Aug 1, 2001 - 01:19 - From: Brian MDB Title: Rubber extrusions Message: Found the website for Walker Rubber who apparently make our Air Dam extrusion, the site has not been updated for a while but at least has some contact info'. http://www.walker-rubber.co.uk/
Aug 1, 2001 - 02:47 - From: Richard A Clifton Title: UK Meeting Message: It was certainly good to meet everyone last night. It's nice to know who you are talking to. Rod, you were still at the pub when I left at 10:45. You drove back to Nottingham and sat down to update your web site? Don't you sleep man?
Aug 1, 2001 - 14:05 - From: Rod Title: UK Meeting Message: only thing that gets in the way is my job Richard, had to be up at 5:30am and on the road ( sad to say not in the Elan ). The only reason I turned up last night, was because I might meet that tasty blond you bought last time we met.
Aug 1, 2001 - 14:35 - From: Richard A Clifton Title: Blondes Message: I didn't buy her although she is costing a fair bit!
Aug 1, 2001 - 15:25 - From: maggie Title: social meet Message: As an elder statesperson I am not sure I approve of the 'Blond person' in recent messages! Does she have a name, or am I being presumptuous that she is a she! Had a great time, anyone else interested should come along to the next 'do' Another female driver would be nice, apart from Mel that is, who is already part of the M100 chapter Will this be accepted as it is about M100 meets :)
Aug 1, 2001 - 17:38 - From: Rod Title: Blondes Message: She was the best looker at the Donington meet ( some would even dare to say better looking than the Elan's, but I didn't get a name or a phone number, "Dad" was starting early on being protective of his daughter - eh Richard ;-) I am going completely mad, I am sure there was nine cars, four down each side of the car park, and then the final red one turned up and parked in the middle ??
Aug 2, 2001 - 01:48 - From: Mike Title: Hardtop Message: I think you are probably right Rod, although Graham Robson, who was at Lotus, seemed to indicate that some were sold. I don't recall any such option making it onto the sales brochures. Maybe the moulds ended up at the Coys Auction during the '98 Silverstone Festival-you could check the auction list. Anyway, why would you want to repeat the mistakes made at Lotus-it was probably as badly designed as the soft top. It would be much better to start from scratch and follow the design principles applied in any number of common hardtops for such as MG, Mazda, Triumph where the cockpit is similarly shaped except for the steeply raked screen on the M100. It's easy to make both soft and hard tops to get a leakproof seal around the header rail by bringing the edge of the top over the rail and projecting down in front of the rail as in the MG design. There has been some local interest in such a simple project, but as in most things to do with the M100,the market is too small to make it worthwhile. However, it would be a nice little job for those long winter evenings.
Aug 2, 2001 - 02:04 - From: Mike Title: Air Dam Message: Those losing their air dam may want to try doing what I have been doing for some time as a replacement. Obtain door seal finger gasket which is a u-shaped rubber extrusion measuring about 3 cm. deep by 2 cm. wide. Cut off one side to give you an L-shaped section which is perfect. You can punch the seventeen holes for attachment using a quarter inch punch used by leather workers. The simplest attachment is speed nuts and self tappers which don't get in the way when you refit the stone tray. Incidentally, I partially remove the arch liners to make it easy to get at the attachments on the sides. To make a really perfect job I cut out three curved flat sections from polypropylene sheet, one eight inch thick, make holes corresponding with those in the rubber section and use these as backing pieces ,as in the original Lotus design on page 10.23A of the parts manual. Rubber finger gasket is about 2 pounds per metre ,you will need 2.1 metres, polypropylene sheet is dirt cheap, can be got for nothing as offcuts.
Aug 2, 2001 - 02:50 - From: Richard A Clifton Title: Blonde Message: Her name is Holly and she has been to the last three Donington shows with me in the Elan. The first time she was 18 months old and I had loads of women cooing around me because I was looking after a baby all on my own. It's not THAT difficult looking after a baby except this probably explains her current taste for beer and chips.
Aug 2, 2001 - 03:26 - From: Philbo Title: Babies and Elans Message: Well I couldn't come to the Tuesday meet because I had to participate in looking after a 3 month old! If I'd have known she could have come, I'd have given the wife the night off!
Aug 2, 2001 - 05:46 - From: Ian H Title: Rubber Skirt Message: Well, Just minute ago I got the rubber skirt I ordered. I actually ordered two because they were so cheap totaling £24.56 inc vat and carriage. They are 2.1 Metres long, L shaped rubber 40mm down and 24mm back (i.e the bit you attach to the car) and 2mm thick. It has not got any screw holes so this evening is measure the holes on the car, punch some holes through the rubber and screw it on. If you took these to the lotus show at Donington ready prepared you could make a killing. Thanks again to Richard for finding them.
Aug 2, 2001 - 06:00 - From: Richard A Clifton Title: Skirts Message: Ian. Is the profile EXACTLY the same as original or just a close match?
Aug 2, 2001 - 08:02 - From: Richard Steele Title: Re; Skirts Message: Richard - Walker Rubber are supposed to be the suppliers to Lotus and the one I've seen looks exactly the same minus the holes, I wonder who puts the holes in?
Aug 2, 2001 - 09:03 - From: Steve Title: Gear knob Message: Does anyone know how to remove the factory gear knob effectively without damaging anything?. I have just purchased a tasteful brushed alloy one which I would like to fit as the standard issue one is a bit worn.
Aug 2, 2001 - 09:07 - From: Ian H Title: Rubber Lip Message: Richard, I have not got my old one to compare it with and I can't remember what it looks like I will try and post a photo of the new one. As for the holes when I was at the Donington Show I nearly bought the rubber lip then, but this had no holes which I thought was strange, so I asked about it and was told that they put the holes in at the Lotus factory?
Aug 2, 2001 - 09:13 - From: Steve Title: Rubbers Message: If walker rubbers do a good spoiler replacement for a reasonable price, do you think they would a do a short run of seals for our m100 hoods at a reasonable cost?
Aug 2, 2001 - 10:10 - From: Jeremy Title: baby Message: As the father of a year old girl, I was amused to read yesterday that the sight of a man caring for a child is so engaging to women because of its novelty value. The article went on to compare us caring individuals to a monkey smoking a pipe! The cheek... Anyone up for the informal North west run on Saturday? See the BBS site.
Aug 2, 2001 - 13:11 - From: Steve W Title: Gear knob Message: Steve, To take the gear knob off, first push down the gaiter (it is only held up by a zip tie). Then use a small allen key to loosen the one or two grub screws, then unscrew the knob. Replace with Momo or equivalent, which will actually sit lower, and give much better feel.
Aug 2, 2001 - 16:13 - From: Tony V Title: LOG and Brakes and CAS Message: Couple things.... Has anyone DONE the Bill Luton Brake Conversion...the one fro about $1300 for the Font brakes...and if you have...please give your experiences...I have about had it with my fronts... Second....I am trying to decide which car to bring to LOG....we have a Red M100 going from Rochester and I am truing to decide to bring either the Elan or the Caterham...will probably depend on the weather forecast... Third...Dean...I have an old CAS Sensor I can bring along...do you want me to bring it...
Aug 2, 2001 - 20:22 - From: Dean Title: Tentative LOG21 Elan M100 Technical Session Agenda Message: Tentative agenda for the LOG21 M100 technical session: -- Hi how are you - introductions & what we want to accomplish -- Oh so that’s what that is - parts -- Hot topics - who what and where in the world of M100's -- If it ain't broke, don't fix it - Maintenance battery, brakes, fluids, filters wipers -- Sifters and windows and headlamps oh my - problems and issues -- Sweating the small stuff - other mysteries of the M100 Tony please bring the CAS. OH and by the way, since when does Tony "I need more power" need brakes? If anyone has any ideas for the technical session please feel free to send me an Email.
Aug 3, 2001 - 01:31 - From: Dave M. Title: brakes and LOG Message: Tony, I hope to have the brake conversion done soon. Just waiting on the parts. If the parts are here, I'll have it done for the LOG. You can drive and test them yourself. I'm pretty sure Richard has done the Wilwood conversion and I know Brian has. I don't think either was Bill's kit - very close though (different rotors and hats?). Dean, maybe some discussion about adjustment of the convertible top?
Aug 3, 2001 - 03:47 - From: Craig Title: Hood seals Message: I'm about the reacquire a 1990 Lotus Elan SE and as I live on the West Coast of Scotland I suspect the car's hood seals will need replaced, due in part to the wonderful dry climate we don't have here. The hood was replaced about 8 years ago (with seals??) and it's still in reasonable condition. However the seals are definitely past their best, particularly the ones on each side of the hood - forward section slightly worse than rear 'half'. I know Lotus charge a fortune for such items - any suggestions as to good sources elsewhere in the UK for these? Grateful for info on this. Next step - rear suspension replacement/upgrade to some galvanised parts...
Aug 3, 2001 - 05:31 - From: Paul P Title: Great car Terrible paint work Message: The recent sunny spell in the UK followed by yesterday's rain has had terrible consequences to the paintwork of my Elan. After driving home, the top layer of my boot lid, (gel coat/lacquer) and some over areas had filled up with water like huge blisters. This morning the blisters have dried but formed a white film on top of the paint work and are itching to be removed. It looks like dead skin. This is not a new problem for my car but never has it happened on such a large scale. It seems that the sun dries the gel coat and water then separates it form the base coat. My only hope now is a respay. Interestingly enough the paintwork underneath the gel coat is in good condition and the original unfaded bright red colour (most of my car is pink now). If there was a way of removing the gel coat and then re-applying, I think this would suffice. However, every dealer and spay shop I have asked insists that a total re-spray is the only solution. Anybody else had/having problems or am I just very unlucky? I am disgusted at the Lotus paint quality which spoils an otherwise fantastic car.
Aug 3, 2001 - 06:41 - From: Richard A Clifton Title: Knobs Message: Steve, Steve or anyone else. My pal Alistair is wanting to replace the incorrect gear knob which was on the car when he bought it, with the correct one. If you are thinking of changing, or have changed, your original knob to an after-market one, would you consider giving/selling your old one to Alistair?
Aug 3, 2001 - 06:43 - From: Richard A Clifton Title: Paint Message: Paul P. I have the same problem as you on my boot lid. It is the clear lacquer coat that you mean I hope rather than the gel coat. When I took my car to my body shop for them to look at, they said it made it a more difficult repair because they would have to strip off all the lacquer first rather than just flatting it off as they would never be able to hide the transition from bare paint to lacquer coat. Luckily, the lacquer coat comes off in sheets when a jet wash is played on it and anyway, it is not such a huge area to strip. The trouble with your car as you mention, is that being red, you won’t be able to just repaint the boot lid as the rest of the car will have faded.
Aug 3, 2001 - 07:30 - From: Ian H Title: Blisters Message: Paul, I had exactly the same thing happen to my car which is also a nice shade of pink. This is the only part of the car that lets it down. The blister on mine appeared on the rear wheel arch panel so it filled with water and because of the weight it pulled a lot of lacquer off which I have removed and resprayed with lacquer to stop it getting any worse. I am in desperate need of a respray, but I am concerned that the value will not increase in proportion with the cost, and have considered replacing the car. Obviously with another Elan, but i know how hard it is to find a good Elan, and i know the history of my car and the work that has been done.
Aug 3, 2001 - 07:36 - From: Philbo Title: BOV's and air filters Message: I've posted some details of a seemingly good source for BOV's with experience and free! fitting of same to Elans on the British Sports Cars page.
Aug 3, 2001 - 15:42 - From: maggie browne Title: blonds Message: Aka 'elder statesperson' Well I can bring a 21 year old blond if you like. The only problem is - she will want to drive your car - fast! Which is why she is not insured on the Elan!
Aug 3, 2001 - 18:14 - From: George Title: Paint work Message: Guys, I don't have a red one, thus, I don't have the blister problem (yet). Let's go back to the basic paint care. Just a suggestion though, don't know if it will work well. Get some low abrasive rubbing compound, take out the filmy peels (see, this is the part that we need a brave soul to try :-) ). After the rubbing compound cleaning, prep the paint with some "clay bar" we've talked about. Then get some of those "color wax," it will help the discoloration a little bit. After you have applied the color polish, follow with some good Maguire wax, then some type of paint sealant wax. Hope this will help.
Aug 3, 2001 - 22:33 - From: Mark Title: underhood maintenance Message: My first foray into working on the Elan is in process. I'm (attempting to) install Bill's short shift kit. so the left side of the engine compartment is opened up - removed the air cleaner and manifold intake pipe, radiator overflow tank, clutch cable and pushed back various wires ,etc. will replace the spark wires. Since the area is opened up, are there maintenance items that could be done in that area? car has 40,000 miles on it.
Aug 4, 2001 - 06:29 - From: Neil Title: Rear Calipers Message: Hi everyone, I got new rear disks & pads (Green stuff) fitted the other day to my 1990 Elan SE and I have been advised that the rear calipers need stripping down, cleaning and re-assembled. The reason for this is the self adjusting mechanism inside the caliper has almost seized and is not working correctly, basically when the handbrake is released the the lever at the back of the caliper should return to a stop position but it isn't. I have tried cleaning and oiling the spring on the outside to help the handbrake lever return to the stop position but it still won't. Has anyone attempted stripping the internals of the calipers?
Aug 4, 2001 - 07:39 - From: Bryn Title: Various Message: Mark, you could always have a crack at changing the gear oil whilst you are down there. Access is where speedo cable goes in to gearbox, good write up on this site. Craig, no easy fix on the seals i'm afraid, no aftermarket ones are available. Many people use silicon to patch and repair (check the archive, plenty of advice on which to use). Where are you in SW Scotland?, I'm in Ayrshire & don't see many Elans in these parts!
Aug 4, 2001 - 07:51 - From: Brian MDB Title: Paint, Rear brakes, Wilwood Brakes Message: Like so many other owners of red Elans, I had the blistering clearcoat prob's, the only solution worthy of the time and money is a respray by a shop with Lotus (Glass fibre) experience. I think it probably pays for itself if ever you come to sell the car. The pride in owning a sharp looking Elan is more difficult to quantify. Rear Brake overhaul is covered in the on-line maintenance section I believe. As mentioned earlier, I have fitted Wilwood Brakes to the front of my car, and I very satisfied with the results. I am able to brake much harder with plenty of feel right up to locking-up Paradas in the dry. Bill's kit uses similar parts to my installation except his slightly thinner rotors are a bit heavier but do not require machining of the Calipers (which voids any kind of warranty), these should work just as well as mine.
Aug 4, 2001 - 07:55 - From: Bryn Title: Greenstuff - bedding in Message: I ordered some of the new Greenstuff V4 formula and asked the supplier about the best way to bed in. They advised that the pads should be bedded in same as any other i.e. careful use for first 100 - 200 miles. I mentioned the 'powerstop' method of bedding in (as mentioned on this site somewhere), they confirmed that this was absolutely the worst possible thing to do and would result in overcooking the pads, carbonisation, very short life expectancy (pads and maybe driver!!) and lots of dust. As this is exactly the experience I had with my last Greenstuff after bedding them in hard, it seems to make sense. The guy even called up the Technical Director of EBC UK who confirmed that hard bedding in would destroy the pads and the correct procedure was gentle bedding in. Anyway, worth noting if you are getting some Greenstuff. Also, if you are just about to buy, check that you are getting the new V4 formula which has higher copper content, runs cooler and less dust. There is also going to be a new Redstuff compound next year which heats up quicker and is therefore more suited for road use as well as track day use. I have just ordered V4 Greens from Colin at Powerstop, whom I would recommend, tel 01608 646837 cost £34 inc. Vat & UK delivery.
Aug 4, 2001 - 08:01 - From: Bryn Title: Castor Adjustment Message: Bits of a long shot, but has anyone taken their front suspension apart at the top wishbone joint (i.e. to adjust castor setting) and noted how many castor adjustment shims there are in total? the Lotus service notes says there must always be 8 (which are moved in board or outboard to adjust castor), but mine has 6. A mistake in the service notes maybe, or a mistake at the factory? Can anyone confirm if they have 8 or 6.
Aug 4, 2001 - 09:45 - From: John Title: first trouble: windscreen cracked Message: Finally found the S2 I was looking for. It's a 1996 BRG. Been using it was a couple of weeks now. Picked it up the other day and noticed a crack in the windscreen, about 30cm, right in the middle, from the top down. A) I hit a stone on the motorway (lots of trucks going up and down all the time in this part of the world) or B) the windscreen cracked under the pressure of its frame. Had it been a stone, I reckon I should see where it hit, right? Any similar unlucky experience anyone?
Aug 4, 2001 - 12:27 - From: Doug Title: EBC pads Message: Bryn, your advice is good for the break-in--I went from the advice of my mechanic who is a racer and has years of experience with the EBC pads! I did the power break-in and posted the method (I should add yours as well). I have had my EBC pads and rotors 1 1/2 years now and I am amazed at how slowly the pads are wearing!! There is virtually NO dust at all from them too! The rotors are still exceedingly smooth with no grooving at all! I noticed when dealing with the blown CV boot that the front pads are wearing unevenly from front to back--this is due to the lame single-piston floating-caliper design which I'm sure has uneven pressures across the pads. I feel this uneven wear has made the pads tilt which makes you use more force to apply the brakes as they are tilting. Thus I am going to replace them and clean up the calipers and install new caliper slider pins ($10 from Lotus) to get them back in tune. I will post the results when I do it and quantify the wear by measuring the new thickness with my current pads' thickness!
Aug 4, 2001 - 15:12 - From: charlie Title: windshield/screen Message: yeah mine got hit right smack in the center, just a tiny chip, within hours it was a split, within days it was a giant upside down M shape, the windshield takes part of the structural support of the car so it twists and bends causing it to crack down, then left and right and finally back up the other sides, probably making a 90o 8 eventually, better to get it fixed before it gets to that, replacement in the US is around $500 + $100-$250 for fitting and seals.
Aug 4, 2001 - 17:13 - From: john Title: windscreen crack Message: thanks charlie. most likely i hit a stone, but the windscreen cracked the next day when i picked up the car in my courtyard. price of the repair is not a problem for me, luckily enough, insurance will pay for it :-)
Aug 4, 2001 - 17:35 - From: Bryn Title: EBC Pads Message: Doug, my experience with the EBC pads was not so good and I was considering not getting them again. They only lasted about 1,500 road miles plus a few track evenings and were down to 1 - 2mm. I also managed to warp a new set of ATE disks with them and they always kicked out a shocking amount of dust. I am hoping that the gentle run in will work better this time. I am told EBC have changed the compound a few times, maybe we are running with different compounds so have got a different result. Indecently, as an emergency measure I had to go and buy some standard pads to get me on my last track event (poor planning on my part, only checked my pads the night before), the Ferodo pads only lasted about one lap before fading big time, almost ended up in the boot of a TVR!! (don't go round corners those), after that, serious vibration and fade meant I could only get a couple of laps in on each session - lesson learnt!
Aug 4, 2001 - 19:43 - From: Matt Pritchard Title: The dreaded oil changes! Message: Just thought I'd let you all know that I've just completed a full engine and transmission oil change with no problems whatsoever. To put it in context - I have absolutely no mechanical training or knowledge, just a desire to save money where possible. Tip 1... in addition to all the other suggested kit for doing both oil changes, by far the most useful is a helper with skinny arms! For this job, I enlisted the help of my younger brother (20 yrs) - I knew he had a use for something! Jacked up the right wheel, using the car's standard jack. Took the wheel off got helper to reach in and release the oil filter. No problems, came off without the need for extra tools and too much swearing. removed the sump drain plug and let the goo flow out. Put the new filter back on, plug back in and topped up with fully synthetic 5W 40 oil. Replaced wheel, lowered to ground. Job 2... The transmission oil - a slightly more involving job, but not quite as bad as I had anticipated. First I needed to remove the coolant tank to give me access to the speedo gear bit! Drained the coolant out using the old 'suck the stuff out with a hose' method. Removed the top and bottom hoses and plugged the bottom with some rag to stop fluid leaking everywhere. Removed the jubilee clips for the air hose thingy (told you I'm not mechanical) and then took a while finding the damn bolt that we had to undo. After reviewing the suggested makeshift tool for extracting said bolt, I concluded there had to be a better option. This is what worked for me. - 10mm socket mounted onto a 1/2 inch to 1/4 inch socket converter, then attached to a universal joint to give me the angle needed, with 2 extension bars added for the length, finished off with a standard wrench. Worked first time - one person holding the socket on the bolt, the other loosening. Withdrew the bolt and retaining plate (NOTE - DO NOT DROP EITHER OF THESE - during removal or refitting. they fall onto an area of the chassis/suspension setup that is absolutely impossible to see or access - it took me about an hour to eventually retrieve the little retaining plate when it got dropped from oily fingers during refit). Jacked up the left side, removed the wheel, allowing us access to the drain plug. Turns out the drain plug was as good as seized on! Tried WD40 (penetrating oil), tapping the wrench with a hammer and eventually got it to shift by attaching a makeshift extension bar. One person holding the socket in place, the other doing the pushing down. BE AWARE - the oil comes out at a hell of a rate, straight into your helpers face! Sorry bro! Drained the lot, put the plug back in (using a torque wrench set to 29 ft/lbs) then using the acquired 3ft hose gradually filled her up with clean stuff. Put her all back together (give or take the dropping of the retaining plate incident) and took her for a spin. Slick gear changes and smooth running. Many thanks to the writer of the original 'Changing Your Transaxle Oil' article and I hope this may help and encourage others to try it for themselves. Matt
Aug 4, 2001 - 20:18 - From: Craig Title: Hood seals/various Message: Bryn, Thanks for the bad news re seals - will have to resort to sealants like when I last had it (96-98) - & I've just seen other messages on the same topic - will look a bit more before asking next time.. I'm in what is currently known as South Lanarkshire - land of roundabouts & a few interesting roads. Elan reappears early Sep from the wilds of Kent - red (not pink yet) 1990 SE with what appears to be 2 passenger seats (judging by the position of the protector plates at the back of the seats - driver's one is on the wrong side to be of any use). Out of curiosity is this a common occurrence or have I got a unique specimen here? Brother in law has a normal Elan.. Any thoughts on L&F in Glasgow re maintenance these days?
Aug 5, 2001 - 06:11 - From: Bryn Title: Various Message: Craig, I have only had cause to get one 'A' service so far and used a local garage for this, whilst I stood over them and handed them the parts which I supplied (call me paranoid!) everything else I have done myself. I got service prices from Murrays in Edinburgh but decided I could not justify their £250 (A) £350 (B) £450 (C) & 'big' service £950, just to get that Lotus stamp. Have not come across L & F, let me know if you would recommend.
Aug 5, 2001 - 09:03 - From: Craig Title: L&F/West of Scotland Message: Bryn, Used Lorimer & Findlay in Glasgow while I had the Elan 96-98 - this took it from 17000 to about 34000 miles I think. Found them to be OK - they service a few Elans around the Gla area (though main business appears to be more BM, Porsche, etc.) I was curious to see who else used them. They did the timing belt, several services, many hood related activities, before I discovered sealants & interestingly suggested new seals don't necessarily cure leaks.. They also maintain my brother-in-law's 91 Elan (which he's just discovered has a cat-much to my amusement!) and seem to be fine-recently did his rear suspension to S2 galvanised bits though I think there was a problem with getting rear brake parts - had to recondition (rear calipers?). They also found a problem getting a rheostat for the instrument panel from Lotus-any ideas on that one? Talked to Murrays a long time ago but we didn't get along-used to have a Gla garage that quoted 5-6 weeks on exhaust parts-got one from local aftermarket place in 3 days. Like you also didn't like prices much. Think L&F were about 100-ish for 6k service, 240 for 12k, etc. - if of interest I'll check thru the big folder with the car when I get it-roll on Sep. How often do you get suspension alignment checked?
Aug 6, 2001 - 03:46 - From: jeremy Title: saturday blast Message: Many thanks to Richard and Adrian for organising a great fun lotus blast around the northwest this weekend. A good route, well organised and the opportunity to meet a great bunch of enthusiasts. The trouble with 9 or 10 top cars in a row like that is that you end up watching the cars instead of the road. Didnt that old elan go! Sorry I couldnt stop after for drinks but the couple of hours home needed starting. Cheers
Aug 7, 2001 - 00:21 - From: Doc Fizzix Title: Cleaning the garage Message: Ok boys, I know you probably hate this type of advertising but I am going to do it, I have been Cleaning out the garage and decided to put a "BUNCH" of items up for sale to clean things up. All Items are a deal! Here is my ebay link so you can see if there is anything you might want. Thanks for Helping make room in my garage. link: http://cgi6.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?MfcISAPICommand=ViewListedItems&userid=physics101&include=0&since=30&sort=2&rows=50
Aug 7, 2001 - 01:00 - From: Doug Title: EVO article, etc Message: Anyone want to scan the EVO article and perhaps get it to a "pdf" file for adding to the site?? Anyone got any new pictures or advice/reviews/experience to add to the site?
Aug 7, 2001 - 01:09 - From: Mark Title: superchip Message: I managed to hook up with one of the early owners of my car. He ran a lotus dealership in Illinois and drove several Elans. He remembered installing a superchip in one. Where would I look to see if the car has the chip installed?
Aug 7, 2001 - 01:12 - From: Mark Title: re:EVO article Message: I can get the article into a pdf if someone mails it to me - don't know what EVO is
Aug 7, 2001 - 02:47 - From: Richard Steele Title: Pink Cars and Seals Message: Do the Calypso Red cars look pink because the lacquer gloss coat has gone opaque or has the paint actually changed colour?? Is the problem associated with the ICI "clear over base" (VIN L6100 > M8109) or the DuPont paint (From VIN M8110)?? Is the gloss coat lifting associated with any batch of cars or is the distribution widespread?? I have a Monacco White that has gone slightly vanilla on the rear wings and boot - is this the gloss coat clouding? Craig - have you tried silicone grease on the seals?
Aug 7, 2001 - 02:50 - From: Richard Steele Title: Clay Bar Message: I bought some clay bar from Hafords on Saturday for 3.33 UKP (despite the staff not knowing what it was). Halfords call it "Surface Cleansing Bar" and its 300gms in weight and made in Japan. I haven't used it yet but does anyone know what it's made from and how aggressive it is?, it states on the front "Ultra mild abrasive action".
