Yes, that's right. In a flurry of activity this weekend, I finally got all
the bits and pieces off the Europa frame.
After cataloging some smaller bits, I got down to the tricky business of
removing the rear suspension. I rigged a cable to the engine and ran a
come-along to the rafters to relieve strain on the frame. The big floor jack
went under the rear frame loop. Just enough lift was put on to have the tires
just touch the floor.
I started on the left rear first. Loosened the wheel nuts, removed two and
left the other two snug, not tight. Not only are these J.A.P. Magna wheels
cracked, but the damned nuts are not concentric! Won't be using them, as I am
going to go to 1/2" studs.
Removed the coilover. Damn, these springs are *chromed* under this oily dirt.
Loosened the front trailing arm mount and the outer bolt on the lower control
arm. Drifted out the double roll pin on the inner U-joint. Looks OK. Took
out the bolt through the aluminum upright and the lower control arm. The whole
assembly was now just resting on the tire, so I could reach over and take off
the nut holding the front of the trailing arm. Then I just supported the
spindle with one hand whilst removing the two wheel nuts with the other.
Now the wheel was out of the way, I had clearance to separate the parking-brake
cable. The inner end of the lower control arm was now disconnected and the arm
put in a bow with the coilover. The rest of the assembly was in one piece, the
lugnut holding the brake drum on.
Brian Hagland may have saved a guy's life by buying his Mazda 626 (Britcar
content: This was called a Mazda Montrose in Britain). The 626 had a bad
U-joint that the owner ignored.
Well I did it with the Europa, too. The inner U-joints are held on the the
shafts from the transaxle with concentric roll pins. The right was not OK.
It looked at first like there was not any pin in there at all! Further
investigation showed up a piece about 3/8" long on just one side! If that
sucker would have migrated a bit, the driver would have experienced rear
suspension failure. I am going to follow netter Cory Carpenter's lead and get
new ones for both sides. Then I will follow Minnesotan Steve Carter's lead and
safety-wire the damned things.
"What are you doing?" Brian asked me whilst I was making a angle setup on
the radial-arm saw in the basement. "I'm working on the Lotus, of course.",
I answered.
I was cutting pieces for a wooden cradle for the engine and gearbox. I have a
flat dolly that I made to hold a SAAB V4 many years ago. I just sawed a piece
of 4x4 to match the shape of the bellhousing and nailed it to the dolly. A 2x4
went under the front of the pan.
I just aligned the frame and power package to rest on the cradle, then unbolted
the motor mounts, took the hoist off the motor and lifted the frame by hand.
The front wheels were still on it, so I walked it away like a big wheelbarrow.
Then I hooked the hoist up again. The motor mounts were removed from the
frame and bolted back on the engine. The engine was lifted slightly and 2x4
supports under each motor mount were screwed to the dolly. This takes the
strain off the front of the pan and ensures the thing does not fall over. The
engine/transaxle, in its custom-built wooden cradle, was wheeled to the corner
of the garage.
Next, the front trailing-arm mounts were removed. The coolant tubes came out
the back. The left one gave me quite a fight. It was like a puzzle; which way
to twist and turn it.
Removing the parking brake cable was a real job. There are two holes in the
bulkhead at the crotch where the outer cables for each rear wheel are attached.
There is a slot running between these two holes for the inner cable to be
removed (the inner cable is continuous from one rear wheel to the other, with
clevises swaged on). The pressed-steel "U" which mounts the adjustable cable
(runs to the handle) does not fit out the slot. The chaps at Hethel crimped
the ends of the U piece to capture the cable. I had to "uncrimp" them
INSIDE THE FRAME. The frame at this point is a box section 6" wide and 10.75"
tall. There is one oval hole to put your arm through. You can't use two hands
and you can't see anything whilst your arm is in there. I put a block on a
jack under that section of the frame to protect it, then fished a 2x4 through
the oval hole and put it under the U part. I have an extra-long chisel made by
hacksawing a Yank-car wheel wrench. This and a big hammer eventually opened up
the part enough to get the cable freed.
After I got the cable loop out, I reassembled all the parts on it and hung it
on the garage wall. One rear cable is OK, the other is frozen. I will keep
adding WD-40 to the frozen one as it hangs there. Eventually, it may unstick
itself. If not, I have a vise, a garage wall and a come-along. And I know how
to use them. :-)
Next, I took the steering rack off. I have new boots for it from TRF. Then I
removed each front suspension assembly. Each corner's worth of suspension is
now sitting in the corner of the garage, all its pieces bolted together for
future reference.
With the steering rack out of the way, I finally had clearance to remove the
long brake line. Once the grommets were pushed free, I could wiggle, twist and
coerce it out the front. I must remember to get this sucker in before the
steering rack at reassembly time.
The frame is now sitting on two plastic milk cases waiting to have all the
dirt, sand and what appears to be old mouse nesting material removed. Then it
goes to the stripper. I am STILL confused about what to do next. Wish I could
find someone to dip it for me. Otherwise it will be "pour the stuff in and
rotate it". But what stuff? Cold galvanizing paint? DP-40? Suggestions?
I am not the Charles Atlas type by any stretch of the imagination, but I can
get down on one knee and pick up the entire frame under one arm.
It would fit in a rectangular prism 114" x 35" x 12".
Phil Ethier, THE RIGHT LINE, 672 Orleans Street, Saint Paul, MN 55107-2676
h (612) 224-3105 lotus@pnet51.orb.mn.org (infrequent mail checks)
w (612) 298-5324 phile@pwcs.stpaul.gov (lists go here)
"We have not yet reached the beginning of the end,
but we have reached the end of the beginning" - Winston Churchill
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