Rear Clam Off

[StuartM]

Got the rear clam off of my S1 does anyone have any suggestions about work I should do with the clam off?

I am planning on doing waterpump, cambelt and probaly new engine mounts. Any other suggestions would be apprecieted.

One final question regarding the engine mounts has anyone used Rover 200 mounts? Have read these are much stiffer and better suited to the Elise?

Thanks in advance

Stuart

[r055]

while your in about there, replace all the 'right' bolts and torque to the right setting (obviously)...

Ive had bolt failures in on the camshaft pulleys and the engine mounts.

not sure about the engine mounts off of the rover200 - I think not all the mounts are off of the rover...?
IIRC you can get (uprated?) engine mounts from elise parts, but not sure how much they cost.

im sure some of the more technical competent guys will be along shortly to correct though

[campbell]

Beware "uprated" anything...from things like recent chats around "uprated thermostats" and the like, in many cases bolts, bushes, mounts, thingummyjigs etc are often spec'd at a certain hardness, softness, springyness or other-ness for very good reasons. What's to say the layman is not being taken in by "uprated XYZ" when in fact the retailer basically can't get their hands on stock replacements so goes for something "similar" instead..."Nyalatron bushes" has been an example of this in the past IIRC.

Great question to ask re: jobs to tackle with the clam off though...not a job you want to repeat too often eh!

[BiggestNizzy]

"Nyalatron bushes" has been an example of this in the past IIRC.

just fitted them

[Rich H]

Replace every bodywork fastener with stainless and a blob of copperslip. Drualac anythign that has dissimilar metal contact and don't over tighten things!

You will reap the rewards next time you have to take bits off!

[campbell]

"Nyalatron bushes" has been an example of this in the past IIRC.

just fitted them

ok don't mean to induce panic!

This came from examples where changing to rose-joints from rubber bushed dampers can actually make the car feel worse and cause things to wear faster, because (I *think*) rose-jointed versions are intended for the race track.

Now if you follow this logic through, most race tracks are pretty smooth. Public roads are not. So unless a car is to spend the bulk of its life on a racetrack, such things are a bad move even if they are marketed as a good one, or suggested to be a good one by others.

This really hit home to me after swapping my old Spax "adjustable" suspension for S2 bilsteins. They are indeed softer, yet the car holds the road better. How can that be eh...And also, I have been talked out of a "stiffer" anti-roll-bar for our Golf on similar grounds (did you know these can induce more understeer rather than improve actual handling!!)

Of course there are other factors to consider, but we all just need to remember...Lotus spent millions getting the Elise right. And I know they cut some corners, which can be made better, but in most areas their investment brought us a great overall package and we tinker with that at our peril.

Campbell

[r055]

the engine mount i was thinking of was the bernard ("thunderpants" from SELOC) top mount - Elise parts does not supply this one... theres some chat about it on Seloc, but i know nothing about it other than is on there...

Maybe someone here has had it installed???

here it is...

[StuartM]

Cheers guys for all your comments.

It is a given about changing as many bolts and fasteners....already had to anglegrind many a fixing on previous Elise work...

The Rover 200 bush isn't really an uprated Engine mount IIRC it was used on the K's originally and when Rover decided to go all "Executive " they produced a softer bush too give a "smoother feel" ... i am sure I have read articles in the past that it was daft to use this new "softer" mount in the elise as it causes far too much engine movement ( I have a stainless 4-2-1 manifold and have already "experienced" how much engine flex is in the car...as in driving in town and thinking these boy racers are getting louder...not spotting anyone in a boy racer car...and realising the noise was coming from me .....have you ever heard how loud an Elise is with a broken manifold!)

Definitely know where you are coming from with "uprated" kit.. I have read far too many horror stories off uprated Engine mounts and horrendous vibrations and noise. The Original 200 mount is only slighter stiffer I think.

Cheers

Stuart

[fd]

Put in a new thermostat . . .

As for rose joints wearing out because the road is not 'smooth' . . . nah . . . it's because they are not sealed from the elements, get full of water then grit then grind themselves to bits . . . Nitron rose joints are somewhat sealed and do tend to last much better . . . unsealed rose joints (like on old ledas) didn't last long . . .

Fd

[steve_weegie]

Put in a new thermostat . . .

and get it from lotus.....