Aug 7, 2001 - 04:06 - From: Bryn Title: Wheel Alignment Message: Craig, thanks for that info, i had asked the Club Lotus regional organiser to recommend a garage, they drew a blank. Alignment - bit of a sore point that, I had mine done at a reputable garage in Ayr, who claims they could not get the rear into the Lotus tolerance (ran out of adjustment) and left it 1.5mm out. Not happy with this I finally found someone with the full computerised laser set up (rather than the lasers you just hook over the tyres). They did the job and found the track to be a staggering 7mm shorter on one side than the other due to the previous company adjusting it totally backwards! For anyone in central Scotand I would recommend John at Pro-Grip, Bonnybridge 01324 810111 to do the proper front and rear toe, camber and castor for £40 plus VAT (which is same as I paid for previous shoddy job). Learning from this is for anyone having alignment done, do check the company has the full computerised set up, you will know if you ask if they can give you a print out of before and after settings and are able to do the castor and camber too. Anyone with the lesser kit will not be able to do this. Oh yeah, if you are getting camber adjusted the garage will not be able to do this without having the appropriate camber shims from Lotus (unless you have a very early Elan which has a diff set up), however if the garage tell you what the camber setting is, you can work out the shims you need and fit them yourself, details are in the on line service manual. I have just done this and also the castor adjustment, if anyone needs guidance on this, drop me an email.
Aug 7, 2001 - 04:10 - From: Gordon Title: Cam Belt/Insurance Message: Does anybody know of an 'official' recommended mileage limit for when the cam belt should be changed? I know the service guide states 60 months, but I wondered if there was a mileage recommendation as well. Also, any insurance related nuggets of information this month would be very much appreciated, as its renewal time for me, and being 23 with 1 years no claims, another £1700 year is gonna hurt.. Many thanks - Gordon.
Aug 7, 2001 - 04:13 - From: Glen Title: Clay Message: I have no idea what its made of, but I've used some clay that I got from race glaze (a uk mail order company). Mine was supplied with some lubricant and when used properly, its really not abrasive at all, but does a very good job of cleaning the paint ready for polishing. Try http://www.meguiars.com for a little more information about clay.
Aug 7, 2001 - 06:00 - From: Steve T Title: insurance Message: Gordon, Try tesco insurance ive just turned 23 I purchased my elan though when I was 22 (2 months ago) I paid £1300 pounds and I had no no claims, so they should sort you out a treat!
Aug 7, 2001 - 07:08 - From: Richard Steele Title: Cam Belt Message: Gordon, I have never been able "to get my head" round this one, the UK service notes state renewal of cam belt at 5 years or 60,000 miles whichever comes first. The US service notes only state 60,000 miles and no time limit. What difference does being in the UK make except for extra work, as far as the belts used they are the same part number? Is the rest of Europe the same as the UK or the US?
Aug 7, 2001 - 07:17 - From: Richard Steele Title: Re: Clay Message: Glen, What did you pay for the Meguiars clay?, the Halfords uses water as the lubricant.
Aug 7, 2001 - 07:51 - From: Glen Title: Clay Message: I didn't buy meguiars clay, I bought it from the race glaze people I mentioned. I can't remember how much it was. However, meguairs now sell in the uk and their uk website (unsurprisingly www.meguiars.co.uk) lists their clay at 11.99. While we're on the subject, I found both these companies because I was trying to find a uk stockist of a carnuba wax based polish. I eventually bought some from the race glaze people and its the best polish I've ever used.
Aug 7, 2001 - 08:25 - From: Russ Title: MBC's Message: Does anyone have the details to hand for the spring and ball bearing MBC available in the states for shipping to UK that was discussed last month (archive not available yet) TIA
Aug 7, 2001 - 09:16 - From: Dan Title: Gear Oil Change Message: Mark - I concur that this would be a good time to change the gear oil and also flush the cooling system (and clean the old crud from the overflow reservoir). In removing the speedo cable from the gearbox, it is not necessary to remove the bolt and retaining plate -- just carefully loosen it and rotate the plate out of the way (leave bolt in gearbox); this avoids the drama associated with dropping the parts into the gearbox or into the inaccessible places behind the engine. I'd also recommend replacing the cable until you are ready to add the new gear oil in order to keep any foreign matter (and parts) from dropping into the gearbox. If you do the cooling system, multiple flushes with distilled water and the final addition of Redline Water Wetter are recommended.
Aug 7, 2001 - 10:09 - From: Bryn Title: joe P boost controller Message: Russ, one of the ones discussed and praised was the Joe P boost controller, which you will find at www.boostcontroller.com. I have ordered one for UK delivery, total cost with shipping was £47. You can order and pay on line. Can't comment on it's effectiveness as not arrived yet, due any day. I will post a review as soon as fitted & tested.
Aug 7, 2001 - 11:23 - From: Steve T Title: WHIRRRRR Message: My elan is running good (touch wood), I've only had it two months so i'm still getting used to it. However there is a whirring noise that seems to come from the front of the car and it is most apparent 40-50mph, I don't think its the engine or gearbox, could it be the wheel bearings? anybody any ideas?
Aug 7, 2001 - 11:56 - From: Russ Title: MBC's Message: Thanks Bryn that's what I was looking for
Aug 7, 2001 - 12:11 - From: Edward Title: Shift cable problem Message: Well, it finally happened -- after much anticipation...I think my shift cable needs replacement. While driving to the Exotic Car gathering last week, I found I couldn't shift into 4th gear anymore. All other gears worked OK. Yesterday I took the car into Symbolic Motors and checked on the availability of shift cables. They have two versions, depending on your VIN number. When I find out for sure, I will post another message. Doug, how was Oshkosh? For suggestions, how difficult would it be to convert to a different message format. I like the one used in various other message boards. Look at www.i-club.com and tell what you think.
Aug 7, 2001 - 12:42 - From: Richard A Clifton Title: www.i-club.com Message: Doug, I vote to stick with this format. The one at www.i-club.com is too complicated for my brain (I do have one. I had it scanned yesterday and saw the pictures. Perfectly normal they said - and I now have it in writing)
Aug 7, 2001 - 13:12 - From: Philbo Title: BBR boost levels Message: Anyone else out there with the BBR kit installed? Reason I am asking is because I am interested in the level of boost you now get with it, obviously before the fitting the boost maxed out at .65, but now it maxes out at .75 at most, which doesn't seem like a huge jump to me. I had the kit fitted 4 years ago, to be honest I'm sure it did make a difference but not a night and day one. I spoke to the dealer who installed it again today and he reckons it should now produce about 210bhp, I'm not sure I'm really seeing that 25% increase. I might consider installing the MBC to compensate... Anyway if anyone can confirm the max boost level of the BBR kit I'd appreciate it.
Aug 7, 2001 - 14:19 - From: Rod Title: BBR Boost Levels Message: I assume you are guessing you have about 0.75 from the boost gauge in the car ? I think to get anywhere near 200bhp at the wheels would need more than an MBC or BBR conversion. Perhaps you need a decent gauge and/or rolling road test. I also think the BBR conversion is the best available and better than an MBC. Although obviously the BBR is slightly more expensive than an MBC.
Aug 7, 2001 - 14:27 - From: Rod Title: Message Board Format Message: Hmm, that i-club looked a tad complicated to me to. However I do think this message board does get cluttered with things not applicable to everyone. I am sure we have readers who are maybe only interested in the social side and these type of posts can get swamped by the technical talk. I think a message board with a FEW sections ( eg Social/Meets, Engine/Transmission, Brakes/Wheels/Tyres ) would make for better reading and things would not get lost so easily. Here is an example http://www.exiges.com/ although even that needs less sections. Don't get me wrong, this board has been going for a long while and is very successful, with the hard work Doug puts in to archive it and produce write ups from our information.
Aug 7, 2001 - 16:08 - From: Steve P Title: BBR Boost & Norway Message: Hi Guys, Just back from Norway after a terrific holiday in the Fjord region. What roads!….You have to see them to believe it, sea level up to a glacier and down again through hairpin bends climbing 6000ft and then dropping down again through some of the most spectacular scenery I’ve ever seen. Some of the mountain tunnels are 4 miles long! To cap it all Norway has a population of just 4.4 million (half the population of London) in a country with the largest surface area in Europe! Highly recommended even though there is a 50mph speed limit. However, I didn’t see a camera or police car for two weeks…wonderful ;-)______On the BBR question, yes I know I was/am anti their system, and yes Doug was right, I didn’t keep the boost low for long, but, it does deliver the goods performance wise. It gives significantly more performance than just an MBC. I ran a standard MBC system and then the BBR, and it’s as different as chalk and cheese. You can run right up to the cut off 0.94bar without the ECU spoiling your fun. Initially I ran the Elan with just the smallest BBR restrictor inserted and no MAP limiter. The performance was noticeably better than standard, I saw 0.7-0.8 on the gauge but, the car was prone to engine cut-out after a long straight and maximum throttle (on the track). I was even conscious not to have the car at full throttle on the road. Curiosity got the better of me, so one sunny Sunday I soldered in the MAP limiter and inserted the next size up of restrictor (0.8mm) into the wastegate line…… Bammm, blistering performance putting the car in a different league. As an example I would never have attempted to follow a 5.0L TVR, however now coming out of a corner I can pretty well stay with one give or take a couple of car lengths by the end of the straight. What the long-term implications are for my engine I don’t know for sure (I don’t thrash the car often, it’s too good), but with Bill’s blow off pipe and HKS valve it makes a wicked little performance package. The BBR kit is a rip-off if you take its contents in isolation but it does work and makes the Elan one hell of a lot of fun ;-) I’ll eat my words when the cylinder head pops through the bonnet……!
Aug 7, 2001 - 16:57 - From: Doug Title: MB, BBR, MBC Message: Guys, I like the idea of a "social" MB and a "Technical" one--any dissenters? Will be twice the maintenance, but then we can read more specific info! Philbo, the BBR costs the mutts nuts for a few simple pieces! Read our discussion of MBC, boost max, boost creep, and BBR all which have been discussed in the past! Be sure to understand how the boost system works, as I don't think I would recommend the BBR AND the MBC. I have steady boost up to whatever max I set with the MBC and the boost control freq valve disconnected, so the MBC is acting alone. Steve, I knew you would not last at low increased boost--haha. I don't know about disabling the MAP sensor as you can then theoretically increase boost until the engine somehow breaks!!!!!! You should get an electronic boost controller and dyno the car and check the air/fuel ratio to do all the boost right at high levels. I will try to do a dyno soon so we can see the HP of the boost increase and see if there is a plateau. There does not feel like one at least up to about 6500RPM, but you can tell when the duty cycle of the injectors is maxed out when the HP plateaus at increased boost--then it is time to up the fuel delivery so you don't go lean and blow the engine!! Ed, you should talk to Harry at Lotus of Orange County ( www.lotusofoc.com ) as he is versed in the gear cable fix and change to Isuzu if you want! Perhaps you can talk them into the Orange Exige as a 'loaner' car?!!
Aug 7, 2001 - 17:10 - From: Bryn Title: Shift cables Message: Edward, do check that they really are broken and not just in need of a twist & re-lock of the cable adjuster. I say this because my cable 'broke' months ago after a rather enthusiastic change, losing 1st, 3rd & 5th. The inner cable can slip which effectively lengthens the cable so you can not select the gears, to fix you just twist the plastic adjuster, push the inner cable back in and re-lock the adjuster. If you really have snapped a cable (easy to tell as if the cable has just slipped, you will still see some movement at the gearbox end when you move the gear lever), you more than likely have the earlier cables with the black plastic adjusters, later ones have metal lock nut adjusters and not likely to fail.
Aug 7, 2001 - 17:38 - From: Philbo Title: BBR again Message: Steve P, wow what you just said what whistling straight over my head. My dealer installed the BBR kit, I've not touched it since. I don't even know *what* the kit entails (hangs head in shame). All I can say is that I had it done 4 years ago when it seemed like the only option! You are right, I was judging the boost based on the gauge. If there is any way to get it up to the .95 max of the Elan, I'd be very interested to find out! Especially if the difference is as you say it is...that sounds like a lot of fun! Another note...I installed a UK sourced piston type BOV over the weekend...took some pictures so see www.zen.co.uk/informatica/elan if anyone's interested.
Aug 7, 2001 - 21:16 - From: Doug Title: Philbo's BOV Message: Nice job, Philbo! I will link your page to the bypass write-up. That kit looks nice and the price is much nicer than the HKS with replacement metal pipe!! How about running your little vacuum line threaded more out of the way over the injectors than on top of the hot cam cover?--this is how mine is and has been fine there. Can you confirm the inner diameter of the large metal T-piece is equal to the outlet of the through-the-fender pipe? so there is not a restriction?
Aug 7, 2001 - 21:27 - From: Mark Title: shift cables Message: I'm in the middle of swapping in a short shift kit and have the cables out. They are the old style with the plastic adjusters. One is gone - the cable didn't break but there is a metal protective sleeve which pulled out from the adjuster and can't be reattached. I just ordered the Isuzu cables today which have the metal hardware instead of plastic. Cost about $60 apiece. there is a good write-up on the site for installing the Isuzus.
Aug 8, 2001 - 03:07 - From: Steve P Title: Philbo Boost Message: Philbo, it sounds as if you probably have you BBR kit installed with the smallest restrictor. To set the system up properly you need to fit an accurate boost gauge and measure the maximum boost. With the BBR it should be 0.94bar, which the fuel system is mapped to. This should be easy for a good dealer to check! If it's set too low you will need a restrictor with a larger hole size.
Aug 8, 2001 - 03:39 - From: Ben Title: alarm door actuator and RPM monitor Message: Hi guys - I'm finally spending some time with the car now. I bought a Clifford alarm and been looking for a slim actuator small enough to fit inside the door so the door lock/unlock can be operated through the remote. Also my installer advised me to replace the boot latch/locking mechanism if I want to use the remote trunk release - he couldn't find both that would fit. Anyone had experienced the same thing? Another feature of the alarm is this "BlacJax" (I still yet to decide if I want to enable it) which monitors the RPM through coil/TACH and will shuts it off in the event of carjack. The alarm has a negative(-) wire that wants to sense the RPM through negative pulse from the coil/tach, but according to Lotus dealer the coil only has positive pulse so it's not working (at least that's what my installer said) - any alternative to where this negative wire from the alarm can sense the car's RPM. Btw, I installed my MBC (Joe-P brand) last weekend and I definitely had fun installing/testing it since that was my first hands-on project on the car (thanks Matt for the info) - max boost is currently set to about .75 on the stock gauge until I fit it with bypass valve.
Aug 8, 2001 - 03:41 - From: Philbo Title: BBR & BOV once more Message: Hi Doug, thanks for the tip, I will re-route the tube...also I can confirm the metal T-piece is exactly 2 inches wide, which is exactly the same as the metal pipe that goes into the wheel arch, so it shouldn't constrict anything. Steve P, yep, I definitely am not maxed out on the current BBR setup. Now, I just need to find a decent dealer to do what you say and release the restrictor...
Aug 8, 2001 - 06:00 - From: Ian H Title: Clifford remote locking Message: Ben, I have a Clifford Alarm fitted on my car that remotely locks/unlocks the doors. I can have a look at mine if you like. Although I am not sure what an actuator looks like or actually does to be honest.
Aug 8, 2001 - 09:21 - From: Phil Johnson Title: Door remote locking Message: Ben, do you need actuators for the door locking as there are already actuators in there to enable the central door locking. The central door locking works from micro switches in the door. These make a loop from earth/ground -ve to the central door locking module so that if the circuit is broken, ie one of the switches is opened by locking the door, it activates the CDL motors to lock both the doors. Likewise, when the circuit is closed (door unlocked, microswitch closed) the CDL motors are reversed to unlock the doors. Do not interrupt the CDL motor circuit though as this will blow the CDL module fuse. The instructions on how to modify the circuit for the standard alarm are shown in the electrical manual that is online. I adapted this to get my Microscan alarm to operate the CDL. Hope this helps.
Aug 8, 2001 - 09:39 - From: Paul P Title: Red Paintwork. Message: Glad to hear that I am not the only owner with flaking lacquer. I spent part of the weekend removing all the lacquer from my boot lid - it was easy, I placed a wet towel on the lid overnight and scraped off the lifted lacquer with a rubber scraper. I followed this with a good polishing and now the lid looks as good as new, without any unsightly white blisters. I firmly believe that it is a clouding of the lacquer that gives the pink appearance since my lid looks as fresh and bright as parts of the bodywork that have never seen direct sunlight. Has anyone gone for a complete re-spray yet? I have a quote from London Lotus for £2,500 (incl. VAT). When I was getting the quote there was a BRG one in for re-spray, if the owner is reading this please could you let me know what sort of a job London Lotus did?
Aug 8, 2001 - 09:49 - From: Dave M. Title: boost control freq. valve Message: Doug, or anyone else who has disconnected this, I was going to unplug this tonight, but couldn't get to the July (?)archive to find the description of what it looks like. Couldn't find it in a quick search of the online manual, either. I seem to remember it is behind the airbox but what color wires or plug to look for? Can you see it in any of the pictures of the blow-off valves? (Lots of pictures of that general area)
Aug 8, 2001 - 11:15 - From: Rod Title: Shift Cables - Mark Message: I assume you realise you need a different bracket for Bills shift kit, if you are going to use Isuzu cables. Bill has three types of bracket - Lotus S1 Cables, Isuzu Cables, Lotus S2 Cables.
Aug 8, 2001 - 11:24 - From: Rod Title: Boost Control Freq thing Message: If you mean disconnect the thing Doug mentioned in July, its right behind the air box ( mine is removed so you can see it straight away ), mine had a couple of wires running from it, for about 2", then a connector. So it was easy just to unplug it at that point. Confess I was not brave enough to leave it unconnected.
Aug 8, 2001 - 11:32 - From: Rod Title: Rear Brakes Message: Sad to say my car just failed its MOT :-( Good news it was only on one item, Bad news is that its a rear brake. I guess the caliper is not playing ball. Now who was it that just overhauled their braking system themselves ( July archive is still undergoing Doug's spell checker ). I am interested in places for rear calipers ( classic brakes / SJSports cars ? ), and if you can strip them down yourself and get replacement seals ? Oh, for info they recorded brake force as follows, NSR 40, OSR 160, NSF 230, OSF 320 ( wonder if that was an error ? ) Handbrake NSR 400, OSR 140
Aug 8, 2001 - 11:35 - From: Philbo Title: Dyno tests Message: Lucky me, just down the road from where I live there is a very good outfit who specialise in turbo engine performance tuning and dyno testing, rates are very good too and there's even someone there who knows the Elan. Got my Elan booked in for a Dyno test on rolling road next week. I'm interested in finding out about the power levels I've got and would like to see what difference the BBR kit makes. Is it relatively easy to temporarily disable the BBR mod? If so, can anyone give me pointers on how to do this? If anyone has the fitting instructions they could fax/scan/email to me that would be brilliant as well. Also I will try the stock air filter vs the K&N drop-in replacement. Once I've got my sports exhaust fitted I'll check that out as well. Obviously once I've got the power curves I'll post them up somewhere for reference.
Aug 8, 2001 - 12:33 - From: Gordon Title: Urgent advice needed! Message: Help!! I've put my S2 into Stratton Motor Company for an 'A' service and an M.O.T. Just got a call saying its failed the MOT on the grounds that ALL 9 brake pipes have corroded to such a degree that all need to be replaced! Bearing in mind the car is only 6 years old, is this normal?! Do the pipes have any sort of protective coating, or are they just mild steel as the dealer states? They've quoted me £430 to replace, is this a realistic price (i.e 8 hours labour)? Any information regarding related experiences would be very much appreciated. With a failed MOT, the dealer is waiting on my word to replace them. I'm afraid I can't comment on the vehicles past (i've only had it a year) but what sort of environment would cause such corrosion? Anyone dealt with Stratton before, and are they the sort to take me for a ride? Thanks in advance for your comments..Gordon.
Aug 8, 2001 - 12:50 - From: Steve P Title: Pipes Message: Unless you've had your car parked on the beach for the last 6 years, it sounds very odd! Me thinks they probably want to take you for a ride, but not the kind you normally enjoy in your Elan :-) I'd drive the car to another MOT test station and probably save yourself a few hundred quid.
Aug 8, 2001 - 13:09 - From: Rod Title: Dyno Tests Message: Where ( roughly ) in the country are you Phil, perhaps we could get a few cars together and maybe try for a discount ?
Aug 8, 2001 - 13:12 - From: Philbo Title: Dyno tests Message: The company I'm going to is based in Dorking, Surrey. They have a rolling road, the "latest" gear and very high power fans to blow over the car during testing to keep things cool and give airflow to the system. The guy who set up this tuning shop used to race TVR Tuscans (brave man!) I'm booked in next Thursday at 9.30.
Aug 8, 2001 - 13:16 - From: Rod Title: Pipes Message: Mines a 1991 car with 63k miles, never had pipes replaced, and I was poking around under the car today while it had its MOT and they look ok to me. Mine has been garaged a far bit and the last 5 years not driven through the winter though. Has yours got the Dynol treatment book fully stamped up Gordon ( mine has ) ?
Aug 8, 2001 - 15:22 - From: Gordon Title: Dynol Message: Rod - I'm the third owner of the car, and judging by the booklet, the treatment has only been carried out once. Of course because of this now the warranty is void. Incidentally, I specifically asked them to look at the condition of the wishbones, as I know these are a problem area; I was never expecting such corrosion of the brake pipes! However the wishbones apparently aren't in a bad condition, does this make sense? Could it be a case that Lotus never treated the pipes, and they are plain mild steel? I phoned several other lotus dealerships to see if such an occurrence had happened before. One told me the pipes should never be in such bad condition and to dispute the MOT, three others told me they had seen such corrosion before, but rarely.
Aug 8, 2001 - 15:31 - From: Rod Title: Pipes Message: Hmm, I was guessing that if someone had been under the car to do the Dynol treatment, they would have given the pipes a clean maybe ( although different dealers have different opinions about how much effort they put into Dynol treatment ! ). Can only suggest you ring more Lotus service places. As a few have said they have seen this as a problem perhaps yours does need doing. Its not something I have heard mentioned though. I guess yours may have been driven through winter months without getting the salt washed off, or maybe kept outside/by the sea for part of its life ? You could naturally just take it somewhere else for an MOT and see if they spot it, however if it passed I would probably worry myself sick that there was a real problem.
Aug 8, 2001 - 15:33 - From: Gordon Title: Dynol Message: Rod - I am the third owner of the car, and from what I can tell from the booklet, it has only ever had one treatment in its first year. Of course due to this now the warranty is invalid. Incidentally I asked them to look over the wishbones for me, and they said there were no problems there. Does this make sense? Is it possible that at production the pipes weren't treated, and they are plain mild steel? I asked several other lotus dealerships if they had come across a similar problem; one said he had never come across it and to dispute the MOT, three others said they had seen it in varying degrees. Anyone know how complex of a task it is to replace all 9 brake pipes, and is it a case of 'previous Elan knowledge essential' if the job has to be done?
Aug 8, 2001 - 20:49 - From: Russ Title: dyno tests Message: Phil - are you doing a straightforward test only or a tune as well, I want to get mine done after BOV and MBC - probably mid sept. (off on Hols soon) - I think I've got the recirc sorted now (basically cut link into air supply hose ). Where are you having it done ? contact Nr.? I seem to be following you everywhere at the moment :-) Will order BOV from Bailey tomorrow :-) MBC coming from boostcontroller soon.
Aug 8, 2001 - 21:47 - From: Mark Title: cable bracket Message: Rod, that's an interesting piece of news that there are 3 different brackets. Even when using the stock Lotus cables, aligning the bracket and the cable attachments has been the major sticking point - I broke one cable trying to get it seated correctly. Aside from the bracket, the kit is a snap to put in. The car has to get put back together this weekend, so will have to try jerryrigging something using the bracket I have.
Aug 8, 2001 - 22:15 - From: Edward Title: Transmission Problems Message: Last time I left a message I complained about having a shift cable problem. It turns out that the problem is more serious than I thought. Yesterday, the Lotus dealer told me that it was a problem internal to the transmission. This means either a synchro problem or a 4th gear problem. In any case it's going to be $$$$$$$ !!! I thought of this possibility occurring much later in the life of this Elan. I have 20,800 miles on the car, so I can't really explain why it happened. I do admit to driving a little hard, but I have been driving manual transmissions all my life and don't force the gears, and other than downshifting at times, I do pause when I downshift. I decided that it's time to turn a negative experience into a positive, so I'm taking this opportunity to replace clutch, throwout bearing, and I'm going to have the flywheel machined and lightened. The latter is a service that Top End Performance will do. I chose this because Bill Luton has no flywheels in stock, and would take several weeks to get more....my timing has been off on this and the short shift kit. Anyone else with transmission problems?
Aug 8, 2001 - 23:15 - From: Doug Title: Ed's tranny Message: Ed, be sure to have it checked out by a good tranny shop! That GM/Isuzu tranny should be familiar to a good shop. If you really want good traction, then it is time to put in the Quaife limited slip diff and make me jealous!
Aug 9, 2001 - 00:21 - From: Brian MDB Title: Another fine mesh.... Message: Ed, when the synchromesh on my UK Elan was worn, all of the gears were still selectable, but the shift into 3rd and 4th gears had to be done v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y to avoid grating noises, so I told the Dealer from whom I bought the car that the synchromesh was worn.... the Dealer adjusted the cables..it improved ever so slightly....then they tried replacing the cables and that made hardly any difference...eventually they did the right thing and replaced the worn parts under warranty. Usually the synchro's will deteriorate slowly but you should still be able to change gears, so double check the cable adjustments before stripping the gearbox to verify the internals. I incidentally my car had about 40k when this occurred, but it's really a function of driving habits, cable and clutch adjustment rather than an inherent weakness.
