[Paul95Lotus]

I have been procrastinating this job on my S4s ever since I pulled all my intake/manifold/chargecooler and valve covers to powder coat them. I powder coated all the parts in a wrinkle red Ferrari type powder and they look great...along with coating a few other parts with a chrome powder coat that is nearly a mirror finish....and that is where the car has been sitting ever since. House projects combined with this timing belt job procrastination (which I have dreaded) has resulted in a year of my car being down.


So....I took this whole week off with the intent of catching up on various projects with the Esprit resurrection being part of it. Bought a gates blue belt and tensioner bearing a while ago with new belts and various o-rings gaskets so I could put everything back together...with my shabby paint peeling engine bay ready to look better than new.

Slowly but surely I worked through Travis' timing belt pdf (Thanks for that Travis) until I got to the part with the water pump return hose. This is the part where I know my engine has been untouched as far as the timing belt...the hose clamp on the water pump is on the block side and pointed diagonally downward oriented towards the block...and it is impossible to get at with even a small ratchet that holds a screwdriver bit/socket...not to mention you're working blind because of its orientation. I even had my wife coaching me from above telling me where to orient the ratchet hoping I could land it on the clamp and then loosen it enough to then push it under the hose with a screw driver but the block makes that almost impossible. The only thing I can think of is some Philistine at the Lotus factory oriented this clamp without an after thought as to getting to it withe engine in situ...I can't see how it could have been placed like this except with the engine out on a stand. If he oriented it facing the firewall with the clamp below the hose I would probably have it all wrapped up right now.


Anyone have any ideas on how to work around this or encountered the same thing? Can I just disconnect the hose from the other end where it enters the frame and then wind the timing belt around the hose that way? Because the frame is boxed off at the sides I cannot see if that is even an option. Remove the power steeering pump that is held to the block with all these bloody allen socket bolts in hope of getting more access?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated...minus any "engine out" recommendations. anic:

Also...what is the general consensus on the Hz acoustic reading for the blue belt? 110 for new...or less? I saw some of Jim's youtube videos of the belt at 95 and it cavitated when revved above 2500...to the point it looked like it could possibly jump a tooth.

Tensioner bearing....can this be accomplished with heating the part in a oven and pressing it out and in with a vice or is a hydraulic press a must?

Thanks!!!

Paul

 

[lotus4s]

Hi Paul,

Working on these things can be frustrating at times. ;-)

Have you already removed the gooseneck on top of the t-stat housing and still can't reach it with a wrench or 1/4" ratchet?

I think you could snake the belt around the hose from the other end but not 100% sure as I've never had to do it that way. LOL

Can you get a dremel tool in there to cut the hose clamp?

Otherwise removing the ps pump may be the next best option. Remove the pulley bolts and pulley first to get easier access to the mounting bolts.

Can't help you on the tensioner bearing as I have a press so don't use a vice. It does take a fair amount of pressure. If your going to be doing a lot of work on your car
it is worthwhile to invest in a Harbor Freight press. I use mine a lot.

Good luck,
Jim

 

[fe112]

I don't know if I was just lucky, but the hose clamps on my car seemed to be oriented for access with the engine in the car. It wasn't easy, and took a lot of patience. Some days I just had to walk away for a while. It took some feeling around blindly, and the use of mirrors to try to find access for some. I don't have a power steering pump to work around either, so not sure how much more difficult that is. Is it possible the belt has been changed at some other time, with the engine out?

 

[carbuff]

Paul,


That hose (and the stupid clamp) caused me to lose several pints of blood. anic: I'm thinking of getting some tatoos to cover up the scars. Should I use "MOM" or "COLIN"? rotfl

I agree with Jim, cut the clamp off if you can. Is the present hose silicone? I ended up cutting that off also (and buying a new one).

Type82 has a set of sockets attached to universal joints...I suffered severe Tool Envy the weekend he came over to assist me. Those things were nice as they didn't separate at the most inopportune time.:up:

=============


Regards pressing in the tensioner bearing, the autoparts stores around here can usually press them in for you for a few dollars. I'd inquire if you don't want to invest in a press.

 

[Paul95Lotus]

Thanks for the empathy guys.

Every hose looks original with the original Lotus "Jubilee Clips". I think I may try to cut it off, as removing the power steering pump looks to be a big challenge especially dealing with the 4 allen socket bolts that are a new chance to strip something. The frustrating part is that if the assembly spec was to place the clamp underneath facing the firewall it would be completely accessible.

I need to get to this before JAE closes for the day in case I damage the hose and have to order a new one.

 

[esprit888]

Annoyingly enough I have come across this more than once, in fact several times on cars that have not had the belt off. It's orientated towards the block but downwards towards the engine mount bracket, its doable with a variety of extensions and a socket. I am usually able to get to it (with extreme difficulty) by raising the car way up in the air and attack it from the rear of the belly pan up close to the engine mount bracket using a 16 inch 3/8ths drive extension, a universal extension and a small socket that fits the clip head. Once its starts to go loose it typically sticks to the hose so you can undo it all the way, if not then the left hand reaches up through the 'access port' (he says sarcastically !) and holds the clamp. It always helps to have a swear box handy, that way when you are done you have enough money to buy beer

 

[DaveS4s]

I feel your pain, I did my T belt a couple months ago. It took me two days, a box of Bandaids, and many Beers, but you will get'er done and be better for it. Dave

 

[89.5 Esprit SE]

Paul, as has been said we all feel your pain..

That is the dreaded S hose. It is always hard to work with.
In theory you should be able to remove the other end and snake the belt that way. But.....haven't tried that, and getting the hose off either end is a chore.

