Lotus Europa Community
Lotus Europa Forums => Garage => Topic started by: blasterdad on Friday,August 22, 2014, 08:08:02 PM
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Tried to say hello earlier but it didn't work out so well so I'll try again without pics.... ( as suggested )
My stepfather bought a 71 Europa S2 in 1985, ( thanks to the add I tore out of a local car trader mag & forgot about for a year ) drove it home, then stored it in his parents pole barn covered up on jack stands. Due to record snowfall in these parts last winter many roofs collapsed, and his parents barn was no exception. So the Lotus was brought back to my parents garage. Fearing a now damaged Lotus would sit in her garage for another 29 years, my mother put her foot down & said it had to go!
When my son, ( Whom has had his learners permit for about three weeks ::) ) learned of this, he expressed interest. With visions of her only grandson in a mangled pile yellow fiberglass that used to be a Lotus, she promptly told him NO, not for any price!
Well, thanks to my amazing charismatic influence over my mothers protective instincts, ( had to promise her he wouldn't even sit in it until he's 25, and paint her barn next summer, lol ) the Lotus is now in my garage. Will try to post pics again in a separate post.
This is where she was ( first garage door on the left )
(http://i60.tinypic.com/vpgtx4.jpg)
(http://i57.tinypic.com/2dqknlv.jpg)
This is her now...
(http://i58.tinypic.com/2im5i6q.jpg)
(http://i60.tinypic.com/2aig77b.jpg)
(http://i57.tinypic.com/2hn9jxf.jpg)
(http://i57.tinypic.com/29uqdkj.jpg)
(http://i61.tinypic.com/241ut8i.jpg)
(http://i61.tinypic.com/bfmgqp.jpg)
(http://i57.tinypic.com/30w9spd.jpg)
(http://i59.tinypic.com/nv4gmr.jpg)
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Hi, and :Welcome: from a sunny Lincolnshire in the UK.
That's a fascinating history and although no doubt there's a lot of work ahead it's a great project to do with your son. On the plus side, the car should be very original as it wasn't that old when it was laid up.
Good to see you back anyway. As for posting pictures (which we all like :) ) what I tend to do is to resize them to something like 800 or 1024 pixels wide which cuts down the size quite well and should fit on most folks' monitor/laptop screens. Joe has a limit on file size but it's quite generous and once you get the knack this is one of the easiest sites I use to attach photos.
Looking forward to photos of how you're both getting on with the project.
Brian
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:Welcome:
Glad to see you were finally able to post and tell your story. Hopefully we'll be able to help you get your S2 back on the road. If you haven't joined already, another good source of information is the lotuseuropa yahoo group. Let us know if you need any help.
I can't wait to see your pictures. I don't know what you tried but I can try to walk you through the process of posting pictures:
Click on "Attachments and other options" below the text box for your post.
Click on "Choose File" under the word "Attach:". That will bring up a Windows Explorer window that you can navigate in and choose a file to attach. The allowable file types are listed below.
Double click on the file that is the picture you want to post (or click on the file and then click on the "Open" button on the Explorer window. Your file name will be now be next to the "Choose File" button you clicked.
To attach or post another picture, click on "(more attachments)" and you'll get another "Choose File" button. Rinse and repeat... [I just chose a picture of the side view of my car to post]
Keep in mind there are size restrictions on individual files. You can make your file size smaller by using a photo editor like the paint program or if you're on Windows 7, you can display the photo and then use the Snipping Tool to crop the picture or copy it (the result of "snipping" your photo should be a smaller file even if the view of the picture is the same). Save your new picture to a file and Choose that file to attach.
Hope that helps! If you have any problems, let us know!
Good luck!
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Thank you ! Was about to give up & ask :)
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Just uploaded pics in my first post, thanks BDA. :trophy:
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Congratulations!! :beerchug: The car looks very good for sitting for all those years. I thought I'd give you some inspiration. I'm 19 years old and bought my Europa when I was 16. Here is my build log on LotusTalk. http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f120/16-years-old-europa-100761/
(If you'd like to see the end result and not read all of it go to page 15). I hope your son will be a big Lotus fan just like me.
