Restoration of 74 TCS - 044615R

[BDA]

I meant to reply to your question about splitting the engine and tranny but I got distracted. Sorry.

I have to admit that it's been a long time since I've had to worry about this - and I don't remember ever really having to worry about it! You'll probably want to take the bolt out of the front of the crank first. You can do this by holding the flywheel still with a screwdriver in the ring gear and a rod through a bell housing mounting hole. That's not described very well, but I think you get the idea. Remember to make some sort of mark on the crank and the flywheel (or other mechanism) so you can put it back the same way since your do your timing from marks on the flywheel. A hint is that the keyway in the front of the crank will always be up at TDC for #1. When you take the flywheel off the crank, gently pry or tap all around as evenly as you can.

I am anxious to hear if others have a simpler or better way. I've investigated flywheel locks but I'm not sure if there are any that are appropriate for a TC or if it's even worth the bother.

[Roger]

Have you undone the bolts that secure it to the crankshaft? After that, a clout with a dead-blow hammer will shift it. Just the shock breaks the stiction.

[racurley]

Must be slightly brain dead today. It was just 6 simple 12-point books holding the flywheel on. Removed them and got it on the engine mount. Yay.

[Certified Lotus]

Just checking in. Any progress?

[racurley]

Hah!  Funny you should ask.  I got aggravated and distracted and have made little progress for several months.  However, I finally got motivated and found a machine shop to which I took the engine and various bits.  so, I'm back in business and planning to make some forward motion with it.
 
The shop reported the engine was in good shape (no cracks) but needed to be bored out.  Here's his list of what I need...

Pistons - 30's or maybe 40's
10/10 on rod and main bearings
Wrist pin bushings for rods
Cam bearings for block
Cam bearings for head
4 intake and 4 exhaust valves
Valve guides

Then of course, there are the rubber bits.  Also, I noticed the water pump was pretty much frozen shut with rust and deposits. 

I am going to be contacting the usual suspects on the list of suppliers - RD Enterprises, Dave Bean.  Any other recommendations?

I'm also starting to clean up the various parts.  I have a blast cabinet but found that my air compressor tank has a clogged output tube (nipple) that is not allowing air to flow properly.  It's always something, huh?

[RoddyMac]

Not to knock the local suppliers, but I've had great success ordering engine parts from Burton Power in the UK

https://www.burtonpower.com/parts-by-fitment-type/parts-by-engine-ford/ford-lotus-twin-cam-8v.html 

[BDA]

Many people like the cassette water pumps. JB says they are not needed as much on the Europa motor compared to the Elan because there are no ancillaries on the water pump belt to stress the bearing. That sounds very reasonable to me but if you want a belt AND suspenders, you probably want one. The only place I know to get one is Dave Bean. Burton Power sells their version for front engine versions but not the Europa.

I would price shop for everything else. Dave Been is probably a better source for things that are "a bit off the beaten path" where r.d. is more tuned to selling straight replacement parts - there are surely exceptions. Burton Power is certainly a good source but when shopping, make sure that importation costs (if any) are factored in.

Over the years, I've bought a lot of stuff from Richard at Banks (no engine parts) and always got good parts at decent price. You might want to consider his parts store (though you may already know that he sold his parts business).

[jbcollier]

Just curious, can you get the replaceable pump insert out when the engine is installed?

[BDA]

I have seen where it is claimed that the pump can be replaced in-situ, most recently from Rob Siegel in his series on resurrecting a TC (https://www.hagerty.com/articles-videos/articles/2017/11/07/lotus-europa-pt-3). I have no experience with them so I don't know the truth but even if you still have to pull the motor to change the pump, you at least don't have to take the head off, and all that entails. For that reason, it might be worth the extra cost some.

[Certified Lotus]

I have a Dave Bean cartridge water pump in my Elan and I doubt you can remove it in a Europa with the engine in place. When I rebuilt my engine for the Europa I rebuilt the OEM water pump and did NOT spend the $$$ on a Bean cartridge water pump.

[racurley]

Working on quotes from the parts suppliers. Machine shop said it would be a bit around $1,200 to do the machine work: deck, rebore, drive shaft, cams, valves, etc. Sounds like about 10 hours of labor based on their rates. Sounds right?

On another subject, I spent 2-3 weeks getting my air compressor set up for the sand blasting cabinet.  Had a clogged compressor but that's a whole other story.  Working now so I'm in the process of cleaning up various bits that fit in the cabinet. I'm taking the front hub apart to clean it and probably replace bearings.  Naturally, I am stuck.  Any technique on removing the grease cap?

[BDA]

You can try using a long sheet metal screw to screw into the hole and push it out. I had nuts tacked in my caps to use machine screws.

[Certified Lotus]

Big channel lock pliers and twist off. You will probably distort it and need to replace. They are cheap enough so I wouldn’t worry.

[racurley]

I was finalizing the parts order with the machine shop the other day.  He came back with the jackshaft and said I needed a new one.  It was a little rusted in the narrow bits and had some pitting on the parts that sit in the bearings.  When I was comparing prices at the parts suppliers, one suggested that it may not need to be replaced if it wasn't broken.  Presumably this is due to the role it plays in driving the oil and water pump.  What are your thoughts?  Sorry I didn't take photos while I was there.

[jbcollier]

Depends on what you mean by: "had some pitting on the parts that sit in the bearings."  A few pits?  No big deal.  Deep and directing oil out?  Replace.