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Speedo drive progress report, Julian?

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All I've seen have "floated". Attached to the angle drive then routed up/over the trans to the firewall. All "gentle" radii. I've seen 'em held here and there with tie-wraps or fastened with clips to various places but believe they were not clamped any place along the length from the factory.
 
I fitted all the parts today, and refilled the gearbox with 20w/50 oil. Here's a photo of the speedo assembly under the car. The threads on the nylon piece that holds the trunnion and fits on the gearbox are very easy to cross ... I had quite a game getting the angle drive to screw on straight. (I wish I had a car-pit.)

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I turned the engine on, selected a gear, and wheeee! the speedo showed 20mph!

To refill the gearbox required removing the console, removing a rubber gasket, and some contortionist hand manipulations to extract the dip stick (which surprisingly came out quite easily). The oil I drained looked very old indeed: thick and brown and glinting. Here's my pump bottle setup during the refill (and amazingly I spilt none at all!)

325492491_9b6a1faec4.jpg
 
Told ya that bottle pump was great.

Yep wife said if we were building again we would have a tall garage with a lift. Boy.
 
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Told ya that bottle pump was great.

Yep wife said if we were building again we would have a tall garage with a lift. Boy.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes ... thanks Jack ... an essential tip!
 
Awright! Progress! How close to 'feet on the ground' are ya?
 
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Awright! Progress! How close to 'feet on the ground' are ya?

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I think I'm still a way off. I am still arsing around with the brakes. Yesterday afternoon I spent a frustrating hour trying to get the new pads on one of the rear wheels. I cannot understand how the springs are attached at the rear of the pads. I think I'm missing something.

Once that side is done, I need to do the other side.

Then, I need to fix the carb problem. I looked at it briefly yesterday: the two pistons are definitely not going up together, on applying throttle.

I think at that point, I could in principle go for a drive, around the block. Probably for that I would need to reattach the steering wheel .. yes?!
 
What spring prob, talk to me bud.
 
Would a photo or two help? I'll do a couple t'morrow AM if you want, or someone here may already have some...

Carbs likely aren't yet synched/balanced then. Have you checked linkage (particularly the "cross piece" where the clamps attach it to the carb throttle shafts) for slipping connections?

Unless you've got some "SuperZen" thing goin' on, I'd say yeah, a steering wheel would be of some advantage.
 
Bah, vise grips will do for stearing, latest fad.
 
I rode with my dad once in an old 53 GMC pickup - no seats (we were on egg-crates), and he was steering it with a pip-wrench... had to take it off and switch sides to turn the opposite direction. Talk about scary.
 
Had the same "where the heck do these springs go" issue untill I figured out all I had to do was remove the other drum and take a look....
 
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What spring prob, talk to me bud.

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The three springs were driving me nuts: I couldn't see how to stretch them so that I could place the hooked ends in the shoe's holes, with the shoes in the correct position on the backing plate. I knew they had to hook at the back of the shoes (in a rare stroke of brilliance I had only dismanteld *one* of the rear wheel brakes, so had the other to refer to!) The air was blue by the time dusk fell yesterday.

Having slept on it, I tackled it again. This time I put the shoes on the ground and first attached the funny spring with the long straight hook end to both shoes. Then, keeping the shoes connected with that spring, I offered them up and managed to get the handbrake mechanism lugs to poke through each one as required. Then I gingerly attached the top spring, pulling the shoes out at an angle to do so. I then pryed both shoes apart and located the ends in the tappets of the adjuster (the other ends were already in the cylinder). Then I attached the guide springs, and finally the easy spring that goes between the handbrake lugs.

All the time (and now) I felt that there must be a trick/technique I was missing. I did search through the archives here and at MG Experience, but oddly couldn't find any discussion about how to do it.

The daft Haynes manual simply says "Reassembly is the reverse of dismantling" or some such nonsense. Sometimes I feel like putting that book through a heavy duty shredder :smile:

So: what is the secret easy method of reattaching the shoes?!
 
I think you've pretty much found it. Springs on shoes on the floor, stretch the shoes to get 'em over the adjuster, fiddle the bottom spring in place to slip the E-brake linkage thru. Pry the shoes apart to fit the cylinder pistons' slots. It's a bit easier if the adjuster is backed off all the way to begin with. The pin/spring/retainers in the centre of the shoes is easier to install if you pivot the pin from the back with your finger while just compressing the spring and retainer. Trying to compress AND turn the spring is a pain inna backside.

OH!! May be a bit late now, but: putting some anti-seize compound on the adjuster screw and where it contacts the 'wedges' is a good idea.
 
Doc, do you have any photos of your Lotii anywhere? Are they expensive to maintain, difficult to find parts for?
 
A lifetime of pix, not too many scanned. Not as much expense to maintain as a 911, but a bit more "labour intense" as they're more 'fragile'. Parts are around, Dave Bean in CA is the most reliable source I've found here inna Colonies. There used to be more but slowly they've faded. Lots of parts for these cars were production bits Chapman got from other cars: Lots of Ford, some Triumph, some Norton (!)... If it didn't need to be "made from scratch" it was sourced from another vehicle. Body stuff, the head and the gearset are some of the "unique" to Lotus bits. Handles, hinges, lights, switches... all from other manufacturers. Trick is knowing which is which.
 
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