Re: Zut Alors! Cry for help from France

feeds@yuku.com (Captain Speaking) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 20:13:27 GMT

Just thought I would update you all with my (lack of) progress. I have managed to get hold of a wiring diagram which is at least pointing me in the right direction. Unfortunately everything else, largely maintenance on other peoples Lotus Esprits, is robbing me of time to get to the bottom of the problem. Hopefully it will be resolved soon...

Re: Zut Alors! Cry for help from France

feeds@yuku.com (martineztop) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:29:14 GMT

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=150354850804
could be worth a try when you're stuck

Re: Zut Alors! Cry for help from France

feeds@yuku.com (Gary Harman) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:02:36 GMT

If I remember correctly Mendamantis had some kind of wiring diagram, but hes sunning himself (burning up) in Cornwall this week.

Re: Zut Alors! Cry for help from France

feeds@yuku.com (Captain Speaking) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:58:55 GMT

nearly there.... honest!

Well, I wasn't deliberately misleading you all, more like living in the delusional world of the 'almost fixed'.. a strange tribe which seem to inhabit the world of out-of-warranty motor cars.

It's all flushed and recharged but the pump does not seem to want to cut in. All fuses seem to check out ok, so I'm probably into that lovely wire chasing game.

Couple of questions:-

1. Are...

Re: Zut Alors! Cry for help from France

feeds@yuku.com (Captain Speaking) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 13:18:20 GMT

Sure is...

And this is where it lives, just beside the nearside internal 'mudguard' mounted on the front engine bay cross member

The remaining piece of the jigsaw is the expansion valve, seen here as the bit which ends with the circular pressure capsule visible in the middle of the picture

Re: Zut Alors! Cry for help from France

feeds@yuku.com (Gary Harman) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 11:45:18 GMT

So thats that that bit is then!

Mr Q did have a database of the useful parts/numbers and it would be good to add this to the list, and I could do with an updated copy if it exists!

Gary

Re: Zut Alors! Cry for help from France

feeds@yuku.com (Captain Speaking) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 09:43:57 GMT

Couple of inaccuracies... It was £41.40 delivered and came from Derbyshire..... DOH!

This is what it looks like

It is identical in all respects (apart from the number on the big white sticker which is the retailer's stock number) to the filter which is fitted at present, although that's no guarantee that it is the original filter from the date of manufacture...

Re: Zut Alors! Cry for help from France

feeds@yuku.com (The Quiffster) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 20:37:00 GMT

Captain Speaking wrote:
Yes and no...... I tracked down the Filter/dryer/receiver from firm in Yorkshire at the very reasonable price of £38 incl, delivered.

Can you post company name, website please? And part number for the drier?

TIA
Q

Re: Zut Alors! Cry for help from France

feeds@yuku.com (Captain Speaking) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 10:14:40 GMT

Thanks for the figures, I have located a source of the 2480 length belts and will be investing in one within the next couple of days and, yes, my Mantis is a plain vanilla (never thought I'd say that!) non-supercharged version.

Good news on the aircon.... the expansion valve is expected in the next couple of days. Apparently it is a Heller unit and the magic words used to identify it are 'internally equalised' which is what makes it one of the less common types. It was...

Re: Zut Alors! Cry for help from France

feeds@yuku.com (marcosv8) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 11:14:07 GMT

Taken from the Offical Ford Service Manual:

Hope this helps:

SPECIFICATIONS

Re: Zut Alors! Cry for help from France

feeds@yuku.com (Captain Speaking) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 00:35:20 GMT

Yes and no...... I tracked down the Filter/dryer/receiver from firm in Yorkshire at the very reasonable price of £38 incl, delivered. I've sourced a good guy who, upon an in-depth quizing, obviously knows what he's doing to flush the system and fit the new parts. The current problem is that there are 3 types of expansion valve used in car a/c systems and guess which one the Mantis uses? Yes, it's the least popular one which he doesn't carry as a stock spare so he's trying...

Re: Zut Alors! Cry for help from France

feeds@yuku.com (mendamantis) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 17:17:24 GMT

Whats the latest are you up and running again yet?