I know that I have always attached and reattached that hose from below, and that does require at least loosening or removing the power steering pump/vacuum pump in Some fashion. Having the right tools is also necessary.
Getting the car up in the air a bit gives better angles for you hands.

Good luck!

Randy

 

[maxvelocity]

How did you powder coat the chargecooler? It was my understanding that the interior parts could not withstand the heat baking of the process.

 

[lotus4s]

How did you powder coat the chargecooler? It was my understanding that the interior parts could not withstand the heat baking of the process.

Had not heard that Cal, but I powder coated the chargecooler on my first S4s and never had a problem using an oven at my shop.

 

[maxvelocity]

Had not heard that Cal, but I powder coated the chargecooler on my first S4s and never had a problem using an oven at my shop.

I suppose perhaps it would depend on the heat settings and length of time spent in the oven or even age of the chargecooler itself. Some like to use elevated temps to bake the finish on real good.

But the insides are assembled with epoxy and from what Travis has said it almost makes the chargecooler sound somewhat fragile. Chargecoolers are a fairly rare item as I have not seen many on sale on ebay or other place except for the spendy after market aluminum ones and I can't afford to lose one to damage so I must err on the side of caution.

Here is the post I read and it was enough for me to halt or delay my plans for powder coating until further investigation. It was just a 2 post thread that flashed http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f164/chargecooler-228193/#post3144961

There are several people that I pay very close attention to when they post and you are one of them. When one of these people posts a warning or alert, I take the information at elevated importance that triggers a must find out additional info mode. So if Travis, Sanj, you, Tim or people I put into similar company post anything close to a warning I take it very serious. I some cases it was enough for me stop work until the issue was investigated. Just like when Randy put out a gas tank warning. I was like "great have to take out tanks now" but it was better to do it now than when the engine was together.

Just like those tappets, change them during the rebuild and check them when doing the c service. That issue is almost as important as the cam belt.

 

[Beerman]

I just undid that clamp on my car I believe...it took a 1/4 ratchet with an extension and a universal joint (7mm socket I believe)...from below and side....was difficult for sure (car on a four post lift).

 

[carbuff]

I just undid that clamp on my car I believe...it took a 1/4 ratchet with an extension and a universal joint (7mm socket I believe)...from below and side....was difficult for sure (car on a four post lift).

The OE Lotus "Jubilee Clips" (so named for your mood, after successfully removing one) have a 6mm hex.

 

[lotus4s]

I suppose perhaps it would depend on the heat settings and length of time spent in the oven or even age of the chargecooler itself. Some like to use elevated temps to bake the finish on real good.


Here is the post I read and it was enough for me to halt or delay my plans for powder coating until further investigation. It was just a 2 post thread that flashed http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f164/chargecooler-228193/#post3144961

Wasn't aware they were assembled with epoxy,
I guess I just got lucky then

 

[Vulcan Grey]

Wasn't aware they were assembled with epoxy,
I guess I just got lucky then

I have 3 here... I could look at all of them, but mine leaked after removal of old paint by wire brush and bead blasting and repainting (no heat). It was leaking coolant into the intake!

Looking inside, it had epoxy in the interior near the corners of the internal cooling fins, and epoxy in the elbows (apparently to "smooth" the airflow).

 

[lotus4s]

So you had water injection then eh Travis?

 

[Vulcan Grey]

the kind of water injection that ruins your O2 sensor...

 

[greentengu]

I you got that diabolical hose clamp off, Paul; did you manage to remove it this weekend?

--Scott

 

[Paul95Lotus]

Well I cut the clamp off. Jubilee was definitely the word when it finally broke in half. :clap:

After reading all the other people that had done it I thought it was the best way to deal with it as I know it was inaccessible with both screwdrivers and a socket wrench. The Lotus engine builder deserves a caning. :thwack: or the head of quality control.

The hose did get what looked like a minor graze which was to be expected. I clamped it back on with a new clamp after the timing belt swap and noticed some minor weeping of residual coolant left over from the original radiator drain. Of course this spooked me (not knowing if this was in fact a leak or just somehow coolant was dripping from somewhere else) and I just ordered the silicone hose set from ebay. I definitely do not want to go in there again as I feel I am tempting fate and it was not fun.


I powdercoated my current car's chargecooler last year before I read Travis' warning. I powder coated them myself with a Harbor Freight powder coating kit and made a make shift oven from a large turkey roaster..and just left them in long enough for the wrinkle finish to form, then turned the oven off. So from a baking standpoint I think I treated them as gently as could be done to get the powder to flow as intended. The exterior got to 380 from my laser thermometer...no idea what the interior could have got to as the shell is pretty thick (as can be seen by that cut up charge cooler currently on Ebay now).

If it leaks I guess I will be going bigger...PUK style. I'll definitely report back when my car is back together if my chargecooler starts to leak. I would think it "should" be able to weather extreme temps...at least temporarily. My prior car, the 93 I totaled, was also powder coated this method and did NOT have a problem for at least several thousand miles I put on it prior to its demise. I am hoping Travis' failure was a result of it being an early build car and not the paint remover either (which I also used but made sure to keep it out of the core or feed tubes and just on the exterior paint)...

I'll post pics when it is all done...hopefully before July depending upon the "slow boat from China" with my hoses I am also putting it the Bosch pump made for the Mbz SLR...I found the right Mbz part numbers for its unusual electrical connector....so it should move slightly more flow than the Bosch Ford Lightning one.

 

[lotus4s]

Good job Paul :up: