SPY SHOTS - New Lotus in testing!

General General Lotus Talk
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Spotted in testing on Friday evening in NZ, a new model of Lotus believed to be named the “Lotus Expire”

[image]http://www.jsr.com/~dinks/Misc/George/Sexige/Expire01.JPG[/image]
[image]http://www.jsr.com/~dinks/Misc/George/Sexige/Expire02.JPG[/image]

Car ran like clockwork during the trackday on Friday, but sadly, on the joruney home all went awry! Floored it in second to overtake a car on the Napier-Taupo highway and could hear a faint jangling sound as I pulled back into my lane. A quick scan of the dashboard revealed the alternator light on, so I quickly shut the engine down and coasted to a halt.

Turns out the crank pulley bolt had loosened and the crank pulley parted company with the engine. Thankfully I got it shut down before the cam-drive pulley walked off and took the entire engine with it! Saw my mate’s S160 expire in this way so I was very determined not to have it happen to me!

Called the AA and due to the remote location, had to wait 2 hours for the low-loader to arrive… FANTASTIC service from them though, really top-notch.

Spent saturday inspecting and rebuilding and it’s all back together and as good as new. Only damage was that it snapped the key off on the cam-drive pulley that locates the crank pulley so my timing marks are no longer valid.

It’s due a service in a couple of months and I think I’ll get both pulleys replaced as a precaution and I may as well get the cambelt and tensioner done at the same time (it’s not due, but given that the work is 90% of a cambelt replacement, it makes sense to).

Think I dodged a bullet there!

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…and I bet the tow guy had seen two other just like this last week…

Close call, well spotted!!

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Glad to hear car is ok George.

by the way whats the recovery driver holding in the picture - looks like a bit of fibreglass ?

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by the way whats the recovery driver holding in the picture - looks like a bit of fibreglass ?

You can’t own an S1 then - every S1 owner will know that he’s holding bits of wood to bridge the gap on the ramp at the back of the deck

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Called the AA and due to the remote location

A statement like that covers the whole country doesn’t it .

Glad you caught it in time. I must say I’ve had my alternator light come on and it hadn’t occured to me it could be a symptom of a much bigger issue. Will have to remember that for next time!

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by the way whats the recovery driver holding in the picture - looks like a bit of fibreglass ?

You can’t own an S1 then - every S1 owner will know that he’s holding bits of wood to bridge the gap on the ramp at the back of the deck

S1 here Steve - not going to make any further comments as I don’t want to tempt fate what with recovery trucks and all that

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So what should we all check before the next track day???

Get that Silver Arrow going in time for my visit Dean…I need to see you vs Jez on track…

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Close call!. I did a track day at Castle Combe a year or two ago with my standard VHPD and the only thing that over took me all day was my bottom pulley after the bolt had come out. Unfortunatly I wasn’t as lucky as you and I did 8 valves and about 4 guides.

Check those bottom pulley bolts guys!!! It is difficult and fidley to get to, but a lot less fiddly than fixing the aftermath!!

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by the way whats the recovery driver holding in the picture - looks like a bit of fibreglass ?

You can’t own an S1 then - every S1 owner will know that he’s holding bits of wood to bridge the gap on the ramp at the back of the deck

Spot on that man!!! Yeah, that’s wood to help get the car over the initial slope of the deck… worked well… had a whole 2mm to spare!

Called the AA and due to the remote location

A statement like that covers the whole country doesn’t it .

Glad you caught it in time. I must say I’ve had my alternator light come on and it hadn’t occured to me it could be a symptom of a much bigger issue. Will have to remember that for next time!

Yeah, must say ordinarily I wouldn’t have been so worried, but after seeing what Mark’s S160 looked like on the inside after a similar failure, I wasn’t taking any chances

And this was remote even for NZ… one of the more remote places in the North Island. We stopped at a GREAT spot though… gorgeous sunset and when I had to visit the bushes for a piss, the view was incredible (although that happens most times I remove my trousers).

So what should we all check before the next track day???

Get that Silver Arrow going in time for my visit Dean…I need to see you vs Jez on track…

It’s George… Dean sold his S1… he’s got a kiddie now… and don’t worry, she’s already back in action and ready to give that orange bloke a good kicking on track

It’s worthwhile buying a tube of loctite, pulling the bolt out and applying generously before retorquing to Lotus-specifications.

I’ll be replacing my crank pulley, cam-drive pulley and cambelt at the end of the year sometime as a precaution, but until then it’s all go and 100%… only problem is that in the meantime I can’t check my timing because the key broke off and now my timing marks don’t match up.

Sean B’s comments above should serve as a warning, and it’s worthwhile checking the bolt’s torqued properly, next time it’s on a hoist and the undertray’s off. All goy need is a big flathead screwdriver to jam in the flywheel ring-gear to lock the engine and a Torque-wrench with a cut-down 22mm socket (a full-length one won’t clear the chassis)… job’s a munchy vegetable the same colour as Jez and Clive’s cars