Aug 9, 2001 - 03:07 - From: Richard Steele Title: Re: Brake Pipes Message: Gordon, I'm very suprised that your brake pipes are corroded on an 95 S2, the S1 brake pipes are coated on the outside and I would have expected the S2 to have been the same. Obviously the Dinoling would help but for your age of car this shouldn't have happened except under extreme conditions maybe Lotus ran out of their usual pipes and had to use something else. I had a 10 year old 70,000+ mile Rover Metro and it's pipes were fine. I'd get the garage to show you the corrosion before agreeing to any changes. The pipes should have a dark green outer coating. You shouldn't have any trouble with the rear wishbones as they should be galvanised, the corrosion should only affect S1's.
Aug 9, 2001 - 04:02 - From: Philbo Title: Tuning & Dyno Message: Russ: Getting it done at Motorvation in Dorking 01306 877047. "High Quality Performance Car Engine Tuning - Injection and Turbo Specialist". Depending on what they say I may well have a tune as well, and look at the restrictor on the BBR kit and maybe go up one notch on that (basically once I push towards 200bhp I'll be happy, I don't think I'm even close at the moment). My next mod is a sports exhaust from Paul Matty for £399. Fancy going there as well? ;-)
Aug 9, 2001 - 04:44 - From: Richard Steele Title: Re: Tuning and Dyno Message: Philbo, Which sports exhaust are you getting from Matty's?
Aug 9, 2001 - 05:12 - From: Philbo Title: Paul Matty Exhausts Message: Paul Matty used to install SS sports exhausts but got fed up with them not fitting right, so they have had a custom design made up just for the Elan. This is one of the few exhausts (along with Bill's) that actually claim a performance benefit, to the extent that they refuse to fit it to a car that has not been modified in some other way. The reason is that on a stock car the lack of back pressure (i.e. higher flow) through the exhaust means that the bar goes up to between .7 and .8 which induces the fuel cut out on unmodified cars. I spoke to them last week and they have some more M100 exhausts being made, they should be there this week.
Aug 9, 2001 - 05:34 - From: Gordon Title: Corrosion Message: Richard - I'm certainly gonna check the pipes out. Does anybody know to what extent the pipes would have to be corroded in order to fail an MOT? Speaking to other garages, failure seems to be 'in the eye of the beholder' as it were, but surely there must be an official specification?
Aug 9, 2001 - 05:52 - From: jeremy Title: question for philbo Message: Hi there,... I've got the ss sports system and a k&n and my unmodified car does exactly what you describe (fuel cut out). Could you tell me what the modification is that stops this happening? Is there a wastegate adjustment I can make perhaps?
Aug 9, 2001 - 05:59 - From: Ian H Title: Rear caliper/Brake Pipes Message: Rod, I was the unlucky person who had to overhaul the braking system for my MOT. For my previous MOT I had to replace the rear caliper, I had a nightmare getting hold of one. I managed to get a secondhand one and replace the seals as the adjusting clutch mechanism on my old one had decayed. Replacing the seals is a horrible job that requires a specialist tool to ge them over the piston, I even drove to Paul Matty's but they did not even have the correct tool and could not help me. I ended up customising an old bath tap to prise the seal on. I would try and get a new one if not get a secondhand one, try Hill Motors on 01704 895420, Greg from there was very helpful when I rang for a rear lamp. If you need any help from me a mail but I am on holiday for 2 weeks after today.
Aug 9, 2001 - 06:06 - From: Phil Johnson Title: Brake pipe corrosion Message: When I was looking to buy an Elan back in February, I saw an S1 that had a very low mileage (12k) that had been garaged for some time. Unfortunately, the garage was damp and all of the metalwork under the car was severely corroded, and all the brake pipes had had to be changed. Not only that, the wheel bearings had partially seized and were replaced. Pity, because the car looked almost brand new if you did not look underneath.
Aug 9, 2001 - 06:17 - From: Ian H Title: Brake Pipes Message: Gordon, I had to replace 4 of my brake pipes for my MOT last month. These were at the rear and were relatively easy to get to, then it is a matter of unscrewing each end and screwing on the new ones, which you can get from anywhere as they are standard and just cut to the correct length. The pipes themselves are cost about £3 each, I would go to you average garage to get them done as they are as standard as any other car. I would be surprised if your wishbones are fine and the pipes are not, I have had to replace a wishbone and the brake pipes on my car where not in that bad a state. While I was there I did treat all of the other pipes with grease and they appeared fine. The garage where I took my car for the MOT would have replaced the 4 pipes for £47 UKP, these are the easiest to replace but I would not expect to pay more than £200 for the lot. Good Luck, Ian.
Aug 9, 2001 - 08:21 - From: Gordon Title: Brake pipe costs Message: Ian - The £430 Lotus have quoted me for the replacement of all 9 brake pipes is roughly broken down to - £50 parts, the rest 8 hours labour @ £40, and then plus the dreaded VAT. Bit of a labour overkill? Or are those front pipes THAT hard to get to?
Aug 9, 2001 - 08:22 - From: Bill Luton Title: Machining flywheels Message: I would recommend against machining the stock flywheel to lighten it. This will reduce the weight by only one or one and a half pounds (as opposed to four with the aluminum flywheels), and to lighten a steel flywheel requires removing just about all of the metal structure, making it _dangerous_ to use in the car. Swiss cheesed flywheels break, throwing pieces of steel all over the place, and the minimal weight reduction is more a waste than it is worth, especially for the added hazard. I would recommend a steel transmission bellhousing shield to keep pieces of that swiss cheesed flywheel from coming through the firewall and cutting up your feet when that flywheel breaks._ _ _Bill Luton
Aug 9, 2001 - 09:03 - From: Philbo Title: Fuel cut outs Message: Jeremy, I don't know what options are there to prevent the fuel cut out. Paul Matty say that the BBR kit is a good match for the exhaust. Other than that, I don't know.
Aug 9, 2001 - 09:12 - From: jeremy Title: thanks Phil Message: How much was the BBR kit again then?
Aug 9, 2001 - 09:42 - From: Philbo Title: BBR kits Message: The kit (at last knowledge) cost around £450 to buy. Since I bought the kit (4 years ago) there has been a lot of discussion about the "merits" of the BBR kit vs. just going down the MBC route (which costs about £50 tops, for the best parts). However, I don't know if the MBC will overcome the fuel cut-off problem as the BBR kit is known to.
Aug 9, 2001 - 09:46 - From: Dave M. Title: MOT Message: I don't envy you chaps overseas with the MOT, but at least you have some security knowing the other cars on the road are in somewhat proper working order. I would wager less than 50% of vehicles in the US would pass such scrutiny-especially something like corroded brake lines! Sorry, Gordon. I wish we had more stringent testing (though I know some states are more strict than Michigan). I'm sick of the "bungee cord holding up the rear bumper" look I see much too often. It's a run-what-you-brung mentality at least where I am. Spooky.
Aug 9, 2001 - 09:50 - From: Matthew Welsh Title: Flexible down-pipe Message: Here is a cheap and simple fix for that old bug-a-boo of the cracked/broken downpipe. The site http://www.jcwhitney.com/product.jhtml?CATID=176678&BQ=jcw2 has a stainless-steel flexible coupling that will fit your stock 2" diameter downpipe. It looks just like the flex-piece that comes in Bill's exhaust (except of course, that it is 2" and not 2.5" in diameter). This piece has a 4" long body (the flexible part), the same length as the one on Bill's. There are 2" of pipe on either end of that, you will have to cut off about an inch on each end, then cut the proper length from the middle of your down-pipe to "splice" it in. You can use the muffler clamps that come with the kit, or if you are like me (obsessive-compulsive) you can have a local muffler shop weld it on. It is part number 47zx1754w and costs $21.95 USD, and can also be ordered by calling 1-800-529-4486 (1-800-jcwhitn).
Aug 9, 2001 - 11:28 - From: Russ Title: Dyno Tests and Sports Exhausts Message: Phil - MBC and BOV now ordered and will be fitted over next 3 or 4 weeks (going on hols). The paul matty exhaust sounds nice but I think I'll pass on that (for this year at least) although if the exhaust need replacing then I'll definitely go down the performance route. I look forward to hearing about your dyno test - I'll definitely get mine done in September and then get it out on a track with all the mods - can't wait !
Aug 9, 2001 - 12:33 - From: Steve Title: Brake Pipes Message: Gordon, I use my '92 Elan all year, in all weather. I live 1000ft up on the Pennines, and there is even salt on road today (they are delivering next winters batch). I doubt any S2 pipes need replacing. Stratton are using one of the oldest tricks in the book and getting you seriously worried about something underneath that you don't really want to be concerned about. Take it to someone else for a second opinion. Steve
Aug 9, 2001 - 12:40 - From: Rod Title: Rear Brakes Message: Thanks for the advice Ian. I noticed I had a small leak on one of the rear brake pipes. Tightened the joint and appears ok, but did think of changing the pipe if it was a cheap job. From what I remember this piece of rear brake pipe was not just a straight pipe, it had at least one bend in it. Did you buy yours as a Lotus part, or just bend/cut a straight piece of standard brake pipe ? Enjoy your holiday !
Aug 9, 2001 - 12:43 - From: Matt Welsh Title: Fuel cut outs Message: Experience them as well with Bill's exhaust, but blamed myself for using a straight pipe instead of the Cat. converter that came with the system Had a muffler shop install 2 "donut" flanges, one where the cat should be, the other between the 2 rear hangers, so I can remove the system at will. If I use a 2 1/4" gasket in one of these flanges, thereby reducing the exhaust flow, I solve the boost creep, and therefore the fuel cutout problem along with it. But this seems like a half-assed approach to me. Setting the MBC at .75 bar instead of higher solves 95% of the fuel cutoff problem bcuz the boost creep takes longer to occur from .75 bar than from say, .9 bar. I have ordered the Stainless-steel front pipe (non-cat) from SJ sportscars, and will install this along with my hollowed-out pre-cat and the rest of the original exhaust with the flexible downpipe discussed above, as soon as the pipe from SJ arrives. Hey, this is why they call it a HOBBY guys! If you don't try it, you'll never know how it works. Oh by the way, showed the Elan's turbo diagram to a local shop that does one-off custom turbo installs. He said he could drill a hole in the wastegate flap itself, thereby allowing more air to flow thru the wastegate, but of course that would mean a constant partially open wastegate... so that didn't seem like a good solution to me. p.s. Those of you running a chip, does that remove or raise the level at which fuel-cutout takes place? Also, can anyone tell me what the BBR kit entails, and if it is even applicable to the U.S.A. engine management system?
Aug 9, 2001 - 13:40 - From: Dave M. Title: Elan article Message: If you don't frequent www.pistonheads.com, you may want to go and check out the "Lotus Lounge". There's a nice little article about our babies.
Aug 9, 2001 - 20:20 - From: Doug Title: BBR, downpipe Message: Matt, thanks for the downpipe info--I will add it to the downpipe write-up. Can you get me a picture of your when in place? Regarding the BBR set-up all you need is a resister, a solder gun, and a restriction tube with a hole in it---I will mail you these for half the price of BBR and tell you how to install them--we had this discussion in the archives (temporarily down until I get more webspace) about how lame and what a rip-off this kit is! Regarding the overboost condition, I don't think disabling the MAP sensor is too good--it fixes the symptom but the overboost will continue. It has not come to me yet why I do not have this problem, I do not have a light nor do I have overboost!? I do have the "supposed" Superchip, which I think is an equally good rip-off than BBR; I can only imagine perhaps this is my difference, but then again I still do NOT get overboost ever. Kip had the fix write-up on his Isuzu Impulse site for soldering the resistor into the MAP to disable it up in high boost (check websearch). Otherwise perhaps it is because I have the boost freq control unplugged too!?!?!?
Aug 9, 2001 - 23:23 - From: Doc Fizzix Title: Going fast??? Message: Come on, bid on something! Ok boys, I know you probably hate this type of advertising but I am going to do it, I have been Cleaning out the garage and decided to put a "BUNCH" of items up for sale to clean things up. All Items are a deal! Here is my ebay link so you can see if there is anything you might want. Thanks for Helping make room in my garage. link: http://cgi6.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?MfcISAPICommand=ViewListedItems&userid=physics101&include=0&since=30&sort=2&rows=50
Aug 10, 2001 - 02:41 - From: Edward Title: Flywheels Message: Ok Bill, your argument seems reasonable. Now the question is do you have any flywheels (in stock) for sale? I'm just trying to improve the performance of my car. The timing of obtaining the flywheels is important, since the car will have the transmission out this week and probably by the end of next week will be reapired. I don't think I can wait 3 weeks for a Fidenza flywheel...
Aug 10, 2001 - 03:56 - From: Ben Jones Title: Soft top adjustment Message: Does anyone out there know how to tighten the material on a 'slack' soft top? It's almost like the fabric needs pulling forward about 1cm or so and re-fixing. Can anyone help??
Aug 10, 2001 - 04:48 - From: jeremy Title: overboost Message: Doug, I'm sure the superchip is responsible for you not hitting the boost limit and like you say, the BBR chip will probably do the same job. Personnally, I have no idea how it works but I would guess it either increases or disables the MAP sensor. Glad to hear I'm not the only one too. Dont want an MBC cos Ive plenty of boost already and an MBC will only increase it (I dont think you can you reduce boost from stock). Do we have adjustable wastegates? Also, dont want to rerestrict what is clearly a free flowing exhaust system. Tried ringing Paul Matty to see what they said but everyone is always under a car.
Aug 10, 2001 - 05:08 - From: jeremy Title: overboost Message: Could one of you chaps who knows what they are doing have a quick look at this site. This system claims to avoid overboost by regulting the wastegate via the existing (or a new) pressure sensor and a quick action switch, without refering to the chip at all. Any thoughts? Sounds like it might be a bit severe.
Aug 10, 2001 - 05:10 - From: jeremy Title: doh Message: Iguess the address would help. www.xmission.com/~dempsey/nospike.htm
Aug 10, 2001 - 09:20 - From: steve T Title: wheel bearings Message: Does anyone know where I can get some front wheel bearing kits from, Im not having much luck locating any. Cheers
Aug 10, 2001 - 10:27 - From: Matthew Welsh Title: Superchip Message: Doug (or anyone), is the Superchip still available? Where can I e-mail or call to inquire about it, so I can ask them what it does?
Aug 10, 2001 - 10:38 - From: FRANCO FRUCIANO Title: ELAN Message: I HAVE ONE LOTUS ELAN. I am trying Of The Accessories Which The Hardtop And The Windbreak. YOU CAN HELP ME? Appreciate The Answer In Italian Or English Thanks Many
Aug 10, 2001 - 10:40 - From: Matthew Welsh Title: Jeremy/fuel shutoff Message: Jeremy, this site appears to describe an electronic/mechanical means of controlling maximum boost, and as such is just a more complicated version of a ball/spring MBC. The fuel-pump shutdown would still be triggered if an overboost condition was sensed by the ECU. Doug, my boost control solenoid is completely off the car. With that in place instead of the MBC I got MUCH MORE spiking and fuel-shutoff, bcuz it did not seem to react as quickly to boost build-up as the MBC. I guess electronics take time to "think" (process), whereas a mechanical device (spring) reacts immediately. Three cheers for dumb inanimate objects! (no, I am not talking about myself)
Aug 10, 2001 - 11:18 - From: jeremy Title: FRANCO Message: No hardtop anymore... buy mx5 windjammer and fix to fit elan.
Aug 10, 2001 - 12:01 - From: Mark Title: Superchip Message: how can I tell if there is a superchip installed in my car. One of the prior owners thought he installed one 3-4 years ago
Aug 10, 2001 - 12:42 - From: Matthew Welsh Title: thanks Doug Message: Hey Doug, just wanted to say thank you for going to all the trouble of providing us with this great medium of exchanging information. There is no way I would have made the progress I have without it.
Aug 10, 2001 - 12:56 - From: Matt Welsh Title: Exhausts/fuel-cutoff Message: I inquired to Paul Matty as to whether customers had experienced problems with their performance exhaust, and received what I consider the very honest reply below. Have E-mailed him back to inquire where I might have my ECU 'chipped', but he has probably left for the weekend. Hope he knows I am in the US, we might need a different chip over here........... Dear Sir, Thank you for your email. The cost for the exhaust system is £299.00 + VAT. We have encountered some problems on some cars where this system can cause the car to overboost and under hard acceleration cut out. This can be cured by having the ECU chipped. We do not have any systems in stock at the moment but we should be getting them in 2-3 weeks. Regards, Clive Paul Matty Sports Cars
Aug 10, 2001 - 13:36 - From: Steve P Title: Doug's lack of overboost Message: Doug, it would appear the only reason you don't have cut-out problems is the SuperChips preventing the ECU firing a fault code when the MAP output voltage goes over the normal limit. Is there still a limit but higher up the boost range? If so, at least it does give some protection over and above the BBR solution, if not we're in the same boat! Guy's the boost solenoid should always be bypassed if your using any type of MBC (this includes the BBR mod which is working in exactly the same way). BBR provide a plastic joiner tube at great cost to bypass the boost control solenoid valve, but do state that the solonoid MUST be left connected to the ECU. Any system will have some spiking which is going to be greater with a better exhaust system, as the turbo spins up faster. Problem is that without some sort of MAP limiter (hardware or software) you are going to have cut-out problems when you use an MBC, which actually makes performance a lot worse. I'm assuming you will have to back the MBC off to stop cutout which then reduces the continuous available boost. If the Superchips does have a raised cutout limit maybe it does have something going for it after all!?
Aug 10, 2001 - 15:42 - From: Jeff Title: Brake light question Message: Well, I just put on some new rotors/brake pads. This will be the final piece of my puzzle before my baby goes to a new home... Here's where I need the help... The brake light is now coming on when I press the brakes during stopping. What does the light indicate (besides take it to the dealer)? Is something wrong? Should I be looking for some sign of emminent failure? Any input would be appreciated - I don't think the buyer will be too happy about the brake light scenario... Thanks in advance, Jeff
Aug 10, 2001 - 16:10 - From: Russ Title: Brake Light Message: Jeff - it's probably indicating low brake fluid, it's very sensitive and unless the reservoir is at max or within about 2mm then the light comes on. Make sure you use the right fluid, same as is in it already
Aug 10, 2001 - 19:34 - From: Doug Title: boost, flywheels, octane Message: With my Superchip instaled, I still DO hit the boost cut abouve 0.95BAR--I don't remember seeing the light however. I also hit the same cut out with the rev-limiter. Superchips is in Florida and has a self-titled website; they will not tell you anything about heir chip at all cause I have asked them about it myself! They did not even know where the ECU chip is in the car--I had to tell them! I feel it is MIGHTY suspicious for them NOT to explain in simple terms what they change in the chip to benefit the car (PERSONALLY I thinkthey change nothing at all and this is why they are they way they are!)--they don't have to give away trade secrets but a bit of P.R. will help them!! I don't recommend the chip to anyone. Mark the ECU chips are in a silver metal box which is held to the left footwell sidewall with 2 screws--it is just above the clutch pedal with the obvious large electrical connector going into it. There is a small plate which comes off with 2 screws and then you can see inside to the circuit board. Your chip upgrade must be the same "code" as that stamped on the box (mine is "AXMZ'). Bill, I agree with Ed that we need to have good access to the flywheels--I plan on doing the same (with Quaife) rapidly when my Elan acts up, but am not just going to buy a flywheel to decorate the garage with! On an aside, I moved to Orange County CA and just realized the "CONSPIRACY" here: they have 91 Octane Super instead of 92 like the rest of California--go figure!?? Guess I have to find a 76 station with racing gas to mix in or drive to another county weekly for fill-ups--SERIOUSLY!!! This makes sense to me now as I have noticed a slight change in performance lately!
Aug 10, 2001 - 22:06 - From: Brian MDB Title: Overboosting Message: Aug 10, 2001 - 00:33 Message: Just reading between the lines on the overboosting problems, it seems that the Exhaust Wastegate can only just dump excess pressure ahead of the Turbines ability to make it, so when you fit a reduced back-pressure Exhaust this balance changes and the pressure keeps building in the Intake Manifold up to the fuel cut-off point, a similar thing happens with an MBC because pressure is increasing at a rate ahead of the Wastegates flow rate. Could it be that those of you suffering from 'fuel cut-off'are not assisting the Exhaust Wastegate by not having a correctly adjusted Intake 'Blow Off Valve'installed as Doug has ? Another possibility could be that the Exhaust Wastegate's Actuating Rod has too much free play and hence does not open the valve to it's maximum ? Perhaps it would be possible to modify the attachment point of the Actuating Rod on the Lever Arm so the Wastegate valve opens further ?? This would depend where the return spring is located of course.
Aug 10, 2001 - 23:00 - From: Brian MDB Title: Data logging Message: Found this link for some interesting and in-expensive data logging kit on the excellent pistonheads.com website. It seems to be similar to the G-Tech Pro with more features. http://www.race-technology.com
Aug 10, 2001 - 23:43 - From: charlie Title: superchips Message: i hit the overboost with the same settings as i had with my superchip installed , with the chip uninstalled ( since it was damaged and i removed it but left the boost settings the same) but its only ever on foot to the floor. There are two types of chips the piggyback module while i have and the replacement, the piggy back is easy to spot take off the bottom cover and you'lll see another chip with a small circuit board at a right angle, its also got superchips written on it.
Aug 11, 2001 - 00:45 - From: Bill Luton Title: flywheels Message: If you guys want to start bitching at flywheel manufacturers and harassing them about not shipping product I've alreacdy paid for, let me know, I'll hand out the names and numbers of the people I call every morning to ask where the heck my product is. I was told this morning that my thousands of dollars weren't worth the aggrivation of listenning to me every day, asking why they haven't managed to deliver what was promised three months ago._ _ _Bill Luton
Aug 11, 2001 - 01:59 - From: Doug Title: parts Message: Bill, rather than us having to find this information out under this context, perhaps you should list under the products how long it takes to get them after ordering. If it clearly states right there that the order time is 3 months, then I don't think anyone would complain. This is why a place like Top End gets so much complaints--they make good stuff but apparently in batches and some people end up waiting a long tim--and these are the people you hear from!
Aug 11, 2001 - 09:26 - From: Bill Luton Title: Time Message: I have no way of knowing in most cases how long it will take to get something. I have people lying to me every day of the week. Manufacturers and distributors who will say anything to make a sale, customers who promise they will send in an order right away. I don't hold my breath for anything anymore. I may be drowning in flywheels tomorrow, I may never see one again, I never know, and in this industry, no one cares. It is acceptable to take months or even years to deliver something. My suggestion, if you are tight on time for car parts, order long before you need them and make sure you have the parts sitting at your residence long before you have need for them. Other than that, get a hobby other than cars, because no matter how much I beat my head against the wall, no one up stream of me cares how long it takes for them to deliver product._ _ _Bill Luton
Aug 11, 2001 - 10:26 - From: Russ Title: Recirculating Turbo Dump Valve Message: Has anyone else tried fitting a recirculating dump valve? I know the dump to atmosphere sound like an artic's air brakes so I was expecting a recirculating system to be a muted version of the same thing but still very noticable. Well I've just finished fitting one and the noise is almost non-existent and I was wondering if that was right or if it's not working properly. On changing gear at low speed there is a different noise but you have to listen hard to hear it and there's none of the fluttering that you hear as the turbo stalls normally, boost drops off (from a registered .5 bar and then as soon as you press the pedal it flips straight back to .35 or .4 before climbing back to .5 which I would have thought indicates that the bypass is working (or does it? can't say I ever looked at what it did before). At higher speeds the engine / wind noise masks any sound from the dump valve at all. I've only done a 2 or 3 mile test run, will go out for longer tomorrow. Oh yes - knew there was something else, in order to plumb in the recirculating bit from the dump valve back to the air intake hose, the silicon hose and fittings that I'd got supplied didn't fit so as a stop gap I've bunged on a flexible water hose which fitted nicely. I'll need to get some proper silicon with some 90 and 45 deg bends in it but meanwhile does anyone have any thoughts as to wether the air being dumped (every time you lift off the throttle supposedly) is likely to be hot enough to do any damage to the water hose. My thoughts were that it would probably be ok as it's post intercooler and doesn't look like it's made from anything very different to the plastic hoses on the induction system but does anyone have any thoughts on this ?
Aug 11, 2001 - 14:46 - From: Brian MDB Title: Dumped air Message: Russ, I would guess that the high pressure escaping air having a natural tendency to cool as it expands, should not present any problems for the water hose material.
Aug 11, 2001 - 15:25 - From: Matt Pritchard Title: Recirculating 'Dump Valve' Message: Russ, just wondered what the model was of your dump valve. I've been looking at getting one for my own baby and just don't like the idea of the 'boy racer' venting sounds every time I come of the throttle. Whereabouts did you get it from and how much did it set you back? As an aside note... does anyone that's done the upgrade, know what the model number of the open K&N air filter is for the Elan - and where in the UK I can source a replacement straightsided tube for the air intake to turbe connection? Thanks in advance
Aug 11, 2001 - 16:25 - From: Bryn Title: Various Message: Russ, I used heater hose to connect my dump valve to my homemade silencer, which has been fitted for a few months, you will have no problem using this rather than silicon hose. Brian MDB, I have the Race Technology data unit, I have not spent much time playing with it but it seems a pretty good box of tricks (the cornering G force guage is fun on the track!) and would recommend it.
Aug 11, 2001 - 16:32 - From: Bryn Title: Various Message: Russ, I have used heater hose on the connection from my dump valve to my homemade silencer, you will have no problem using this rather than silicon. Brian, I have the Race Technology data logging device, have not had much of a play with it yet (measuring cornering G force on the track is fun!), but seems to be a good box of tricks, would recommend it.
Aug 11, 2001 - 17:25 - From: Matthew Welsh Title: Superchip Message: Here's what I know at this time... talked to a gentleman at Superchips (they are in Longwood, Florida, just over an hour's drive from me) and he said they stopped providing chips for the Elan as several customers had bad experiences with them and ruined their motors. I inquired about the Isuzu 1.6T and he said it used a completely different engine management system (they have a chip for the Isuzu). He told me to try the Superchips UK site, and I have inquired, but he could not guarantee that the UK chip would be compatible to USA cars.