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Just uploaded pics in my first post, thanks BDA. :trophy:
Glad I could help and the car looks great!! The engine compartment needs some TLC but the rest of the car looks really good!
You should take The Kid up on his thread. It was a great father-son project. I have no doubt that yours will be too!
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Thanks guys, and thank you Chris, your europa looks amazing! Nice job!!!! My problem is not inspiration though it's too many projects already, the Mrs. says no working on the Lotus until her new kitchen is done, ( it's gutted ) ! So the Lotus will not receive my full attention for a while... But in the mean time I'm willing to take a few verbal spankings to sneak some time in on her, lol.... ;D
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Wow, for a car that's been standing for so long, that's in amazing condition. Sure there's some TLC needed but it still looks a whole lot better condition than some of cars that members here have taken on as projects. Heck, it's even got an interior !!!!
More pictures as you get along with it please. (no, not the kitchen, I can pass on kitchens.....)
Brian
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:Welcome: She looks great, especially considering she survived a barn collapse. I see the windshield is done for, was that from the barn collapse? Is there fiberglass damage along with the window damage?
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I see the windshield is done for, was that from the barn collapse? Is there fiberglass damage along with the window damage?
Thank you for the welcome, & yes the collapse broke the windshield, it also cracked the fiberglass on the roof about 6 inches back from the corner of the windshield on both sides, (if you look close you can see it in the pics). There is a little spot on the passenger door too. As far as I can tell it looks like the Lotus was centered in between the trusses & one of the rat runs came down on it. The weight of the impact also bent both rear trailing arms as this is where the jack stands supporting it were placed.
Just found a pair of trailing arms today :) but am still looking for a windshield....
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Finally got a chance to work on the Lotus last night with my son, ( Mom wasn't home ;D ).
Had some Marvel Mystery Oil soaking in the cylinders for a couple weeks in preparation for trying to start her for the first time in almost 30 years. Had a hunch that the clutch and bell housing was packed full of mouse nests, ( clutch petal wont return ) so I slowly turned over the engine with a breaker bar while my son looked in the hole at the top of the bell housing with a flashlight. After a couple of minutes of slight back and forth pressure I was able to turn the engine over enough to reveal a clutch housing packed full of chewed up firewall felt. I had my son start pulling it out with needle nose pliers while I turned the engine over an inch at a time. The more he pulled out the easier the engine turned over until I could tell it was turning freely. Removed the flywheel cover, scraped out what I could get at, then blasted out the rest with compressed air from the top down. Persistence payed off in removing most of vermonville, and eventually could turn over the engine by hand, ( spark plugs out ). On to step two, install battery, cross fingers, turn key.... Click, nothing.
Noticed starter had a solenoid with the end open, ( new to me ) so lets try this, WD 40, push in, Repeat, WD 40, push in, CRANK! What a great sound! Told my son to try the key now, CRANK CRANK CRANK! Step three, check for spark. Key on, test light says power to coil, CRANK CRANK CRANK, no spark. Remove distributor cap, survey says.... corroded points! ( no surprise there ), probably having an affair with a shot condenser too. Coil ohms out ok, but have a new one coming with the points & condenser in a couple of days anyway. All in all, happy with getting as far as we did. :)
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:)
A good tale, I'm definitely smiling at the mouse house ! Strangely enough, I also find it simpler to work on cars when the missus is out shopping, jobs seem to get done so much faster....
New ignition, a squirt of easy-start in the carburetor and it sounds like you'll be good to go. The car looks in good shape, perhaps the usual change of oils & brake fluid will see you out for the first test run ?
Brian
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:)
perhaps the usual change of oils & brake fluid will see you out for the first test run ?
