Almost ready...

[katanaman]

Hi!  I am getting close to start-up.  I think that the main reason the car is missing critcal and otherwise parts is because the previous owner has removed these parts to complete a Lotus Elan he also owns.  Consequently, I had to deal with those issues, as well as the instrument panel being torn apart.  Some of the components of the car seem to be well used -- Gee, go figure! -- while others appear to have never been online.  So..., some panel instruments are original, while others are new, or American made.  I even had to replace a new water temperature instrument because it had fittings that wouldn't connect with those of the Mazda engine - I wonder if they actually worked with the Renault one...  it had a huge bulb that fit into the thermo housing.  Today I will finish closing up the panel, but the largest task will be to sort out the fan switches and wiring for all of the radiators and fans in the forward section of the car.  There appears to be only the extra large radiator front and center, and an oil cooler to the extreme left hand side to have been added, but it appears that the wiring for the fans there have not been sorted out yet.  I do know that the control for the heater circuits has been moved to the left hand side rear frame, actually under it, so what I thought was a control to nowhere is indeed connected.  The fan direction for the added on radiator, however, is not clear, but I presume should be to enhance the air moving back, although into the nose of the car.  The previous owners or those involved in converting the car over to Mazda decided to use the washer bottle as a remote reservoir for the clutch fluid, for some reason, and it was put to the extreme left of that area.  Then, a too short hose was used to hook that bottle to the cylinder.  I suppose that this will work, but I will be interested in some sort of resolution to make this all appear a little better once I get home.  For some unknown reason, the wiring to the side marker lights has been cut, very close to the units themselves, so it appears that I will need to replace the twist in units completely.  That can wait until I get home, also.  My tires, incidently, will be 175/70R13's, from Costco (best price), although they were tracked down in Florida, so they will take about a week to get here!!  I intend to go through Goleta on the way home, actually kind of hoping to get the windscreen replaced there before I continue on...  Still seems a long way off...

[cal44]

 I just bought 175/13's from Discount Tire (Michelin).  I don't care about the price although they were only $85.00 ea.
They were freshly made and on the shelf.  For those that had crap service from Discount before, it's over.  Those guys have been going out of their way for us.

Remember to have the tape on weights installed in the back on the flat area.  Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.  I can't tell you how many pinheads want to install weights on the outside of the wheel.

Discount even ordered Vredestein tires from Coker for me.  The Elan needed new ones.

[EuropaTC]

I've got to admire your spirit in taking this on, given what you've found to date I'd be sorting myself out with a trailer to get the car home !   It does sound very much like the DPO had the imagination for the transplant but not the engineering skills to carry it out, the description of the clutch reservoir fits that sort of bill.

Still, if it's only the engine which has changed then at least the rest of the car (brakes, steering,suspension) is all fairly easy to check over so although the car might not go as fast as expected, you'll get there in the end.  It would be interesting to see how it's coming together if you are able to post pictures of your progress from your location.

Brian

[katanaman]

Well, now I have encoutered another problem!  The manual says that in order to lube the front end components, I need to remove a bolt sized plug and install a fitting that has a lube fitting on it, lube, then remove the fitting and replace the plug.  I looked at Moss for mention of this fitting/tool, and found nothing...  Is this something the mechanics made up from components, and will I be able to find them here?

[benbeames]

They are just zerk fittings that you need for greasing things like the steering rack, though I still haven't gotten a hold of a zerk that fits the rack.  On the trunnions, its supposed to be oil, not grease and apparently you can use a grease gun to get it in.  Or if like me you don't mind making a mess and getting frustrated you can use a hand pump oil can and just squeeze the novel in as tight as you can, possibly with a rag to help seal it and another to wipe up what squirts all over the place.

Check the manual for the correct type of oil, or maybe someone here can recommend a product and where to get it.  And now that I've typed all that I realize I should probably have just waited for someone with more expertise on the subject to post, but this will give you something to read while you wait for more detailed info.

[EuropaTC]

 

Well, now I have encoutered another problem!  The manual says that in order to lube the front end components, I need to remove a bolt sized plug and install a fitting that has a lube fitting on it, lube, then remove the fitting and replace the plug.  I looked at Moss for mention of this fitting/tool, and found nothing...  Is this something the mechanics made up from components, and will I be able to find them here?

