QUESTION
Do you stock gaskets for my turbo-charged Esprit as I have oil leaks.
It looks as if I might need to take the cam boxes off the cylinder head to fix the oil leak.
R.C - Flinders Park, South Australia
ANSWER
From experience, one of the common problems with the Esprit engine can be an oil leak coming from either cam housing
Unfortunately this is not an easy quick fix as it involves removing the cam belt and housings
Great care needs to be taken with this exercise as the cam housing are fastened with hidden TORX screws bathed in engine oil
The TORX screw overall length is slightly too short and its easy to strip threads when re-installing the camshaft housings
There are no gaskets installed between the cylinder head and cam housing, instead Loctite 501 Sealant should be used sparingly
It is essential everything is spotlessly clean and Loctite S7471 Primer/cleaner is used prior to applying Loctite 501
This is not a difficult job but it is time consuming
If you do go ahead and have to remove the cam housings, then from experience its wise to crack test the cam followers (chilled cast iron)
Here is some additional information if its necessary to remove you cam housing to fix the oil leak
https://lotusmarques.com/parts/news/1467-torx-fastener-replacement
With regards to replacing the fasteners, I dont think it is wise reusing the Torx fasteners as eventually they will cause problems
In future, the cam housings will need to be removed to adjust the tappet clearance and shims will need to be change
Lotus Marques stocks a comprehensive range of gaskets for your Esprit engine and these can be purchased seperately.
Copyright © 2025 Lotus Marques
Do you stock gaskets for my turbo-charged Esprit as I have oil leaks.
It looks as if I might need to take the cam boxes off the cylinder head to fix the oil leak.
R.C - Flinders Park, South Australia
ANSWER
From experience, one of the common problems with the Esprit engine can be an oil leak coming from either cam housing
Unfortunately this is not an easy quick fix as it involves removing the cam belt and housings
Great care needs to be taken with this exercise as the cam housing are fastened with hidden TORX screws bathed in engine oil
The TORX screw overall length is slightly too short and its easy to strip threads when re-installing the camshaft housings
There are no gaskets installed between the cylinder head and cam housing, instead Loctite 501 Sealant should be used sparingly
It is essential everything is spotlessly clean and Loctite S7471 Primer/cleaner is used prior to applying Loctite 501
This is not a difficult job but it is time consuming
If you do go ahead and have to remove the cam housings, then from experience its wise to crack test the cam followers (chilled cast iron)
Here is some additional information if its necessary to remove you cam housing to fix the oil leak
https://lotusmarques.com/parts/news/1467-torx-fastener-replacement
With regards to replacing the fasteners, I dont think it is wise reusing the Torx fasteners as eventually they will cause problems
In future, the cam housings will need to be removed to adjust the tappet clearance and shims will need to be change
Lotus Marques stocks a comprehensive range of gaskets for your Esprit engine and these can be purchased seperately.
Copyright © 2025 Lotus Marques