Brian
I wish she was in good enough shape for it to be that easy, but she's not. PO has all 4 brakes disassembled, had my glass guy remove the broken windshield, and both radius arms are bent, the driver's side pretty seriously, (passenger side for you Brian, lol). I am also 99.999% sure that the clutch will have to be replaced. The suspension will have to come apart to replace the radius arms anyways, so from there the clutch will be replaced too. Pretty much just trying to start her up to see if she will run good enough to not add the engine to the list... With only 55000 miles I am hoping this will be the case, but come what may, the more things wrong, the more my son (and me) will learn. Anyways, at this point, the suspense is kind of fun. :)
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That's a great father/son project and as you say, having more things to fix is a positive - it makes the journey that much longer and more interesting! Please keep us informed of your progress and if you have any questions!
:lotus:
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Well, put the new points & condenser in tonight, along with 4 new plugs & coil wire. Cranked her over & behold,
BRIGHT BLUE SPARK !!! :pirate: Gravity fed some gas to the carb, worked the throttle till the accelerator pump started squirting, & gave it a try. Got a little bit of smoke out of the exhaust & that was it. Checked the plugs & they were dry... Put a little gas in the cylinders, replaced the plugs, tried again & nothing. I'll recheck the point gap tomorrow, & check the exhaust pipe for more mouse nests, (already took the muffler off & didn't see any). At least we have spark now, which I'm happy with for tonight! Maybe Halloween will be a more fitting day for her to rise from the dead anyway... ;D
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Congratulations on your blue spark!!! How are your plug wires? Are you getting a spark from each plug or plug wire? Have you done a compression test? You may have to take the carb(s) apart and make sure it isn't gummed up with varnish from the fuel.
Let us know what happens tomorrow! Good luck!
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:I-agree: Good news and progress. Always nice to see something positive happening.
Is the spark arriving at the right time ? Are the plugs wet or dry ? The other thing I usually try is squirting something called "easy start" over here directly into the carbs. It smells like ether, highly volatile and just the thing for starting up long-dead engines. If it won't fire on that then it's usually a timing issue. But if it fires then a couple of shots usually gets it enthusiastic enough to run on normal fuel and then you're away.
A definite :trophy:
Brian
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Today I checked the points & regapped them, checked all 4 plugs & wires, (good spark to all), checked the exhaust for mouse nests, (all clear), squirted some gas into the intake with my handy curved syringe I kept from the dentist and had my son crank her over. After some cranking and fiddling with the timing she started to fire, slowly at first until she finally cleaned out and started to run! Now that we knew she wanted to run I hooked the gas back up to the carb, (2 stroke pre-mix from my Yamaha Blaster, 32:1 Klots Super Techniplate w/benol castor racing oil, GREAT STUFF!) and cranked her up!
That is where the first video starts, you'll notice me trying to choke the carb with one hand & keep moving the distributor back with the other as it was loose & kept turning on me, ::).
The second video is of her actually running after I tightened the distributor down, (still having to choke the carb with my hand because the carb is shot).
:deadhorse:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdqCn8rV33U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCEw7G9-G9E
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Probably the jets are plugged. The idle newts are especially prone to this as they are quite small. Take the top off, take out all the jets (making note of which goes where) including the two idle jets on the side and the idle mix screw, clean out the float bowel, same with the jets and give all the passages a good blow.
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That sounds wonderful! (I know it will sound better whey it's all tuned up)
Congratulations on getting it fired up! To amplify on John's suggestion, you might want to soak the carb body and jets in carb cleaner while it's all apart. Then reassemble with new gaskets, etc.
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Probably the jets are plugged. The idle newts are especially prone to this as they are quite small. Take the top off, take out all the jets (making note of which goes where) including the two idle jets on the side and the idle mix screw, clean out the float bowel, same with the jets and give all the passages a good blow.
Without a doubt, this will be our next step. My son has already seen me rebuild carbs, but this time I'm going to show him how to do it. Still plan on getting a new one but want him to learn how to fix things without just throwing money at it!
