Author Topic: Restoration of 2358R  (Read 185222 times)

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Offline Certified Lotus

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Re: Restoration of 2358R
« Reply #510 on: Sunday,February 04, 2018, 02:31:52 PM »
Engine and transaxle install day.  Always helps to have a friend over to help with this as it goes much quicker with two people.  Chris was happy to come over and be involved with all things Lotus.  He did do some weber carb work in my garage on his Elan, but mainly focused on helping me mate the transaxle to the engine and then install everything to the chassis.  Of course we were missing a few parts and a run to the local hardware store was required to acquire grade 8 bolts.

I also made a new list of parts needed to order from RD Enterprises.  Ray and George are very responsive and usually my parts arrive in 2 days. Can't restore a Lotus without RD Enterprises.   


Offline BDA

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Re: Restoration of 2358R
« Reply #511 on: Sunday,February 04, 2018, 02:41:54 PM »
Man, that tranny is purty!! Congratulations on making another significant milestone!!  :beerchug:

Offline Certified Lotus

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Re: Restoration of 2358R
« Reply #512 on: Sunday,February 04, 2018, 02:48:35 PM »
Thanks BDA! Good to make progress.

Offline Certified Lotus

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Re: Restoration of 2358R
« Reply #513 on: Monday,February 05, 2018, 03:11:55 AM »
Woke up this morning and the first thought that enters my brain is I forgot to re-install the water tubes in the chassis! Engine and transaxle need to come back out.........   Oh, well. I still have the hoist connected so it won’t take too long  8)

And the shift tube. What else am I forgetting?
« Last Edit: Monday,February 05, 2018, 03:28:18 AM by Certified Lotus »

Offline surfguitar58

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Re: Restoration of 2358R
« Reply #514 on: Monday,February 05, 2018, 03:45:30 AM »
Veddy veddy nice, Certified. What have you got in mind for the exhaust?
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Offline Certified Lotus

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Re: Restoration of 2358R
« Reply #515 on: Monday,February 05, 2018, 05:40:43 AM »
Thanks Surfguitar. I ordered a complete SS system from 1st Performance and Exhausts Ltd. in Norwich, UK. Alex had them make a custom set and I added my order to his.


Offline BDA

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Re: Restoration of 2358R
« Reply #516 on: Monday,February 05, 2018, 06:38:15 AM »
More pretty bits for your car! She's going to be a gem!

Offline 4129R

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Re: Restoration of 2358R
« Reply #517 on: Monday,February 05, 2018, 09:15:26 AM »
When the engine is out, pass all the cables through, especially the hand brake cable, which is a real bitch with the engine in.

Connect up the cross rubber hose from the right hand tube, and get all the rubber hoses changed and the clips done up in such a way that you can get to them when the engine is in situ.

Check the engine mounting rubbers.

I stand in the engine bay and look into all the corners before putting the engine back in.

May be worth making sure the exhaust manifold can get in with the engine in place. I have 1 that needs to go in with the engine.

Offline surfguitar58

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Re: Restoration of 2358R
« Reply #518 on: Monday,February 05, 2018, 11:42:09 AM »
Thanks Surfguitar. I ordered a complete SS system from 1st Performance and Exhausts Ltd. in Norwich, UK. Alex had them make a custom set and I added my order to his.

Looks well made, and looks like a sensible down muffler so you can have a full trunk/boot, unlike me.
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Offline Certified Lotus

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Re: Restoration of 2358R
« Reply #519 on: Monday,February 05, 2018, 04:07:25 PM »
When the engine is out, pass all the cables through, especially the hand brake cable, which is a real bitch with the engine in.

Connect up the cross rubber hose from the right hand tube, and get all the rubber hoses changed and the clips done up in such a way that you can get to them when the engine is in situ.

Check the engine mounting rubbers.

I stand in the engine bay and look into all the corners before putting the engine back in.

May be worth making sure the exhaust manifold can get in with the engine in place. I have 1 that needs to go in with the engine.

I don’t know what I was thinking. Just got caught up in mating the transaxle to the engine and my friend Chris was over to help so let’s get the engine in. Dumb move. But hey, we all learn from our mistakes.

Offline Certified Lotus

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Re: Restoration of 2358R
« Reply #520 on: Sunday,February 11, 2018, 07:01:15 PM »
A full day of taking the engine out, installing grommets, the water tubes, shifter and front shifter tube, hand brake cables and associated hardware, ran oil line, re-install engine & transaxle and bolt up the rear cross member and supports. Long day. Only got it all done because Chris came over to help. We had a beer at the end to celebrate.

Some trials and tribulations along the way but figured most everything out. I kept saying to myself "I’d hate to be a mechanic who worked on these cars everyday. To many tight spaces when the car is assembled". I said to Chris, this really is a race car for the street. To which he responded, “its amazing how they engineered this car”.

Colin is probably rolling over in his grave.......I added washers where there weren’t any.

Never the less, a good day of accomplishments........  OK guys, what did I miss?
« Last Edit: Monday,February 12, 2018, 03:06:31 AM by Certified Lotus »

Offline tedtaylor

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Re: Restoration of 2358R
« Reply #521 on: Sunday,February 11, 2018, 07:12:19 PM »
Nice work Glen, but the one picture shows your hose clamps not facing down.   You may regret that later.   I just replaced all my hoses with engine in situ from underneath and it's important to have the hose clamp screws accessible from below.
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Offline Certified Lotus

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Re: Restoration of 2358R
« Reply #522 on: Sunday,February 11, 2018, 07:23:47 PM »
Thanks Ted. I was wondering about that. As I was screwing them down I kept telling myself “I probably can only access these from underneath the car when the body is on”.  Will go back and position them correctly.
« Last Edit: Sunday,February 11, 2018, 07:49:46 PM by Certified Lotus »

Offline 4129R

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Re: Restoration of 2358R
« Reply #523 on: Monday,February 12, 2018, 02:40:07 PM »
When fitting the rear trailing arms, fit the brake pipes on the arms before you put the body back on.

They are a bitch to get at later.

Offline Certified Lotus

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Re: Restoration of 2358R
« Reply #524 on: Monday,February 12, 2018, 04:54:46 PM »
Great advice. Can’t tell you how much I appreciate everyone looking over my shoulder. Too bad most of you are not local. Free beer in my garage :-)