Get the pipe away from the body. hit the area with flux and use mapp or propane gas torch solder it like plumbing pipe.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-r-hDls5yJI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrCMMEs5pdI

 

The earlier SE's like my 89SE just had rubber hoses with some connectors for draining.

Later, they went to the metal pipes like this '91 X180-R

 

Seen this once before, and it was ugly. I am not saying this is the case here but this is typically due to the lack of maintenance on the coolant system as anti- freeze, if left long enough, turns acidic. When the corrosion inhibitors, buffers, and stabilizers are depleted in conventional antifreeze corrosive acids will form as the result of their breakdown byproducts. But the chief ingredient, ethylene glycol is very chemically stable. It important to check not only the freeze protection but also the PH, water has a pH of 7.0 and antifreeze has a pH of 10.5, so a 50-50 mix has a pH of 8.75, and that’s too acidic to protect the cooling system, so the pH must be modified to something around 10 to protect the dissimilar metals in the modern cooling system hence the inhibitors, stabilizers etc. Its these that fail, not the ethylene glycol.

 

Well, this makes some sense. I have been always diligent about regular maintainence. I recently had a C service done and the charge cooler impeller needed replacement as well as having the pump rebuilt. Hence it could be a possibility that the fluid remained stagnant for a bit of time. The bad part is that without regular inspection of the impeller, I could not tell you when it went south. In terms of regular anti-freeze maintainence, that was always done.

Travis and everyone else...thanks for the info and reply.

 

This S4s has had green coolant for years (NOT the orange Dex-Cool it came with). It was freshened last year during a C service (at which time, the chargecooler impeller was replaced, it had disintegrated). TADTS





We were thinking of repairing the pipe as Cal suggested (not that difficult to remove) but Y.H. worried that another pinhole would develop, since it came from the inside (no external rubbing on the metal pipe was evident).



So Travis, those hoses (#20) that go from the wheel-well, to the pipe through the backbone of the chassis: were they just plain hose, or did they have some angles formed into them? The V8 - S4s parts book seems to show them to be like your early SE, but the ones in the car have complicated 90 degree bends molded in. :scratchhead:

 

They are common pre molded 90 deg bend hoses, I picked them out at the local NAPA. Most I think are in the lotushoses.xls doc on the TE list files section btw...

 

Thanks for the pic, we were going to do the NAPA-search thing on Tuesday.

Where the S4s hose comes out of the chassis backbone, there is a 90 bend up, then a 90 bend left (to the driver's side).

 

I got a bender that probably do that combination of bend. Never tried it with aluminum. Just copper or steel tubing

 

Here' some more pics of the leaky pipe (arrows included in case you left your microscope in your other suit ) and the bend of the backbone hoses.

PS: The pipes are indeed aluminum...

 

Not sure the cause of the pipes leaking, but I do know that a harder material like aluminum will erode faster than a soft material like rubber, when being sand blasted As those pipes probably are, since they are in front of the tire...

Also, the Esprit cooling system has various different metals that could cause galvanic corrosion if the coolant isn't kept fresh, and renewed often. I can think of brass, aluminum, copper, steel, and iron!

 

..a harder material like aluminum will erode faster than a soft material like rubber, when being sand blasted As those pipes probably are, since they are in front of the tire...
!

The [exposed] tire-well area wasn't the problem, the pin-hole areas were inside/protected by a cover...

 

The OE aluminium pipe is still available at a ridiculous price (over $700 ) so you could have stainless steel copy made up for a fraction of the price. The best option is to have the original repair as suggested already.

 

What ......$700 clams!!!! That is insane!! Hey @well..... I guess I need to bring the torch over.

 

We initially installed rubber hoses with pre formed bends and couplers but it looked hokey so a new set was made up from thick wall copper tubing (but have you seen the price of copper lately -eek-) I think total cost was 300 CDN

 

I replaced that same tube assembly a couple months ago. Mine had corroded through just at the forward end where the hose was. I had previously slid the hose a little farther down the tube to temporarily stop the leak.

I found a replacement on ebay for $20 from a '95 S4s.

