Here's Why My Lotus Elise Clutch Fractured!!

I managed to get the new clutch in and I found the reason for the failure of the original clutch friction plate as well. As always my Lotus Elise S1 serves up some real challenges but it is now back on the road and ready for final set up

[@mikeg8835]

I've got so much respect for your can do attitude Jacko !

[@Peakwanderer]

Me too, Jack just gets stuck in and gets it done, I wish I had just a fraction of his can do attitude.

[@busterboy7505]

Well done Jack, you reminded me of when I used to do all my own repairs on my car’s, to old for that now, I would have to spend a week in bed with a bad back even if I just think about doing anything like you have just done, keep on filming Jack, always a pleasure to watch your videos, 👍👍.

[@Number27]

Thank you chap!!

[@yungdolphin9130]

I luv it. How old are u now

[@busterboy7505]

@@yungdolphin9130 I’m 63 and feel like 83🙁,

[@timdunn2387]

Isn't it nice to get to an age where you can say "you don't have a dog and do your own barking", and hand these jobs over to the professionals.

[@philtowle4683]

Now down that cider

[@PompeyMatt17]

watching the likes of you has ironically made me go back to doing my own mechanics. In the 80s and 90s I did all my own stuff then modern cars made it "all too difficult".and straight to the garage...now with KZbin and following guys like you, I'm back on my tools getting covered in crap...and loving it...

[@global_nomad.]

well done Jack..teaching us all to read the instructions.....twice and properly...looks like the Elise will be ready for Spring and Summer when it arrives

[@kentmckean6795]

Ah the memories! This made me think back a few decades when I replaced the transaxle in my Fiat X-1/9, just thinking about squirming around on my back with the transaxle on my chest, in an unheated garage in March with the temp hovering around -10C. Good on you for biting the bullet and fixing it. No doubt, the missing guides were the problem all along!

[@garethbird4259]

Fond memories (not) of using the lying on your back method with the gearbox squashing the life out of you! Especially on old Capris and Cortinas. Nice job Jack!

[@raymondmorgan2488]

And me and it was always raining

[@bobmcl2406]

I have been there also, on a Mk 2 Cortina GT. I think I still have the layshaft from that gearbox, which I use as a drift.

[@Taz6688]

Cars must have been much higher off the ground back then, I remember well dropping a Cortina gearbox, checked recently and the car is much lower I cannot get under it, back in the days when it was so much easier to work on a car and they had more character

[@garethbird4259]

@@Taz6688 Or maybe we're just getting older and fatter lol 😆

[@chedhead3278]

Cheers Jack. As Douglas Adams almost said : 'any man who can hitch the length and breadth of the galaxy, rough it, slum it, struggle against terrible odds, win through, and still knows where his dowel is, is clearly a man to be reckoned with.' Congratulations. 👏

[@Number27]

Love Douglas Adams!!! Read all his books. Genius

[@farmerlamb2372]

I blew the screen when you took the tap out to get rid of the swarf 🤣

[@TheMrFishnDucks]

Awesome episode. Nice to have a mate help to speed things along and bounce off ideas about how to fix things. Looking forward to the next video. Keep up the good work.

[@davidyapp2240]

Congratulations Jack, perseverance has paid off, have just spent 3 days doing a cambelt on a Ford Cmax which had a flywheel locking tool snap off and the part drop into the bell housing so a one day job turned into a nightmare with cams out of alignment and gearbox removal to retrieve debris, my relief at end of today when car started and ran ok emulated yours. Keep posting these videos you're an inspiration to us all. 👍👍👍

[@glenhowell3420]

great job Jack. Glad you found out why the clutch had failed, it's always a worry if you don't get to the root cause of the problem.

