"soft" Restoration of 2933R (JPS#059)

[tedtaylor]

Yes, oil and filter were changed by PO a year or two ago while in storage.
As usual, one step forward and two steps backward!   I checked the coolant header tank to find the bottom 2 inches a mucky mire of crud, so while cleaning out, sure enough, rusted out on bottom of can.   Have any of you been successful with repairing these?  see First picture
Also, after cleaning the fuel pump filter and glass bowl, this is what was sucked out of the fuel tanks!   Juicy red varnish!  see 2nd picture.   So i'll need to drain the tanks, refill and try again.   I need a new fuel "T" before i'm able to hook up the fuel line to the carbs.

[jbcollier]

Cut the bottom off the header tank and braze a new one back on.  You can also buy alloy replacements.

I would pull the fuel tanks and have them hot-tanked and sealed.

[BDA]

I would also clean out the fuel pump and carbs if needed. Make sure you have a metal 'T' between your carbs. The stock plastic ones crack and dribble gas on your exhaust pipe.


I would also flush out your cooling system and make sure your radiator is in good shape.


Like I said, I would change all your fluids and ensure those systems are in good shape.

[Certified Lotus]

Congrats on getting it running Ted! Great motivation to get the rest of your list completed. I've got a header tank you can have and two fuel tanks. Give me a call.

[tedtaylor]

I drained both tanks and got almost 2 gallons of that old red gas out.   The exit ports are forward/bottom of tank so i had to jack up the rear end of the car real high to drain it good.   I can now see the actual metal bottom of the tanks now, so they're just about completely empty.   The tanks are not original, but replacement aluminum tanks that are very well made and fit as original.  They are 20 plus years old.

I filled with fresh gas, clean filter and cranked it over.   She now runs on its own fuel supply and no leaks.  While running, the oil gauge reads with good pressure.

Now my focus will move onto the cooling system, flushing out, replacing the header tank, checking for leaks.

[BDA]

It's a very good sign that you have nice aluminum tanks! Let us know about your progress.

[Certified Lotus]

Amazing that it had Aluminum tanks Ted, as everything else is original. Any chance it came from the factory that way? Glad to hear the engine is running and you have oil pressure.

It's very cool that your Sprint and Europa are original and have that faded Patina.

[tedtaylor]

Amazing that it had Aluminum tanks Ted, as everything else is original. Any chance it came from the factory that way? Glad to hear the engine is running and you have oil pressure.

It's very cool that your Sprint and Europa are original and have that faded Patina.

Just wait until LEO (of ProOCD) gets a hold of it next month.  It will be shining like new!

[tedtaylor]

Had some time this morning and started to tackle the cooling system hoses.   I obtained a used header tank from "certified lotus" (thank you Glen) and gave it a quick finish paint job and ready to install.   The car came with a brand new (maybe 15 years ago?) hose set that was never installed, so i'm sorting through, changing out all the hoses.   fun, fun!   Got to get underneath for those connections to the tunnel tubes.   greasy dirty mess.   Very old antifreeze came out of the system with only a slight "hint" of green.  I will need to flush the lines and the radiator good.   
Has anyone "snaked" the tubes in situ?   Some sort of pull line with brush attachment would be ideal.   I'll jury rig something if no one else has a suggestion for cleaning out.   The small metal tube going up to the bottom of the header tank was clogged solid with gunk!!!

After dinner, I went back out to the garage and continued to use a plumber's helper "snake" to ream out the tube.  I was fearful that the snake would poke through the side of the tube just like the header tank rusted through while cleaning that out, but it didn't.   I had great difficulty getting the wider part of the snake through.  It was as if the tube had a smaller inside diameter.  I think in actuality, the weld spots where the tube is connected to the frame disfigured the diameter inside where i couldn't see, but the snake was definitely getting stopped from going through.   Eventually I was successful by pulling it through rather than pushing it through.   What a black dirty greasy mess!
Now to flush out the other BIG tubing through the central backbone tunnel and radiator.   

[BDA]

Good job! I was trying to think of something clever to say about the juxtaposition between the pipe wrench that comes in the OE tool kit and the plumber's snake...

[tedtaylor]

BDA, i'm sorry that i did not make an effort to meet you at LOG37.   I remember seeing your white Europa w/ BDA engine, but my mind was all over the place.   Would like to have met you.   Sorry i was not more cordial and focused on people rather than their cars.

[BDA]

Hi Ted,


I'm sorry I wasn't able to catch up with you, too! Which car did you bring? You don't need to apologize though. The cars were pretty much the main attraction and if you saw my car, between it and me, you saw the more interesting. Did you get a chance to peruse the museum? Hopefully there'll be a LOG we can both attend soon (I'm not sure I want to drive to Cincinnati in August in my car! Birmingham is the outer limit of how far I want to go in my car during the summer months!)!

[tedtaylor]

BDA - I drove down in my M100 Elan.   Wanted to take the Elan Sprint, but just too far.   Of course, the JPS Europa is not ready yet.   Yes, did the museum too (both rocket & space center, as well as Barbar)

Back out in the garage again today working on the cooling system flush.   What a very dirty WET mess indeed.  While i'm replacing the coolant hoses with the replacement set provided, i'm seeing very original wire band clips and original hosing for the heater system too, so i might as well replace that all at the same time while i'm under there getting access and dirty at the same time. 

I tried flushing the heater lines and not getting any luck getting the stream of water through the lines with my garden hose, even with high pressure.  I'm hoping i don't have a blockage or plugged up heater core!    Looks like i'm gonna have to go in the cabin to change out the heater hoses there too - all the while, not trying to get the interior wet!
FUN FUN!!!

I just finished up in the garage after a full day out there flushing (not the toilet)
I was able to unclog the heater core piping and fully flushed the heater core and tubing in the center tunnel for the heater lines.  Everything is now flushed fully (engine - even pulled the drain plug out of the block, radiator, tunnel tubes, and heater core).   I bought 1/2 tubing for the heater hoses, but found that they are special shapes to do the 45 degree bend.  Found them on Rdent and ordered same.  When they come in, i'll start the reassembly.

This car had all original hoses and pipe clamps.   I have replacement clamps, but the newer band style.   Now i'm wondering if i should replace the same wire hose clamps to maintain originality??   It's not like I'm competing for a National First prize or anything, but yet i do like to maintain originality.  Updated clamps can't really be a negative on an original car, can they?   At least the next owner can readily see that the hoses have been updated and replaced - seeing the newer style hose clamps.   Decisions, decisions...

[BDA]

That is a pretty messy job. Even if you weren't having these problems, if your car had been sitting up for any length of time, it would make sense to have your radiator and heater core inspected. I might go with a new aluminum radiator anyway. You may want to consider a heater on ebay at the moment. It looks in pretty good shape.

[Certified Lotus]

Ted, your doing all the important stuff, making sure the cooling system functions well. Tony Thompson personally told me that next to rebuilding the engine the cooling system is an absolute must to clean and have working properly.

You will your Europa on the road way before mine. Maybe in the later fall we can go for a drive together.