Aug 11, 2001 - 17:29 - From: Matthew Welsh Title: Brian Message: Brian, as to your E-mail, I have the BOV from Bill installed. As to the Exhaust Wastegate's Actuating Rod not being properly adjusted, mine is on the non-adjusting type, not the threaded nut with the rods in either end
Aug 11, 2001 - 17:42 - From: Matthew Welsh Title: Superchip (fuel-shutdown) Alternatives Message: Doug, looked at the site you suggested (Kip). I showed the design to an auto electrician here in town who said he could make one. That may work, but I think I might have a better idea. In the parts book on the last page numbered 17.06a (there are 4 of them), the last item listed is PAS high pressure switch. Is it possible PAS stands for "Petrol Automatic Shutdown"? Could this be the relay that is sent a signal from the ECU which arms the fuel pump? If so, I could splice into my ignition switch to arm this relay whenever I turn the car on, and the ECU could never shut it down. The dash light would still come on, but I see that as a good thing (a warning). I don't have time right now to peruse the EMJ online manual (my 6-year old daughter is waiting on me), so if anyone else can verify this conjecture on my part, knows where this switch is located, or has any other information to add, please do.
Aug 11, 2001 - 17:44 - From: Philbo Title: BOV's and air filters Message: Russ, based on your turbo gauge experience I would say things are working. Matt, I believe that Russ's BOV is from Bailey Motorsport: see www.zen.co.uk/informatica/elan for a similar valve in non-recirc type. Finally the K&N air filter is part number E-2360, it is taller than the standard paper one but somehow still fits snugly in the box! It costs around £38 from Demon Theives, or from your friendly local parts dealer.
Aug 11, 2001 - 17:47 - From: Philbo Title: PAS Message: Matthew, as pure conjecture I would suggest another alternative for your acronym, which is certainly commonly used in the UK: Power Assisted Steering. If so, you probably don't want to mess with it!
Aug 11, 2001 - 18:23 - From: Matthew Welsh Title: Fuel pump relay Message: Point taken Phil! That's what happens when you're in a rush. Drawing 81.tif of the online engine management manual states that pin A-1 from the ECM arms (and therefore disarms, at the ECM's discretion) the fuel pump relay. Does anyone know where this relay is located on the car? Of course, I could always tap my own ignition switch splice into the outgoing wire from the A-1 pin. In that case it doesn't matter where the relay is.
Aug 11, 2001 - 19:12 - From: Russ Title: Recirculating Turbo Dump Valve Message: Matt - I've got a recirc dump valve from Bailey Motorsport, about £175 all in in the end, I'll do a write up soon. I really didn't want the Max Power venting noise and am really pleased with the results assuming all is well on a longer run, more details on Phils link but it wasn't difficult to do. I can confirm the K&N air filter is part number E-2360, fits fine. The part number on the parts list was wrong, don't know if Dougs changed it yet. After you've cut up the existing turbo to air intake pipe for the recirculating air (I cut a 2" T piece into mine in exactly the same way as the T piece is gut into the hose prior top the throttle body) you might not want to spend lots of dosh on a new straight sided hose. AFAIK there's no direct replacement. I may well look into some sparco pieces now though as the current setup looks a tad heath robinson.
Aug 11, 2001 - 22:00 - From: Steve Title: K&N Filter Message: I think Matt wanted the model no of the "open" K&N filter like the ones top end sell ? Not the direct relacement filter ? And I think he's asking for a replacement pipe to connect the said filter to the turbo inlet ? I may well be wrong but as i've been looking into this too it's how i read it, by the way i dont know and would be interested too, i have looked at pipercross and ram air and they all seem to do a filter, it's just a case of getting the right size for the cold air intake/engine space and sufficient bhp rating, there not expensive but getting a pipe to join it to the turbo seems to be the main problem. The main question to me is is it worth it over the standard K&N replacement filter, what gains are we talking about, a couple of bhp tops i would think even on a modded car ?
Aug 12, 2001 - 02:19 - From: Brian MDB Title: Air Filters / BOV Message: Steve, I would stick with replacing the stock filter element with a K & N for several reasons, firstly it probably has greater surface area than the cone type, secondly the trash-can filter housing draws its air from a high pressure zone outside of the engine compartment and therefore it will be cooler. Also I would doubt that interior surface of the stock pipe has little influence on the amount of air being drawn into the compressor when you look at the detail of the inlet flange on the housing. Matthew, re your BOV, I have not actually modified my engine in any way (yet), so I do not have any direct experience with your problem, but surely your BOV need only be set to coincide with the maximum boost you require, anything above this gets dumped overboard and the 'overboost sensor' should never see excess pressure, perhaps Bill could enlighten us how his kit should be set up. Regarding the Wastegate actuating Rod, I 'think' the manual implies that the 'cracking' pressure of the valve should be checked for correct opening pressure (ie they acknowledge it can vary), if you have the adjustable type then you can do just that to try to meet spec', if not....go directly to your Lotus Dealer for a replacement part.
Aug 12, 2001 - 10:36 - From: Bob Friedrich Title: Gas fumes Message: I just acquired this Elan last week (VIN: 27934) and so far have just found this one little thing wrong or maybe its not a little thing. I have a problem with gas fumes in the car after I fill the tank, also gas overflows on the ground as the tank expands if you park right after a fill up, I thought the tank was pressurized so this should happen. I believe a clamp needs tightening but how does one get to it? Thanks for your help Bob Friedrich jettrader@aol.com
Aug 12, 2001 - 12:06 - From: Doug Title: Fuel Leak Message: Bob, if you are lucky then it is just something small. However, knowing Elans I would bet a good amount of $$ that you have the "fuel tank flaw"! This is a potential fire waiting to happen and Lotus nor the NHTSA care to do a recall (I assume they are waiting for a death to occur first = the 'American Way'!) You can read all about it in the archives (main archive down, but monthly ones active now) by searching for 'fuel leak'. The problem is a crack at the joint of the fuel filler neck to the tank. This requires tank removal and replacement ($500 tank and $500+ labor!!) or removal and repair (although I would not recommend repair). The correct symptoms are a leak after filling up the tank to the top. This will drip down from the tank onto the ground until enough leaks out to not leak anymore. Your options are either not to fill up to the top, or to drive sufficient miles after a fillup so the fuel level goes down before you stop, and the drips will just happen while you drive! The way to access the top of the fuel area is to remove the floor of the conv top storage area. The problem is you can't see the fuel tank itself but only everything else here. Removal of the tank requires removal of the left rear suspension! If you have this defect you should report it to the NHTSA (www.NHTSA.dot.gov) (call the number on the website) then call Lotus USA and email Lotus HQ and tell them they need to fix your defect!! They will, of course, deny it and give you bulls&*t, but if you persist they will give in. If you are in the UK then you can ring Lotus HQ direct. I remember at least 10 others of us with this same problem fixed now FYI in both the US and UK.
Aug 12, 2001 - 12:31 - From: Doug Check out the NEW SOCIAL MESSAGE BOARD. Here you can discuss social events, gatherings, insurance, and other non-technical Elan-related things!!
Aug 12, 2001 - 18:27 - From: Matthew Welsh Title: BOV / wastegate Message: I have the lesser of the 2 BOV's offered on Bill's site, it was $259 USD I believe, and it works wonderfully, only when it should, exactly when it should. In addition, it also shows great when you pop the bonnet (much more time spent talking this way & the U.S. government will take away my citizenship!) I would recommend this piece over the one you are splicing in. If you do the exchange you will find they are the same price, give or take a hamburger! I am confident my wastegate is functioning properly, as it releases at .65 with no hesitation, it just cannot hold it there for long with the increased flow.
Aug 12, 2001 - 18:31 - From: John G Title: RPMs Message: Need some help on my maximum RPMs. My M100 strains to get above 6000 RPMs in second gear. The car has 16,000 miles, serviced in the last 3000 miles, and uses only Amoco high test. Any ideas?
Aug 12, 2001 - 18:37 - From: Rod Title: Superchops Message: Did we not decide a while back ( as Ian L compared the code in a standard UK Elan ECU, with the chip supplied by Superchops ), that the "superchop chip" was an exact copy of the standard Elan chip, but with the 0.9 limit removed completely ( no fuel cut off at all ! ), and then an MBC is fitted, in order to set the boost limit ??? Hence why I do not recommend this conversion to anyone, as this it could result in engine/turbo damage.
Aug 12, 2001 - 19:47 - From: Matthew Welsh Title: time-table Message: Next weekend I will attempt to bypass the ECM's shut-down of the fuel pump. I have the service & parts manual but am going to order the (EMJ) engine-management & (MJ) Electronic manual just to be sure I have researched this to the best of my ability. Have been looking at the on-line manuals, and to all those who have asked where the Boost control solenoid is, the best picture you will ever have is on drawing 41.tif of the on-line engine management manual.
Aug 12, 2001 - 19:57 - From: Matt Welsh Title: Doug / exhausts Message: Doug, I have the Flex piece for the downpipe & it is a perfect fit. I don't have a digital camera but can use a friends to show you the size relationship to the downpipe. Also, the front pipe arrived from SJ. I am disappointed that the UK pipe is crunched down (squashed) where it passes over the front subframe just as it is on the Catalytic-converter cars. This may be why the UK cars do not provide more horsepower than the US cars, although it still seems like that pre-converter would have made a difference, even though the bean-counters forced the UK car to have the same pre-cat housing (without the filter inside). This was a design disaster, Lotus/GM should have spent a few more bucks so the non-cat car could have a decent flowing exhaust, and not be compromised by our (USA) emmissions laws.
Aug 12, 2001 - 20:02 - From: Matthew Welsh Title: US vs UK vs Bill's exhaust Message: Will try to resolve the fuel shutdown problem while leaving Bill's exhaust on the car. If I fail, I will mount the UK exhaust. It will be interesting, having experienced all 3.
Aug 12, 2001 - 20:28 - From: Doug Title: EBC Message: Matt, remember that you can always resort to putting in an Electronic Boost Controller. This has its own boost pressure sensor and the computer in it actuates a electronic solenoid valve to bleed off just the right amount of boost to whatever limit you set. It will stop boost creep dead! The problem is it is expensive and requires someone knowledgeable on them and a good amount of time to install! Then you have to fidgit with it to get it all running as you like.
Aug 12, 2001 - 22:10 - From: Mark Title: BOV Message: Matt, does your BOV have a small hose that splices into one of the breather lines on the back of the manifold? I took the intercooler pipe off to get at the shifter box, and since reassembling it, the BOV doesn't work.
Aug 12, 2001 - 22:17 - From: Doc Fizzix Title: One more day! Message: Well, just one more day for all the Elan items I have on ebay, http://cgi6.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?MfcISAPICommand=ViewListedItems&userid=physics101&include=0&since=30&sort=2&rows=50
Aug 12, 2001 - 22:23 - From: charlie Title: ZZzzzzzzzzzooomm Message: Well i know our speedos are off, but www.supercars.net lists the elan SE with a top speed of 85MPH, now that's moving...
Aug 13, 2001 - 00:18 - From: PETER CANEPA Title: Tires Message: Big decision, I think anyway, they can make a lot of difference in ride, and of course handling. I'm tempted to put Good Years back on, that's what the US model had originally. The new version is different though. The English version had Michelins. The best one I've been told is a Pilot, pricey. Any thoughts, Peter
Aug 13, 2001 - 00:51 - From: Doug Title: Tires Message: Peter, if you are staying with 205/45-16s then I would recommend either (#1) Nitto 555s, or (#2) Kumho Ecsta 712s ($77/each). The Goodyear Eagle GS-D2s are the replacement for the original ($105 each), and the Yoko Paradas ($95/each) are new and should be good.
Aug 13, 2001 - 04:13 - From: jeremy Title: cheap tyres Doug! Message: Bloomin' eck... tyres are cheap over there. I reckon we pay the same or more in ukp as you do in dollars!
Aug 13, 2001 - 04:15 - From: jeremy Title: ps.... Message: Lets put it like this. How do you safely stop your car overboosting for minimum cost?
Aug 13, 2001 - 04:56 - From: Rod Title: Overboost Message: Install an MBC ( after you have sorted out your brakes, and installed a compressor bypass ), then only turn the MBC up a little. You should be able to get around 0.8 easily, without getting the check light. Oh, and then make sure you really do change the oil every 4-5k miles.
Aug 13, 2001 - 04:57 - From: Ash Title: K&N Filter Message: Hi there, as a Non Turbo owner in the UK (Herts), I am feeling a bit left out of all this talk of BOV's and MBC's! but I do have a (semi) relevant question, Does any one know if the K&N filter mentioned several times recently is the same filter used in the non Turbo? and is there really any point in me fitting one at the next service? thanks for all your help! Ash
Aug 13, 2001 - 05:00 - From: Philbo Title: Elan Brakes Message: Well did an airfield day last Friday. Circuit was very tight with short straights and 3 180 degree hairpins. Very hard on the car, hard acceleration through 2nd and 3rd gears, then hard on the anchors for the 20-30mph hairpins. Remember, my car has ventilated, cross-drilled and grooved discs. I don't know what the pads were, but they weren't the standard ones. The good news: the Elan is an incredibly easy car to drive, it is very forgiving and very capable. My car could keep up pretty well with Elises and Caterhams in terms of acceleration, at least once the turbo kicked in (I always lost a bit out of corners to them because of little low-down grunt). The bad news: on the track, the Elan brakes are nothing short of terrible! My braking points were at least twice as long as those of the Elises and Caterhams, and I still very often overshot my turning-in points. The brakes got warm very quickly and by the end of the day I had boiled my brake fluid and one of the brake pads had warped with the heat. I was taking it quite easy as well, 10 minutes on the track and 20-30 minutes off it. My (lack of) braking performance really took the shine off my day. If you're going to track the Elan then I suspect that new calipers would be the only way to get reasonable performance.
Aug 13, 2001 - 05:02 - From: Philbo Title: Air filters Message: Ash, On a N/A car I doubt you would see any performance benefit with a new filter. Probably the only way of seeing a real difference would be to fit the high-flow exhaust from Paul Matty. But the K&N air filter doesn't need replacing (after 50,000-100,000 it needs cleaning, but you can put it back in the box), so as a long-term bet it probably will pay for itself over 4 services or so.
Aug 13, 2001 - 06:47 - From: jeremy Title: exsqueeze me? Message: Sorry Rod,.. but what's a compressor bypass? How much and where from. many thanks.
Aug 13, 2001 - 07:11 - From: Jojo Title: Edmonson Lotus Ipswich Message: Hello, I was Just wondering if any of you knew anything about Edmonson Lotus - they are based in Ransomes Euro Park in Ipswich and are by far the closest to where we live in Colchester for servicing. Any stories good or bad welcome so we can decide if we should send the car to them or not Many thanks jojo
Aug 13, 2001 - 07:58 - From: Bryn Title: Elan Brakes Message: Philbo, interesting to find out if the pads were uprated, sounds like they may have been standard. I ran a new set of Ferodo standard pads with vented & grooved disks on the track last week and they were trash after 1 lap, giving real bad fade, then violent vibration through the wheel by end of lap 2. Having the uprated disks did not seem to help the standard pads much. With uprated pads the brakes should really be fine on the track, boiling brake fluid can occur but believe this may be only the case if a caliper is sticking and generating additional heat, or with lesser pads which may not disperse the heat well. I have warped a set of vented & grooved disks on the track before, but again believe this was down to caliper trouble, rather than the limitations of uprated disks and pads, I have since had a few track workouts where the brakes have been fine. Suggest an investment in EBC Green V4's may be in order, you will see the difference.
Aug 13, 2001 - 08:37 - From: Bryn Title: Joe P MBC Review Message: Have now fitted the Joe P MBC previously mentioned on the board, initial thoughts are: looks pretty robust but not as nicely made as some alloy MBC's, has a few rough edges to the body of the unit and the lock nut where it tightens to the body is not very smooth. I fitted it using Joe's supplied hose which is a tad to small inside diameter for the Elan, makes it a really tight fit (used hot water to slide it on). If you did use hose of the same diameter as the original hose, this will be too large for fitting at the MBC end and need some clamping. Due to the way in which the 2 hose outlets are positioned on the MBC I had more trouble mounting it than with a 'normal' MBC where the outlets are on the same plain. Unless you use the full length of the hose supplied (which I wanted to avoid), it is hard to mount the MBC somewhere for easy access, I settled for it sitting below the turbo intake hose out of site, but it is now not easily accessible to adjust the boost setting (this should not be a problem once set up). Once fitted, I went to adjust it, then realising that being in the UK my (metric) spanners did not fit the lock nut, I went away and made a spanner to fit (Joe P is supposed to supply, but I did not get one). Adjustment of boost is made by undoing a lock nut on top of the unit, turning an allen headed screw (for which you do not really need an allen key, it's quiet loose), then locking it down again. Pretty tricky this as you need to securely hold the unit with another spanner whilst locking down the lock nut. You then find that turning the lock nut also turns the screw, so you need to find a third hand to hold the screw with an allen key whilst you hold the unit with a spanner and turn the lock nut with another spanner - you get the idea!. Anyway, on the road, me and my three hands had a play about with the adjustments and settled for boost just above .75 on the dial (maybe .9 in reality), getting it there was pretty easy, moving the screw 1/4 turn each time. So, is it any good? well I would say I really noticed no difference with having this fitted vs my standard bleed type MBC (both with BSV disconnected), you still get a small 'spike' at times. In theory the boost spool up must be better as you are not 'bleeding' any pressure on your way up the boost scale, as my understanding is that it works on an 'on or off' basis. Money well spent? well, I guess If you are looking to fit an MBC for the first time, it would certainly be worth the £49 (UK delivery), but as an upgrade from a well set up bleed valve MBC - pretty marginal. Sure the boost should rise quicker with this unit, but in reality it would be hard to see if this really makes much of difference. I'll post a fuller review on the 'reviews' section of the site in a few weeks once I have tried it out on the track - you can find more about the Joe P at Boostcontroller.com.
Aug 13, 2001 - 08:49 - From: Matthew S. Welsh Title: Mark Message: Yes, the BOV has a small hose which connects to an outlet on the far end (right hand side) of the inlet manifold. Most applications are spliced into this hose (coming off the manifold) with a 'tee' fitting, almost immediately after the line leaves the manifold.
Aug 13, 2001 - 09:35 - From: Matthew Welsh Title: Joe-P MBC Message: Jeremy, Rod is right about the MBC, you can set it to open as low as you want, .5 bar, .4 bar; so yes, you can DECREASE boost from stock, if that is your aim. I found the easiest way to adjust the Joe-P MBC is to use a 10mm socket along with the allen key that comes with the kit. Slip the socket over the locknut (just the open socket), then hold the adjustment screw in place with the allen key, while you loosen the locknut using the socket with your other hand. In this way the adjusting screw will not turn while you are working with the locknut. I Used 2 plastic 1/4" 90-degree elbows to keep the hose length short, and managed to wedge it in below the turbo intake hose securely (one of the 90-deg elbows wedged nicely into a spot). The adjustment end pokes out where it is easy to adjust. I will try to get a picture. If anyone has the TurboXS Super Boost Controller, please share your experience with it. It costs almost 3 times as much as the Joe-P, but works on the same principles. The in/out fittings are located the same as on the Joe-P unit. Besides the nice finish on the outside of it (TurboXS), is there any advantage? By the way, if you order the Joe-P, don't pay extra for the hose, as Bryn said, it is 3/16", smaller than the 1/4" fittings on our car. Just be sure to cinch the 1/4" hose onto the Joe-P fittings with a hose clamp.
Aug 13, 2001 - 09:57 - From: Dave M. Title: misc stuff Message: Philbo, welcome to the land of sad brakes. Another testament, I've been in touch with a guy who just joined our owners' ring by picking up a white Elan to take back to NC. He's had a lot of car experience and said the Elan brakes were pretty poor (although his last car was an M Coupe!). One thing to watch, and part of what I think my problem was, the pads may hang up on the pins. They slightly touch the rotor and then overheat when you really get on them. As for the MBC/overboost problem, I have an exhaust upgrade (minus the pre-cat, low-restrictive muffler), the "Dave M" homemade bleed valve, haven't yet unplugged the solenoid, and get VERY infrequent cut-out. It's only in 4th if I do. It's taken lots of adjustment as the throttle valve is wicked sensitive, but works fine. I have the BOV (Bill's) and no chip. Brian's point is an interesting one about the BOV as mine is very sensitive since the MBC. Don't know if it could also make a difference, but I'm using over a foot (total) of hose to connect my MBC (see write up picture). It's a cheap trial and error idea for those with chronic problems, I guess. Ash, I think the K&N would be worth it even on the N/A. I've had them on plenty of other cars and while it's not seat of the pants acceleration difference, I usually got a little better gas mileage at least. Matt, you really want to override the fuel-shut off? Might want to consider a better fuel delivery system in that case to prevent things from getting too lean. For what it's worth, I'm not thrilled with the Kumhos. Only good grip (equal to the GS-Ds) but lots of squeal.
Aug 13, 2001 - 10:19 - From: Phil Johnson Title: TurboXS Boost Controller Message: I have fitted one of the TurboXS High Performance Boost controllers to my otherwise stock elan (apart from drop in K & N filter - no chip and no BOV). Fitting was very easy - cut original pipe in half and spliced in the MBC unit. As the inlet and outlet are at 90 degrees to each other, it fitted in very nicely with very short hoses in and out (about an inch or so for each) just below the air intake pipe to the turbo. Set up as per instructions. It is made up of a ball and spring initial setting 'coarse adjustment' and then an adjustable bleed to 'fine tune' the boost level. In effect it is possible to only use the bleed valve to set the boost, but then that defeats the object of having this model by TurboXS. The bleed is set to its minimum using the small allen key provided on the bleed valve (closing it would mean that the wastegate could not vent between usage). The ball and spring is initially set up so that it does not rattle, by screwing in the adjuster with the small allen key. It can then be screwed in to increase the boost level, to which I have set to halfway between 0.75 and 1 on the gauge - just below fuel cut off. I have found that the car will reach full boost quickly at Wide Open Throttle, and have not had any problems with boost spiking either before fitment or after. There is probably no difference between the operations of this and the JoeP unit, other than this has an adjustable bleed function. The only problem I had with the unit was the tendency for the 'coarse adjustment' screw to come undone - since fixed with a touch of thread lock.
Aug 13, 2001 - 10:24 - From: Russ Title: Air Filters and Track Days Message: Ash - I'd have thought that the air filter (K&N drop in) would make more difference on a N/A than on a turbo, letting the air be freer flowing is the aim, at least with the turbo we have a 100,000 rpm fan blowing the air in, all the N/A has is the draw of the engine. As far as I've seen the airbox on the N/A looks identical to the Turbo so I'd expect the filter to fit, buy from someone like Demon Tweeks and they'll change it if it's not right. Phil - I think you've just made a very strong case for proper track days rather than sprint courses set out on airfields. The Elan (and any FWD car) is never going to be well suited to a tight circuit, especially hairpins and a proper open track without very slow tight corners will suit it a lot better IMO, you just can't get the power down early enough in really tight corners like the RWD's seem to be able to. Talking to some of the race school guys at Castle Coombe when I was there last time they reckoned that they change the front pads on their cars (Proton GTi's) before they're half worn as the more worn pads the more they won't cope with the heat and will wear even more so your heat buildup problems could well be related to the worn pads as much as the inherent problems with the calipers. The tracks I've been on have been all 3rd and 4th gear (whether you needed 2nd on the chicanes was questionable) with braking from 100(ish) to 50(ish) on the worst corners. Given that kinetic energy is proportional to velocity squared and it's this that has to be dissipated by the brakes as heat I'd expect my brakes to have been used at least as hard as yours but the longer straights and higher speeds would have helped to keep temperatures down as would the fact that some corners were a lot faster than others. (It could be of course that you are just a much better driver than me and are pushing the car a lot harder). I could certainly brake as well as any of the other cars on the circuits when I've been out but will never again go off to a track day without a new(ish) and virtually unworn set of front pads in (and a spare set in the boot). Were you having to resort to the handbrake to get round the hairpins? Do you fancy getting together for a day on a real track in Sept/Oct sometime ?
Aug 13, 2001 - 10:45 - From: Dan Title: RPM - John G Message: John - You should be able to rev well above 6000 - I suspect timing or intake restriction. I'd suggest checking (or setting) the ignition timing as described at this site; also check air filter, if it's never been changed it may be restricting the intake - K&N replacement is an excellent upgrade. Also check the throttle cable adjustment (remove all slack) - maybe you're not getting full throttle.
Aug 13, 2001 - 11:12 - From: Dave M. Title: overboost checks Message: A quick poke through the Service Notes got me thinking about a few other checks for those of you with overboost problems. As Dan mentioned in the previous message, check your throttle cable for slack. This is part of the boost control system, too, and can be seriously loose (as mine was). The Throttle Position Sensor could be another culprit. Also, the wastegate capsule could be worn. I imagine it's using an internal rubber diaphragm and it gets a bit worn after 10 or so years. A similar problem occurs with my dad's Saab - it's in the stock blow off valve (imagine that?), but the same theory. Make sure all actuating parts around the wastegate are lubed, too. The cut-off happens after only 0.5 sec of boost in excess of .92 bar according to the manual, so a wastegate that is just slightly sticky could cause a problem. I would imagine that would also cause undue stress on the capsule, too.