[@stuartd9741]

Well done Jack. Been a bit of a journey with Franke. Done well to get as far as you did on your own...& Finally find out the cause..👍 I've done clutch alignment by eye before. Just clamp the pressure plate loosely and just look down the center of the clutch adjust accordingly. Also use a tiny bit of *clutch* spline grease this helps a huge amount. I also find once gearbox is almost home, is to turn the engine this helps align the splines.. Defo a 2 man job... ... Reminds me of when I changed the engine in my XR2 in 99, on the drive on my own. Rested the engine on 6 breeze blocks raised car up on axle stands lowered engine by removing the blocks alternatively one at a time. Then turning engine 90° out under a 12 inch gap under the car.. completed took a weekend thou...

[@russellbryan2288]

This is like watching someone being slowly being crushed to death. There is a video on KZbin that shows Porsche 911s being built IN THE FACTORY and, I believe, that the transmission is installed by a factory worker using his legs to lift the part into place. The joy expressed your voice is what makes these videos fun to watch.

[@Number27]

Thanks Russel and I’m glad you’re watching!!

[@vinceandtheresa1243]

Love helicoil! Congrats on finding those alignment pins missing. So nice to find a simple solution to problems. Was a lot of work to find the issue, transmission in and out but satisfying in the end. Love the work. Thanks from Ontario, Canada.

[@jmurray01]

Well done on getting it finished, always a relief and exhilarating feeling when you drive the car again after major work.

[@Laz_Arus]

The makeup artist did a cracking job. You almost looked like a proper mechanic in this video. 😁👍

[@Number27]

I know… it’s actually all faked. Like wheeler dealers. My huge production team does a great job of making me look like a two bit idiot..

[@Laz_Arus]

@@Number27 Well I'll agree there was one two-bit idiot on WD. 😁

[@wesleycardinal8869]

I think we all can appreciate that you show all the faffing and mistakes that are a normal part of any home maintenance. Made much harder by you filming it all, and maintaining a commentary and cheerful attitude. Well done 👍🇦🇺

[@Number27]

Thank you chap and a big wave to Australia 🇦🇺!!

[@jimmeltonbradley1497]

Your perseverance is so admirable. I've really enjoyed this video.

[@andrewgurney6019]

Great job, well done, now you can really start to enjoy that stunning little car.

[@Michael_Lorenson]

One great thing, maybe _the_ great thing, about taking on projects like yours with the Inluenzo, the Frankenlise, and the Bismerc, is that you bond with the cars and they truly become _your_ cars.

[@ryanmccormick2150]

Well done Jack 👏👍…… I’m looking forward to the set up , I’m sure Franky will be awesome bud 👍

[@MasterMalrubius]

The final benefit of hard work and persistence. Enjoy driving it once you have it dialed in. You deserve it.

[@bobmizen1]

So many Jacks moving around on the floor I got a little confused as to which one was you Haha.Thanks again for sharing your very informative, and humerous, videos. Regards, Bob M, South Wales

[@Number27]

Ah thanks for the comment and for watching Bob!!!

[@MrMairu555]

Excellent! I've lost count how many times I've aligned a friction and pressure plate with a short 1/2" extension bar and a socket! Never have one not work or fail in 35 years. 👍

[@user-mg9he3qj3n]

Well done Jack my favourite line was,”it took me longer as I didn’t know what I was doing!!” Class😂👍👍

[@bobmcl2406]

I used to tell my then-young son that the two most important tools in a mechanic's toolbox are patience and persistence. Jack, you have both in spades! So glad you sorted it out, and found the root cause (which unfortunately boils down to some butchery by a previous "mechanic").

[@Jester-Riddle]

Did you deliberately omit preparation just so that you could astound him with your knowledge and skills ... ?!? 😂

[@bobmcl2406]

@@Jester-Riddle I like to say that I taught him everything he knows..... but I didn't teach him everything I know! 😉

[@Jester-Riddle]

@@bobmcl2406 Wise man !!! 😂

[@Lemma01]

Great work Jack - reminds me why I stick to level checks on my cars - 😅It's hugely enjoyable watching you solve these puzzles - and having just taken the hard top off my 111S, I can reassure you it's all worth it!

