Changing the timing belts on an Elise 111S

[steveh2]

Hi,

I'm helping a friend to change the two timing belts and clutch on his Elise 111S and we've hit a snag.
We can't remove teh lower bolt from the timing cover without removing the pully, and we can't remove the pulley without pulling the engine!

Does this sound right?

Also, it woudl appear that the engine and rear section come away as a single unit, can anybody confirm this? Choice 2 is to remove the rear section and then remove the engine?

I'd be interested in hearing from anybody who's done this.

Regards

Steve

[fergusd]

steveh2 said:

Hi, I'm helping a friend to change the two timing belts and clutch on his Elise 111S and we've hit a snag. We can't remove teh lower bolt from the timing cover without removing the pully, and we can't remove the pulley without pulling the engine!

When you say pull the engine . . . you mean remove it ?

steveh2 said:

Does this sound right?

No . . .

The crank pulley can easily be removed with everything in place . . . only the wheel arch liner , undertray and offside rear wheel need be removed to remove the cambelt/pulley . . .

The crank pulley bolt needs a low profile 22mm hex socket and a 3 foot breaker bar to shift, but other than that I don't see the problem . . .

Use 5th gear and the handbrake to lock the engine . . .

Have you changed cambelts before ?

Fd

[adrianr]

Part I

I guess your problem is the lack of clearance between the crank pulley and the chassis cross member?

To undo it, make use of top tip #1 (this assumes you haven't locked the cams, crank or slackened the tensioner yet)

- remove coil lead
- put car in neutral
- put 22mm ring spanner on bolt, turn it clockwise as far as it will go (don't worry if the engine turns) then brace it against the chassis with some wood/carpet or similar so it can't move any further
- get everyone clear
- turn ignition so starter engages **briefly**
- engine will rotate (clockwise), spanner holds bolt still and it comes undone. amazin!


To do it up again you have 2 choices:
i) make yourself a tool by welding a 1/2" drive lug to a substantial flat bar about 3 feet long
ii) put a jack under the engine, and loosen the two bolts that hold the halves of the RH engine mount together, then lower the engine carefully until you can get a bar/torque wrench in. To make things easier you can get an old 22mm socket and grind it as short as you can while still leaving enough to engage the bolt head.

(ii) isn't as bad as it sounds, as you have to do the engine mount thing to get the new belt in anyway.

Bonne chance, and there's only one timing belt, the other is the alternator drive belt.

AdrianR



>> Edited by adrianr on Wednesday 9th June 11:41

[adrianr]

steveh2 said:

Also, it woudl appear that the engine and rear section come away as a single unit, can anybody confirm this?

Part II.

That's pants. You have got the manual right?

If by rear section you mean the rear bodywork ('clam') then no, it just unbolts and lifts off; you can then see the rear longerons and subframe and the engine sits behind them. None of this needs to come off to get at the belt or clutch, but you will need to undo some suspension and driveshafts.

Like I said, you have got the manual, right?

AdrianR

[fergusd]

While the ring spanner trick may well work . . . you really do not need anything other than a low profile 22mm socket and a decent breaker bar . . . done plenty of these on various cars, never needed anything else . . .

one tip . . .

use your leg muscles to push the breaker bar, not your arms if it's tight . . . and they usually are . . .

another tip . . .

mild threadlock the crank pulley bolt when you refit it . . .

Fd

[steveh2]

Nope, we haven't got the manual (but we've got a very well stripped Elise now!!!! - trying to stop dogs cocking their legs against the clamshell ha ha).

It just seemed that dropping the whole rear asembly would make it much easier to work on, but if we don't need to then so much the better.

Are the manuals (or rather the relevant pages) available on the web somewhere?

Steve

[steveh2]

BTW it's a VVC (hence the belt on the other end).

[adrianr]

steveh2 said:

BTW it's a VVC (hence the belt on the other end).

Didn't know that, as you were.

There have been "unofficial" versions of the manual on-line from time to time but I don't know of any current ones. Beats me why Lotus don't sell it on a pukka CD, would seem like money for old rope.

AdrianR

[Peter Calver]

I did the belt on our S1 (Not a VVC I have to say)over the weekend.
All the methods sound dodgy to me to much danger of collateral damage. I made a flywheel locking tool that fits behind the starter hole - tried the old Mini trick using a spanner jammed in the flywheel first but I was concerned that the ring gear would be damaged as the spanner didn't engage with the starter hole as well as the Mini housing. There is sheet metal cover there which is fixed with the starter holes. The device I made device bolted on using the starter bolts and engaged with the ring gear- crude but totally effective. Then I used a 22mm ring spanner on the pulley bolt put my foot on this and hung on to the bottom wishbone and applied leg muscles - it came undone but in a nice controlled manner. I made sure the car was well supported on axle stands first of course.
Perhaps I should draw this device and get some made - would anybody be interested in them?
I was given an address of a web-site where I downloaded the entire official Lotus Manual all 319 pages in pdf format for Free. Great - all you need to do is print out the bit you need for the job in hand. Trouble is I've lost track of the web address