My Uncles Lotus. Now mine

[JR73]

You can’t go wrong with Ian - he knows Europas inside out. You are likely to get a much quicker result by sending it to him/Track V Road tbh.

[Pete]

That is the bicycle speedo.

[Pete]

I took the engine apart this evening. Put some diesel on the pistons (don’t know if that genuine thing to do. But the mechanic in the garage across from my warehouse said to do it and his mate who has an old golf. Said it’s to see if the piston leaks. Well after even a few mins you could see the diesel on no.4 had started to go down. This is the dodgy one that hasn’t been working. So I will order some new rings and new gaskets.

[Pete]

Have to say it’s not too dirty in there either. You can tell this engine has been looked after.

[SilverBeast]

Hi Pete,

You probably already know, but don't turn the engine over without clamping the cylinder sleeves, or you risk breaking the seal at the bottom. They are only held in place by the cylinder heads on the Renault engines.

Richard.

[jbcollier]

Don't order anything until you finish stripping, cleaning and measuring the engine.  Unless you have specialized equipment, take the lot to a machinist for measuring.  Carefully stamp everything so matching parts go back together.  Pushrods and lifters return to the same position, liners and pistons are a matched pair, rod position and orientation, main bearing caps.  Check your chain slack before removing though I would change the chain, tensioner and gears as a matter of course myself.

[jbcollier]

You still haven't found your noise yet either.

[Pete]

Hi Pete,

You probably already know, but don't turn the engine over without clamping the cylinder sleeves, or you risk breaking the seal at the bottom. They are only held in place by the cylinder heads on the Renault engines.

Richard.

I have put some washers and bolts in each corner for the liners. Ian told me to do that.

[Pete]

Don't order anything until you finish stripping, cleaning and measuring the engine.  Unless you have specialized equipment, take the lot to a machinist for measuring.  Carefully stamp everything so matching parts go back together.  Pushrods and lifters return to the same position, liners and pistons are a matched pair, rod position and orientation, main bearing caps.  Check your chain slack before removing though I would change the chain, tensioner and gears as a matter of course myself.

When you say the chain you mean the drive chain? I haven’t touched that yet. It looks pretty new from what I can see at the top.
I have organised the rods into order.

[jbcollier]

You'll be able to judge chain wear when you can see how far the tensioner is extended.

Good, keeping mated parts together reduces future wear.

[Pete]

My auntie just shared a photo from the club lotus mag in 1998.

[BDA]

How cool is that?! 

[lotusfanatic]

My auntie just shared a photo from the club lotus mag in 1998.

Superb! 

[Pete]

I have discovered a nasty groove in the liner. I guess that’s why that cylinder wasn’t working right.

[Richard48Y]

Groove is certainly not helpful.
Is it deep enough to catch a fingernail?
If it is the culprit I would have expected a leak-down test to reveal it.