[@cloudninephoto]

Great job. My car has been off the road for about 8 weeks. Can’t wait to get it sorted and out driving again.

[@polygamous1]

You remind me so much of what I was doing on the roadside Jack them days money was so hard to come by when I had to change the clutch after all the bolts were out I change sides IE my head facing forward my knees holding n pushing the gearbox slightly up then push backward n get the box out lower it down even if sometimes it was raining as for centering the drive plate I always used a rod then rub lots of tape around it till it would tightly fit in the engine shaft then do the same for the clutch driven plate, what I would die to even think I was doing this to keep my bangers going, but still hem dys where better than now in my old age well done jack

[@Number27]

Wow… outside and in the rain!! Horrible!! Thanks for watching again chap

[@organiccold]

Jack that was a hell of a job, and James help as spot on. Cant wait to see the car all setup, will be a kart.

[@DudleyDellTelly]

I found replacing my Kia Picanto clutch hard enough (I had a stroke 5 years ago) earlier this year. Well done you. Take a look at Kevin Albert-Williams' channel for all things clutch replacement related.

[@Parknest]

Mating the gearbox to the engine is like docking with the ISS. I've done it quite a few times on my own with the engine still in situ. On the most recent clutch change I did last year, I ended up borrowing an engine crane from a local garage.

[@adidragan]

Helicoils can be life savers. 3 of the exhaust manifold stud holes on my subaru stripped when I changed the exhaust manifold on it, and thankfully I was able to helicoil them without issue.

[@infinitygears6388]

Jack, you are my hero. Seeing you work really motivates me.

[@Number27]

TOO kind thank you!!

[@T16MGJ]

Keep this good DIY stuff coming Jack. You did well aligning the Rover PG1 Gearbox in such a limited access space. Been there done that more than once with that heavy box resting on my Chest. Stopped that struggling with more recent PG1 fits in my MG ZTs and Rover 620ti. ZT/75s with that annoying Clutch Slave Cylinder location INSIDE the Bell housing which is very user and servicing unfriendly. Gearbox off job th e renew worn CSC ~ Concentric Slave Cylinder. Made up a length of 4be2 with a long threaded Bolt and large washers with 17mm Nuts powered by a 17mm Ratchet Spanner.. U-Shaped bracket at the business end to support the weight instead of my chest. Gearboxes are heavy. The enabled the box to lower, rotate or raise from above. It works well and cost about a fiver to make. Oh yes, collecting a box of useful MG spares from a midland based Rover enthusiast, I saw a PG1 at the side of his garage and asked about it. Was from an MG Maestro years ago and had worn differential Bearings. He had no use for it and said I could take it away. It has many useful internal bits. I dismantled it and removed the Input Shaft. Cut the Splined end off that shaft which the Clutch Driven Plate slots onto as Jack shows. Using an Angle Grinder with various Discs, made up the perfect PG1 Gearbox Clutch alignment tool. Proper Job used many times. Important dowels. Neighbour had serious immediate Cylinder Head Gasket damage to her little Rover 25 on the way home following professional repair. Got talking as car never moved for a few weeks. She told me why .. She had given up on the poor car. Making no promises, said I would have a look see. Story short, on removal of the car's Cylinder head, the Dowel locating the Head-Block interface was missing. I reported that to her and she said the old head was still in the boot. Looking at that old head, there was the dowel still in the head! That dowel nearest the timing side of the engine does more than locate the head to block interface, More importantly it is the conduit of the high pressure oil supply from the Oil Pump to the Double Overhead Camshafts and all the Valve Gear! No dowel there and cue all the oil pumped at high pressure all around the engine and cooling system. I was able to fix her little car. The engine refit with full compliment of Dowels and Multi-Layer-Steel Gasket and Head saver shim did not take long. What did take a lot of time was removing all that massive oil-coolant mix from the engine and the cooling system. It was everywhere. Never seen anything like it! That muck got everywhere in the few miles only driving home from the repair shop. Fixed, car then a delight to drive and last I saw well over 100,000 reliable miles. Often folks blame the car. In my experience, the blame lies elsewhere on far too many occasions. By the way, the GetRag gearboxes fitted to my MG ZTs are heavier than the PG1s. There again, with advancing years maybe I am not so strong as was once the case. Praise be for that length of 4be2 and a few 17mm nuts on that threaded rod to take the strain ... Proper job and no muscle or joint strain... Double 👍👍 from me.

