Restoration of 2358R

[Certified Lotus]

Brian, when Jim Valentine owned and ran the business I bought 3 headers and probably half a dozen different exhaust systems from him. Amazingly he always delivered on time, sometimes within a week. Jim liked that I created videos of his work on my cars and he used them on his website. I'm probably one of the few that didn't have problems with him delivering on time or the fit. He made a couple of bespoke things for me.

Here is another TC header. I don't know who makes it but Rich Kamp (Kampena Motorsports) sells them. He suggests these provide some extra HP on TC engines for the Europa.

[EuropaTC]

Hi again,

Thank you for taking time to post up those shots, I really appreciate it. I'm at the stage where every design I see gives me a bit more knowledge and confidence in the project.

I'm still reading up but from what I've seen so far there is a possibility that a tubular manifold might give a few more bhp, when you look critically at the cast manifold it looks more like something for easy production rather than extracting every bhp possible.  The one you've shown confirms what I'm reading and looks a better design than the one I posted earlier.

I know I'll end up with a compromise between ideal design and practicality as I want to retain the luggage tray. So I think it will have to follow the OEM route, which rules out a design like Roddymac has made,  but even so I'd like to get as close as possible to even length primaries.

Brian

Edit to add.....    somehow I don't think I'll finish mine within a week !

[BDA]

Brian,


In case you're unaware, you can get kits to help you design your headers. I don't know much about them and they may only be worthwhile if you intend to design lots of different headers, but they may be worth a look.


A few related links:
http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1649639
http://www.trick-tools.com/Icengineworks-Exhaust-Header-Modeling-Systems-864
http://www.icengineworks.com/

[EuropaTC]

Hi BDA,

It's certainly true, every day is a school day !   Nope, I've never heard of such things and sad to say my approach is much more low-tech, heck, my bits of bent wire are cutting edge to me !      

I'm just soaking up the info I can find, looking what others have done and then I'll cut wire to similar lengths and see what sort of shapes they have to go into to meet each other. Then I'll order up a selection of sch. 5 stainless weld elbows and cut/weld to suit, I have no chance of being able to form such bends myself.  It will most likely be assembled on the car and no doubt there will be tears before bedtime, rattles out of prams and hissy fits before it's done ! 

[BDA]

Many years ago, I heard the trick was to use welding wire and a drill motor. I never understood how that was supposed to work - was it supposed to wind the wire into a spiral you could then bend? Anyway, the low tech system should work well, too. I agree that I wouldn't try to bend the tube but rather get mandrel bends. There are kits for that too, but I think if you get a bunch of 180 deg. bends and cut them up, that should work, too (says the guy who can't even weld! But I have heard people talk about it.)


You might be interested in this linke (http://www.superchevy.com/how-to/engines-drivetrain/sucp-1104-how-to-make-custom-headers/) on how to lay out and cut the bends, but I'm sure there are lots of youtube videos on it, too.


A header story:
A buddy of mine had a set for his Ztech made in England! I thought that was a loony idea. I was thinking his best bet was to put his car on a trailer and drag it to Charlotte, NC where almost all the NASCAR teams are AND Haas F1 team are and have someone there do it. He sent these folks some measurements and they sent him back a really beautiful set that fits! And it wasn't all that expensive! I was amazed. I posted a couple of pictures he sent me for your motivation! 

[Roger]

I suspect Brian didn't know there's a company called Tubular making manifolds, or headers in US-speak. To a Brit, a tubular manifold is one made of tube!
I'm trying to figure how those Rich Kamp exhausts fit a TC. The tube header I have on mine is the RD Enterprises one which runs under the sump and does, indeed, have mismatched lengths of 1 and 4. The Rich Kamp ones have to be vertically long enough to pass under the bellhousing and then what? A transverse silencer (muffler) behind the transmission? I'd like to see a pic of one installed in a car.

[Certified Lotus]

Roger, i had a funny feeling that my identifying Tubular to Brian was misunderstood. I think your right. Regarding Kamp's headers I never asked him for further info as his headers where $850 and I had other more important purchases to make at the time before I focused on headers. I'll follow up with him regarding the full install and see what he says.

Note: I re-read Rich's email and he said the photos where of headers for an Elan, but same are built for a Europa with the long tube going under the transaxle. Hope to get more photos of that version.

Update: Kamp says the builder of the headers no longer makes them. They were perceived as too expensive.

[Certified Lotus]

I'm back to working on my Europa after too much business related work (don't you hate when your real job gets in the way of your hobbies?) and the necessary outdoor related spring lawn and garden prep for the season (under the watchful eye of my loving wife). I did find the time over the last couple of weeks to install a permanent high pressure air line from my compressor to various places around the garage to supply air to almost any location. Now my media blaster has a direct air line with its own moisture filter and I have a separate moisture collector and air pressure regulator near one of the garage doors for outside work. 

