Ultra_Nexus

Well done with the grease

s2k_Nut

Great job Colin, I wouldn't know where to begin on a job like that, I am impressed I didn't know you were so mechanically minded.

cheshire_carper

Every bolt is coppered! The next time this is off, it will be like opening a drawer

cheshire_carper

I'm not really. I can do discs, pads, oils changes on my old cars, have a reasonable collection of good tools now, a couple of decent jacks, etc but I am eager to learn new things and lotuses, despite their weaknesses are pretty simple beasts. I read lots or guides, posted threads and talked to people. It's essentially a big meccano kit but everything is dead sharp and my hands are scratched to fck. Getting things in and out takes time. Like stated, it's a 22hr job for my skills and I still have a tray to screw on.

What is good advice is buy some freezer bags and make labels and name the bags and put the fasteners in the bags and tape them to the thing you took off. That means you have a good understanding when reassembling. I would have got confused when I did that bit had I not kept good control.

Also when refilling coolant I thought you poured it in and away it flowed but it's a little more involved than that. Luckily our resident raymundo of daytona autos called me Sunday morning and popped over. We fashioned a pressure kit and got it in, did a lot of bleeding and refilling, then idling and testing and it was done. Now I've seen it, I could do it but that would have added hours of thinking and trying to understand the quirks for the first time. It makes sense now.

So what did I do?

Stripped the front end clam off
Removed internals to permit restricted radiator access
Removed split rad
Cleaned ac condenser
Dc tested fans
Refitted new alloy radiator
Kurusted any surface rust I could see
Fitted new silicon hoses (rip off 90 quid)
Fitted new stainless tow post as old one was nasty
Reassembled and copper greased
Oh and cleaned anything I could get my hands on.
Also swapped rusty old fittings where necessary

Nottm_S2

Intrigues by this, what did you do with pressure?

unclefester

I think its due to the rad being such a long way around the system from the entry point, you have to blow coolant into it to get past the airlocks as there's no way for gravity to do it alone.

zzkamikazezz

HIi
I'll be starting a thread on here soon on my Lotus purchase, not quite as tasty as this though

I'm looking for a new rad for mine as its still on the original after 15yrs!! What made you go for the triple pass? I've read that is for race use only, and is listed as such on some sites. I'm looking at an enlarged core single pass or maybe a double pass, but haven't got as far as ordering anything yet.

Thanks

cheshire_carper

Hi,

When you Google you hit that 'race only' comment on a couple of sites, equally talking to a lot of exige builders they suggest triple pass as the one to go for, particularly if you want to push on in the power stakes. Triple pass is good for both. I've noticed a drop of a couple of degs since this went in when testing.

cheshire_carper

Ps get some pics up! If you have a stock elise a a double proalloy is a great rad. My old triple 1 had that without issue. That did a 1000miles in 2 days back to the south of France.

zzkamikazezz

Thanks, Ill get a post up tonight on the car.

Its running a k20 in it, its done well over a dozen track days from the previous keepers records, so the standard one seems to have been cutting the mustard. Im keeping it na so think a twin pass will prob suit my needs.