[@Number27]

Hey John!! Thank you for your interesting comments!! You alignment tool is a great idea, love it!!

[@psircos]

Nice one Jack. Bit of graft in there.....really enjoyed this episode 👍

[@naturshoot8448]

I do enjoy your videos because these '5 minute' jobs that I undertake always turn into complete nightmares too! Always feel so pleased for you when you get to the bottom of one the problems. Fingers crossed for the Influenzo.

[@Number27]

Thank you chap.. work on the InfluEnzo will start soon!!

[@Chrissy-H]

I recently took the gearbox out my S1 Exige racing car because it was leaking fluid from the join - did the whole process on my own with hydraulic jacks but can confirm there was a lot of swearing involved in getting it back on correctly! The SELOC wiki is an absolute goldmine of information, if that didn’t exist I would have had no chance at all. Next thing is doing a DIY string alignment on my driveway, because the cars not road legal so I can’t just drive it to get an alignment.

[@catxls1835]

Well done man!! A royal pain, but well worth the effort for such a great car! An excellent job with all the correct parts in the intended positions. Thumbs up!!

[@Engineerd3d]

Congratulations 👏 it's coming together. I am sure it feels good to have it come this far.

[@trippy_boxer_dog2170]

the smile on your face and the end says it all, nicely done man! looking forward to more vids of this, maybe even you taking it on some sort of track (Nürburgring ?) would be awesome!

[@405_hive]

Nice one ! Good feeling that first drive after fitting your own new clutch…

[@Landshark928]

Happy to see you are engaged again with the Frankenlise😀

[@carlharvey7098]

Jack when you selected reverse gear to come out of the garage the red fog light came on and not the clear one….i think 😂

[@whatsdavedone104]

Yeah I just commented the same....

[@Number27]

You’re right!! Thanks for pointing that out!

[@stuartd9741]

Nah, that's Lotus's automatic fog detection system....🤣

[@gazzafloss]

You're learning all the way Jack, you'll be an expert on Elise clutches now. We your viewers also have learned a bit, even without getting our hands dirty. Good result.

[@Number27]

Thank you Gary, hope all good with you chap!!

[@AceFace50001]

Excellent work, Jack! I employ the same strategy of attempting a job first, reading the instructions afterwards. You certainly have more patience and persistence than I do! 🤣

[@eze8970]

The special tool you mention is usually a 'mate called James/Dave'! Great news & progress Jack - the smile & adventure continues, enjoy the open road!

[@Number27]

Thank you chap, hope all good with you!

[@eze8970]

@@Number27 👍

[@RickCT2000]

You wrestled that gear box in a death match and you won. Well done!

[@Phiyedough]

Always good to find out why something failed. I was impressed with the Mk2 Astra as it has a tin cover you can remove from the bell housing and post in a new clutch without having to remove gearbox or engine.

[@malcolmhardwick4258]

That was a great Idea that one !

[@Number27]

WoW!! That would be fantastic!!

[@paulriggers1558]

@@Number27 yeah, they soon stopped that, later models had access hole deleted to stop home DIY taking profit from dealers.... average of 20 mins to renew clutch, no profit there.....

[@johnbeckett2624]

I think the Vauxhall Cavalier had much the same setup for replacing the clutch, good idea, I don't know why other manufactures didn't do the same !! cost I expect.

[@stuartd9741]

It was a good idea. Only if you had the clips to hold the pressure plate & friction plate together. Can't remember if the clips were a Vauxhall part or came with the clutch kit...

