Hello all
UPDATE
I have given up trying to start the car and have booked my Elan into a local garage specialising in classic cars. Hopefully they will manage to sort out the problem. It’s booked in for 03/11/25, so not too long to wait now. I’ll let you know the outcome.
Cheers
Tony
Hello ALL
FURTHER UPDATE
The local garage specialising in classic cars has just phoned me to say the car is ready!
So my 123 ignition (and indeed my original Lumenition ignition most likely) works just fine.
Am I a happy bunny!!!
Cheers
Tony
Whoot! Enjoy the drive back home 
Many thanks, Phil.
What does “Whoot” mean please ?
Cheers,
Tony
The term w00t (spelled with double-zero, “00”), or woot, is a slang interjection used to express happiness or excitement, usually used in online conversation.
Tony, might be good to let everyone know what the cause of all your issues was/were, so someone might benefit from your experience in the future.
So sorry Phil - in my excitement to be getting back my Elan I thought I’d already told you all the source of the problem…
…which was…
A BROKEN CAMSHAFT!!!
So I bought TWO (in case the other one was ready to brake, but also so that the two camshafts would be matching) new camshafts and the camshaft bearings (from S J Sportscars) and the garage fitted them. And it now runs.
That’s why I put “So my 123 ignition (and indeed my original Lumenition ignition most likely) works just fine.”
What caused the camshaft to break is a total mystery. See attached photo of the camshaft.
Cheers
Tony
wow…. you were lucky you didnt fubar the head/valves/pistons.
anyway happy motoring
Yes, I was VERY lucky to get away with it!
Tony,
Do you know if the garage checked and adjusted the valve clearances, or did they just drop in the new camshafts? It might be worth checking the clearances anyway after you’ve done a few miles.
Which camshaft broke, inlet or exhaust? There’s probably a reason (others more knowledgeable might comment) why it broke.
Mike
Hello Mike
Yes, they checked and adjusted the valve clearances - they had a set of suitable shims to do it with.
It was the inlet camshaft that broke - so not even the hotter one.
Cheers
Tony
The break location at the oil hole in the front bearing is where they break when you have excessive chain load. Normally its the exhaust cam that breaks as it sees more load than the inlet. I am amazed you did not bend any valves. Have you checked compression?
As to why it broke no clear answer that i can see. Maybe with the probe put into the cylinder to check piston position during all the timing attempts it clashed with the valves jamming them and this then overloaded the cam, I have seen that done before, Maybe just an old casting defect that took a long time to fail. Were the cams and springs standard lotus ?
cheers
Rohan
Thank you Rohan for your excellent incite.
It sounds like it was all my fault as initially I tightened the timing chain without taking the cam cover off, trying to get rid of a rattling noise. Still without taking the cam cover off I tightened it and tightened it until I could not tighten it any more. Each time between tightenings I took the car for a drive to see whether I had got rid of the rattling noise. Eventually I did the job properly, removing the cam cover, discovering that the timing chain was much too tight and therefore slackening off the chain accordingly.
When I took the cam cover off I was only concerned with getting the timing chain tension right. Perhaps had I looked I would have spotted a crack in the inlet cam!
I’m glad I had both camshafts replaced, as perhaps the exhaust cam was ready to brake too.
As far as I know the cams and springs standard Lotus, but of course I have no way of knowing, my Elan having passed through many hands before I bought it.
May I repeat my thanks Rohan.
Cheers
Tony
PS:- I don’t know why I put “incite” - I meant “information”
I think you should now change your username to Happy Bunny! 
Thanks The Veg.
Good idea !!!