Re: Zut Alors! Cry for help from France

feeds@yuku.com (Gary Harman) — Wed, 20 May 2009 21:40:09 GMT

Try calling Alun Edwards at ISL Motorsport or Topcats as they remove all of these bits from their race engines and might have a stock pile. I know one of our locals has been buying bits or ISL recently :-) Let me know if you need a contact number.

Re: Zut Alors! Cry for help from France

feeds@yuku.com (Captain Speaking) — Wed, 20 May 2009 18:06:07 GMT

Doh, I guess I should have looked for battery advice in the threads myself.... thanks for the link.

A/c eliminator pulleys - yes I think I'll get me one of those to carry as an insurance policy. I must say though that I prefer sacrificing a bit of performance in order to have a/c available. The other thing I will need to find is a blanking plate to go over the disconnected pipes to stop the muck getting in once the pump is disconnected/removed.

So, on with the story....

Re: Zut Alors! Cry for help from France

feeds@yuku.com (marcosv8) — Thu, 14 May 2009 11:13:26 GMT

Or - fit one of these?????

http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=FMS%2DM%2D19216%2DD46&N=700+4294924744+4294908331+4294908282+400070+115&autoview=sku

Re: Zut Alors! Cry for help from France

feeds@yuku.com (mendamantis) — Wed, 13 May 2009 19:38:09 GMT

http://www.marcosforum.org/topic/4098

Just been dealt with recently

Re: Zut Alors! Cry for help from France

feeds@yuku.com (Captain Speaking) — Wed, 13 May 2009 15:47:04 GMT

Managed to get some spanner time on the car today and discovered/confirmed that the Aircon pump is siezed solid but I've turned the engine using a spanner on the crankshaft pulley nut at least 120deg which I hope is enough to assure me that there aren't any dropped valves.

So far the battery is refusing to take much of a charge so it looks like I will be getting a new one of those. Currently fitted is a 60AH job which I think is too small. Any advice on the correct capacity...

Re: Zut Alors! Cry for help from France

feeds@yuku.com (Captain Speaking) — Tue, 12 May 2009 22:50:02 GMT

She's back.... only 10 minutes later than the driver predicted when he phoned me from Dover.

Arrived on a double deck transporter underneath a nasty Nissan which was dripping oil on the front of the bonnet (see nasty streak in the middle underneath the badge and also on the nearside centre to the right of the number plate), so she got an immediate wash prior to the ritual...

Re: Zut Alors! Cry for help from France

feeds@yuku.com (Imelda) — Mon, 11 May 2009 17:41:26 GMT

Captain Speaking wrote:
getting dragged around the shops, by the wife with the kids in tow.... just as expensive, but the taxes are known up front!

Getting dragged round the shops with Mrs Imelda and MinImelda has it's own rewards. I can ensure that plentiful supplies of double choc chip cookies are purchased, along with cans of Guinness, onion crisps, Flumps, chocolate cake, tins of duck etc etc.

Re: Zut Alors! Cry for help from France

feeds@yuku.com (Captain Speaking) — Fri, 08 May 2009 19:08:53 GMT

Thank you for that point of order....

Of course we wouldn't be where we are today if we hadn't taken every opportunity to bollox thing up for everyone else, at every available opportunity. I must admit that the French idea of Flexible Productive Activity Disruption, as outlined so eruditely (just look it up, Quiffy) by Imelda, shows an unsuspected level of sophistication we should all be aiming for.

Obviously we can't invoke the Mistress clause in dear old...

Zut Alors! Cry for help from France

feeds@yuku.com (Captain Speaking) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 19:00:41 GMT

Greetings

This isn't Chris, it's his buddy Gary. Chris has asked me to come on here for a bit of advice.

Chris is returning (or not) from France in his V8 Mantis. In Clermont-Ferrand, on a start, the engine stalled immediately, and subsequent attempts were met with a thud and obvious torque on the engine, implying some kind of interference. He was relayed to a local garage, whereupon much head scratching took place. I speak some French, so asked them to try and...

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