[@dominicwebb8000]

Jack great video once again. One trick I picked up over the years was to use an engine brace, you then use a racket strap to balance the gearbox almost into position. I’m not 100% sure the rear tub would take the loading but it’s worth a thought if you do another FWD gearbox.

[@Number27]

Interesting idea thanks!!

[@Ninakoklahombi]

Well done Jack! So happy to see the progress. All the best !

[@grayfool]

Well done. to quote the workshop manual "replacement is a reversal of removal"! Yeah, right. No problem then.

[@tonycamplin8607]

You're slowly getting there, well done.

[@bjmullan]

Fab that you got the gearbox, what a load of faf you needed to do!

[@eoinosullivan2636]

Awesome job Jack and great work on finding the cause of the issue, hugely satisfying!

[@Number27]

Thank you Eoin! Have a great weekend!

[@presstodelete1165]

The look of pure joy at the end!

[@1068andy]

Your a sucker for punishment Jack. Job done!

[@dan3092]

Nice one your hard work paid off a geo and sticky tyres ( Yoko Advans great value as good as any in the dry and Ok in the wet for a semi slick) you will have a different car take her to Cadwell !

[@erica1957]

Gotta' love it when a plan comes together.

[@mikejohnson599]

nice to see the great sense of satisfaction of a job well done

[@jensrasmussenjr]

A tip when tapping aluminium is to use pure alcohol as a cutting liquid. Makes the threads so much nicer and the risk of breaking the tap reduces.

[@XiraArien]

Never tap anything without lubricant

[@Matchlessdc30]

When I was on the tools at the MoD we always used paraffin as a coolant/cutting liquid when machining aluminium.

[@stuartd9741]

Would vodka work..🙂 Or my mate once had a bottle of 90% proof Jamaican rum I'm sure that was pure alcohol...,🤯

[@jensrasmussenjr]

@@stuartd9741 Non flavoured 120 proof vodka would work.

[@johnandrews3568]

Awesome Jack... loving your channel.

[@danielthomas8507]

How's ya back these days mate ?? lol we are about the same age and I still love doing the work but the old back complains more than it use too 😅 good job .....love the channel..

[@Number27]

Thank you Daniel and I also suffer from a bad back.. it’s a bit of a curse. Just have to work around it as much as possible! Thanks for watching!

[@michaelpegasiou4531]

Keep it up Jack you are becoming an expert on the lotus at this rate ❤️

[@dolfandon7124]

The rewards of hard work. If a mid engine car handles great, then the mind boggles over a mid engine Lotus!

[@nickb3968]

The S1's are the best looking of the series IMO....I didn't really care for the looks of the later gnerations. Great job Jack.

[@blowduke]

You have been under that car more times in a year ,I have on mine in 19 years ..well done .

[@howardscott7521]

When all else fails, read the instructions, lol. Glad to see it back together.

[@Jester-Riddle]

Alternatively: Read the Instruction to save all those alternative fails ... ??? 😂

[@kieranmz4614]

Glad you figured what caused it!! Funnily enough the clutch on my only car went out of the blue 2 days ago (doesn't disengage, pressure plate??)

[@KrisFLton]

💥 well done Sir. Love your content. I’ve just finished fighting my Caterham in the garage. Different problems, but totally know how you feel! Keep it up 👍

[@Number27]

Thanks Kris and good luck with yours!!

[@pjay3028]

That jack you used to support the gearbox at 9:06 looked like a knackered old one.

[@steffydog]

Wahoooo, Frankie is almost alive he he, well done you 🏁👍👏😊

[@Tasteslikepetrol]

Well done on your perseverance and finally getting it sorted. I really feel for you, it seems all of the issues were just bad work carried out by previous owners :(

[@cp4512]

Loving the Elise content! 😀👍

[@grahamtricker4103]

Plenty of oil needed when you cut a thread in any metal... 👍

[@jontheodore8450]

So funny see how your face gradually gets dirtier and dirtier as the day goes on, been there myself so many times with a gearbox on a garage floor there is always a great sense of relief when it all finally comes together and works, very satisfying..

