Starting the engine part 3

I received a parcel from Burton Power: new air rams, fiber gaskets and rubber o-rings for the carburetors.

Bob and Barry ran through the items Pertronix asked us to check. The voltage on the positive terminal of the coil was < 9V when the engine was turning over. The only solution was to replace the new battery with another one.

On the first turn of the key, the engine spluttered and then erupted into a healthy note. The car was finally running!

Starting the engine part 2

After several attempts, the engine would not fire. Barry started checking the plugs and found there was no spark. This was odd because the electrical system seemed to be in top form and we had a new Petronix electronic ignition system installed.

Bob dropped in and checked the ignition coil, wires and electronic distributor. He found the electronic ignition module was not delivering a pulse to the coil.

I called Pertronix technical support and they made two suggestions: the engine not grounded properly (fresh engine paint?), or the ignition module was not receiving enough voltage (9V+ required).

Starting the engine part 1

After 28+ years, it was time to start the engine. We began by filling the gas tank with Shell Supreme and lead/octane booster.

Next, we removed the spark plugs and primed the engine by turning it over for about a minute. Everything sounded good, but gas was leaking from one of Weber fuel connections.

The fuel leak was caused by a failed 'fiber' gasket. We called the local parts & motorcycle shops and found no one stocks these bits anymore. As a temporary fix, we swapped it for a copper washer and hoped the leak would be be minimal.

There was more drama when I pulled on the choke and the knob came off in my hand. The cable had snapped somewhere behind the dash. This falls into the 'pain in the ass' category of automotive problems, but is not a show stopper.

We remained optimistic the engine would run and decided to go for it. I jumped in the car, turned the key and waited for the mystical sound of the Lotus Twin Cam. It merrily turned over until gas started pouring out the carbs.

Our first attempt to start the car was over. I made a list of replacement parts and grabbed my credit card...

Adding fluids and fixing the leaks

Getting close to starting the engine. Final steps include adding coolant, gearbox & engine oil. We had a couple of leaks to fix along the way.

The first leak was from the temperature sensor. After a lot of fettling, we found a small rubber o-ring that fits inside the outer brass nut.

And of course, the valve cover leaked. This was a bitter pill to swallow because I order the "uprated" gasket and silicone sealer. Both products failed around the rear "half-moons" and head bolt. I pulled the cover and resealed everything with Black Permatex.

I also took the opportunity to install the hard-to-find-and-expensive "Jim Clark" Lotus horn button.

Electric fuel pump installed

I installed the Facet (http://www.burtonpower.com/facet-electric-fuel-pump-kit-silver-top-4-4-5psi-fac476087k.html) electric fuel pump, fuel regulator (http://www.rallynuts.com/motorsport-fuel-filter-regulators/sytec-pro-flow-fuel-regulators.html) and rubber fuel lines.

A word of caution: the pump comes filled with light-weight machine oil - and it's easy to spill!

Electric fan installed

The original owner reported the car always ran "hot", so we've tried to address the problem during the rebuild. We had the radiator re-cored (now thicker & denser) and changed to an electric "pusher" fan.

The electric fan gives us a few benefits: better airflow, more horsepower, and it can continue cooling after the car is shut off.

A friend recommended "Spal" fans, so I purchased one (Spal 30102058 10" Paddle Blade Pusher Fan) from Mueller Motorwerks. This fan is rated at 1100 cfm, has balanced blades and fits in the cramped space!

It arrived this week and Barry & Bob installed and wired it.

Using diesel engine oil in your Elan

Interesting discussion about using "new" Shell Rotella T 15W40 oil in your classic car engine:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-911-technical-forum/336535-should-we-all-using-diesel-engine-oil.html

and

Comp Cams recommends using diesel engine oil.

http://www.compcams.com/information/whatsnew/NewsDetails.asp?ListHistoryID=1821071676

"Simply put, today’s engine oil is just not the same as it used to be, thanks to ever tightening environmental regulations. The EPA has done a great job in reducing emissions and the effects of some of the ingredients found in traditional oils; however these changes to the oil have only made life tougher on your camshaft. The lubricity of the oil and specifically the reduction of important additives such as zinc and manganese, which help break-in and overall camshaft life, have been drastically reduced. In terms of oil selection, we recommend Shell Rotella T oil for the break-in procedure. Most often used in diesel engine applications, this higher lubricity oil works in gasoline engines as well.”