WHY doesn't anybody mention LEAKPROOF if a car actually is?

PostPost by: el-saturn » Sat Jan 20, 2018 1:44 pm

in my opinion any elan which should fetch BIG ??? (or $$) MUST also be 100% leakproof HOWEVER i've never read those such vital words - i'd have to say 75% of them leak otherwise they'd say so!!!! ............ if you want a garage to get it done it's 3000.00? --------------- so that's why it gets "forgotten" imho!! sandy what do you chaps have to say????
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PostPost by: JonB » Sat Jan 20, 2018 2:00 pm

I say "Caveat Emptor".

These cars are old. One should not expect perfection or reliability. There are places you can go - such as this forum - where you can find out what you need to know before committing big bucks to an Elan. Which, looking at your number of posts, you already know.

Your post looks like a rant. Have you just spent a load of cash on a leaky Elan? I assume you mean engine oil leakage. If so, it is common in the classic car world. Seals do not last forever.

I really wish my Plus 2's engine didn't leak. But there it is, I bought it knowing it leaked and that I could fix it, eventually. Same goes for the diff and gearbox.
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PostPost by: Hawksfield » Sat Jan 20, 2018 2:36 pm

Sandy

Hope you have now got that of your chest and are back in the world of Lotus ownership

cheer up :)
John

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PostPost by: el-saturn » Sat Jan 20, 2018 2:51 pm

.........so the answer basically is THEY ALL LEAK and nobody really cares!!! my old alfa Buddy who tried (he claimed a TC is much easier) promissed a leakproof TC - it never was worse!! ------------ so i showed him HOW: N O leaks whatsoever and i no longer wonder why everybody Forgets leaks, it's simpler to ignore them!! ............. you don't get Veteran Status (MOT) here with leaks!! sandy
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PostPost by: MarkDa » Sat Jan 20, 2018 3:55 pm

I take the point, twinks can be oil tight.
So if big bucks are being asked then they should be.
On the other hand if the price isn't premium we take them as we see them.
Whether we should point out to vendors that the engine is leaking and ask for a significant discount to allow for fixing it, is what we're being encouraged to do.
Maybe Sandy is right if we just accept it nothing will happen
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PostPost by: Gordon Sauer » Sat Jan 20, 2018 6:13 pm

To me it seems too hard to ever make the claim in any worthwhile way since it so readily can change, seems like somebody could buy a car that doesn't leak and they put a few hundred miles on it and then it starts to. It's like so many things on the car that are great at the moment but they have been on there so long that they may not be tomorrow. They are also one of the easiest things to put up with it seems rather than bad paint or a tatty interior At a number of the car shows I go to it even seems very conciliatory by just requesting you to bring a mat for those inside shows. Gordon Sauer
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PostPost by: seniorchristo » Sat Jan 20, 2018 7:22 pm

My paint is a little rough in spots which I'm willing to accept. Oil leaks are something I'm determined to eliminate.
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PostPost by: rgh0 » Sat Jan 20, 2018 10:58 pm

Hi Sandy

Building an oil tight road going Elan is a challenge but possible with care. Keeping it oil tight a 9000 rpm on the track is a lot more challenging

What tolerances do you build the gear box output shaft bush to. I have never really been satisfied I have it right on that potential leak. You need to hold the front propeller shaft yoke very tight to avoid it moving around and oil leaks past the seal, but to tight and you risk it seizing up

cheers
Rohan
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PostPost by: vincereynard » Sat Jan 20, 2018 11:00 pm

There you go Sandy - a dry and dusty drip tray. For now!

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PostPost by: Chrispy » Sat Jan 20, 2018 11:11 pm

Is there a 'top tips' on how to seal up the engine? I have a few pesky oil leaks, but look like it will be a head off job and they are no where near bad enough to make it a matter of priority.
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PostPost by: MarkDa » Sun Jan 21, 2018 12:42 am

Of course if you do a bit digging on here you'll find a thread on re-engineering the Speedo drive to introduce additional O ring seals to eliminate the 'inevitable' leak offered by so many movable joints and rotating parts.
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PostPost by: vincereynard » Sun Jan 21, 2018 9:27 am

Chrispy wrote:Is there a 'top tips' on how to seal up the engine? I have a few pesky oil leaks, but look like it will be a head off job and they are no where near bad enough to make it a matter of priority.


A major leak point on mine was the 3 way joint twixt water pump housing / block / head. The housing was fractionally too short which left a step between it and the block. Something the cork was unable to compensate for.
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Not to mention this little gem -
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PostPost by: david.g.chapman » Sun Jan 21, 2018 10:52 am

Vincereynard - that "little gem" must have been a massive oil leak!

I find that I have to re-seal the engine every 3 or 4 years or so, doing 3000 mile a year. The differential expansion of the dissimilar metals of our engines will eventually break any sealant that does not remain compliant? (that's a bit if a mouthful) !

I can buy a bit if time by applying " matching" grey RTV to the outside of a leaking joint section. I have to thoroughly de-grease first. You would think that would not work, but it can do for a few months.

You could always mill lots of channels in the joints and use O-rings, but would it still be a twink?

Dave Chapman.
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PostPost by: vincereynard » Sun Jan 21, 2018 3:16 pm

david.g.chapman wrote:Vincereynard - that "little gem" must have been a massive oil leak!

You could always mill lots of channels in the joints and use O-rings

Dave Chapman.


It did give matching leaks on both sides of the engine. There was a sort of neat symmetry there! :)

Milling a half round groove in the cam cover and using nitrile cord would be something I would consider if I had the skill.

Vince
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PostPost by: Chrispy » Sun Jan 21, 2018 9:01 pm

Yep, I've got a leak in a similar position on the drivers side (RHD). Reseal every 3-4 years is a little more frequent than I would like! Oh well, classic cars :)
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