Aug 13, 2001 - 12:03 - From: Ash Title: K&N Message: Thanks for your response Philbo/Dave M I will consider my next move carefully, based on saving money in the longer run, I think I will probably get one, and If Dave is right I might even make a fuel saving to boot! As for Sports Exhausts, I actually think I may have one on the car (perhaps one of the early SJ Sports ones), the reason I say this is that ever since the car has been in the family (last 5 years - it's mine now!), the rear Anti roll bar linkage has hit the back of the rear silencer when going over even fairly small pot holes. Each time it has been serviced as well, it is always pointed out that it is a non-standard system. I have been loath to change the silencer as there is nothing physically wrong with it and have been unable to make a minor adjustment using a universal adjuster (a dent in the side with a hammer), as it is so close to the rear crease line and is so strong. The only downside aside from the annoying noise is the wear on the nut and threat of the Roll bar linkage, which will inevitably give up the ghost at some point (I need to buy a spare linkage for the inevitable me thinks!), Was this the same problem others encountered with non-standard exhausts? or was it other fitting issues? On a slight Tangent (OK quite large tangent then), I work in Hemel Hempstead and have spotted a couple of times a Black M100 working near by, is that anyone on here? Cheers Ash
Aug 13, 2001 - 12:07 - From: Matthew Welsh Title: EBC, overboost Message: Dave, thanks. I really think the problem is all on the exhaust side: as I have tested... with a little more restriction, the overboost problem is eliminated. I have even considered mounting a quieter (more restrictive muffler) to Bill's exhaust. That might well solve the problem. Doug, ignorance on my part... How will an electronic boost controller stop boost creep? Sure, it senses the boost level on its own, but so does an an MBC (mechanically). An EBC does not provide an alternate path for the exhaust to not flow through the turbine, nor does it physically make the wastegate any larger, so how will it stop boost creep? This could very well be a lack of understanding regarding EBCs on my part, but I just don't see how this will help. Thanks guys.
Aug 13, 2001 - 12:22 - From: Geoff Title: Fuel gauge Message: Hello all, I had twenty miles to get back home yesterday when the fuel warning light came on - Forgot to check it before I left work. I chickened out of trying to make it all the way home to a petrol station I knew and ended up getting lost all over Leatherhead trying to fill up. My question is... Would I have run out of fuel before I got home, or did I make the right choice and get fuel straight away (and get lost)? How many miles can I do in my SE on the motorway once the warning light comes on? Just answer if you happen to know - Don't go out and run out of fuel with your eye on the speedo just for my sake! ;-) Thanks in anticipation, Geoff.
Aug 13, 2001 - 12:34 - From: Bryn Title: Exhaust Message: Ash, my SS aftermarket exhaust catches in exactly the same place so may be same make as what you have. I did not fit it but it came from a normal 'fast fit' exhaust place so not an SJ Sports item, certainly there is nothing sporty about the way it is made (take a look at the very restrictive looking near 90 degree bend in front of the wishbones). Suggest you try slacking off the 2 pipe clamps and the rear mount bracket which goes around the box, then apply some side force to move the rear box around in the clamp and tighten it back up quick! you may be able to move the box over a few cm, thus saving your (prob very expensive) roll bar mounting bracket.
Aug 13, 2001 - 13:24 - From: Matthew Welsh Title: Superchips, FYI Message: Had the following dialog today with WWW.LONDON.SUPERCHIPS.CO.UK Subject: 1991 Lotus Elan.... (me) Hello, I picked your location out of the blue. I am in the USA and was told to contact the Superchips UK website for my car's application. How can I go about obtaining a chip for it? Thank you, Matthew Welsh............ (SUPERCHIPS) WE CAN SUPPLY A SUPERCHIP FOR YOUR CAR BUT YOU WOULD HAVE TO SEND THE ECU TO US FOR MODIFICATION WE WOULD MODIFY ON SITE AND RETURN THE SAME DAY. THE ECU ON RHD CARS IS ABOVE THE PASSENGERS FEET. THE COST IS £350.00 PLUS 17.5 % VAT.............(me) Does this raise or remove the turbo boost limit (currently .92 bar) at which the stock computer shuts down the fuel pump? Thank you, Matthew Welsh............ (SUPERCHIPS) YES THAT IS THE MAIN MODIFICATION IN THE SOFTWARE. THANKS DAVE (END OF E-MAIL) Holly shit guys, that is over $500 USD for something I will do for free this coming weekend!!! By the way, at last check the USA was not part of the EEC, exempting me from VAT, so I didn't figure that in.
Aug 13, 2001 - 14:00 - From: Matt Welsh Title: Mufflers not fitting Message: Ash, I picked up about 3mpg when I fitted Bill's exhaust! I have spent a long time recently thinking about the exhausts available for this car, so here are some thoughts... The original Elan Muffler was 5.25h x 8w x 17L. An 5.25 x 8 oval muffler (center in/center out) is the most important thing to look for when selecting a replacement, as that is the dimension that has been very carefully hollowed out in the stock underside of the elan. Look & see if you don't believe me. Many aftermarket exhausts for this car use a 4h x 9w muffler, this causes the muffler to contact exactly where Ash & Bryn have stated. The rear clamp that goes around your stock muffler is fitted 3" from the end of the 17" muffler body, and can be removed & re-used on any other 5.25h x 8w muffler you buy, saving additional work in mounting the new muffler. If you buy a muffler with a 14" long body, mount this clamp on the end of the muffler, instead of 3" from the end, see what I mean? There is a particularly nice muffler which would be ideal as a replacement at http://www.jcwhitney.com/product.jhtml?CATID=167946&BQ=jcw2 It is the first item, item A. If you use this part number (47rj2298t) when ordering it will only cost $99.95 USD until November (You can save 20 bucks). This is a straight-thru design like the original, and pretty sweet looking, don't you think? Polished mirror-finish stainless-steel! Note, if you have an aftermarket system, check to see if it is still 2" diameter, and select a diameter that is right for your exhaust. Also, an aftermarket muffler may use a side rather than a center intake. Doug, the Magnaflow listed as the suggested replacement muffler on the web site is 4 x 9, and will encounter the fitment problems noted by Ash & Bryan. Magnaflow does have 5 x 8 mufflers ( www.magnaflow.com ). The 17" body of the stock muffler fills the entire space available, but if you get the Magnaflow with the 14" body you'll have room to fit a nice tip to the end, even a resonated one.
Aug 13, 2001 - 15:58 - From: Philbo Title: Brakes Message: OK, am definitely fitting some EBC V4 compound for next track day on 8 Sep. Will provide feedback based on experience - am going back to same track so will be able to compare braking points. Then we will see. Dave M, as for the M Coupe, I know someone who tracks one of those and the brakes aren't up to it either! After a few laps you get bad fade as well! Probably not as bad as the Elan though. Russ, I was using the airfield days to get familiar with the car before tracking her. I acknowledge that the airfield circuit would have been *very* hard on the brakes, but their performance was awful! I will see how some DOT5 fluid and EBC green V4's make a difference. As to a "real" track in Sep/Oct, sure thing, let's give it a whirl. I must admit I was all set to get my Elan into real trackday fettle, but I've just seen a really sweet deal on an ex-race car that would be perfect for tracking: 250bhp 2 litre engine, mid/rear layout, 6-speed straight-cut sequential clutchless gear change, FIA rollbar & harness, adjustable shocks, 6-pot calipers, 3 sets of alloys and tyres...mmm, now just to let me talk the wife into it!
Aug 13, 2001 - 18:07 - From: Rod Title: Brakes ( Fluid ) Message: I would recommend Dot 5.1 as a minimum. This is pretty cheap and pretty high boiling point. Sure you can get better ( SRF etc ), but its costs a lot more.
Aug 13, 2001 - 18:27 - From: john Title: brakes, revs, cut-offs and all the troubles you all know Message: Hopefully I'm going to get my new windscreen soon (waiting for Lotus to ship the set of seals). Now then, I've taken my S2 for a ride here in Switzerland over the week-end (a 700 km ride :-) and I think I have some problems. The car had a turbo pressure upgrade to .85bar and stainless sport exhaust. Everything done by the previous owner. (1)brakes are awful. Going down the Nuefenen pass I realized how bad they are (made it through an hairpin thanks to the chassis, not the brakes). I will definitely change them, but I have to make up my mind as to what to do exactly. 2)I also seem to have problems revving above a certain amount of rpms in low gears (I'll test this issue carefully tomorrow and report exactly about it). (3)The engine doesn't like me going full throttle too fast. The engine behaves as if I hit the rev limiter, but I don't, so I guess I'm getting cut-offs, but why? No bad having had the car for only about 3 weeks, uh? Cheers.
Aug 13, 2001 - 18:47 - From: Russ Title: Track Cars Message: Phil - just make sure the Ex race car is completely road legal or it won't be allowed out on most track days. I can sort of see the attraction but I find half the fun is seeing what my standard road car can actually do on the track. I just decided to go straight to track, didn't fancy tight courses with lots of cones to attack the fibreglass body panels! Not sure I missed out on much in hindsight. I did the brake upgrade as a sort of first thing for road use as everyone had said how bad they were. I wasn't going to mod my car but the appeal of actually having the power to pass all those cars that I was all over through the twisty bits on the straights just had too much draw :-). However mine still remains primarily a weekend fun car and it's road manners are more important than it's track set up at the end of the day (hence the recirc dump valve). Anyway I'd certainly fancy a track day with some other Elans. I'm off on Hols for two weeks on wednesday so we'll have to sort something out when I get back.
Aug 13, 2001 - 19:11 - From: Rod Title: Track Cars Message: I'm with Russ on this one, there is little appeal for airfields with a front wheel drive car. The RWD people like airfields as they have lots of room to see how much they can stretch their handbrake cables ( :-) ). No matter how much people tell you the airfield x has a lovely smooth surface with no pot holes and no surface grit, a race track will always be a better surface and clean. A track day will cost only a little more than an airfield day, plus the bonus is that you are on a real race track, with real pit lane and atmosphere of a track. Plus the facilities of a track will normally be much better than an airfield ( toilets / food / hot drinks ). At a recent day at Donington I attended, there were loads of cars around being loaded and unloaded, all real race cars etc - you would not see this at an airfield.
Aug 13, 2001 - 19:40 - From: Matt Pritchard Title: fuel gauge Message: Geoff, I was wondering the same thing a few months back and asked my 'know everything' father. As far as he was concerned the fuel warning lights on all cars are designed to come on when there is enough fuel left for... I think it was in the region of 35 miles. The reasoning being that that is the approximate distance, or just over, between service stations on motorways (UK). Therefore, if your light comes on after you have just passed the last service station, you should have enough in the tank to make it to the next. Makes a lot of sense, but I never investigated further. My father has been responsible for helping build numerous motorways so he may know more than some on the subject. I guess it very much depends on how your driving. If the car is poorly maintained and you are driving on the turbo under hard acceleration and braking the whole way... it ain't going to last you the same distance as if you were being Mr. Conservative. Hope that helps - Matt
Aug 13, 2001 - 19:55 - From: Rod Title: Fuel Light Message: I certainly don't push my luck with the low fuel light on the Lotus, I have never actually ran out of fuel, however have had the car spluttering a bit, and that was more like 20 than 30 miles from the point of the light illuminating.
Aug 13, 2001 - 22:15 - From: Doug Title: Guys . . . Message: Matt, does your car overboost with no opening in the MBC at all? If so then an EBC works as a constantly-variable MBC to open and close the bleed. If you overboost with no bleed at all then I would check to see that your wastegate is opening fully! It may be the actuating rod or valve that moves it is not working fully--thus with the wastegate NOT fully open, the boost will rise more than planned. Geoff, regarding the fuel gauge I believe the owners handbook states there are 2 gallons remaining when the light is supposed to illuminate? I have made it to the station on pure fumes alone twice though. Don't feel bad about stopping--you never know you could meet "Mrs. Right" or "Mrs. Right-Now", and its better to be driving than stranded and/or lost! Matt, again, thanks for the Muffler info--I will add it to the write-up; my info was from someone who fitted this muffler with no complaints. Philbo, I agree with the excellent advice given about your brake problem. Be sure the calipers are clean and the slider pins are straight (not binding at all) and clean and smooth so the pads can slide well. I noticed my front pads wear crooked as the front and rear pressures are un-even--this has deteriorated the brake performance of my EBCs and I have new ones coming in the mail. If yours were well worn then maybe you had a worse crooked pad problem?
Aug 13, 2001 - 22:15 - From: Brian MDB Title: Fuel Light Message: I wouldn't take any liberties with the Low Fuel Light, based upon the couple of occasions where the Engine has died whilst cornering with only 10 - 15 miles since the light coming on. I used to check consumption regularly and seemed to average around 28mpg (UK gals). The checks I've done here in the US showed around 25 to 27mpg (US gals).
Aug 14, 2001 - 04:02 - From: Philbo Title: Brakes and track days Message: Chaps, I'm under no illusions about the merits of tracks over airfields, I wanted to do a couple of airfields first so that I could get to know the car on the limit before running it somewhere where there would be more things to hit! Good thing too, with my brakes I'd have ended up in the Armco for sure. John, in my mind some kind of brake upgrade is a non-optional investment. Most modern road cars will be able to outbrake the Elan, you don't want to go rear-ending them, especially with all of the Elan's oily bits so close to the front of the car. To my mind, it's worth going the whole hog with 2 options. Option 1: vented, drilled, grooved discs with new pads (EBC greenstuff V4), new brake lines (at least at the front) and higher spec fluid if you're going to be driving hard. Option 2: AP Racing calipers that fit (just) inside the 15" rims, including the changes from Option 1. Option 2 costs at least twice as much as Option 1. Also it sounds like with your boost mods you are getting fuel cutouts. See this month's threads for possible solutions!
Aug 14, 2001 - 04:03 - From: Philbo Title: Brakes and track days Message: Chaps, I'm under no illusions about the merits of tracks over airfields, I wanted to do a couple of airfields first so that I could get to know the car on the limit before running it somewhere where there would be more things to hit! Good thing too, with my brakes I'd have ended up in the Armco for sure. John, in my mind some kind of brake upgrade is a non-optional investment. Most modern road cars will be able to outbrake the Elan, you don't want to go rear-ending them, especially with all of the Elan's oily bits so close to the front of the car. To my mind, it's worth going the whole hog with 2 options. Option 1: vented, drilled, grooved discs with new pads (EBC greenstuff V4), new brake lines (at least at the front) and higher spec fluid if you're going to be driving hard. Option 2: AP Racing calipers that fit (just) inside the 15" rims, including the changes from Option 1. Option 2 costs at least twice as much as Option 1. Also it sounds like with your boost mods you are getting fuel cutouts. See this month's threads for possible solutions!
Aug 14, 2001 - 06:01 - From: jeremy Title: super?chips Message: Hey, isnt that interesting,... the superchips response to matthews question, 'Does the chip raise or remove the boost pressure limit?' the answer was 'yes',... well,... which is it then? Sounds like a politicians answer to me. I am beginning to agree with (yes Doug, I know you said this ages ago) those who have questioned the wisdom and value-for-money of such an expensive modification.
Aug 14, 2001 - 08:55 - From: Dave M. Title: oils Message: Had to laugh after changing the oil (for the first time - the other was under 'A' service) last night. I thought my old '88 MR2 had an interesting filter location requiring me to remove the rear passenger side wheel, shimmy under said car and reach up between the firewall and front of the engine. That was comfortable. But after removal of the front wheel and a little yoda-vision (and a lot of paper towel to clean up the mess!) the filter came off. Could it drain on more stuff - would that be possible?!? Tonight the tranny fluid (more chuckles). I think a beating is in order for a few engineers who signed off on these items. Then I'll give them the number of the Subaru engineers who allow me to change my oil by just sliding under the front bumper - no jacking required!
Aug 14, 2001 - 11:14 - From: Doug Title: fluid changing Message: Dave, be sure to have a way to take your aggressions out after the tranny oil change if you thought the engine oil was hard! LOL at the drainage comment--I think this is to be sure the right front suspension stays well covered with oil to prevent corrosion! I have the same Subaru--just reach under the bumper and undo the filter--you may have to even sit down to undo the drain plug too!
Aug 14, 2001 - 11:16 - From: Gordon Title: Sikaflex Message: I've seen Sikaflex mentioned as a good product for treating worn seals. I've found that the product is stocked at most UK marine stores, but there seems to be numerous sikaflex derivatives. Does anybody have a sikaflex product number that does the job on the elans window seals? Also, does anyone have a good product name for silicon grease to keep the seals water-resistant? (Maybe sikaflex do one?!) Many thanks in advance - Gordon.
Aug 14, 2001 - 11:16 - From: Ash Title: K&N filter and St/St exhaust Message: Thanks everyone for all your input on the above, I will be ordering an system and filter from SJ sports as soon as I can get through! hopefully this will cure my clonk and give me better economy, my next point of call is some new front brakes also from SJ or Christopher Neil - has any one used the slotted/drilled christopher Neil disks? or does everyone still recommend the SJ Sports set? thanks again! Ash
Aug 14, 2001 - 12:22 - From: Russ Title: Brakes Message: Ash - I've got the Christopher Neil grooved (slotted - same thing) discs. They're made by ATE who are a reputable German manufacturer (supply braking systems for most of the Ford Cosworths apparently), I got them because they wos cheapest ! but having seen them I reckon they look as well made as the ebc's or tarox. Strange groove pattern but no big deal, seem to work fine on my car in conjunction with the ebc greenstuff pads they also supply. The ones they supplied to me were not drilled, I'm unconvinced as to the advantages of cross drilling (in addition to grooves) except under extreme conditions when they will admittedly dissipate very slightly more heat from the larger surface area, although how much this is offset by the lower mass I've no idea.
Aug 14, 2001 - 15:26 - From: Philbo Title: exhausts Message: Ash, just so you know Paul Matty do a performance enhancing exhaust for £399 fitted.
Aug 14, 2001 - 15:49 - From: Matt Welsh Title: Ash, Phil - exhaust Message: SJ offers a SS exhaust that is an exact duplicate of the original but in SS. I have their SS front pipe in my possession, and can tell from it & the pictures of the other 2 pieces (center pipe & rear/silencer) that they have RELIGIOUSLY duplicated the original exhaust. As such, it is not a performance exhaust, but should fit 'clunklessly' (very good). I cannot comment on the Paul Matty exhaust, but ask them for the dimensions of the muffler, that should tell you a lot. The people that did Bill's exhaust went with a 4h x 9w x 14L, shorter than stock (17"), bcuz the increased width forced them to mount the muffler LOWER than the stock muffler. (It would not fit up into the cavity provided for the muffler). Using the shorter 14" length allowed him to fit the lower-mounted muffler BEHIND the suspension piece others have mentioned their mufflers coming in contact with. Still, it is a tight fit and rests against the plastic inner fender-well at the rear of the car. The rest of Bill's exhaust fits flawlessly. In fact, he was able to snake a 2.5" pipe (mandrel-bent) above the front sub-frame! Makes you wonder why the factory felt the need to squash their little 2" pipe flat to do the same.
Aug 14, 2001 - 16:42 - From: Bryn Title: ATE Disks Message: Just my opinion, but I think Chris Neils are a little sly over the ATE disks they supply, they do not tell you they are ATE unless you actually ask the question you may assume you are getting the EBC product, same as the pads they supply. When asked they will tell you they do not supply EBC because they are 'handed' and therefore have to be fitted in pairs (sorry, but I have never heard of anyone fitting a single disk!!), my guess is that the ATE cost a few £££'s less than the EBC's but can still command a similar retail price. Maybe I am being a little biased here, but as it has taken me over 2 months to get my money back from CN's on a set of ATE disks which warped within just 1,000 miles, I have lost a little faith in the ATE product and also in the supplier who did not handle the problem particularly well. Anyway, like I say only my opinion, but next time round I will get EBC disks to match the pads I use.
Aug 14, 2001 - 18:15 - From: Russ Title: Warped Brake Discs Message: Bryn - there's a very interesting article about discs written by the Powerstop guy (EBC reseller) in this months Club Lotus Mag (which is at work at the moment so I'm talking from sketchy memory) but basically he reckons that any disc may warp (or give warping like symptoms) and gives reasons and solutions to the problem, he even gives a figure for something like one in 150 (IIRC) discs giving these problems. I'll scan it in and post it when I get back from my hols in september unless someone else can help out ?
Aug 14, 2001 - 21:19 - From: John G Title: RPMs Message: A big thanks to Dan for helping me with the RPM problem. Yep, it was a slack throttle cable. Can you believe it, a simple fix and no cost. Thanks, Dan.
Aug 14, 2001 - 22:40 - From: charlie Title: tires Message: Doug where'd did you find GS-D+s at $105? The replacements for GSD+S are Eagle F1 GS which are $300+ , GSD+S are no longer made. Also everyone should check their accelerator cable now and again, its a quick performance fix, we went through it last year.
Aug 15, 2001 - 00:01 - From: PETER CANEPA Title: tires Message: Charlie, www.Tirerack.com has these Eagle F 1 GS-D2 tires for $105.00 If that's the replacement, might be a good choice. What is the Michelin replacement for the Mxx2 that was original eqip. in England? Thanks peter
Aug 15, 2001 - 00:31 - From: Jim Title: tires Message: I just replaced the Goodyear GS-Ds on my car. I contacted Lotus to see what they recommend. They replied that the approved tire for the American Elan is the Pirelli P-Zero 205-45-ZR16 not the new Goodyears. Later I found the complete set of tire recommendations in the online General Service Manual under the Service Bulletins section. Can't recall what European tires were specified.
Aug 15, 2001 - 02:23 - From: glen Title: Sikaflex Message: Gordon, the Sikaflex you want is 221. Remember to order the black stuff, not the white! And when you get it, try not to get it on your hands unless you like cleaning them with sandpaper.
Aug 15, 2001 - 05:33 - From: Philbo Title: Warped discs and pads Message: If you want to see the damage that an airfield day can do to a set of cr*p pads then go to www.zen.co.uk/informatica/elan! Luckily my discs must be pretty decent because they survived this abuse unscathed.
Aug 15, 2001 - 06:10 - From: Philbo Title: Dyno runs Message: Two of us (myself and Jason Jones) are having our Elans dyno tested tomorrow in Dorking, Surrey. Anyone else is very welcome to come, the next dyno slot is available at around 11.00-11.30. Comparing setups on the same rig would be very interesting, both Jason and I have similar setups (BBR & K&N). Let me know if interested and I'll arrange things.
Aug 15, 2001 - 08:33 - From: Russ Title: Pads Message: Bloody hell Phil! - you really weren't kidding when you said you'd destroyed a set of pads were you ?
Aug 15, 2001 - 09:32 - From: Dave M. Title: oil, part 2 Message: Must've been some good ju-ju floating around last night. I hit the garage late last night with the intention of removing everything I would need to get to the tranny plug/speedo cable, spray the bolt with WD-40 and let it sit until today. I'll be if the lil' 10mm guy didn't give it up and come loose without a fuss, so I did the whole thing. I used a 10mm 1/4" drive socket + 1/4" drive flex joint + 6" extension + 3/8" to 1/4" drive adaptor + 6" extension + 3" extension + 3/8" socket wrench to get to the bugger. Whoever suggested to loosen the bolt and plate but not take them out had a good idea. The plate swings out of the way easily to access the gear. Also, Doug, you may want to update the write up to use a 15/16" socket to loosen the drain bolt (actually, whatever the metric equivalent is). The 1" was a bit too big and started to shear the corners of the bolt (it needed assistance from a BFH to come off). And you were right, there is no washer. The drain plug has a small o-ring that just needs to be cleaned. One quick question on the coolant overflow tank: how full is normal? I didn't see the usual max hot/cold lines. Mine was full to just below the front drain hose.
Aug 15, 2001 - 09:34 - From: Dave M. Title: conversion Message: I think the metric size for the plug is 25mm.
Aug 15, 2001 - 17:01 - From: Bryn Title: Warped Disks Message: Russ, thanks, I have got that article now. Guess I am just the unlucky 1 in 150 who got the duff set of disks!
Aug 15, 2001 - 17:41 - From: john Title: stutters Message: I get a stutter if I accelerate hard. It's very noticeable in 4th and 5th. The turbo goes to its upper limit (.85 bar) in a blink and the engine struggles. Another small trouble I face (maybe related) is that the engine sometimes dies on me. Happened 3 or 4 times now in pretty much the same circumstances, i.e., well warm engine, going pretty slowly, releasing the throttle getting to a "stop" sign. Thanks in advance for any help. BTW, I asked the local BOSCH service centre about platinum tipped spark plugs. They said they have iridium plugs. The two elements have very similar characteristics (AFAIK), so results should be similar. Any experience or comments?
Aug 15, 2001 - 17:45 - From: Doug Title: Philbo's pads Message: Dude, those pads looked like you pulled them from a furnace!! You must have had thin pads to begin with and the pads hanging up on the slider pins and thus staying in contact with the rotors. It would have been nice to have a picture of them when they were red hot--literally!! Be sure to clean up the front calipers and pins so it all works well with your new pad set! You should send the pads to the company and ask for your money back as they didn't last long enough ;-)
Aug 15, 2001 - 18:11 - From: Philbo Title: My pads Message: Hehe, by my reckoning those pads had at most 4000 miles of "easy" road usage on them before the airfield day. But then they got a serious workout :-) I'm not proud of what I did but it does go to show how hot these things can get...lucky me I didn't shag my discs or calipers (although that would have been a good excuse to go for the AP Racing set!) All I can say is that this happened on the last lap, I could feel the change in braking characteristics. Next time I take a spare set!
Aug 15, 2001 - 18:28 - From: Jim Title: RedStuff Brake Pads Message: What is the correct part number for EBC RedStuff brake pads?
Aug 16, 2001 - 02:58 - From: Richard Steele Title: Re: Stutters Message: John, does the yellow engine light come on at any time, have you checked the ECU fault memory for fault codes, how many miles has the car done and has the Cam Angle Sensor been changed/repaired?
Aug 16, 2001 - 04:08 - From: jeremy Title: John Message: I used to stall my car all the time when warm, in town after a blast. What I found was that instead of trying to keep the car from stalling by keeping the revs up on the throttle, just take your foot of the gas and let the revs drop. The engine management system should catch it before it stalls and after that it seems to 'remember' not to let the revs drop too much for a while. Seems to work. My car also seems to vibrate rather than stutter as the revs reach 5 to 6,000 or so. Don't know why this is. Any ideas? Timing?
Aug 16, 2001 - 07:35 - From: Gordon Title: S2 Alarm Message: After finally settling on an extortionate insurance premium, I now have to send the insurance company proof that my alarm is Thatcham Cat. 1. Unfortunately, I do not have the certificate, or any clue what model the alarm is!? Does anyone know what the Factory fitted (upgraded) alarm model is for a 1995 S2? The make is Gemini (Illustrated in the manual by the alarm fob as the upgraded alarm). Many thanks in advance...Gordon.
