Hi there I have a 1976 lotus elite . but mine is a runner on the road but I have a few electrical gremline's . I have had some blood and tears even with mine . so welcome to the club . and good luck .

Have watched all 4 parts and respecting your dedication and perseverance. Interesting to watch , you explain the processes well even if your doing all this on the LOTUS 4 the first time. Hope the engine isn't flecked, but I think you'll find a way around difficulties, you have so far. Can we have the next installment,episode soon , please. Would love to hear that engine run. By the way its amusing to see what Google translates from your chats. Good luck with the remainder of the project.

Youre a very brave man taking this on mate. I would have just shut the bonnet when the plug problem happened 😂 however , nothing ventured nothing gained and im sure there will be someone happy to take it off your hands if you change your mind.

I admire your adventurous nature to get this Excel back on the road. I went through a similar experience with my 88 Esprit that spent years under a tarp….’He Who Dares Wins’ and all that…. but please get a workshop manual. These cars do not fair well with the have a go blind approach. The engine is a well engineered simple design but requires FOLLOWING PROCEDURES. Failure to do so will result in very very expensive mistakes. Unfortunately your into a full strip down, evaluation and perhaps a full rebuild to get this engine running again. I’ve been there so don’t get disheartened. It can be done. LotusBits and SJ Sportscars are going to be on speed dial. Wish you the best. To give you encouragement….my first engine rebuild ever was on my 88 Esprit Turbo and it fired up first time. I’m 1500 miles in and all is good. Just take it slow and be methodical. ‘He Who Dares’ does win !!

Clean it up with a spark plug thread chaser maybe! Might make it a bit better...

Movie night. Great job, keep it up. MEC-TEC

Man it's a beautiful design, the body, interior, chassis, drivetrain, etc. I think she's worth putting time and money into the engine to get it running and driving again.

Those liners are alloy, not steel, they are also nickasil coated (all SEs have the alloy nickasil liners) . Honing them will destroy the lining, once you have the con rods undone they should pull out. The other thing you need to know about them is when they are put back in you need to measure the level they protrude above the top of the block, there is a measurement for this which I can’t remember but if that is not correct the head gasket will never seal properly.

Your brave and also able to make great video, watched to the very end, even though engine is sick you are building a great audience on a superb car

Hi ya. Cylinders 2 & 4 need to go down the selves where the rings are rusted to the liners, number 3 liner is wedged so raises with them. 🥺Do you have a machinist to clean the head off and not necessarily to remove any material if the head is not warped where the head studs were not torqued up enough. Wishing you all the luck for any progress. 👍🏻

I stumbled across your channel looking for Lotus Excel content. I've got to say you are a braver man than I am. I to am fortunate(?) enough to own a Lotus Excel an 1984 example, down in New Zealand, where approximately 20 reside. Mine required a head gasket replacement about this time last year. I looked on all the Lotus forums and looked for content on youtube and decided it was beyond my capabilities. You have basically done it they way they suggested by jacking up the engine while still in the engine bay. I ended up pay an old school mechanic to sort it for me. It wasn't cheap. But he, like some commenter here eluded to incorrectly torqued head bolts (loose) causing the problem. It also required some heads studs to be helicoiled. Anyway I think it is criminal how neglected some of these cars got, especially in the UK and how incredibly under valued they are compared to the likes of some fast Fords, Capri's, Escorts and even humble Cortina's et al. I've subscribed to the channel and will be following the recommisioning of what for you will be a very enjoyable car when completed. Cheers and good luck.

Probably not been apart before. That was an original Coopers head gasket, long since superseded by a composite version. Too late now, but liner clamps are specified to keep them in place whilst the head is off.

Hi MEC - well you certainly got stuck in - I like where the distributor is - you have to take the carbs off to adjust the points - electronic ignition I reckon D

MEC-TEC I heard you should Volvo Redblock swap it. IN Other news I have a few brand new parts purchased for my Excel (which has also been off the road since 99) that I won't be using. The Clutch Master cylinder springs to mind first. I shall have a look at my inventory, I think I might have full front and rear calliper rebuild kits to. if any of its any use drop a message.

Fill the bores with diesel and leave for a week

please may we have Lotus back again please

Interesting, as you said, gasket looked okay, so maybe the liners were leaking anyway

Have you drained the Oil as the whole internals needs to be empty?

Some people soak stuck pistons in diesel some say acetone an atf

It looks like this isn't your first walk down a country mile. With that said, I would get a flat bar to see if the cylinder head is warped. If warped a machine shop can mill it flat for you. It looks like you'll have to remove the pistons with the connecting rods to take out the liners? Not sure I have no experience with Lotus engines. New liners and new pistons and rings might be all the engine needs. Also get the cylinder head checked for hair line cracks etc.

You don't want to be turning engines over without the head on, if your unlucky one of the cylinder sleeves will move and now your rebuilding the engine

You'll need to helicoil that thread mate

Swap to Toyota 3GR-FE