More advice please (450SE)
Discussion
Hi All,
Ok, I have the plenum (cover) off my car (450SE Flapper) and disconnected all the surrounding connecting bits, etc, to do some tidying, cleanig, replacing tired bits, etc, but I would now like to remove the plenum base also if there is not too much involved, or am I best leaving well alone?, don't want to get in over my head. Questions/conecrns:
1. Whats involved in taking off and re-fitting, looks straight forward enough, but I am wise enough to know that appearances can be deceptive.
2. Is the plenum base and the trumpets all in one, i.e. will they come away as in one peice, so can simply be put back as one peice.
3. The hotspot on the plenum under the throttle, after removing the coolant pipes, it's been mentioned before that these need to be sealed off, do the holes really need to be sealed, I would do this from a neatness perspective but from what I can see it is simply a straight through water channel and won't actually effect anything if left disconnected.
Help and advice much appreciated, thanks, Richybaby.
Ok, I have the plenum (cover) off my car (450SE Flapper) and disconnected all the surrounding connecting bits, etc, to do some tidying, cleanig, replacing tired bits, etc, but I would now like to remove the plenum base also if there is not too much involved, or am I best leaving well alone?, don't want to get in over my head. Questions/conecrns:
1. Whats involved in taking off and re-fitting, looks straight forward enough, but I am wise enough to know that appearances can be deceptive.
2. Is the plenum base and the trumpets all in one, i.e. will they come away as in one peice, so can simply be put back as one peice.
3. The hotspot on the plenum under the throttle, after removing the coolant pipes, it's been mentioned before that these need to be sealed off, do the holes really need to be sealed, I would do this from a neatness perspective but from what I can see it is simply a straight through water channel and won't actually effect anything if left disconnected.
Help and advice much appreciated, thanks, Richybaby.
1. Whats involved in taking off and re-fitting, looks straight forward enough, but I am wise enough to know that appearances can be deceptive.
It quite easy. you may want to fit a new vally gasket, if you take the whole unit off. also a new one will look nicer, and they are cheap.
2. Is the plenum base and the trumpets all in one, i.e. will they come away as in one peice, so can simply be put back as one peice.
Can't remember, as I took the trumpet base off.
3. The hotspot on the plenum under the throttle, after removing the coolant pipes, it's been mentioned before that these need to be sealed off, do the holes really need to be sealed, I would do this from a neatness perspective but from what I can see it is simply a straight through water channel and won't actually effect anything if left disconnected.
No you don't need to seal off the coolant pipes. but you can remove the unit from the Plenum, this look neater, but you will have to seal off the two inner bolt holes.
The trumpet base can be removed without having to replace the valley gasket, that's under the inlet manifold. The trumpet base is held by 6 (or is it 8?) screws. It'll probably need a clout upwards with a clouter to shift it as it'll be stuck on its dowels and there'll be some old sealant holding it down.
Clean off all old sealant and reassemble with a smear of something suitable (NOT silicon RTV shit) - Wellseal is nice.
The trumpets are an interference fit (sometimes with sealant) and normally there's no need to remove them but if you must, put the unit in the oven for 30 mins at 100 degrees. Then twist the trumpets out. They're all the same length so no need to keep them in any order.
Clean off all old sealant and reassemble with a smear of something suitable (NOT silicon RTV shit) - Wellseal is nice.
The trumpets are an interference fit (sometimes with sealant) and normally there's no need to remove them but if you must, put the unit in the oven for 30 mins at 100 degrees. Then twist the trumpets out. They're all the same length so no need to keep them in any order.
Thanks for all the info guys, puts my mind a rest, got the info I needed.
One more thing though, Wedg1e, you said "not silicone RVT shit", I have a tube of Hylomar Blue Universal Sealer which I was going to use for putting the Plenum (cover) back on, and also the trumpet base if I take it off, it's been mentioned on hear a few times, does that constitute "silicone RVT shit" if so that other stuff you mentioned "wellseal" I take it thats better then, I just wan t to use the right/best stuff.
Once again, thanks alot everyone.
One more thing though, Wedg1e, you said "not silicone RVT shit", I have a tube of Hylomar Blue Universal Sealer which I was going to use for putting the Plenum (cover) back on, and also the trumpet base if I take it off, it's been mentioned on hear a few times, does that constitute "silicone RVT shit" if so that other stuff you mentioned "wellseal" I take it thats better then, I just wan t to use the right/best stuff.
Once again, thanks alot everyone.
Hylomar Blue is not too bad; at least it's intended as an engine gasket sealant! Just make it a very light smear as the mating faces are near-perfect, you're not trying to hold back outer space 
Wellseal is a dark brown non-hardening sealant recommended by Lotus for the 9xx engines; used it on my Esprit rebuild and it was excellent. Not cheap though. It can be cleaned off easily, rather than the bu99ering about you have to do to remove some sealants.
Wellseal is a dark brown non-hardening sealant recommended by Lotus for the 9xx engines; used it on my Esprit rebuild and it was excellent. Not cheap though. It can be cleaned off easily, rather than the bu99ering about you have to do to remove some sealants.
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