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Lotus Europa Forums => Garage => Topic started by: blasterdad on Wednesday,March 30, 2016, 01:49:38 PM

Title: A little progress
Post by: blasterdad on Wednesday,March 30, 2016, 01:49:38 PM
Snuck in some time to work on the Lotus last night & behold a familiar sight!

(http://i66.tinypic.com/1j6zqo.jpg)
(http://i66.tinypic.com/33c5b8m.jpg)

After a little time with the wire wheels...

(http://i67.tinypic.com/2m2hmb4.jpg)

Just need to make a new bracket for the bottom. I even consulted the Magic 8 Ball if I could fix it & it told me "signs point to yes".  ;D
Pretty sure this was part ( if not all ) of the reason the clutch would not work, ( felt it crunch apart when I pushed it down ).  ;)
Title: Re: A little progress
Post by: BDA on Wednesday,March 30, 2016, 06:59:03 PM
That looks great, blaster! So, if you get the pedals working, does that mean you can drive it? This is Lotus driving season!
Title: Re: A little progress
Post by: blasterdad on Thursday,March 31, 2016, 05:13:56 AM
So, if you get the pedals working, does that mean you can drive it?

Yes, all the way to the garage stall next to it for further work.  :FUNNY:

Title: Re: A little progress
Post by: TCS4605R on Thursday,March 31, 2016, 10:13:51 AM
Blasterdad,

Look in the 'Yahoo Lotuseuropa' site in the Files section, look for 'Tandem Master Brake Cylinders' - there are PDF drawings of the pedal assembly base plate and drawings of all of the other bits and pieces to fabricate a new pedal assembly.

Tom
Title: Re: A little progress
Post by: rascott on Thursday,March 31, 2016, 11:52:59 AM
sounds like you have what's left of the base for a pattern. if it comes off the floor in one piece.
my rusty lump showed no signs of ever having grease zerks- that's a good idea.
Title: Re: A little progress
Post by: blasterdad on Saturday,April 02, 2016, 07:19:29 AM
sounds like you have what's left of the base for a pattern. if it comes off the floor in one piece.
my rusty lump showed no signs of ever having grease zerks- that's a good idea.
Blasterdad,

Look in the 'Yahoo Lotuseuropa' site in the Files section, look for 'Tandem Master Brake Cylinders' - there are PDF drawings of the pedal assembly base plate and drawings of all of the other bits and pieces to fabricate a new pedal assembly.

Tom

@Tom, Thank you for the lead, I'm going to see what's left of the base today. Good to have another option on file!  ;)
@Rascott, I remember the pics of the "clump", was feeling fortunate by comparison when I removed mine. You did an outstanding job fabricating new ones by the way!  :)
Title: Re: A little progress
Post by: Chuck Nukem on Saturday,April 02, 2016, 08:51:31 AM
Awesome! As far as my pedals are concerned the 8 ball said "better luck next time"
Title: Re: A little progress
Post by: TCS4605R on Saturday,April 02, 2016, 11:37:16 AM
The reason I built a new clutch/brake pedal assembly is because my clutch pedal broke off at its base leaving me in traffic with no clutch.  Luckily, it was not the brake pedal.  I also wanted an assembly that would work with tandem brake cylinders.  The stock Lotus assembly does not fair well with age.  I think there are some pictures of the completed assembly on the 'lotuseuropa yahoo' website.  Both the brake and clutch pedals rotate on needle bearings on my assembly.
Title: Re: A little progress
Post by: blasterdad on Sunday,April 03, 2016, 06:56:31 PM
Got the base out tonight, one bolt came out, (miracle), two broke, (yaaay), one met Mr. Grinder...
Amazing how thin the metal was,  :o  pretty important part to make out of sheet metal, no wonder it rotted away.

(http://i63.tinypic.com/5ur49d.jpg)
Title: Re: A little progress
Post by: BDA on Sunday,April 03, 2016, 07:17:11 PM
Congratulations, blaster!

Maybe the S2 pedal base is made of thinner stuff but the one in my TC wasn't so thin...

