Re: Maintenance after storage
¿ªÔÆÌåÓýShah, ? Welcome to the group, and to Lotus ownership. ? I have a web page with lots of good information on it. ? You will find the service and parts manuals. Even with the infamous ¡°It ran when it was parked¡±, you have no idea of the condition when it was parked. I would recommend checking EVERYTHING in Schedule A and B. ? DO NOT TURN THE ENGINE OVER WITH THE STARTERUNTIL YOU REPLACE THE TIMING BELT.? If the belt breaks, it is very likely you will bend valves. ? With the timing belt, you want to replace the other drive belts, probably rebuild the water pump. ? I would suggest replacing all the rubber hose, including fuel, coolant, and brake hoses. Yes, I said brake hoses. If the clutch hose is translucent plastic, replace it with the braided stainless steel hose available. ? At a minimum, flush the brake fluid and clutch fluid. Your better bet is to rebuild the master and slave cylinders. Kits are available to replace the rubber parts. I hope you are handy. The emergency brake part of the rear calipers is probably frozen. Remove and soak in a 50/50 mixture of acetone and ATF for many days, removing and exercising it daily until it is loose, then another day or so. ? If you are still running ignition points, replace them with an electronic ignition. Pertronix offers a bolt-in unit that is pretty good, but I¡¯ve had trouble. I converted to a F.A.S.T. system like Tim Engel has, but don¡¯t have as much experience as Tim. ? There are parts suppliers in California such as Dave Bean and JAE for the normal expendable parts. Those guys are extremely helpful. However, with the amount of parts that you need to buy, you might consider getting parts from SJ Sports Cars. They not only stock the normal replacement parts, but also the harder to find trim parts, etc. I love that they have an online catalog with prices. Prices are cheaper, but shipping is a bit more. However, if you put in a big order, and can wait a couple extra days, you will save money. ? Search the archives for this group, as EVERY question has been asked and answered. ? Bill 79 S2 JPS 24 77 S1 ¡°Charro¡± ? ? ? From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Selbe, Shah
Sent: Wednesday, January 17, 2024 1:28 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [S1S2euroS3LotusEspritOwners] Maintenance after storage ? Hi all,? ? I am new to the group here. I am eager to be more active in this community.? ? I have a 1979 S2 that has been covered and in garaged storage for around a decade. It was running fine when parked. I am looking to bring it out and get it on the road again. What sort of maintenance would?you?recommend before starting it up for the first time? I was planning to change the fluids and possibly replace the timing belt, but I wanted to ask the experts here what they would do in that situation. What are some key problem areas to watch out for? What would you replace/check while doing the timing belt? ? Thanks, Shah Selbe |
Bill Galbraith