[@Number27]

Cheers Jon!!

[@timothyivatts]

Well done for getting it sorted and working out what caused it

[@olivers.6420]

Great job Jack!!!!!!

[@TomEnduro]

This is why Arno needs to be our technical director on SELOC 😁

[@paulp96275]

Well done Jack perseverance won the day👍

[@filipwennergren2712]

Great work!!! Greetings from Sthlm Sweden.

[@Number27]

Big wave to Sweden 🇸🇪!! 👋

[@drew699]

So past cowboy mechanics were to blame! Pleased its sorted. With new tyres & geo you’ll be in nirvana with the Elise sorted! Look forward to seeing the upgrades. Enjoy.

[@stuartd9741]

Maybe. Perhaps the dowels weren't seen as critical in reassembly by previous mechanic. I've never realized until watching this video, that they play an important part...

[@Mikey-Moto]

Please create an in-depth video on how to do a full alignment/geo on the Elise!

[@Graham_Langley]

You might like to swap the rear fog and reversing light connections.

[@davidgray5583]

Are we guessing previous person who worked on it removed dowels as they could not get gearbox back in ?

[@henryleroux8768]

FROM SOUTH AFRICA ---- You do need two people --- You dont need two people...... IF EVERYTHING FAILS --- REED THE INSTRUCTIONS --- KEEP WELL JACK .

[@paulriggers1558]

well, that wasn't a bad performance for an old man, even if he buggered up the harness connectors on the clamshell.... in the trade, awkward jobs are referred to as "another one to cross off the fiddle [job] list, unfortunately, there are more crosses than ticks on my list these days. your make-up artist deserved an oscar for this episode....

[@paul123kenneth]

Well done ... you got there in the end

[@jamescunningham1774]

"Countless hours trying to do it the wrong way" only to eventually find it takes 10 minutes the right way sums up every single job I do on my old Alfa!🤣

[@andybakr]

Great job Jack, 😌

[@rickydub6950]

Congratulations man 🥳👏

[@philtowle4683]

I have seen something similar where a gearbox was changed and the dowels were in the old one but not the replacement. Whether they fell out or were in the original block who knows?

[@rhettcorcoran2879]

Really chuffed that you have fixed it.

[@BritishBoy1971]

Lovely job!

[@kuutti121]

Looks like rear lights are wired in the wrong way. Rear fog light lits up when reverse gear is engaged. Right in the end of the video.

[@simonroyle2806]

Interesting about the missing dowels that makes sense why the clutch plate fractured. I'm surprised you didn't attend to the clutch arm as they are renowned for jamming solid, there were comments about that in the last video. Hopefully it's not an issue!

[@Number27]

I did, I checked it and lubricated it, just don’t make the video cut!

[@simonroyle2806]

@@Number27 Great thats my tuppence worth! I had the arm seize on a freelander pg1 gearbox and it needed a sledge hammer to get it out.

[@thecraggrat]

I see you've found out the magic "read the instructions" lesson, this is usually followed by the read them again, 'coz you really didn't understand them the first time...this is then usually followed by some thrutching and swearing as you try them out again (especially on a Lotus), finding out that your hand/arms really can't go where you want them to! Next is the sitting staring at the parts and where they have to go, with the instructions, converting how it says to do it into how YOU can do it. The next try, the light goes on finally, as you are jigling it into position, maybe something subtle or obscure in the instructions suddenly makes sense etc. and the damn thing goes in with final curse and a relieved smile! Always happens, but more common with a Lotus.

[@Number27]

Ha!! Yes that’s exactly the way!

[@Jared_DaVinci]

Man I'd really love to buy your Lotus, I would really appreciate it

[@Joolz777]

Another cracking video boss..

[@Number27]

Thank you!!

[@jimamizzi1]

Another great video jack