In any event, it's a great time to either make or buy a beefier one!  :)
Title: Re: A little progress
Post by: TCS4605R on Tuesday,April 05, 2016, 02:55:09 PM
If your pedal assembly base was rusted that bad, you might want to check the outer seat belt anchor plates on each side of the fiberglass body.  They are held in place by bolts accessed inside the car - at least on the Twin Cam - best with the seats out.  My pedal assembly base was not rusted very much, but the two outer seat belt anchors were pretty well rusted thru.  Failure of the anchors and you are an unrestrained projectile in an accident.
Title: Re: A little progress
Post by: blasterdad on Tuesday,April 05, 2016, 05:22:31 PM
If your pedal assembly base was rusted that bad, you might want to check the outer seat belt anchor plates on each side of the fiberglass body.  They are held in place by bolts accessed inside the car - at least on the Twin Cam - best with the seats out.  My pedal assembly base was not rusted very much, but the two outer seat belt anchors were pretty well rusted thru.  Failure of the anchors and you are an unrestrained projectile in an accident.

We seem to have had opposite problems, just the pedal base & one seat track rusted on mine. I was lucky enough to find someone local who had 3 of them! So far those seem to be my only rust issues,(knock wood). We will see when the body comes off.  ;)
Title: Re: A little progress
Post by: blasterdad on Saturday,May 14, 2016, 04:31:08 PM
Started to disassemble the body & wiring a couple of nights ago.
A PO had made click splice spaghetti of the front wiring harness in an attempt at fixing a problem that didn't exist.
After removing the aforementioned mess I was left with a perfectly functioning  front harness in very good condition.
Unhooked the coil & tested the rest of the car  for the first time.
Everything worked except the turn signals, which was quickly resolved with the discovery of one of the wires to the flasher had fallen off.
Was also blessed with both windows opening & closing flawlessly for the first time in 30 years!
(http://i68.tinypic.com/t8s2v7.jpg)
(http://i63.tinypic.com/21jtxsk.jpg)
(http://i65.tinypic.com/2r6gp6d.jpg)
All this is now GONE!
(http://i68.tinypic.com/16a2o8j.jpg)
(http://i64.tinypic.com/10hngr8.jpg)
Title: Re: A little progress
Post by: BDA on Saturday,May 14, 2016, 05:32:44 PM
Great news, blasterdad! That's got to feel good!
Title: Re: A little progress
Post by: blasterdad on Thursday,September 01, 2016, 02:12:39 AM
Finally got around to finishing the pedal base Tuesday night, (tried to post all this yesterday morning & my computer crashed the SECOND I tried to click on post!  :headbanger:)

Pic #1. Plate laid out & pilot holes drilled...
(http://i63.tinypic.com/a2b0ig.jpg)
Pic #2. 1/4 inch holes drilled...
(http://i65.tinypic.com/soc12v.jpg)
Pic #3. Cut out radius with a cutoff wheel...
(http://i64.tinypic.com/lur1y.jpg)
Pic #4. Cleaned up seats with a rat tail in a drill...
(http://i65.tinypic.com/33dinpl.jpg)
Pic #5. 'Viola...
(http://i68.tinypic.com/331j0c3.jpg)
Pic #6. Just right...
(http://i68.tinypic.com/313rxh2.jpg)
Weld & paint are on the to do list for today! Pics to follow... :welder:
Title: Re: A little progress
Post by: BDA on Thursday,September 01, 2016, 05:29:17 AM
I've been wondering what happened to you, blasterdad! Glad to see you're making progress! Can't wait for more pictures!
Title: Re: A little progress
Post by: blasterdad on Thursday,September 08, 2016, 05:49:06 AM
I've been wondering what happened to you, blasterdad! Glad to see you're making progress! Can't wait for more pictures!
Here ya go BDA, pedals done, even found time to fabricate an adapter plate out of some aluminum plate I had laying around for the new electric fan.

(http://i63.tinypic.com/s49dmh.jpg)
(http://i65.tinypic.com/16k3wc8.jpg)
(http://i68.tinypic.com/25twayo.jpg)
(http://i68.tinypic.com/29zdrk.jpg)
Title: Re: A little progress
Post by: BDA on Thursday,September 08, 2016, 06:22:03 AM
Looks great, blaster! Now let's get some real work done - that bench is way too neat!  :)