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Now that our S2 is running, I noticed an oil leak from the camshaft bearing housing. The manual shows installation of this during a complete rebuild. It shows it being installed with a special tool to "spread the lips of the seal". It doesn't show the seal itself as to it's relevant position in the assembly. To me, logic would dictate that it would be installed last, on the outside of the assembly. My question is, can this seal be replaced without removing the bearing housing? (which I'm pretty sure would be a very bad idea, given the load placed on it from the valve springs & lifters.) :o
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Yes, it is a simple seal to replace. Remove the pulley, pry the old one out and bung the new one in.
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Yes, it is a simple seal to replace. Remove the pulley, pry the old one out and bung the new one in.
Thanks JB, that's what I was hoping for. Found one on fleabay & it looked like that was all there was to it, but wasn't sure. :beerchug:
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Got the Lotus up on jackstands yesterday, & was able to get a good look underneath it for the first time.
The frame midsection & front end appear to be solid, with only minor surface rust.
The midsection had been sealed with some kind of undercoating which was so old it pulled off easily by hand.
Was finally able to get some pics of the damaged radius arms, (best I could).
Drivers side....
(http://i59.tinypic.com/10nuiwi.jpg)
(http://i57.tinypic.com/noue8o.jpg)
(http://i59.tinypic.com/hv86c2.jpg)
(http://i58.tinypic.com/eopz4.jpg)
Passenger side...
(http://i59.tinypic.com/206n8kl.jpg)
(http://i57.tinypic.com/207b41l.jpg)
Driver side is so bad it's moved the wheel forward & tilted in, while the passenger side is not as bad, it needs to be replaced also.
A word to the wise, NEVER jack or support on these, this will be the result! :o
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Yup, those are not approved places to use jacks or jack stands. I can almost understand somebody trying it. There just aren't that many good places to use stands in the rear unless you have very tall ones. I always jack up from the tranny and support it with a small stool or similar at the rear hoop.
You have two choices. The workshop manual gives the dimensions. You could fab up some replacements or buy a new set. If you buy them, I'm sure Richard has them (http://www.banks-europa.co.uk/). Ray at r.d. might have them. Dave Bean might have them (http://www.davebean.com/). Sports Car World will also likely have them (http://www.sportscarworld-lotus.com/ - call them because their website isn't much). If you fabricate your own, you could make something really trick made with tubing and spherical rod ends, etc.
Good luck!
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Thanks BDA, found a pair at Sports Car World, Hoping Santa will have room in his sleigh for them! ;)
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I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you, but make sure you leave some milk and cookies for Santa and some carrots for the reindeer! That's used to work pretty well when I was a kid! :)
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Good news first...
Ordered new windshield (Pilkington Classics), Weber carb, carb filter, and pressure regulator
on Friday.
Bad news...
PayPal screws up order, (terminal error) charges me 10 times for the carb, (which never got ordered) resulting in my bank cancelling my credit card, issuing me a different one, (that didn't work) effectively screwing up ALL the orders. :headbanger:
Finally got it all sorted out this morning just in time to make it to the dentist so he could pull the rest of my teeth out! :FUNNY:
So, new parts & new teeth on the way! ;D
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I hate it when that happens! Hopefully, all that's straightened out now. It would be bad if your dentist got you the carb and the parts house sent you the teeth!
So, is this in preparation for when you can finally dig yourself out of the snow! :FUNNY:
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Got a few goodies this week!
New Weber 32/36 DGV, air filter, pressure regulator, & windshield. (Pilkington Classics)
Also got ahold of Richard at Banks Engineering & have 2 beautiful new radius arms on the way!
Everything I've heard about him is true, GREAT GUY! (and it's fun calling England! ;D)
(http://i57.tinypic.com/vpvrj6.jpg)
(http://i60.tinypic.com/25s7h5e.jpg)
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:) ooo, shiny bits !!!! But hey man, what is it with this spotlessly clean workbench ? You could eat your dinner of that, you must be a real neat worker and ultra organised.
