Your fleet running reports

[JLv3.0]

It's fun when you know what you're doing. With the best will in the world, I don't think you're quite there yet. I could be wrong, but that would involve me being wrong so is unlikely

[Mike1215]

Oddness this morning. Was waiting for the car to warm up and demist, so I gave it a couple of prods of the throttle to get the engine working - nothing silly, just wee blips up to 2k.

Which it then carried on doing itself. I gave it a bit more to 'push' past where it was revving to, and it would return to a blip idle.

Inlet air trunking after AFM all good and free from splits/surface cracks?

[Beany]

Oddness this morning. Was waiting for the car to warm up and demist, so I gave it a couple of prods of the throttle to get the engine working - nothing silly, just wee blips up to 2k.

Which it then carried on doing itself. I gave it a bit more to 'push' past where it was revving to, and it would return to a blip idle.

Inlet air trunking after AFM all good and free from splits/surface cracks?

Appears to be. I bunged a new air filter on it and it all looked nice and clean and solid.

Also bunged some muppet sidelights in it because why not.

[Mike1215]

Appears to be. I bunged a new air filter on it and it all looked nice and clean and solid.

Also bunged some muppet sidelights in it because why not.

I had similar on my old 330 when there was an almost imperceptible split in the rubber hose allowing a bit of unmetered air in when cold
On my 2.5 - it just used to stall rather than rev bounce when cold with the same issue

[Beany]

As the cars getting on a bit, I suppose I should go around the smaller, softer hoses and give 'em a once over. I mean, I've checked they're not cracked to fuck (they're not) but a proper check wouldn't do any harm I suppose.

I can just blow a big cloud of vape in them, right, and look for leaks?

[JLv3.0]

Yes, that's it exactly. Well done

Brake cleaner - get a can of it and spray each hose in turn. If there's a leak, the revs will blip.

[integrale_evo]

Actually, blowing a big cloud of vape in would work well, similar to a smoke bomb a garage might use.

[Beany]

Actually, blowing a big cloud of vape in would work well, similar to a smoke bomb a garage might use.

Yeah, I've seen that on a few vids (I've been watching a lot of South Main Auto lately). Brake cleaner seems easier/faster though

[integrale_evo]

Some brake cleaner is pretty nasty. Fine on metals and rubber designed to resist brake fluid, but I've seen it make a mess of some plastics.

[Matty]

Someone school me on gearbox oil.

Specialist 1 are recommending 85w90
Specialist 2 are recommending 75w80.
Internetz are all using 75w90 (Motul 300)

Lotus dealers are apparently recommending 75w80.

Or I should just preempt JL's usual "Just use what the manufacturer recommends as they probably know a little bit more about it than the weirdos on the internet" ?

[DeskJockey]

Someone school me on gearbox oil.

Specialist 1 are recommending 85w90
Specialist 2 are recommending 75w80.
Internetz are all using 75w90 (Motul 300)

Lotus dealers are apparently recommending 75w80.

Or I should just preempt JL's usual "Just use what the manufacturer recommends as they probably know a little bit more about it than the weirdos on the internet" ?

I'd go with olive oil. Much cheaper.

[integrale_evo]

I'd imagine the 75w80 will be a standard off the shelf semi, while the 75w90 will most likely be a more expensive fully synthetic.

75w80 will be fine.

85w90 will stay a bit thicker and give a bit more protection at high temperatures, maybe a better solution for harder driven or tracked cars, but will be a bit thicker when cold which might make the box a bit slow and sticky until it's warmed up.

75w90 will probably cost more but be a best of both worlds, as thin as the 75w80 when cold, but won't lose as much viscosity when hot.

If it's a standard car being used largely as lotus intended then just stick in whatever the manual says. Especially if it has any sort of drivetrain warranty.

[Marv]

I put 75w90 in my 968. It's what Porsche recommend.

[Beany]

Some brake cleaner is pretty nasty. Fine on metals and rubber designed to resist brake fluid, but I've seen it make a mess of some plastics.

Yeah, it's not the nicest stuff. A mist around the pipes (Rather than fucking drowning them) should be enough to show an intake leak though.

[Jimexpl]

Someone school me on gearbox oil.
Specialist 1 are recommending 85w90
Specialist 2 are recommending 75w80.
Internetz are all using 75w90 (Motul 300)
Lotus dealers are apparently recommending 75w80.
Or I should just preempt JL's usual "Just use what the manufacturer recommends as they probably know a little bit more about it than the weirdos on the internet" ?

I'd go with olive oil. Much cheaper.

I remember a 250GT 2+2 that my old boss bought from a known Italian car collection unseen that we were certain had olive oil in the engine. It smoked loads at idle and had a whiff of burnt cooking, but two engine flushes and the correct stuff mostly cured it...

[Beany]

Some brake cleaner is pretty nasty. Fine on metals and rubber designed to resist brake fluid, but I've seen it make a mess of some plastics.

Yeah, it's not the nicest stuff. A mist around the pipes (Rather than fucking drowning them) should be enough to show an intake leak though.

Fucks sake, completley forgot to go buy brake cleaner tonight.

Oh well. Tomorrow evening it is.

[unzippy]

Had idling issues recently. revs would steadily fluctuate when in neutral, sometimes as high as 2k. If aircon was on it wasn't as bad but still there.
No engine management light but logs said it was running lean.
Thought it may be the MAF being gummed up has I recently swapped the RamAir filter for a new K&N. Cleaned the MAF - no difference.
Tested the PCV by unplugging it and jamming my thumb in the hose - better.

Ordered and fitted, all good. Even better, the car is notably faster, even on a 45C day

[Jobbo]

Someone school me on gearbox oil.

Specialist 1 are recommending 85w90
Specialist 2 are recommending 75w80.
Internetz are all using 75w90 (Motul 300)

Lotus dealers are apparently recommending 75w80.

Or I should just preempt JL's usual "Just use what the manufacturer recommends as they probably know a little bit more about it than the weirdos on the internet" ?

I take it the 75w90 is teh internetz following Opie Oil Man's recommendation?

[V8Granite]

I use fully synthetic 75w90 in my 4wd turbocharged fastback sports vehicle. It turned my gearbox into a buttery smooth snickerty object of pleasure compared to normal auto gearbox oil.

I used a similar fully synthetic in both diffs and transfer box and also noticed a difference. On a cold morning it’s not like driving through sludge for the first few miles.

So only use the good stuff if you have a proper sports car like me.

Dave!

[Mike1215]

So only use the good stuff if you have a proper sports car like me.

Dave!

CAR magazine’s Best Handling Everyday car of 1999

Did yours have the concrete block fitted at the back Dave ?