Aug 16, 2001 - 07:49 - From: Steve Title: S2 Alarm Message: If you don't have a manual and don't know the model, how can you be sure it is Cat 1 approved ? I doubt Cat 1 approval was in existence when that alarm was manufactured. Sorry cannot answer your question, as I have a Clifford alarm on my S1, and would not claim that it had any Thatcham approval.
Aug 16, 2001 - 08:02 - From: Rod Title: S2 Alarm Message: From memory the alarm was a standard item on the S2, and for some reason I believe it was Thatcham approved. A number of years ago I called the factory about an option fitted to my car, so I know that the factory keep a build record of all cars. If you ring them with your VIN number, they can dig out their paper records in a couple of days. However they might be able to tell you straight away what alarm it is, if it was a standard item on all S2's.
Aug 16, 2001 - 08:34 - From: Paul Munden Title: Steering wheel boss Message: Hi everyone , Does anyone know where I can get a steering wheel boss so I can fit my new Nardi steering wheel onto my Elan. Thanks.
Aug 16, 2001 - 09:47 - From: john Title: Re: stutters Message: (STUTTER) Richard, no engine light coming on. The car has 53K km (ie, about 33K miles), FSH and never had the CAS repaired or replaced. I wouldn't know how to check the ECU mem (I'm sure I will find it out on this site, though :). It's my first experience with a turbo engine and I have had the S2 for only about 3 weeks, so I'm learning...The previous owner had the turbo pressure increased to 0.85bar and had a ss sport exhaust fitted, but no other improvements. If I accelerate smoothly, I see no troubles at all. Could it be the engine only needs to breathe a bit better and/or needs better spark plugs (this is also why I raised the platinum/iridium plugs issue)? (STALL) thanks Jeremy for the work around.
Aug 16, 2001 - 11:42 - From: Philbo Title: Gemini Alarms Message: Gordon, I have bad news I'm afraid. I was put in the exact same position as you by my insurance company. Basically they insisted on proof of at least Cat2, and every other company wanted Cat1. My 1991 car also had a Gemini alarm that was factory fitted. I consulted a VSN (accredited vehicle security specialist) and their documents show that there is no Gemini alarm system installed in a Lotus that has a Thatcham rating. In fact the Gemini alarm is not all that well rated and they have pretty much pulled out of the UK market. If you don't have an immobiliser on the car then it is not even Cat2 let alone Cat1. Eventually I decided to have a Cat1 alarm installed in order to get the certificate as proof. It's a Toad system, cost fitted was £300 and it took the chap the best part of a day to fit (including fitting new bonnet switch that the original didn't have).
Aug 16, 2001 - 11:46 - From: Philbo Title: Brake calipers Message: I have just found a company that will replace the entire Elan braking system in the UK to fit 15" wheels. New 285x24mm vented grooved or drilled discs, 4-pot high performance calipers, brake lines and DOT5.1 fluid. Kit costs £460 with £50-£60 fitting. "Hi Spec Engineering", speak to Geoff 01322 286850. I'm getting one of these installed on the 29th of this month so will report back.
Aug 16, 2001 - 12:49 - From: steve Title: Nardi Wheel Message: Paul, I assume you are moving from the S1 steering wheel to the S2 Nardi wheel. If so, I have done the same and simply unscrewed the old wheel from the boss (about 8 screws from memory) and refitted the S2 wheel. They have the same fitment, both actually being made by Nardi, and I believe all wheels such as Momo have the same.
Aug 16, 2001 - 14:54 - From: Doug Title: Philbo's Elan Message: Philbo, nice write-up on the dyno run (see link page). I assume your flywheel BHP values were calculated from the wheel BHP with standard correction? The UK Elans do not use the Oxygen Sensor which is certainly a way the ECU can change/monitor the mixture! I do not know if your car is wired for it or not to put into your blank spot at the turbo exhaust manifold, and the ECU is likely not programmed for it. Perhaps an email to Lotus HQ can answer this, although they are not to bright about the M100. You should note your fuel grade used and temperature of the air when the test was done. I will try to get to a dyno soon as well to see what my baby can do! Cheers.
Aug 16, 2001 - 15:16 - From: Matt Welsh Title: Superchips, once $500, now free! Message: Actually, I call my product Superwire, cuz that's all that's involved to bypass the overboost fuel-pump shutdown. And good news, these wires are already on your car! Just like real-estate, it is simply a matter of location. Here is how to Superwire your car, but first things first... DISCLAIMER: I am telling you not to do this, even though I have done it successfully. I'm serious, you could blow up your motor with unlimited boost. Only do this if you're sure, and then still don't do it. I'm not responsible at all, ask anyone who knows me, if you follow this you're as crazy as I am............. 1) Look at drawing 81.tif of the Online Engine-Management Manual, it shows what all the pins plugged into the ECU are responsible for. Find the ECU on your car. There are two 24-pin plugs plugged into the ECU. Notice from the 81.tif diagram that pin A1 arms the fuel pump relay. Your ECU, via pin A1, will cut off electricity to the fuel pump if more than .92 bar of boost is sensed. What we want to do is power your fuel pump whenever you switch the ignition on, and power it down when you switch the ignition off. Where to get this power? Pin A6 to the rescue!!! This wire is armed whenever the ignition is on. To recognize the A/B 24-pin connector vs. the C/D 24-pin connector, look at the wires at each end of the ECU. On one side you will notice a lot of blue wires, on the other extremity you will see a lot of white wires (some with green tracer). That is the A/B connector, the one with the white wires. See the blue plastic tabs on this connector? There is one on each side of the connector and you need to pinch them both in to get the locking mechanism to release. Do this & pull the connector from the ECU. Now, locate the white/green wire in THE FIRST pin location. There is another thicker white/green wire in the second pin location on the opposite side, pin B2... DO NOT CONFUSE THEM! Cut the thin white/green wire (sounds like we are disarming a bomb, doesn't it?) and strip some of the insulation off the end of the wire that is no longer connected to the A/B connector, this is the wire going to your fuel pump relay. Now, find the thick red/green wire that is in the 6th position (pin A6) on the same side of the connector as the wire you just cut. That is your ignition power source. You must splice into & draw power from this wire (I use those electrical connectors that are made for this job), then run a wire from here and connect it to the already stripped end of your small white/green wire. Plug the A/B connector back into your ECU. Start your car, that is best way to know you have done this right. If your car runs, you have. 2) Pat yourself on the back and write a check for $500, payable to yourself. Mail it. You should receive it in 2 days. Tell your wife this is your money now, since you didn't spend it on a Superchip! By the way, your overboost (check engine) light will still come on when you exceed .92 bar of boost, but the car keeps running now without skipping a beat. Still, let the light be a warning to you. Enjoy yourself, but be sensible. (See Below)
Aug 16, 2001 - 16:19 - From: Steve Title: S2 Alarm Message: Sorry to disagree guys but the alarm is a Thatcham cat 1 alarm/immobiliser, Thatcham was around a long time before this was made, it is a gemini aquila and i have been with 3 different insurance companies who have not had any problem with this. The only problem seems to be proving it but this can be taken care of by your nice local Lotus dealer, just get them to do you a nice note on headed paper stating what was standard ( it was standard on the S2 ) fit and send a copy to your insurer. My best quote by far this year was with Esteem who know Lotus well and will do a 10% discount if you are a Lotus club member, and they didn't even ask for the letter of proof.
Aug 17, 2001 - 05:05 - From: Gordon Title: S2 Alarm Message: Thank you to all who have responded to my car alarm question; I've managed to get through to Lotus' technical dept and here's the official verdict for those who may find themselves in a similar predicament - "The Lotus Elan S2 is factory fitted with a Gemini Aquila 5160T vehicle security alarm system, meeting Thatcham 'Category One' requirements and BS 6803." The good people at Lotus actually have an official letter stating the above and detailing the systems features (of which they are sending me,) to offer proof for insurance companies. Just give them the VIN of your vehicle and they will send you the letter. Thanks again - Gordon.
Aug 17, 2001 - 07:14 - From: Rod Title: S2 Alarm Message: Great news Gordon, and good to hear there are still some customer services people left at Lotus ! Is this an entry for an FAQ on S2 M100's Doug ?
Aug 17, 2001 - 10:07 - From: Matthew Welsh Title: "Superwire" - retraction Message: Well, I thought I had something there. Was pulling 1 bar without the engine shutting down on my morning drive, so I turned up the boost a little for my drive home and BAM, it shut off. The EMJ Engine Management manual was on my doorstep when I arrived home and I read that whole damn thing last night. Turns out what gets shut off is not the fuel pump, as the repair manual & owner's handbook states, but the fuel-injectors. So, there you are, no cheap Superchip. You can't "wire around" the ECM on the fuel injectors as they are truly 'managed' in the normal operation of the engine, ie, opened or closed for the duration required to supply the right amount of fuel to the motor, whereas the fuel pump is continuously on. I'd like to hear from anyone who has the Superchip installed. If you do, what is your experience with the maximum boost you can achieve before the injectors are shut off? ps, sorry for jumping the gun.
Aug 17, 2001 - 10:18 - From: john Title: Re: stutters Message: Richard, just to make sure I went and check the ECU mem (found the procedure on this site as expected :). I see no problems. The nice light flashing game showed code 12 only. I let it go 10 times or so and then ungrounded the terminal. Gotta be something else. BTW, for those who have the bloody alarm fitted, make sure you turn the ignition on within the damn 18 secs. Otherwise you'll scratch your head for a good half an hour trying to get at why the little trick doesn't work... :)
Aug 17, 2001 - 10:36 - From: Bill Luton Title: Fuel cut and spark plugs Message: I was going to say something about that the fuel pump should remain on all the time and the computer just turns the injectors off. If the computer had an external injector controller, you could jumper over the power wire so the computer couldn't cut off the injectors like the Bosche/Hitachi, but it is internal on the Delco stuff. What you are looking for is a fuel cut defenser._ _ _The stutter symptom described is curable by re-gapping the spark plugs. The gap narrows over time and the plugs must be re-gapped. This can be permanently solved by using plugs that do not have an adjustable gap (like the ones with a welded ring). For performance, avoid platinum plugs, they sacrifice spark strength resistance to fouling (platinum is a poor conductor but is resistant to tarnish)._ _ _Bill Luton
Aug 17, 2001 - 10:52 - From: Doug Title: boost fuel cut Message: Matt, glad to hear it wasn't your engine expiring!! I have "the chip" and my fuel cut to the injectors is still there! The difference is that I do not see the light flash when I max out. To raise the boost higher than the cut (not recommended with stock computer) you just have to disable the MAP sensor so it does not send the voltage to the ECU that the boost it too high. As I remember, this can be done by soldering a resistor onto the MAP circuit--I'll look for Kip's procedure.
Aug 17, 2001 - 11:01 - From: Doug Title: boost Message: Matt, another thing to think about is that you should try to figure out the max boost possible from our IHI turbo. If you spin it too fast the compressor blade tips will approach supersonic speed and will likely break!!!!!! This is probably very close to our max boost already! Hence the reason for a bigger turbo upgrade with piggyback ECU (send $$$$ to Bill).
Aug 17, 2001 - 12:58 - From: Steve P Title: Fuel Mixture Adjustment Message: I've always adjusted my mixture using the CO Pot behind the glove box at idle. Seems to give a fair level of adjustment from lean to very rich. AFAIK this is the base level from which the ECU then calculates the fuel ratio further up the rev range.
Aug 17, 2001 - 13:04 - From: Philbo Title: 4-point harnesses Message: Has anyone, or would it be possible, mounted a 4-point harness to an otherwise standard Elan interior? Reason for asking is that I just fancy one!
Aug 17, 2001 - 13:52 - From: Dave M. Title: 4-point harness Message: Philbo, I would think installing a harness in a stock car may require some effort. The stock waist belt mounting points are perfect for 2 of your points, but the shoulders are the issue. With my roll bar, I've added two extra, lower bars to handle harness duty. With a stock interior, I'd think you'd want mounting points stronger than just the glass body behind the seats. I can't find it now, but it seems there was a picture someone had of the convertible top storage area with the carpet removed. It would help to see if there were some type of solid (metal) point behind each seat to mount to. Otherwise, maybe mount/weld a bar between the stock shoulder belt mounting points and have it follow the contour of the rear "wall" behind the seats? Maybe attach a metal plate to the glass floor (similar to the way the roll bars are attached) and mount the harness to that? Note, the existing shoulder belt location can be used for one belt. See Jim Manson's install at: http://sites.netscape.net/mansonje/rollbar. The inboard mounts would just be the problem. Plus, if I would do it again, I'd probably pop a hole in the footwell and do a 5-pointer! If you can swing it, Philbo, I highly recommend it. You'll feel MUCH safer in your car when you're all hunkered down. I feel exposed in other vehicles, now. It does make things like shutting your door or reaching the glove box impossible once you're in, though.
Aug 17, 2001 - 17:53 - From: Doug Title: harness Message: Philbo, the only problem is with a 4 or 5-point harness you will be unable to duck down if you ever roll the car--better get a roll bar too!! There is nothing back there to attach it to--you could just bond a metal bar to the front of the rear storage area and run an attachment point at each end to the shoulder belts--this way you'd have to break the entire glass area out for them to fail! Perhaps you want better racing seats too then?
Aug 18, 2001 - 00:24 - From: Doug Title: HOMEWORK Message: I need everyone to think of at least one new FAQ to add to the website. Just email me the question and your answer for it and I will add them to the page. Thanks!!
Aug 18, 2001 - 12:12 - From: Dean Title: Air Dam Lip Message: I received a new rubber air dam strip Friday, thanks to Jay and RD enterprises. Note that you have to punch your own holes. With a little luck I will get it on the car prior to LOG.
Aug 20, 2001 - 05:02 - From: Donald McCabe Title: Lamps and things Message: Having now owned the Green Beast for 3 months now - I am looking to improve its cosmetic appearance. 1/ rear lamps -the outer plastic is cracked on both my lamps is there any way I can get these invisibly repaired. I do not want to buy whole new lamps. 2/ Hoods - I believe that the Lotus genuine part is well over 1200 pounds to replace - does anyone do an alternative. Thanks in advance Donald p.s. when I bought the car the brakes were worse than my Citroen AX (huge foot pressure to slow the car) I discovered the previous owner had used Sport (hard) brake pads. Some of the racing options you guys are suggesting might not be very plesant on short trips to the shops. :)
Aug 20, 2001 - 08:56 - From: Matthew S. Welsh Title: Headlamp motor fix Message: Did this weekend. Thanks for the great instructions guys (part 1)! The part 2 instructions read like Greek to me (makes sense now though, having done it), but there is one valuable addition in part 2, those white plastic spacers in pictures 1 & 4 (the three round things). If you have those your project will not come to a screeching halt while you wait 24-hours for your RTV silicone to completely cure. They would have been really nice to have.
Aug 20, 2001 - 15:20 - From: charlie Title: Tiring of Tyres? Message: Jim, that's interesting i have a bulk snailmail letter from lotus saying that the replacements were the Eagle F1s, which is also what goodyear said, it went GS D, GS D+, F1 GS D2, although they change their mind constantly, and they are brilliant tyres. i'll check out tirerack.com , i just did, *holy camp tv shows* i've paid $350 each for those tyres last time i bought them =) thanks for the tip! (i just checked with goodyear, they are now $250 each) how funny is that i have to buy goodyear tyres elsewhere have them shipped to goodyear (and its not the franchised one, which you have to watch out with goodyear if you buy their tyre warranty, its only good at goodyear owned shops, and not the franchises, but they look exactly the same) for them to fit, its a mad world (unless shipping and handling from tirerack is $145 per tyre).
Aug 20, 2001 - 15:54 - From: Matt Pritchard Title: Back to the low fuel warning light Message: Just checked the owners handbook and it states that the low fuel light is set to come on when the tank has 2 Gallons (9 litres) left.
Aug 20, 2001 - 17:49 - From: Matthew Welsh Title: low-fuel light Message: Matt (Pritchard), on my Maserati I have 25-30 miles after the light comes on before it's Good-Night-Irene. On the TR8 I had, the light meant "you have just run out of gas". This might even vary from Elan to Elan. Honestly, I have always learned the hard way. When your petrol light comes on reset your trip meter to zero and return home ASAP. Place one of those "Emergency gasolines", that come in the quart and half-gallon containers and are not as volatile as regular gas, into your trunk... then drive until you run out. That way you won't be stranded, but you'll truly know how far you can go.
Aug 21, 2001 - 13:21 - From: peter bentley Title: Boost gauge Message: netties assistance por favor ! just got my car back and the boost gauge is off the scale. its just had a cam belt change, has the garage forgotten something trivial which i can fix ?????
Aug 21, 2001 - 19:01 - From: Doug Title: Wild Boost Message: Peter, I have had the same thing happen a few times and it is always concerning. If the car is otherwise running right, then your problem is likely a simple one to fix. Open the hood/bonnet and check out the boost gauge, little red rubber covered unit on the right side firewall. My bet is that your grounding (black) wire is loose from the screw which secures it. Simply tighten it up to ground the gauge as normal--be careful not to make it too tight as it is into fiberglass only! If this is not the problem, let me know.
Aug 21, 2001 - 19:11 - From: Grant Title: Rear Wishbone Message: Does anyone know where I might be able to find 2 rear wishbones for the Elan? The right rear on my Elan has snapped as a result of corrosion and Minnesota road construction (They say we have 2 seasons here... Winter and Road Construction and this season has taken a toll on my suspension). It seems the dealer can get them, but they cost just a bit more than an arm and a leg. $540 each to be exact. Has anyone found a less painful alternative? P.S. See the damage here if you like: http://grant.crosscity.com/lotus/wishbone.htm
Aug 21, 2001 - 20:10 - From: Rod Title: Wishbone Woes Message: While the rear wishbones were out of stock with the factory, I believe these people http://www.warlock.co.uk/midas/ were making the part. However Lotus not have them available again ( and they are galvanised now ). The price you quote does appear rather high. I know that these people http://www.thelotuscentre.co.uk had some repaired ones for sale earlier in the year, however they didn't look in very good condition to me and I would pay the extra for new ones. Have a poke around the parts section on this site http://www.sjsportscars.co.uk/ sad to say it looks like the part you want is 400ukp on there, so you would add VAT and shipping and be rather expensive. Try and email or have a chat with the people at SJ Sportscars, they should be able to help. Oh, sorry to hear your car is off the road - how many miles had it done ?
Aug 22, 2001 - 03:42 - From: Philbo Title: Wishbone troubles Message: Sorry to hear about the wishbone breaking. My last 2 MOT's have both pointed out the rust on mine so it's only a matter of time for me. Looks like a big bill is not far away.
Aug 22, 2001 - 11:44 - From: Rod Title: 98 RON Available again in UK Message: http://www.shell.com/uk-en/content/0,4011,44847-69442,00.html Nice to see 98 RON will be back soon, as it was a few years ago when everyone moved from 98 to 97 RON. Wonder how much it will cost though.
Aug 22, 2001 - 15:45 - From: Matthew Welsh Title: boost creep solved Message: Removed rear of exhaust (Bill's - helps having that flange installed!) and had a short 7.5" stainless resonated tip with a carbon-fibre insert that nicely matches the black lattice-work welded on. This not only gives the exhaust a kinder sound (deeper, but not deep, mind you everything is relative), but has increased the back pressure just enough to solve my boost creep, which has allowed my to turn my MBC back up to .9........ Now I will have a stock Euro exhaust that lives in my attic. One day soon, I will be able to assemble an entire car from old Triumph, Maserati, Lotus, MG, and Mazda parts!
Aug 22, 2001 - 19:12 - From: Rod Title: Oil Message: I am thinking of having a go at doing an oil change myself, the write up makes it sound so much fun. I notice that Halfords have got a special deal on Mobil 1 oil, would this be ok for my Elan ?
Aug 23, 2001 - 03:34 - From: Richard A Clifton Title: Oil Message: I always put Mobil 1 15W-50 in mine (buggered if I know get gets put in on services though). What's the special at Halfords? I bought four litres from them last week and had to send the missus back out on the streets to pay for it.
Aug 23, 2001 - 04:17 - From: Bryn Title: Oily stuff Message: Rod, I used Mobil 1 (new formula is 0/40 now I think) for last service, damm expensive at £33 for 4 ltrs!. It is approved by Lotus for the Elan, there is a bulletin in the service notes which confirms this, I also called local dealer to check as I was concerned that this new formula would be just too 'thin' for an older engine. Dealer said no problem but suggested switch to a semi synthetic when engine hits say 70k miles.
Aug 23, 2001 - 07:20 - From: Rod Title: Halfords oil Message: Deal at Halfords is something like spend £50 and get £10 off, so was thinking about getting two cans. Plus a local Halfords superstore is closing down, so has 10% off everything. Will pop out later and get some and check prices properly though.
Aug 23, 2001 - 08:26 - From: Rod Title: Halfords Deal Message: Save up to 25% on all 4, 4.5 or 5 litre oils Save £10 with every £50 spent on parts, oils or Haynes manuals. (Offer excludes car batteries, Garage sales and performance parts)#
Aug 23, 2001 - 12:30 - From: Ade Title: Oil Message: I stopped using mobil 1 a long time ago, when I read in the club mag that some lotus were having oil pressure problems when using it. I now use Morrisons (NOT THE SUPERMARKET). They were established in 1869.It is fully synthetic 5/40 at a cost of £20.93p. It may not be available through out the country, but it does have a excellent reputation. It even states on the can for use in lotus cars.
Aug 23, 2001 - 14:43 - From: Matthew Welsh Title: Tires Message: New tires today, Kumho Ecsta 225/45-16. Car is plusher now over bumps, but I miss that old "riding on rails" feel that I had with the 205s. 20,000 miles from now I will be going back to the original size. Something to consider if you were thinking of wider tires yourself.
Aug 23, 2001 - 19:53 - From: Rod Title: 15W50 or 0W40 Message: 15W50 and 0W40 are both available in Mobil 1. 15W50 is the motorsport version, so would be better for track use I guess, but would take longer to get the engine all warmed up ?
Aug 23, 2001 - 21:28 - From: Doug Title: Oil and Tires Message: Guys, I think the best oil to use is one that's changed regularly. I was a Mobil One fan until it leaked thru our past '96 Mitsu Eclipse head gasket. This prompted me (1) not to use synthetics in the Elan for fear of similar leaks, and (2) not to use synthetics anymore. I do know that they are better oils chemically and should perform better for the engine, but I feel regular modern oil is just fine as long as it is changed frequently enough. Matthew, I have the same tires as you and don't understand what you mean to not like them?? How is the grip and cornering? I find it to be improved from the 205s! Perhaps you can get some Kumho VictorRacers in 205s next time as they are great tires!
Aug 24, 2001 - 11:36 - From: Ed Title: Tires Message: Matt, the other option to consider might be to go to a lower profile. Sticking with the 45 with a good bit wider tire has given you a bit more sidewall to soak up some of the bumps. Of course your top speed should be bumped up a few mph as well. If I remember my calculations when I was doing it, the 225/40 has a diameter very close to the original 205/45. Mine came with 225/40s on it (Toyo Proxes T1). I would not say it feels like riding on rails, but it certainly does not seem like I'm loosing any of the feel I would expect to be getting. I know you've been talking about your exhaust and boost reconfigurations lately too. Speaking as one who has played with the upper limits of the boost range... Even with the wider tires I can get a good bit of slippage under full boost, especially when accelerating through a corner. If I was going to put narrower tires on it now, I'd wind up thinking real hard about that limited slip differential.
Aug 24, 2001 - 16:04 - From: Matt Welsh Title: selecting the right part Message: When it comes to tires or whatever, it would be nice if each of us was treated like "Car & Driver Magazine", where the tire manufacturers would each send us an example of their product to test, and we could just keep (and pay for) the one we liked best, but damnit, that ain't how it goes! So we make the best choice we can based on all sorts of factors, and basically judge whether it is an improvement, or meets our expectations. Personal preferences being what they are, that's really the best we can do. The Scientific Method doesn't help, when it can't be employed!
Aug 24, 2001 - 18:10 - From: George Title: oil and tires Message: Doug, from what I've heard, Mobile 1 does have the tendency to be leaky. What I use in my car now is "Castrol Syntec" 5w/50. I am very happy with that oil. The other oil I've tried and liked (it's sort of rare product) is called "Royal Purple" synthetic. Royal Purple is a very interesting product in appearance; the oil's color is...well, purple like grape juice. Matt, I agree with both you and Doug's comments on the tires. {What an oxymoron...lol) In general, you do feel a little bit out of touch of the road due to the added width and profile. The car just rides a little bit smoother now, not as choppy and twitchy as before. In the beginning, you do get a false sense of "not handling as well, and less road feel." However, as time goes, you realize it's not a bad thing. Especially after you took some corners.
Aug 24, 2001 - 19:08 - From: Doc Fizzix Title: Engine Message: Latest item on ebay. I did it this time, I placed my spare motor up for sale. My wife wants to build a deck so I though that I would exchange my 4XE1 motor for the wood. Well I am crazy. Here it the link if you are interested: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/aw-cgi/ebayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=594684484&r=0&t=0
Aug 25, 2001 - 07:38 - From: peter bentley Title: Boost gauge/Seats Message: thanks Doug your theory was right, the guy who worked on the car said exactly the same thing and within a twiddle of his fingers it was fixed. Whilst writing has anyone taken their seat covers off and got any tips to pass on, I'm thinking of a bit of re stitching here and there.
Aug 25, 2001 - 16:26 - From: Rod Title: Oil change Message: Did an oil change today, initially running the car everything looked fine. However ran the engine later and its making a racket. My limited mechanical knowledge would suggest tappets are making the noise. Oil pressure is ok on the gauge, and oil is on the dipstick. Am not leaving the car overnight, to check there is oil in it in the morning. Wonder if anyone has thoughts ?
Aug 25, 2001 - 16:29 - From: Rod Title: Rear wheel bearings Message: Had a look at tightening up the rear wheel bearings too - used a torque jobby, but it appeared I was tightening them up way too much - does is need a lot of effort ( was lifting suspension and rear of the car up ).