( I'm lucky if I can find a workbench surface on mine with all the clutter :-[ )
Yes, Richard is a good guy to deal with and the best way is to talk direct even if it is more trouble for you folks over the pond. My missus bought me one of his center consoles for my birthday last year and when she opened it she found he'd thrown in a T shirt & keyring as an extra present !
Brian
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He is using the kitchen to rebuild his car.
I tried that. Don't wives get quite possessive about their workspace.
It is not as if I didn't drain the oil out first.
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That workshop is to clean. You either do nothing in it but clean or you need psychiatric help! ;D
Ditto comments about Richard and yes, you will receive two BEAUTIFUL new radius arms. Every thing he does is beautiful.
It's fun to get toys!
edit: fixed iPad word fill error.
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OK guys, this should make you happy, my workbench has a torn apart carb, & tools all over it!
(although organized)
And yes, I do eat off it! :FUNNY:
Found some clearance issues when test fitting the new carb, (choke mechanism hits valve cover) looks like I can solve this by turning the carb 180 degrees and fabricating a new linkage setup.
It appears to be the correct orientation for the larger secondary on the oblong manifold also.
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New Weber 32/36 DGV, air filter, pressure regulator
fondling new parts is fun.
did the weber come "pre-jetted"?
this is the route i'm going, and am looking for some jetting suggestions......
i could fill that shop up and end up working outside again.
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New Weber 32/36 DGV, air filter, pressure regulator
did the weber come "pre-jetted"?
this is the route i'm going, and am looking for some jetting suggestions......
This is my experience with a Weber replacement. I bought a 32/36 DFEV (electric choke) from a VW performance shop pre-jetted. Right out of the box, the S2 ran beautifully with no major jetting issues. The only change was to screw in the idle mixture screw to correct the super rich idle per Redlines idle adjustment setup instructions. I only have several hundred miles on the S2 but so far no complaints on engine performance.
This is the jetting info I have written down. This works for me, may not work for your engine.
Primary main: 137
Secondary main: 140
Primary idle: 50
Secondary idle: 50
Primary air corrector: 165
Secondary air corrector: 160
Primary emulsion tube: F66
Secondary emulsion tube: F50
Chokes are both 3.5
Joji Tokumoto
Fallbrook, Ca
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New Weber 32/36 DGV, air filter, pressure regulator
fondling new parts is fun.
did the weber come "pre-jetted"?
this is the route i'm going, and am looking for some jetting suggestions......
i could fill that shop up and end up working outside again.
Good info from Grumblebuns! I talked to one of the technicians before I purchased it & he said the 32/36 comes prejetted for a 1600 cc engine category, so good to go...
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It should be close, but I might not expect it to be exact. IIRC, that carb was used on the old 1600cc Pinto engines and given what your tech said, I might expect that's the jetting you have. You might want to make a note of the jets you do have so that if you have issues, you can try his setup.
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It should be close, but I might not expect it to be exact. IIRC, that carb was used on the old 1600cc Pinto engines and given what your tech said, I might expect that's the jetting you have. You might want to make a note of the jets you do have so that if you have issues, you can try his setup.
Yep, exactly what the tech said, any issues/questions just call and let them know, I left a message & they called me back within the hour, very helpful...
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it's good to have a baseline.
thank you grumblebuns(must be on the s2 you offered a ride in?).
blasterdad- again, kudos on that shop! and a great father/son project!
richard
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Got my shiny new radius arms today from across the pond!
Richard shipped them yesterday, & they were at my door at 11:30 today!
Shipping was less from England than my windshield was from Ohio. :o ;D
Even shipped us a t-shirt! 8)
Once again, Richard is the man, couldn't be happier...
(http://i60.tinypic.com/x6g9y1.jpg)
(http://i58.tinypic.com/xfoi02.jpg)
(http://i59.tinypic.com/34j3plj.jpg)
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I told you they'd be beautiful!
Cool t shirt! Maybe I should think of something I need from him so I can get one!
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I told you they'd be beautiful!
Cool t shirt! Maybe I should think of something I need from him so I can get one!
