To Poland in a Lotus Elan

PostPost by: Frogelan » Wed Sep 05, 2018 7:01 am

Thank you Jim.

An interesting trip especially as I have done one like that and also know the Thuringia / Sachsen areas reasonably well (my girl friend lived for many years in Leipzig).

Leipzig is a very nice cosmopolitan town with both a Porsche (which builds "mum trucks") and a BMW (i3 and i8) factory, the Swiss Sachsen area (along the Elbe) and smaller towns such as Bautzen are worth popping into as well.

The weather was very hot everywhere in Europe this year but it was a tad cooler and wetter in Piedmont where I was on holiday (near Cun?o). A wonderful tourist free area that we explored in my Z4 (my Elan is still in 3000 parts) with pretty towns and super roads.
1965 Lotus Elan S2 26/4022 (originally Dutchess Lotus East, PA and NJ Area, USA)
Frogelan
Fourth Gear
Fourth Gear
 
Posts: 604
Joined: 03 Jul 2017

PostPost by: 69S4 » Wed Sep 05, 2018 8:09 am

Mazzini wrote:
How was the weather? I stopped driving the Elans over the summer as it was just too hot, after half an hour I felt frazzled. To think as a teenager I would laugh at US E-types that had AC fitted, now I understand.

I was over in Germany a few weeks ago, I contemplated taking an Elan, but gave in and took the Elise instead and I was glad I so did because somewhere round the Midlands it started to rain (proper stuff, hard to see through) and it didn't stop till Bruges. I think we'd have drowned in the Elan.


When I was driving my FHC down through France a month ago the heat became a real issue. I have a thermometer in the cabin at at one point in the middle of the afternoon it was registering just under 44C - and that with the windows open! :(

Having said that it was both cosy and dry when it tipped it down on the way back. :D
Stuart Holding
Thame UK / Alpe D'Huez France
69 S4 FHC
Honda GoldWing 1800
Honda CBX1000
Kawasaki H1 500
Yamaha XS2
69S4
Coveted Fifth Gear
Coveted Fifth Gear
 
Posts: 1347
Joined: 23 Sep 2004

PostPost by: Mazzini » Wed Sep 05, 2018 11:00 am

jimj wrote:The weather was just about perfect. We had the roof up for 10 minutes in a heavy shower and once overnight when we were parked in the open. Gilets on for an hour in the mornings then shorts and short sleeves the whole time. Though one of us sometimes wore a skirt.
I`ve never had trouble with the clutch hydraulics before other than a slight weep from the master cylinder a while ago. I seem to recall a new one was ?47 so I just replaced it.
AXA rang today to say the car should be back within the next 2 weeks so that`s good news. I`m missing it already.
Jim


Glad to hear the weather treated you well.

I imagine one of the unions worked loose.

Did you have AA cover as well or just AXA?
User avatar
Mazzini
Coveted Fifth Gear
Coveted Fifth Gear
 
Posts: 2282
Joined: 11 Dec 2010

PostPost by: Mazzini » Wed Sep 05, 2018 11:04 am

69S4 wrote: When I was driving my FHC down through France a month ago the heat became a real issue. I have a thermometer in the cabin at at one point in the middle of the afternoon it was registering just under 44C - and that with the windows open! :( Having said that it was both cosy and dry when it tipped it down on the way back. :D


The heat of a mainland European summer is a bit much for driving distances. 44C melts the jam right out of that doughnut..
User avatar
Mazzini
Coveted Fifth Gear
Coveted Fifth Gear
 
Posts: 2282
Joined: 11 Dec 2010

PostPost by: Foxie » Wed Sep 05, 2018 11:09 am

Elanintheforest wrote:A great story about a very interesting trip, Jim.

The slave cylinder started leaking on my Lotus Cortina a few weeks ago. It took 30 minutes to remove the piston (with the slave body in situ), clean it all, pop in new seals and bleed the system. What does a concentric slave do that is worth all the extra hassle in replacement?!


A concentric clutch slave gives loads of room for non-standard exhaust systems. It's lot tighter down there in the Elan than in the Cortina. I fitted it 14 years ago and never had to touch it since. :)
68 Elan +2, 70 Elan +2s
User avatar
Foxie
Coveted Fifth Gear
Coveted Fifth Gear
 
Posts: 1630
Joined: 20 Sep 2003

PostPost by: Mazzini » Wed Sep 05, 2018 12:23 pm

Foxie wrote:
Elanintheforest wrote:A great story about a very interesting trip, Jim.

The slave cylinder started leaking on my Lotus Cortina a few weeks ago. It took 30 minutes to remove the piston (with the slave body in situ), clean it all, pop in new seals and bleed the system. What does a concentric slave do that is worth all the extra hassle in replacement?!


A concentric clutch slave gives loads of room for non-standard exhaust systems. It's lot tighter down there in the Elan than in the Cortina. I fitted it 14 years ago and never had to touch it since. :)


And you don't have to make up a heat shield to stop the exhaust boiling the slave cylinder fluid when stuck in traffic.
User avatar
Mazzini
Coveted Fifth Gear
Coveted Fifth Gear
 
Posts: 2282
Joined: 11 Dec 2010

PostPost by: Frogelan » Wed Sep 05, 2018 12:55 pm

I did not comment earlier on the concentric clutch problem, and the story has not put me ordering one from Burton. I think the general idea is that this will operate away from the exhaust and that it will facilitate reliability. As with everything involving hydraulics, regular changing of the seals helps, especially if the car is not used on a daily basis.

The downside to the CC is accessibility and the need to get the spacing worked out. I think I will do this on the bench with a jury rig clutch pedal and torch (any other bright ideas out there?).

I have not yet ordered the clutch plate and cover to go with this purchase...I shall put up a question in the Racing & Rallying section for that!
1965 Lotus Elan S2 26/4022 (originally Dutchess Lotus East, PA and NJ Area, USA)
Frogelan
Fourth Gear
Fourth Gear
 
Posts: 604
Joined: 03 Jul 2017

PostPost by: jimj » Wed Sep 19, 2018 11:45 am

Update; the car arrived back last Friday at Riverside Engineering in Whaley Bridge, which I recommend. Just 2 weeks had elapsed, the car had anti-tamper seals on the doors, boot and bonnet and it arrived in a covered transporter. Meanwhile, I`ve already had my out of pocket expenses refunded. What excellent service from Norton-Heritage insurance via the AXA breakdown cover.
Having investigated with an endoscope, Tim at Riverside has removed the engine and gearbox and found the rear seal had failed in the slave cylinder after, I`m guessing, about 5000 miles. He can`t explain why, maybe it was just a duff one, so he`s replaced the whole thing, tested it on a rig, and the engine and `box are ready to go back in.
Jim
jimj
Coveted Fifth Gear
Coveted Fifth Gear
 
Posts: 1119
Joined: 25 Feb 2008

PostPost by: Foxie » Wed Sep 19, 2018 2:48 pm

That was a great account of a great trip !

Glad to hear you got all fixed up in the end, Jim :)
68 Elan +2, 70 Elan +2s
User avatar
Foxie
Coveted Fifth Gear
Coveted Fifth Gear
 
Posts: 1630
Joined: 20 Sep 2003

PostPost by: elansprint71 » Thu Nov 01, 2018 7:56 pm

Sounds like another great adventure Jim.


At last months CLOG meeting three of us had very recently suddenly lost all clutch fluid- is there something catching?
User avatar
elansprint71
Coveted Fifth Gear
Coveted Fifth Gear
 
Posts: 4437
Joined: 16 Sep 2003
Previous

Total Online:

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 37 guests