Yes, the manual does say that, doesn't it ?   And in a lot of cases, it's wrong because in the UK at least, most people just leave the grease nipples screwed in place.

In the case of the vertical link (or trunnion), if this picture comes along ok, you should see a blue arrow pointing at what looks like a bolt head mid way between the big nut holding the stub axle/hub in place, and the lower rubber seal over the brass trunnion swivel at the bottom.  The official instruction is that you remove this bolt and screw in a grease nipple, add whatever lubricant you desire and then remove the nipple & replace the plug.

In my experience I've never seen a Lotus yet with the blank plug in place, although no doubt they came from the factory like that. Everyone seems to remove the blank, fit the nipple and then just leave it in place. If you fit a small one with a 45deg angle it doesn't catch on anything and the job is easier next time around.

Lubricant - you will get as many different answers as everyone has their own take. Personally I've used grease since the 70s on my Elan & Europa, the Europa is on it's original brass trunnions so there can't be much wrong. Others say Hypoid 90 oil, and the third popular answer is a mixture of grease & hypoid 90.  People don't like grease because it can dry out and thus not lubricate, but my take has always been that these are high maintenance cars and it's very simple to give a squirt of grease every time you're working on them. I've seen water come out of the rubber seal area which has turned me away from the oil lubricant as the only time I tried that the trunnion was almost empty a month later and I wouldn't like to leave the vertical link unlubricated as it's a known failure point.

You pays your money and takes your choice....

(if the picture isn't clear enough I will take one of the set-up on my car tomorrow)

[benbeames]

Now I feel deprived.  My car still has blanks 

This is only because I haven't found the right size for the steering rack (or at least not in stock anywhere) and haven't put them in on the trunnions because I've been using oil. 

I think on the subject of grease, that grease products have also improved over the decades and drying out isn't as big a concern.  But I may be misquoting arguments I've only sat on the sideline and listened to.  I kind of like the idea of using grease.  It would certainly be easier.

[EuropaTC]

Now I feel deprived.  My car still has blanks 

Now does that mean you have a car which has been religiously maintained according to the Lotus Bible, or do you have a car which has never been touched since it left the factory  ? 

Grease works fine, just get some decent stuff and not something you'd use to lubricate your garden gate with.   I've no doubt it could dry out if left standing for months but I've never found a problem in the fine UK weather we have over here 

I did try the Hypoid 90 at one point when the UK Club Lotus was banging on about it but gave it up as a bad job.  Filling the grease gun was messy to start with and it seemed to come out all too easily.  Secondly, as I said above, when I went back a month later I seemed to be filling the trunnion all over again, and in our climate that's not good.  When using grease a single squirt would see something coming out of the rubber dust seal and I feel more confident with that approach. As always, YMMV.
 

[cal44]

Here is my tip o' the day.  When we did our last Sunbeam Alpine/Tiger, the boots on the steering rack had rotted off.  Sooo the rack had no lubrication, still steered but something didn't feel right. 
One of the Sunbeam lads and I would share notes, his to me was:

Install two new boots and zip tie the small ends.  Obtain a decent size syringe and some plastic tubing.  The size that goes over the syringe nipple.  (This sounds like instructions on how to slam heroin). 

Fill syringe with oil, I use Swepco gear lube from the fine state of gun lovin' Texas.  Push tube under rubber boot on top, press syringe until lube goes into steering rack.  Repeat, repeat and repeat.  Pull out tube and start on other side.  Or just do one side but make sure to steer rack lock to lokc in order to fill the housing to the max and get out as much air as possible.  Zip tie large ends of boot/s.

The steering on the Alpine/Tiger was sweet after that.  Also the plastic is hard but flexible.

Mike

[benbeames]

Now does that mean you have a car which has been religiously maintained according to the Lotus Bible, or do you have a car which has never been touched since it left the factory  ? 

A little from column A. . . and a little from column B. . . .

I've only owned the car for 3 years so I can't say what's happened for the bulk of its life, but the trunnions were full of oil the first time I attempted to add some.  Since I just used a hand pump oil can and a lot of rags to clean up the mess whenever I didn't get its spot in the hole tight enough, I haven't put fittings in on the trunnions.  Everywhere else that needs grease/lube according to the Lotus Bible has a fitting, except for the steering rack.  Its a larger fitting and I have yet to find the correct one.