I had a couple of objectives; first was to remove the leaky fuel tanks, then remove all the lights, emblems, and parts attached to the body to prepare for going to the painter and last but not least to remove the doors (I saved the best for last).

The removal of the fuel tanks went exactly according to plan. Drill out the rivets holding the "weather flaps" in place, spray the rusty nuts with rust remover, unbolt the tanks and slip out the bottom. Nothing to it!  Especially because I have my car on a lift and raising it up made it all very simple.

Worked my way around the body removing all the exterior parts and outside of a few rusty screws/bolts most of it went without issue. I was surprised the front side lights had the plastic molded housing riveted to some brackets to hold it to the body, but not a big deal to drill them out and remove.

I systematically unscrewed all the wiring harness hold-downs in the engine bay and coiled the harness up.  Will put in a plastic bag and leave intact as I didn't want to remove the harness for painting (they can work around it).

The doors........ I had removed the inside door panels several weeks ago and have been liberally spraying rust remover every couple of days on the retaining nuts for the door pin to let it all soak in preparing for this day.  My friend Drew came over to help (I knew it would be easier to have two people to remove the doors).  After several hours of trying everything we could think of and going back to this web site to do more research, we decided to take the air powered cutting wheel to the door pin and cut it inside the door.  I think this is a new process as I have not read about it being done this way.  At first we cut the pin in two places inside the door allowing for space to pull the door pin out. No Go!  The damn pin would rotate, but it would not pull out. Then we cut the bottom threaded part with nuts off and then pulled the top pin out (with much difficultly) allowing for the top of the door to be puller out and the bottom part to follow. Then we used the cutting wheel to cut what was left of the bottom metal threaded piece and hammer out the pin. What a pain in the A__! Four (yes 4) hours later one removed door. Notice I said one door. It was so much fun we are saving the other door for another week!

[BDA]

I'm surprised your door was so difficult as the hinge didn't look that bad. On the other hand, rusty door hinges are usually the roughest single job on a restoration so you're half way through it.


What are your plans for your gas tanks and hinges?

[Certified Lotus]

I learned a long time ago that rust can almost be like being welded.  I didn't mention we also took a torch to the lower fitting.  Remember, this car sat for many years slowly rusting. The biggest culprit of a car sitting is the non-use of movable parts that end up being corroded and bonding to other metal pieces.  Your right BDA, the parts didn't look that bad, but nothing was getting those nuts off (we cut them off) and the pin was rusted to the metal sleeve.

I ordered the stainless replacement door hinge SS kit from RD Enterprises but I have read that Banks sells a brass version that is even better.  A couple of thoughts here. This isn't going to be a daily driver so the potential for rust is significantly lower (due to low exposure to rain). I also put never-seize on almost all my rebuilds when it comes to nuts, bolts and metal to metal contact. 

Already have a pair of new aluminum fuel tanks with AN fittings. Will be installing Aeroquip braided lines and fitting between the tanks, electric fuel pump and weber cars. I am fanatical on clean fuel tanks and water cooling systems. Why spend all the money on a very expensive engine build when you haven't made the investment in the systems that supply CLEAN cooling and fuel? 

[BDA]

I'm with you on all that.


I have Richard's brass hinges and I like them. They have one advantage over the stock style hinges - you can take the door off and the only adjustment you'll lose is the vertical one which is the easiest to do. That said, I've never worked with the stock style hinges. Joji posted instructions on adjusting stock style hinges (sticky in the Technical Articles section).

[Certified Lotus]

Couple of hours today on the Europa. Got distracted with working on my S1 Elan this weekend, new tires (had to order from the UK to get what I wanted) and installed a custom 26R type airbox.  That's another story.  You'll have to follow my posts on the Elan site.

Drew came over to help remove the right door.  Well........he really did most of it himself so he removed it, I handed him tools. While he was grinding away the hinge pin, I tackled the front head lights. I made a tool (as described in the shop manual) to extract the trim ring around the head lights. Worked great. Got everything removed and tagged and bagged.

Next I need to remove the door window motors and trim. Will read up on that before I attempt.

[BDA]

That's great progress! Pretty soon, you'll be putting stuff back on the car instead of taking it off! That will feel even better! 

[Certified Lotus]

Removed the transaxle from the engine and brought it over to my friend Drew's house. Will be taking it apart in order to soda blast the casing (Drew has access to a soda blaster) and to inspect the entire transaxle as well as replace the axle shaft bearings and seals.  I'm hoping this isn't too much of an adventure......

[BDA]

It seems simple enough but then on the other hand, it's rare that things are as simple as they seem! 


Good luck!