Aug 25, 2001 - 17:03 - From: Doug Title: Elan Freescan = Home Tech-1 Message: Just sent a note to Andy Whittaker about his marvelous Freescan program and getting it to work with the Elan (see links). He said if there is an Elan owner that can come to his place "in the Chester area" that he can make some time to try to figure out the codes needed for the program to work!! This is marvelous! Please let me and/or Andy know if you can take your Elan to him for this! With this program we can hook a laptop up to the Elan and see all the sensor readings real-time and do recordings of drives, etc!!!
Aug 25, 2001 - 17:27 - From: Rod Title: Freescan Message: Its a fair drive for me Doug, but I am game to make the time to go up to Chester. Need to get the car back together first though.
Aug 25, 2001 - 18:45 - From: Doug Title: new EBC pads Message: Just put on some new EBC front pads today. My old ones had about 10K miles on them and about 1/2 the pad left. I changed them as I could see the right pads were wearing a bit at an angle and felt my pedal force was slowly going up with time. The new pads work great again as I bedded them in "hot" as I like to do! Feel like twice the stopping power I had just before the replacement, and the car really dives down as it is stopping so hard. I put in NEW pins AND clips onto the calipers--I would recommend this as my old pins were likely the original ones and were really messed up--I could see they were worse than I though after the struggle to get them fully out. The new ones are straight and smooth and the pads should slide much better on them. The new pins and clips are only $10 as mentioned in the pad write-up. Also did the brake bleed from ATE blue to yellow fluid--used about the whole liter but only needed about 1/2 of it really.
Aug 26, 2001 - 05:05 - From: mark Title: Checking out potential used car. Message: I am hoping to acquire an Elan in the next few months and have read with interest lots of the do's and don'ts associated with buying a used specimen. (by the way im based in uk). One thing that is mentioned is the checking for rust on the 'underside' of the vehicle. My question which may or may not be completely stupid is this: a. How do you go about doing this in the first instance with a 5.5 inch gap between car and ground, (note: lack of hydraulic car ramp), and part b: Should the seller expect this to be done, if there is a safe way..? ie. Safe for his/her vehicle, and safe for prospective buyer such that he doesn't end up with flat head syndrome... I know if i was selling a vehicle, and some oik turned up demanding to be able to 'jack her up guy,' I'd ask him to leave!! - Any info greatly appreciated. thanks
Aug 26, 2001 - 05:29 - From: Philbo Title: Used Elans Message: Mark, the main rust you will need to look out for is rust on the rear wishbones. Pretty much every "S1" (89-92) car will have them in some state of advanced rust, unless they've been replaced already. Therefore pretty much the only question you need to ask is, "have they been replaced?" If not, you can bank on them needing doing fairly soon. As a guide, my car has done 38,000 miles in 10 years, all of them (dry) garaged, and my wishbones have raised "warnings" at my last 2 MOT's. A higher mileage car or one that is not garaged may be worse. I spoke to Bell & Colvill, authorised Lotus dealer, and they say that the total job cost including parts, fitting and rejigging is about £700. The main trouble is lack of availability; they have these parts on back order for 6 months now as there has been a real run on these parts because all S1 Elans are needing attention. The S2 Elans had galvanised wishbones to overcome this problem, these are the replacements for the S1 Elans as well, so a S2 Elan will likely not have the same rust issue. But personally I would recommend getting a specialist out to check all aspects of the car, they should be able to check out rust on the chassis as well. As ever, look for crashed and bashed repairs. If the car has been modified then assure yourself of the quality of the job and the amount of care the car has had. For example, with extra boost it is recommended to change plugs and filters every 6,000 miles. It's debatable whether this is worth it but if it has been done then it shows that the car has been taken care of.
Aug 26, 2001 - 07:12 - From: Rod Title: Used Elans Message: One time when I was selling a car, a guy asked if he could jack the car up and look under if, I was fine about it as had nothing to hide. Just jacking up and looking wont do any harm. Would not let anyone poke around with a screwdriver though. To the untrained eye I don't really know what you will gain by looking though, maybe better to pay someone to inspect it and give you a report ( AA / RAC / Lotus garage ? ). The last I heard the galvanised wishbones were back in stock with Lotus and also Midas Metalcraft were producing that part too.
Aug 27, 2001 - 01:18 - From: Doug Title: used Elans Message: Mark, happy hunting; but plan to take your time and do it well to get the best Elan. It is up to you but I spent a year (5 years ago) to find the right Elan and it paid off for me. Each Elan has its own personality which you will understand only after driving a few examples. Bleeding the brakes yesterday I noticed my wishbones look great (sorry) but that is cause they are well cared for, cleaned a few times a year, and have never seen bad weather or any road salt. Rusty wishbones are to be expected eventually from experience hearing about the UK Elans--perhaps the level of rust can guide you about the overall condition of the rest of the car! I think it is well worth it to put the Elan up on a lift and have a good look at it. You can check the overall condition of the brake calipers, suspension, exhaust, and chassis, which are all very important to the Elan and, as you commented, can't be easily seen. You can use a flashlight and a mirror and take a cursory look first as well. If you don't know what to look for then have an independent mechanic look at it or even find an Elan owner in your area to help you evaluate the car too!
Aug 27, 2001 - 04:06 - From: Bryn Title: Wheel Bearings Message: Rod, hub nut should be quite easy to tighten, you will know if the bearings are too tight. I'll drop you an e.mail on the subject.
Aug 27, 2001 - 08:39 - From: bryno Title: Buying an Elan Message: Mark, just to add my 2p's worth, it is not unreasonable for you to jack a car up to have a look under, if someone is not willing to let you - walk away, they may be hiding something. The rear wishbones are not hard to get at, you will be able to get a good feel for their condition (back ones) without jacking up. For the front ones you will need to jack it up though. It is also important to get it in the air at the front to check condition of chassis, not just rust (which is not a big issue on the Elan), but damage from grounding also check the sump which can get clobbered. Check the known Elan weak spots, disks (particularly rear for rusting), hood condition and all rubber seals, front end for damage (poor brakes mean front end shunts), rear light lenses for cracks, engine for oil leaks (partic at top end), cracking or flaking on the bodywork and missing bits of trim such as front spoiler rubber, tool box etc etc. plus the obvious things like checking the alloys for scrapes. If there are defects or missing bits do cost these first you may be surprised at replacement cost, worth checking the sums first. Best of luck.
Aug 27, 2001 - 12:30 - From: Matthew Welsh Title: nitrous Message: Spoke with Charlie to see how he was coming with this project, and he provided me with some of the particulars. Bottom line is, I am hovering on the brink of ordering this kit and installing it. It comes jetted for 50hp, upgradeable to 100... which I will NOT do bcuz you just run through the "go-juice" too fast that way. Does anyone have any reasons why I should not do this (nitrous)? I have already upgraded the clutch, and the Lotus manual says the stock fuel pump can provide 4 times the amount of fuel the (stock) motor can use. The main work seems to be tapping the intake pipe (Bill's chrome job) to accept the fogger, which mounts just prior to the throttle-body. As always, thanks guys.
Aug 27, 2001 - 15:31 - From: Doug Title: nitrous Message: Matthew, you MUST put in the limited slip differential first or you will just get a lot of right front wheelspin when you are done. With the performance increase from the LSD alone, you may find the Nitrous is not needed!
Aug 27, 2001 - 15:33 - From: Doug Title: Matthew Message: Perhaps an Esprit V8 engine will fit into the Elan with a bit of modification, or maybe a turbo rotary?
Aug 27, 2001 - 16:14 - From: Ed Title: and nitrous too... Message: Really Matt, I think your going to have to give up on going back to those narrower tires. LOL I would certainly agree with Doug on the LSD. I can imagine it would raise more than a few eyebrows with that combination though. The downside is that the uninformed will never know what your car is if your always going by too fast. I pulled into a store lot the other day and parked. When I went in the door someone standing there that saw me pull up asked me if those Mercury Capris where any good. I just stood there looking at him wondering why he was asking me that. Then he added "your car...". It was not a happy moment.
Aug 27, 2001 - 19:41 - From: Lance Title: M100 sitting in Arizona Message: Driving to work today, I passed a red M100 with CA plates on I-10 in Tempe. A lady was driving. Of course, since I own an Esprit and an Elan that I drive to work all the time, I was in my cheapo pickup truck. I gave her a thumbs up, but I do not think that she saw me. Anyone that anyone knows?
Aug 27, 2001 - 19:42 - From: Lance Title: Freescan Message: Andy sent me the disassembly of the M100 ECU code. It is in 68HC11 code. I've looked through it, but I have yet to spend any real time with it. I will hopefully be getting an ALDL cable to use with Freescan and help Andy start making some sense of the data.
Aug 28, 2001 - 00:22 - From: Edward Title: Replacement turbo Message: Last time I was on this message board, I had a transmission problem that turned out to be a bad syncro. The repair came at a bad time, since I finally was about to order the new wheels (Momo Sport). So new wheels are going to be postponed for another 6 months...anyway, the car runs well now, but I would like to get some feedback on replacing the turbo. Has anyone had it done or looked into it? The benefits I'm looking for are smoother acceleration, possibly fast older turbo spool-up. This car being 10+ years I'm sure there are better turbo's out there.
Aug 28, 2001 - 02:54 - From: Glen Title: Services Message: Can anyone tell me the differences between A, B and C services? I asked the service guy at London Lotus Centre and he just fudged the answer.
Aug 28, 2001 - 04:15 - From: Philbo Title: Replacement turbos Message: Edward, You could change the turbo to get more boost, but with it also more lag. The benefit of our little IHI turbo is that is is quite quick to spin up, any lag you experience is because of the ECU deliberately restricting boost below 4100rpm to give a nice progressive delivery. You can change to bigger and better turbos but these will come with more lag. Most cars that still come with really big turbos often have two, a small one like ours to give response and a big one that takes over to get maximum boost. Of course then there is the question of what the rest of the engine can handle. I'm not sure what the absolute limits of the 4XE1 engine are but I wouldn't want to find out the expensive way!
Aug 28, 2001 - 04:22 - From: Bryn Title: Services Message: Glen, I have the Lotus service sheet for A, B & C which lists what they do at each. if you e.mail me a number I can fax to you. Or you may find the list somewhere in the on-line service manual (?).
Aug 28, 2001 - 10:18 - From: Steve Title: Freescan Message: Doug, sorry about the ignorance, but what is this "freescan"? and what is to be gained? I live very close to Chester and am going on holiday 27/09/01 and would be prepared to potentially leave the car with him for a week if required, if trustworthy (sorry but I don't him!). If not required for that length of time its only a 15minute drive for me.
Aug 28, 2001 - 10:28 - From: Rod Title: Freescan - Lance Message: I wonder where you are getting your cable from Lance, I did some research a few years ago, but cannot find what I did with all the information.
Aug 28, 2001 - 10:39 - From: Dave M. Title: turbo and autocross Message: Theoretically there are only a couple turbo options you could look at. One would be modification of the existing turbo to provide better flow. Two would be replacement with one or two turbos for additional flow and boost. Option one is obviously much cheaper than option two. With a larger turbo, lag becomes a big issue. Especially considering the amount of post-turbo intake the thing has to pressurize (something like 5 feet worth!). The only way a "newer" turbo is going to help is if it is more efficient on the compressor side. I imagine fuel system upgrades become necessary, too with any of the above. My two cents is do the MBC if you haven't yet, then look into an upgrade to improve the flow. Bill, and I'm sure others, can do a mod to the compressor side that apparently helps double the flow (note: not the boost). This would improve lag, big time. It should also improve useable horsepower and torque, but I'm not sure if it would improve peak horsepower (unless you install on a car without the MBC). Interesting note on the fuel pump delivery, Matt. Did it say anything about the injectors? I would definitely agree on the LSD. After my first experience with autocross this weekend, we seriously need it. I was lighting the tires out of every corner anytime I needed thrust. Things things the experience showed: the Kumhos are sad, I can't catch an Elise (but had fun trying!), and according to my friend who was watching (and shooting video), the Elan has a surprising amount of body lean. I hesitate to change ANYTHING Lotus did to the suspension, but hmmmm....new springs? Has anyone considered options?
Aug 28, 2001 - 10:39 - From: Edward Title: Turbo Message: Philbo, I realize that a bigger turbo brings bigger lag, etc. but I'm actually not really interested in bigger -- just better! The IHI Elan turbo is old and not as efficient is terms of spool-up. I would like something with the same basic size and capacity, but with ball bearings, so that theoretically would spool up faster and smoother. Is this possible?
Aug 28, 2001 - 12:18 - From: Ed Title: Autocross Message: I have run my Elan in 3 autocross events so far. It is great fun and highly recommend for anyone wanting to get out and "play". And while I will continue to run mine locally, it will have to be strictly for the personal entertainment value. I have found out, finally, under what class I need to register the car when entering. I know that Bill has posted several times about the lack of fairness in the SCCA in that the STOCK Elan has, till the end of this year anyway, to register in ASP. Next year it will be completely excluded from the stock classes. But even the current rules will mean exclusion from ASP for must of us. The simple presence of any type of Boost Controller or BOV means the car goes strait to D-Mod classification. D-Mod is pretty much anything goes as long as the car weighs at least 1000 lbs and has a 2.0L or smaller engine (production car based, not formula). Stiff competition to say the least. As for the body roll, I'v certainly seen worse. But it was more than I might have expected. Though this being my fist Lotus and not having much to go on in the way of experience with other performance cars, my expectations may well have been a bit off. It's also the first time I've ever come really really close to spinning out in a front wheel drive car. Most educational. LOL I've added strut tower braces to my wish list. I'd like to try taking the car to some of the local track days, but that requires a roll bar since it is a convertible. When I finally get around to ordering a roll bar, I'll probably aim for one with the optional diagonal brace just for the extra added stiffness. Adjustable shocks, the LSD, etc. are all pretty much on the definite list, its just a matter of what the wallet will bear when the relevant pars need replacing. Isn't it always. And of course, what parts are available.
Aug 28, 2001 - 12:56 - From: Dave M. Title: autocross Message: Ed, I hear you on the "educational" aspect of the car. The only time it ever wants to understeer is if I get on too much boost in a corner. Otherwise it's an oversteering car if you even think of lifting the throttle. I've got some hilarious video of me going around this weekend trying to catch the Elise's time! As for body roll, yes others are worse. The WRX that also ran was on slicks and was seriously overpowering his (apparently) stock suspension. Looked like he'd roll it. But thanks to those tires, he was quite fast. I'd have liked to had slicks to see how my car truly compared to others. As it was, I was spanked by lesser cars on serious rubber. What kind of tires do you run at the events?
Aug 28, 2001 - 13:09 - From: Jim Title: Front undertray Message: I think I may be missing the front undertray. Could someone please describe (or better yet - point me to a photo) of the front undertray on the US-spec Elan? Is the part shown in the online parts manual? Thanks! (Sorry for the double post on the cooling diagram.)
Aug 28, 2001 - 15:24 - From: Richard Title: Noise/water leak Message: I am, and have been for some time losing a very small amount of coolant from my Elan (about an expansion tank full every 300 miles) combined with this I have a noise coming from the engine bay, which sounds like it is coming from the side of the car where the fan belt/ water pump etc is. I have checked the cooling system as best I can, and cannot see any visible leaks, and I have changed the expansion tank cap, but still have the same problem. The noise that is coming from the engine sound as though something is hitting something as it spins, as it gets faster/slower when the engine increases/decreases, and seems to subside the hotter the engine gets. The belts are all intact so it is not these, any ideas? Is it possible that it may be the water pump, my Elan has done 51000miles?
Aug 28, 2001 - 15:41 - From: Ed Title: Autocross Message: Dave, so far I am just running street tires. My Elan has a moderately worn set of Toyo Proxes T1 (not the newer and better T1S) tires that where on it when I bought it. I'd love to get a separate set of rims and put some racing tires on them to use for autocross. But I'm not sure how I'd get them there without driving on them to the event. I guess I could put them in plastic and stack them in the passenger seat. But given the cost of a full set of wheels, I'll probably put the money into other areas fist. Speaking of WRXs, we're trying to sell our Grand Cherokee at the moment. My wife wants to get a WRX Wagon instead. I've been trying to convince her it would be a good idea to just order it with the upgraded suspension to start with. I'm sure she'll be following me to the autocross once she gets it. She's every bit the lead foot as I am. She points out at least once a week that the WRX has faster 0-60 times than the Elan. I have to keep reminding her my Elan is by no means stock in that area. LOL
Aug 28, 2001 - 15:43 - From: Matthew Welsh Title: nitrous/fuel Message: Dave, the manual didn't mention the injectors having a greater fuel delivery capability than the motor could handle (like the fuel pump), so I don't know. However, this is a "wet" nitrous system, so I will be getting extra fuel injected in the same fogger as the nitrous, which is where the extra capacity of the fuel pump comes in handy. I am trying to see if someone offers a DIRECT PORT nitrous system that can be adapted to the Elan, as I am told it has many benefits over the single fogger system. Also, I spoke with someone about some sort of system which manages air/fuel ratios (takes over this function from the ECM), and could therefore handle appropriate fuel delivery for higher boost levels... but I am really in an information gathering stage at this point.
Aug 28, 2001 - 16:16 - From: Philbo Title: Fuel/air controller Message: Matt, there are a number of products that will manage the fuel mix and ignition timing. One such product that is known to work with the Elan is the Unichip. How it works is interesting - it piggybacks onto the standard ECU and relies upon the standard program for normal operation. However, it intercepts and overrides the signals for fuel mix and ignition timing, retarding or advancing the timing and adding more or less fuel depending on customer-driven preferences for economy or performance. The Unichip is fully programmed across all load points at 500rpm intervals on a rolling road, therefore each installation is a custom job for a particular unique car's setup. Therefore you could do your nitrous stuff and then get a Unichip installed to manage fuel mix. In the UK these things are available for about £480 mapped and installed. Once I've got a new exhaust it's back on the rolling road for me to check my standard CO fuel/air mix and have a serious think about getting one of these things installed for a flatter and higher performance curve.
Aug 28, 2001 - 17:11 - From: Steve Title: Unichip Message: So no one gets the wrong impression the unichip is described as a piggy back ecu and that is exactly how it works BUT it is not a superchips style device, it is a completely separate ecu box that fits in-between your elan ecu and the rest of the system and if i remember right you can take it off and use on another car in the future. Do a search for it on the net, there is some useful info and diagrams, would be interested in what other people have to say ?
Aug 28, 2001 - 20:03 - From: Rod Title: Unichip Message: Unichip does appear very clever in that it can be remapped ( although you would have to factor the costs of a rolling road and setup session ). Apparently it does have a limited number of things I can cope with - however mixture does appear to need some attention on the Elan, especially if you have other mods installed. Something like the Emerald is much more flexible, more expensive, and needs more setup. I don't think an Emerald type solution would be possible for the Elan, plus you would loose all the fault diag stuff in the standard Elan ECU ( that you keep by piggy backing a Unichip ). Its a shame Superships/BBR did not come up with a proper ECU chip that had new fuel mappings etc in.
Aug 29, 2001 - 03:04 - From: Glen Title: A B C again Message: I was unable to take up Bryn's offer to fax me the A, B and C service specs as he's in the US and I'm in the UK. I've checked the online service manual, but whilst it has a title for the maintenance schedule, it has no links to the scanned documents. Can anyone help?
Aug 29, 2001 - 03:11 - From: charlie Title: cooling Message: try http://www.charliex.net/Lotus/cooling/
Aug 29, 2001 - 05:22 - From: Rod Title: Wheel Bearing Kits Message: I noticed that Halfords ( and other motor places in the UK ) supply wheel bearing kits, and wonder if anyone has worked out what the rear hub/bearings are off - Astra ??
Aug 29, 2001 - 08:37 - From: Richard A Clifton Title: Bryn Message: Glen. If US stands for UP in SCOTLAND then your are correct. Even if he was in the USA then the fax would still work wouldn't it? If you send me the fax details then I can do it for you now.
Aug 29, 2001 - 08:59 - From: Philbo Title: Unichip & Emerald Message: Emerald ECU is not a good match for the Elan apparently, I guess that this is down to the range of inputs in the standard unit and the diagnostic codes etc. Paul at MotorVation in Dorking (01306 877047) knows all about these things and can fit any number of them. The last conversation I had with him about them he indicated that the Unichip was the best match for the Elan (he even phoned the UK distributor to check some details). Yes you can transfer the box to a new car, the rolling road mapping would cost £60-£90. Next time I go there I will be having a long conversation with him about these boxes.
Aug 29, 2001 - 09:13 - From: Ian H Title: Rear Wheel Bearing Message: They would be off the same car the rear discs are off. I have not managed to find an alternative, the Lotus originals are only £15UKP each which is reasonable though. The cross reference page on http://www.best.com/~gglotus/ggpart/m100xref.htm shows them to be a GM part but I do not know which GM car though. Doug it would be useful if you could add a page to your site showing the alternative parts and where to get them. Brakes and wishbones would definitely be a good start. I a more than happy to share my knowledge of alternative parts, let me know and I will send you all that I have. Cheers Ian.
Aug 29, 2001 - 09:38 - From: Phil Johnson Title: Re: A B C Services Message: Glen, have a look at http://www.lakesideengineering.com/Pages/elanserv.htm and follow the links for the services to see what is charged for.
Aug 29, 2001 - 10:24 - From: Ash Title: Exhausts and Brakes Message: Hi Guys, I finally got round to sorting the rear exhaust on my car (remember it's a non Turbo like Maggie's). I must say that the sound from SJ Sports S/S exhaust is marvelous (if not a little boomy in the cabin and certain revs - but I'll live with that), and the increase in responsiveness seems to be there (I don't think it's all in my imagination), so I would strongly recommend this to any one who is considering the change, but it is certainly very free flowing (especially compared to the fully baffled old exhaust), so you may have unexpected problems with the standard turbo engines. Whilst fitting the rear silencer I managed to damage the front silencer (remember mine is a non turbo), and have inadvertently managed to order two new ones! (so if Maggie or anyone else is after a new front silencer don't forget to contact me first!!). I have not fitted the K&N yet, so I will try and give you some feedback on that as well, along with a full set of brakes all round (EBC rotors/pads for the front standard for the rears). Does anyone have any tips on removing the s/s screws from the front rotors? - I tried (in hope more than anything) to undo them with an allen key to no avail, the drill seems to be the next step. One other thing, I've already tried this on the wanted section but just in case it was missed, does any one have an original Blaupunkt Radio/Cassette they would like to part with? my tape player has given up, and I am loathe to put anything to tempting into the car to try and prevent the hand of crime!? thanks guys! Ash (there seem to be two of us!)
Aug 29, 2001 - 10:34 - From: Brian MDB Title: Rear Bearings / GM parts Message: Following a rather prompt Rear Wheel Bearing failure, I had to pull out the old Bearings and Seals and find some new ones, I got replacement parts from a Bearing Supplier (I will look-up part # tonight). I also decided to renew the Pads too. The Pads are from the Pontiac Grand Prix apparently fitting 88-93 models, their part is # SLT 24-377-02 and they should cost around $30.
Aug 29, 2001 - 10:39 - From: Brian MDB Title: F/disc screw removal Message: Ash, I had to resort to driving the screw head around by using a centre-punch after the Impact Driver / Hex key failed to budge it.
Aug 29, 2001 - 11:03 - From: Ian H Title: Front disc screw Message: Ash, I had the same problem removing the screws on both of my front discs. I managed to use a star shaped allen key which you can hammer into the old slot. Sounds a bit crude but it worked for me, with a little help from the old faithful, WD-40. You have just reminded me to order a couple of new ones as I have left them off at the moment. The rear pads that I got recently were £30UKP a set from SJSportscars.co.uk The rear Caliper are also from the a Pontiac, but I am assuming Brian that you are from the US as I could not find a Pontiac dealer in the UK when I was looking for a rear caliper.
Aug 29, 2001 - 11:38 - From: peter bentley Title: Urgent help required / steering prob Message: Gang, im driving off to the belgium grand prix tomorrow and obviously want all to go well. However today the cars steering feels different !! when im cornering at low speeds it feels as if the power assistance is on then off, i have checked the belt, all looks fine the fluid is topped up and hasn't dropped suddenly. The problem seems to be worse if the column is lowered to the lowest position. also its not all the time so any one got any pointers that they would like to share with me...as soon as you can please..peter
Aug 29, 2001 - 13:29 - From: Jim Title: Removing the screws on the front rotors Message: I soaked mine a couple of times with liquid wrench (WD-40 should work too.) Then I used an impact driver coupled to a hex key socket. Pounded the driver quite a bit with the hammer. The impact driver seemed not to work. However, I then fitted the hex key socket to my 1/2 inch drive ratchet and the screw came out with only a little initial effort. Worked the same on both rotors.
Aug 29, 2001 - 14:08 - From: Matthew Welsh Title: Unichip, piggyback ECU's Message: http://www.apexi-usa.com/electronics_safc.asp ..... this is one a friend of mine had put on his Mitsu Eclipse turbo, and on a Honda S2000 one-off turbo he owns. Apparently his mechanic is familiar with dyno-tuning this unit to a vehicle. I will ask (hopefully tomorrow, when I will be out that way) if this can be used on the Elan to rid it of the boost cut-out, etc. It seems to work on the same principles as the Unichip. Also, I have received no response from NOS or Nitrous Express regarding a direct port nitrous kit for the Elan, so will show our unique 8-runner intake to this gentleman tomorrow and see if he thinks he can "juice" the 4 primary (always-open) runners, or really sandwich something down next to the fuel-injectors. I can handle the single-nozzle (NOS kit 05208), but installing a multi-port nitrous is something I should probably leave to someone with more experience.
Aug 29, 2001 - 19:45 - From: Lance Title: Freescan - ALDL Cable Message: There is a guy on the Esprit mailing list that makes them. He has made one final batch and will not make any more. He sells them for $60. A lot of the Esprit people that use Freescan have bought their cable from him.
Aug 29, 2001 - 22:52 - From: Brian MDB Title: Rear Wheel Bearings Message: Ian H, I'm yet another Brit (at least 3 on this board) in the USA pedalling an Elan ! Regarding the Rear Caliper, I will see if I can source them here for future reference. Rear Wheel Bearings - 4T-LM11710 & 4T-LM11710 (SMALLEST) 4T-L45449V1 & 4T-L45410. These numbers are 'NTN' brand. The seal I could not find a direct replacement for at that time but I was able to re-use the old one, however the numbers on the seal are: - BAF SL X14 52/62 90217 059 8.5/7. The seals that I found later did not have the external lip which probably is not crucial to it's function.