Been daydreaming about those radius arms for a long time, & when I finally get them, I think I'm more tickled about the t-shirt, ::). (I noticed I took 2 pictures of it) :FUNNY:
Oh well, good to know my inner child is still around. ;D
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On a bright sunny day in 1985, Mr. & Mrs. Mouse had seemingly found the perfect place to live, it was well insulated with a fenced in yard, protecting them from those nasty barn cats, & a properly grounded roof, which offered protection from those pesky lightning strikes. (pic 1 & 2)
Things rolled along nicely for a while, with Mrs. Mouse expecting & work going well at the grain bin.
Unfortunately, Mr. Mouse returned home late one night, (after having a few too many at the local gentleman's club) & passed out with a lit cigarette. (pic 3).
The resulting fire was bad enough for the landlord to cancel their lease, forcing them to move to the other side of town, next to the abandoned petroleum storage facility.
This house offered the same amenities & was larger, perfect for their growing family.
Things rolled along nicely again, until Mr. Mouse, having not learned his lesson, let history repeat itself & caused an even larger fire. (pic 4).
As you can imagine, Mrs. Mouse was furious! After much "discussion", (& pan throwing), Mr. Mouse agreed to go to rehab & join a support group.
While away at rehab, Mrs. Mouse collected the insurance money & purchased the perfect new home, it was made of steel & asbestos, so there was no way Mr. Mouse could set it on fire, & it was nice & cool during the summer. So off to the clutch they went.
As winter set in, Mrs. Mouse complained that their new home was too cold, & demanded that Mr. Mouse, as punishment for his folly, spend ALL his free time insulating their new home. >:(
After many generations of cancer & birth defects, lawsuits were filed for asbestos exposure, which eventually led to the home being condemned & the Mouse family moving to parts unknown...
(http://i62.tinypic.com/15gxfm9.jpg)
(http://i60.tinypic.com/20ft9nk.jpg)
(http://i57.tinypic.com/i1k0hs.jpg)
(http://i58.tinypic.com/xpc1t4.jpg)
(http://i58.tinypic.com/2rdk8yr.jpg)
(http://i59.tinypic.com/6tmjyf.jpg)
-NOTE- The events of the mice depicted in this story, either written or implied, are fictitious.
Any similarities to mice, both living or dead, is purely coincidental.
The author & affiliate of, Blasterdad Int. Reserve all rights.
No unauthorized reproduction is permitted without expressed written consent. :FUNNY:
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:FUNNY:
I'm glad Mr. & Mrs. Mouse finally moved on! You really don't want their extra weight! ;D
The firewall insulation and firewall itself is a common update. Here's your chance to do something really cool!
What was the chicken wire for?
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:FUNNY:
Brilliant story..... you can always tell when a place has been loved and cared for over the generations.
Chicken wire ? an ultra lightweight attempt at radio suppression ? or the mice moved out because the chickens moved in ? ;)
Brian
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Are you taking the Mickey, or are they now living in a Minny?
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Chicken wire ? an ultra lightweight attempt at radio suppression ? or the mice moved out because the chickens moved in ? ;)
Brian
What was the chicken wire for?
Yes, chicken wire, (also referred to as "fenced in yard" in the story).
I can only speculate it was a po's attempt at keeping the insulation from falling off...
It will look much better once it's powder coated. ::)
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You mean you're not going to chrome plate it?!!!
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You mean you're not going to chrome plate it?!!!
Oh come on BDA, with daddy mouse drinking & smoking all the time, how on earth can mummy mouse afford chrome plating ?
:)
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:FUNNY:
I can hear Mr. Mouse sing now:
"Oh demon alcohol,
Sad memories I cannot recall,
Who thought I would say,
Damn it all and blow it all,
Oh demon alcohol,
Memories I cannot recall,
Who thought I would fall a slave to demon alcohol.
Sad memories I cannot recall,
Who thought I would fall a slave to demon alcohol."
[Thank you Ray Davies]
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You can use the chicken wire to protect the headlights! Tres chic!