it must take you ages to do but it really makes an interesting watch. That lotus is easily in my top 10 cars of all time. I'm currently working on a 240z and I've got a Frogeye Sprite in the pipeline. I had a cousin do the welding for me on the Z but I'm thinking of taking the plunge and getting a Mig to do the Sprite myself. I wanted to do a video blog of the build of the Z but work got started before I had chance to put anything in place for it but I did manage to put together a weblog on it if you fancy taking a look. datsun240z.wixsite.com/blog Thanks for the inspiration dude.

Compare the Lotus Esprit drivetrain/driveshaft with a Corvette C4 and the Lotus parts look very noodly

Sehr Schön👍aber zu viel Gerede ist wie Schlechte Musik im Video😬