Aug 30, 2001 - 00:47 - From: Brian MDB Title: Dave Minter -ex Lotus Message: This new site should be of interest to all of us, being an key ex-Lotus Engineer he may be able to offer some inside words of wisdom regarding the Elan, also if you register at his site now you could win a new performance exhaust for your car http://www.daveminter.co.uk/
Aug 30, 2001 - 05:03 - From: Richard A Clifton Title: Brakes Message: I've just been talking to a friend of mine, Malcom Ricketts, who races a number of his own Lotus along with some from Classic Team Lotus, and he says he has just had the brake conversion from Paul Matty. He says it is fantastic! It cost him something over £1000 but is well worth it. Just thought I'd pop that one in in case anyone was interested.
Aug 30, 2001 - 05:07 - From: Richard Steele Title: Re: Exhausts and Brake Message: Ash, What's happened to the tape player and have you had it apart, is it a mechanical failure or electrical?
Aug 30, 2001 - 07:11 - From: Rod Title: Brakes / ALDL Message: Thanks Lance for the ALDL lead info. Richard I really wish you had not mentioned the brake conversion, its more like £1500 fitted and that's a pretty large amount of wonga.
Aug 30, 2001 - 07:25 - From: Ash Title: Tape Player Message: Hi Richard, I have indeed taken the tape player apart, it seems to be an electrical problem from what I can tell, Prior to it stopping it would take a couple of goes putting the tape in before it accepted it, then finally I got the tape in, but chose to fast forward the tape which seemed to finally kill it! I thought about a trip to a breakers yard to find a nice old Vauxhaul to scavenge but then I remembered that I would need the code! While I had it open I tried fooling the sensor into thinking there was a tape in but it was not having any of it! Thanks for your ideas! Ash
Aug 30, 2001 - 08:15 - From: Ian Title: Philbo Brake Kit Message: Philbo, any news on the brake kit you said you were having fitted on the 29th?
Aug 30, 2001 - 12:15 - From: Doug Title: Tapes? Message: What is a tape? Do you mean an 8-track? j.k. ;-)
Aug 30, 2001 - 12:29 - From: Ash Title: Tapes Message: Doug, I'm guessing from that comment that you use those round disks, and I don't mean vinyl either! lol! Ash
Aug 30, 2001 - 14:09 - From: Rod Title: Tapes Message: How are you getting on with your MP3 player solution Doug ? Did you get it hooked up to GPS ? I grow to like my Empeg MP3 player more and more, and know at least one other Elan owner with an Empeg installed.
Aug 30, 2001 - 15:09 - From: Bill Luton Title: Exhaust, overboost Message: I read through Matthew's description of how he has resolved the combination of the free flowing exhaust and the bleeder valve to raise the boost allowing the engine to go into overboost and cut the fuel off. Instead of turning down the boost, he restricted the exhaust flow to keep the engine from being able to build up as much boost. I'm trying to be nice, but this is sort of peculiar. Sort of like going to the doctor and saying "Doctor, it hurts when I do this" and his response being "So don't do that". It hasn't really solved the problem, just restricted use of the item so that the problem won't happen any more. I think a fuel cut defenser would be the more appropriate solution, eliminating the problem instead of adjusting the machine to prevent the level of performance when the problem occurs and leaving the problem in place. There are wiring diagrams on the internet for making fuel cut defensers and also companies making universal type items which should be usable with this system, with a little research._ _ _ Someone suggested concern with using larger turbos and if the engine would take it, Isuzu engines are grossly over-designed, and it is obscene the amount of boost the engine can take. Larger fuel injectors would be the more immediate concern with something like that._ _ _Bill Luton
Aug 30, 2001 - 16:34 - From: Doug Title: music Message: Ash, you have figured it out! I use those discs--mostly ones I burn, as I like the "black CDs" they have now. I also use, as Rod alluded to, MP3 as I can plug an MP3-encoded CD or a flashcard into my stereo (Clarion AutoPC) to listen that way. Rod, I have not checked if there is a better software update--the MP3 quality is not perfected yet as my stereo is in actuality just a computer running software! It would be possible to plug in a hard drive thru USB to have an MP3 storehouse, though I doubt this will be made for my stereo as its model is quickly outdated, though it is possible!
Aug 30, 2001 - 16:34 - From: Matt Title: Bill Message: I wanted to quiet the exhaust down anyway, the fact that it helped with the overboost was a pleasant by-product. I had already taken the specs for the fuel-cut defenser to a local auto-electrician I have done business with for years, who says he will make me one. I am still concerned though, about the engine not getting enough fuel when running at this increased level of boost. Occasionally (I have found) the car will still overboost, but not as much as before. Perhaps you can warn people on your web-site that they might experience this problem when installing your exhaust, and where they might obtain a fuel-cut defenser, in case they do.
Aug 30, 2001 - 17:11 - From: Matthew Welsh Title: Nitrous Message: Will be going the route of a direct port nitrous system, with a 12-shot (jetted) fogger tapped into each runner (the 4 that are always open, anyway) on the intake manifold. That's 48 extra horses, total. It's kind of nice this way, as the foggers will be hidden behind the intake, back by the firewall, so the engine bay won't look cluttered. Will be ordering a universal kit designed for 4-cyl carbureted cars, with a fuel-restrictor (to reduce our injected pressure to a carbureted level) going to the nitrous rail. Reason for going this route is that it allows for a lower shot level, and I have chosen a conservative route. Also, every knowledgeable person I spoke to advised against a single-fogger system (the one NOS recommended), as it would not properly distribute the fuel/nitrous equally to each cylinder. I am impressed with the gentleman who will be doing the custom-end of the job, he actually despises the "cookie-cutter" aspect of car mechanics. I have seen many fine one-off nitrous and turbo systems he has made for his customers, and they all seem quite happy with his work.
Aug 30, 2001 - 18:10 - From: Bill Luton Title: Matt Message: The warning message would be more appropriate along side the bleeder valve, as that item is the reason the engine is bouncing off the fuel cut off, and that would be a better place for that warning. The exhaust system is unrelated to the car bouncing off the fuel cut, because the exhaust system, when used without the bleeder valve, does not cause the fuel cut to engage, only increasing boost with the bleeder valve causes this, with or without a higher flowing exhaust system. A freer flowing exhaust system only allows the engine to accelerate more quickly across the RPM range, it is the turbocharging system that controls how much boost that is built up, and a bleeder valve may be cheap and easy but has its own set of problems for why it is not the best way to accomplish higher boost. This is one of the bigger reasons that electronic boost controllers work much better than bleeder valves, because they can be programmed to curve the boost level to stay below the fuel cut off._ _ _Bill Luton
Aug 30, 2001 - 18:16 - From: Philbo Title: Brakes Message: Well I picked up my car today after having the whole new system installed. The guy doing the job (Geoff at Hi-Spec Engineering) exclusively builds custom braking systems for cars. He rates AP Racing calipers as excellent performers but very expensive. He did not have many nice things to say about Wilwood, except that they were cheap. To overcome these issues he now designs and fabricates his own calipers. He has all of the machinery in shop for custom designs (though of course he has some standard ones) and having seen a good number in various stages of build and anodisation (he anodises inside and out, something not even AP Racing do), and I can testify that these devices are right up there with the best. They make the standard Elan system look like toys. After an afternoon of playing with the car he tried all combinations of disks and calipers that would fit. In the end it came down to a choice between a fast-road rated 4-pot caliper with 270mm discs or a race grade 4-pot with 285x24mm discs. The race caliper is smaller and thus allows use of a bigger disc inside the limited space inside a standard 15" wheel. It provides more bite than the road caliper and is just as robust however it does not have dust seals on the pistons, instead they are machined to incredibly high accuracies to give a good action. Of course I went for the race grade option for my system, pretty much on the basis of the larger discs (and Geoff's recommendation). We then talked about pads, bearing in mind that my Elan will be used mostly for track days. He said that the choice came down to EBC reds or Ferodo DS2000's. The EBC greens he said would just wear out too fast on the track, and not give the bite and feel of the reds. In the end he said that he thought that the DS2000's were the better all round pad than the EBC reds, so that is what I have fitted. I may try the reds next time out just for comparison. Changing the pads is a doddle compared with the old standard Elan setup, just a single Allen key bolt to undo, a strengthening bar drops out and the pads just slide out. New pads in, bolt back in place, end of story. While the system was being worked on I also had new braided steel brake lines installed all round (front and rear) and had DOT5.1 spec fluid flushed through. The new grooved discs make even my old uprated ones look silly. Geoff grooves and drills the discs to custom patterns, mine are just grooved as Geoff reckons that drilling weakens the disc somewhat and doesn't achieve anything over the grooves. So I guess the next question is, how do they feel. The answer is that the transformation is complete. For the first time the car really feels like it has stopping power. It just stops, and keeps on stopping. And that is only in the first 20 miles, with stone cold pads before they have bedded in! (Geoff reckons that with brand new pads surface imperfections mean that only 30% of the pad is actually in contact with the disc, until it beds in). I cannot wait to get this thing on the track. Geoff virtually guaranteed no fade, and of course much higher performance when the pads get warm and really start to work. At the moment, the only downside is the feel of the brake pedal, which due to the long travel doesn't feel quite right (it depresses a little way before it starts biting, thereafter it's really positive). Geoff himself wasn't happy with the feel and bled the system twice to make sure that air bubbles weren't the problem. In the end he put it down to the fact that braking systems don't like being disturbed and may take a week or so to settle down and give much better feel. I'll give it a week and a trackday and see how it feels then. Basically this is a custom brake installation done to the highest levels. For those of you thinking about driving hard or track day usage, I can wholeheartedly recommend this outfit based on my experience so far. Costs: disc conversion, custom brackets, racing spec 4-pot calipers, grooved discs £446. Ferodo DS2000 pads £62. 6 braided steel brake lines £78. Fitting on all of the above: £60 (2 hrs). All plus VAT. He actually had my car for a day and a half so I think I got off lightly with the fitting. I told him to keep the specs for the custom brackets so he can now deliver a kit for self installation if needed - he is now shipping more than 80 kits a week. Pictures and more details on my website soon, but trust me, this is a monster braking system. Now I can seriously think about power mods.
Aug 31, 2001 - 03:42 - From: Richard A Clifton Title: Brakes Message: Rod. The Paul Matty solution is indeed a lot of wonga and was apparently, until Philbo gave us his report, well worth it. However Philbo's report puts a different complexion on it. Even I - Mr. Keep-It-Standard - might be interested here.
Aug 31, 2001 - 06:13 - From: Philbo Title: Brake pieces Message: A couple of not very good pictures of the brake upgrade at http://www.informatica.zen.co.uk/elan. I'll try and get a wheel off soon to get a good picture.
Aug 31, 2001 - 07:04 - From: Geoff Title: Hit the Brakes! Message: Hello all. All this talk about brakes is really starting to rekindle my desire to have an upgrade. My Mums new clio outstops my Elan by miles. Does anybody who has had an upgrade have any performance figures on the change in breaking. Of course feel is something that cannot really be measured, but some 60mph - 0mph times might cause me to reach for my wallet... Thanks for the excellent report Philbo! Geoff
Aug 31, 2001 - 08:02 - From: Rod Title: Brake pedal travel Message: Phil, great report, and can you get it on a track quick, if all goes well on a track I will be very tempted as this is getting on for half the price of the AP conversion ! When I had braided hoses fitted to mine a few years ago I had it into a Lotus dealer to try and work out why I could not get the air out of the system, they flushed the fluid through several times, and in the end suggested I drive it around for a week and bring it back. It was an exciting week of motorway driving, as I had a lot of pedal travel, but sure enough a week later, they bleed it once and it was then fine.
Aug 31, 2001 - 08:03 - From: Rod Title: MBC alternative ? Message: Just an idle thought whilst sitting here today: Instead of everyone playing with bleed valves, restrictors, spring and ball bearing valves, etc. why not just upgrade the wastegate actuator? There must be someone who could supply us with a higher spec one, or just a stronger spring assembly to go into our existing capsule. That way you could lose all the extra plumbing that goes to the boost control solenoid (and bleed valves etc) and just be left with a really short piece from turbo to actuator (about 2" long). This would neaten everything up and should practically eliminate spiking for those with this problem! - JJ
Aug 31, 2001 - 08:09 - From: Philbo Title: Bleeding brakes Message: Rod, thanks for thoughts re pedal travel, that sounds just like my experience so far. Next track (airfield) day is 8th September so not long to wait for a proper report! I just need to get the pads bedded in before then... Geoff I agree that being outbraked by a family hatch really does make you wonder why Lotus put those toys in our cars. Justify the cost by telling yourself it's insurance against rear-ending someone in the future!
Aug 31, 2001 - 08:50 - From: Rod Title: Window Motor :-( Message: Drivers side ( RHD Cars ) window motor is currently out of stock at Lotus, and they are on backorder.
Aug 31, 2001 - 08:52 - From: Rod Title: Caliper Seals Message: Phil, I have a distant memory that racing calipers that don't use seals ( like yours ) mean they need to be maintained more regularly and fluid changed, and even the best machining in the world, will mean that brake dust can get into your fluid ? Did the chap mention anything about this ? Oh, and where in the UK is your man located ?
Aug 31, 2001 - 08:57 - From: Rod Title: Pads Message: Phil, oppps forgot to mention, did he offer you the chance of Pagid racing brake pads, or tell you what you should do when you need new discs / pads. i.e what car are they off. I imagine the pads must be off something, but if he makes the discs, what happens when you need new discs ?
Aug 31, 2001 - 09:01 - From: Philbo Title: Caliper seals Message: Having seen the seals that were on the standard calipers I really don't think they were doing an awful lot... In fact I was told that all racing systems don't use seals. Whether this translates to more maintenance I don't know, I wasn't told anything to that effect. The guy did mention when he gave me the option that the AP Racing stuff doesn't have seals either. But if it was a major concern you could always go with the sealed fast road calipers and the slightly smaller disks. The company is based in Dartford, just off J2 of the M25. Geoff, as for 60-0 braking distances I have no idea. At my next airfield day I will ask if I can go somewhere and test it out, it will probably only be rough as I would most likely just pace it out from a braking point. And of course the braking distance will depend if the pads are up to working temperatures or not. Having said that when I was doing some averagely hard braking with my new setup the front was diving down and I felt decellerative pressure like I have never felt before.
Aug 31, 2001 - 09:05 - From: Philbo Title: Pads Message: He did offer Pagid racing pads, but he did say that they weren't as good all-round (i.e. at low temps) as the DS2000's and they also cost £130! I have the model numbers for the Ferodo and EBC pads, they should be very easily sourced. The pads themselves are at least 50% bigger than the standard Elan ones, with two grooves in rather than just one. He doesn't actually make his own disks, he just adds his own grooves based on customer requirements. I've got about 10 around my disks.
Aug 31, 2001 - 09:15 - From: Philbo Title: Still more on brakes Message: Right, made a quick phone call...they use EBC blank discs before grooving. The EBC redstuff pad model to fit my "racing 4" calipers is DP30003. They have a very rudimentary website with some nice pictures of their calipers at http://www.hispecbigbrakes.co.uk. I have the "racing 4's" in the bottom picture.
Aug 31, 2001 - 09:18 - From: Ian H Title: Brakes Message: At last, a decent braking system that does not 'brake' the bank. A month ago before I overhauled the standard system I would have ordered one, but I feel as if I must wait until I have at least had some use out of the work that I did. As for the brake pedal travel, I have bled the brakes a number of times and always had the same problem each time but a week later and another bleed things were back to normal. I have spoken to a couple of people about this and the only suggestion I was given was to reverse bleed to brakes, i.e. use a pressurized spray tank (the one you use for weed killer etc.) filled with brake fluid and attach it to the bleed screws and undo the filler cap on the reservoir, it all sounded very messy and I was a bit dubious about is so I have not tried it.
Aug 31, 2001 - 09:27 - From: Matthew Welsh Title: Bill, fuel shut-off Message: Bill, WAY BEFORE I installed the MBC, with the full factory boost controls hooked up, the fuel-cutoff was EASILY hit with your exhaust installed (as I pointed out in past E-mails posted on this site). In fact, the fuel cut-off was hit much more easily with the factory boost controls than with the MBC, as I believe the MBC reacts more quickly to boost changes. Paul Matty has experienced this with their performance exhaust as well, as evidenced by the E-mails below. I find it interesting that they thought it necessary to point this out up front, as though they expected it to happen........(sorry, most recent reply is first)..... Dear Sir, I have been told that our Service Department will be able to do the necessary modifications in the very near future. Regards, Clive Paul Matty Sports Cars ----- Original Message ----- From: Matt Welsh To: 'PAUL MATTY SPORTS CARS LTD' Sent: Friday, August 10, 2001 5:09 PM Subject: RE: performance exhaust for 1991 Lotus Elan Thank you. Who can I contact about having the ECU chipped? -----Original Message----- From: PAUL MATTY SPORTS CARS LTD Sent: Friday, August 10, 2001 11:40 AM To: mwelsh@dtr-software.com Subject: Re: performance exhaust for 1991 Lotus Elan Dear Sir, Thank you for your email. The cost for the exhaust system is £299.00 + VAT. We have encountered some problems on some cars where this system can cause the car to overboost and under hard acceleration cut out. This can be cured by having the ECU chipped. We do not have any systems in stock at the moment but we should be getting them in 2-3 weeks. Regards, Clive Paul Matty Sports Cars ----- Original Message ----- From: Matt Welsh To: Sent: Thursday, August 09, 2001 6:27 PM Subject: performance exhaust for 1991 Lotus Elan What amount are you charging for your performance exhaust, and, what diameter of tubing is used? Thank you, Matthew Welsh
Aug 31, 2001 - 09:31 - From: Geoff Title: Brakes Message: Could someone please tell me what a pot is? With regards to brake calipers, you jokers!
Aug 31, 2001 - 10:13 - From: Dave M. Title: brakes Message: Philbo, great to hear things are going well with the new system. Since the pads are so easy to swap, you may want to consider a good street pad, then change at the track. The initial "cold" bite of an EBC green (for example) will be better than a higher performance pad needing heat to operate in its proper range. I'm going to use Wilwood's T compound for street and B for track. AFAIK, the Wilwoods have no seals, either. I'll redo once a year anyway... BTW, I love the word "wonga". As for music in the car, I yanked the head unit out on the trip to MA so I had more storage! It was like a second glove box without the broken latch. Perfect for sunglasses, PDAs, cell phone... :) My exhaust was music enough.
Aug 31, 2001 - 10:24 - From: Dave M. Title: other things I forgot Message: Ash, I drilled out the little buggers after the whole WD-40, stripped head, heat-up tricks. No big deal and no later problems. For those who haven't checked out Tony's site with the LOG pics, he's just added the few autocross shots I had. There's a shot of my Elan in a right-hander that makes it look as if it's been lowered about 4"! The Europa with the beautiful yellow paint is wicked fast around the cones, too. www.lotusowners.com
Aug 31, 2001 - 11:09 - From: Bill Luton Title: fuel cutoff Message: Matthew, I am not going to hook up the old computer to go back through past emails from you when you inquired about the exhaust system, but you indicated that you had a bleeder valve installed on the car when you emailed to inquire about ordering the exhaust system. In addition, we've been selling these exhaust systems for a number of years now and no one has ever mentioned anything about bouncing off the fuel cutoff, and those using bleeder valves tend to understand that they have disabled a safety feature of the engine by using a bleeder valve. They also tend to understand that when they disable that safety feature and crank up the boost, if they make another modification to the car, they must then go back and re adjust what they have done to disable that safety system to avoid having problems with the next safety system (the fuel cutoff), because changing how one thing works has affects on other changes that were made previously. That is why they call it "tuning"._ _ _I really can't comment on the problems that another company has had with the products they sell, that would be their problems and not ours._ _ _Bill Luton
Aug 31, 2001 - 11:48 - From: Neil Title: Rear caliper rubber boot Message: Hi everyone! Does anyone know where to get the rubber boots which stop the dirt getting into the rear calipers for a 1990 Elan SE. One of mine is all torn, I have heard of running without it but I do not think this is a good idea. Thanks.
Aug 31, 2001 - 11:59 - From: Philbo Title: pots Message: Geoff, "pot" for brakes simply means piston. The pistons simply push the pad against the disc. The more pistons, the greater the power and the more even the pressure over the whole of the pad. Standard Elans have a single large piston on the inside of the wheel. This pushes the pad against one side of the disc, which then pushes against the other pad and finally against the (rigid) other side of the caliper. More powerful designs are 4-pot or 6-pot, and have pistons on either side of the disc. 6-pot calipers are physically larger than 4-pots, and simply too big to squeeze inside our 15" wheels. I think you'd need to go up to at least 17" wheels with big offsets to get a 6-pot inside an Elan.
Aug 31, 2001 - 12:02 - From: Philbo Title: Paul Matty Exhausts Message: Matthew, I think that Paul Matty found out by hard experience as well. The person I spoke to about it indicated that the first ones they fitted were all to upgraded cars. It was only when some standard spec cars had it installed did they then discover the issue. Now it is almost a "special request" item. They've got some more being made at the moment but the new delivery date is now late October.
Aug 31, 2001 - 12:28 - From: Rod Title: Car MP3 Player Message: The Empeg ( www.empeg.com ) I install has worked a treat Doug, quality is very high ( I even use it in the house ), and now had over 10,000 songs, all in a unit the size of a standard DIN radio. You can pull the unit out and take it in the house, or in my case from one car to the other. I heard the AutoPC does more stuff ( especially with things like GPS ), but as you mention the audio quality is not great.
Aug 31, 2001 - 13:28 - From: Matt Welsh Title: Bill, fuel cutoff Message: Bill, I recognize that with any aftermarket accessory other systems may be affected. That is why I have never for one second held you responsible for the boost creep caused by your exhaust. The only thing that bothers me is you continually talking about a "bleeder valve", or MBC. WITHOUT AN MBC THE BOOST CREEP IS PRESENT. With your exhaust as the ONLY non-stock modification the car will shut off every time in fourth & fifth gear, and sometimes in third. As stated by Paul Matty & Phil, this is especially a problem with stock cars. Perhaps I obtained the penultimate example of your exhaust ever produced, one that in fact flows as much as Paul Matty's, where this is a common occurrence. If that is in fact true, I am glad. I am having a fuel cut defenser made. In fact I have contacted (or contracted, whichever word you prefer) two different persons to make one; hopefully one will come through.
Aug 31, 2001 - 13:53 - From: Matthew Welsh Title: Not an English teacher Message: Penultimate... thought it meant "best". It in fact means something entirely different. Don't suppose I'll ever be able to live that down, will I? Perhaps I should have stayed awake in English class. Oh well, time to get back to something I am good at, work.
Aug 31, 2001 - 14:10 - From: Dave M. Title: lockup Message: Philbo, can you lock up the fronts now? I know this may seem a brutish way to determine how strong a braking system is, but seeing as I've never been there yet, even with my mods, I'm curious. I had an interesting discussion with a fellow Elan owner a few weeks back about how the master cylinder may be the culprit. The theory is the valving inside the cylinder doesn't allow enough pressure into the system to in fact lockup the stock configuration. With a better pad and or larger rotor, maybe it would finally overpower tire grip? Or is the cylinder the weak link. I don't know the inner-workings of a master cylinder enough to know, but would think it's merely a big pump actuated by the brake pedal. The more pedal pressure, the more pressure heading to the four corners. Any thoughts?
Aug 31, 2001 - 15:18 - From: Rod Title: Lockup Message: Dave, that's a very good point, I wonder if the standard master cylinder can cope with the move to four pot calipers and maybe the extra fluid capacity in those new front calipers ?
Aug 31, 2001 - 15:53 - From: Philbo Title: Lockups Message: Chaps, I haven't really braked hard enough on my new pads to determine if I can lockup, but once when I was braking averagely hard I did get some tyre squeal. I think that lockup is a definite possibility. I'm sure that the MBC in the Elan has it's limits, but it certainly wasn't maxed out with the standard spec. With regards to the fluid level in the system changing, this doesn't bother me for 2 reasons: the reservoir is quite generous and surely fluid can be added to accommodate any extra capacity in the whole system, and secondly that original Elan piston was huge, with a massive amount of travel. I may have 4 pots now but they are much smaller than the single big one, and they also have to travel far less. Maybe one day I'll actually make it to an Elan chapter meet and then someone with experience of other braking configurations could compare my setup.
Aug 31, 2001 - 18:11 - From: Doug Title: Brakes Message: Philbo, excellent reporting and info! Will he stencil "LOTUS" on the calipers and paint them yellow for me? If so I may have to get some. I will try to get some braking figures on my EBC set-up.
Aug 31, 2001 - 20:22 - From: Tony V Title: Selling my car and turbo boost mod... Message: Just a note to all..if anyone is interested in my BRG M100...I am selling it..open to offers...check on the For Sale page or at http://www.lotusowners.com. I forgot to put in the ad that I have a blow-off valve from Top End As to a request from someone about an alternate way to do the boost mod...How I did mine...removing the wastegate actuator and arm (1 peice) and taking the arm and making a turn buckle out it it. It now has a range that allows me to turn in and out the amount the wastegate opens...thus increasing the boost. It cost me about $100 at a machine shop. I had to have the guy do it twice...because we first just threaded the arm....but the material is so soft that the threads did not hold...so we sleeved it and then put threads on the sleeve. If you look at the Lotus manual...it shows a threaded arm...so I assume that is how Lotus was doing it. Dave M drove my car at LOG..or was it his buddy. Tim I think......one of them said the turbo had much more mid range response, than his with the valve type of MBC If anyone wants to know more...I can dig out my diagram I sent to the machinist and post it...As I recall...the stock length of the arm was 4"...and I made it adjustable from 3.25" to 3.75".... I am sure that if anybody wants to buy an actuator...I can have it modified by my guy and then we could just keep swapping them out...