You're welcome to have my old one, it may be in a little better shape than yours.

 

It appears that SailorBob quoted the "friends and family" discount as the price of the new Lotus part is now north of $800! anic: :facepalm

I'll be looking into fabricating one tomorrow, "I Know a Guy"...

Any of you Ebay wizards see another possible source?



PS, Thanks Petemon, but on closer inspection I should have drawn more arrows on my picture because lurking under the black paint are more suspicious bubbles... I think once the aluminum pipes start to go, they are gone.

 

Atwell,
Have you tried Guy? He has more spares than lotus! Also email Slava as he has the parts from breaking 3 esprit ( though that maybe where petemon got his) http://stores.ebay.com/S-Auto-Parts...id=p2056350.m570.l1312.R1.TR9.TRC1.A0.H0.Xlotus.TRS2&_nkw=lotus+esprit&_sacat=0

 

Hmm.... This sounds tempting.

ATWELL......what if I get Richard Parramint to bring it out for LOG!! Now that's an idea.....what do you think?? Any ideas on a reasonable offer for this pipe. I was thinking like $450-$500. Any thoughts??


Petemon.....thanks for your help!!

 

The fun just won't stop! :facepalm


The attached pics are of one of the backbone-to-LF-wheel hoses.

As you can see it has an ominous bulge at the chassis end.

No, the hose has not just swallowed a rat. :huh: The bulge is a hard, calcified "plug" that is blocking the coolant. There is another at the other end of the backbone pipe, near the engine.



We are going to attempt to clear the blockage with various solvents. Vinegar has already failed us. Next up is ZAP!, a product similar to CLR.

https://www.zap-restorer.com/

Like CLR, the package cautions against using on Aluminum... :no:
As I type this, the ZAP! is making a nice bubbley sound (cue Lawrence Welk) so I'll give it a few minutes and follow up.

 

SUCCESS! :up: After 20 minutes, the bubbling stopped and the plug softened. Flushed out with a minimum of prodding. The bulge is GONE.


In a few days we will repeat the process on the hose near the engine...Stay tuned.

 

replace all hoses...

That file on the TE list has the one's you'll need. I did all mine for under $100, except that one Lotus only hose.

 

replace all hoses...

Got 'em (or reasonable facsimiles thereof).

That's why we were not afraid to experiment with the chemicals. :evil:

 

Yes, you really do have to flush your bulge.

 

Just an update, got the backbone's chargecooler pipes cleared out (it wasn't easy) and got the car back together.

Only lost one tool in the depths of the engine bay. :facepalm


Pics of our handiwork are attached. The factory covers fit fine, that is, with minimal fettling. :clap:


+++++++++++++

Too late for us, but a local Europa owner took it upon himself to inquire about getting replacement pipes created from a Europa supplier in the UK (some of you may be familiar with Richard at Europa Engineering).

Banks Lotus Europa

Initial estimate is a price of ~ $200 USD polus shipping. If that sounds reasonable we would send our old leaky chargecooler pipes to them for an exact duplication. If there is interest we may start a Group Buy topic.

 

Now it looks like an 89SE... Except that one elbow is pretty sharp!

 

that one elbow is pretty sharp!

Thanks.

Oh, that wasn't a complement? :scratchhead: LOL




Those are standard 90 degree couplers from NAPA. We used them in the center of the car, too (where the hoses connect to the pipe through the backbone)




Maybe you know, Travis: in my '88 - '92 Service Notes, it mentions that an anti-corrosive additive be used in the cooling and chargecooler systems. I'd think that today's coolants would be fine for aluminum since it is widely used in today's cars.

So is an additional additive still desirable, or should an OAT or HOAT be used?

 

I have sharp elbows

I'm sure it's fine. I would have just used a section of preformed elbow hose.
I think that statement is for the people in warm climates that think they can run with just water. You need some lubrication for the water pump, and the corrosion inhibitors for all of the metals in contact with each other. BTW DI water and distilled is acidic, which will go down as it corrodes the metal. Having coolant as a anti corrosive is good because it'll take care of that and protect the engine over time, as well as lubricate the water pump seal.