Sep 1, 2001 - 18:28 - From: Bill Luton
Title: Fuel cutoff
Message: Matthew, unless you have other messages from this Matty outfit that you did not post in your previous message, I seem to see the word "some" in that message, indicating that their limited experience with these cars has found that not all, not most, not half, not a quarter, not a lot, not many, but _some_. That sounds a lot more like an aberration than the norm, and if "some" have but "the remaining most" do not, to me that indicates the more likely case that there may very well be something wrong with the engine or control system of the "some" that is not wrong with "the remaining most"._ _ _Now, I never intended my comment to bring this line of discussion around to something like that we've sold more exhaust systems for cars with these Isuzu engines in the last ten months than all of these outfits in England combined have sold in the last ten years, but that is what the discussion seems to have lead to. I might point out that these other outfits specialize in something other than Isuzu engined cars, and offer parts or services for the Elan as a side to their main line of products and/or services. It is not exactly their bread and butter. We do Isuzu engined cars only, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 52 weeks a year, since about 1986 when we got our first Isuzu engined car. I seriously doubt there are more than a half dozen people outside Japan that no more of the ins and outs of an Isuzu engine and squeezing more power out of it, and I know for a fact that none of those half dozen are in England or Europe, most are in California, and a couple in other US states. I'm not bragging, just stating the facts._ _ _All I was really pointing out with my comment was that it seems rather backwards to approach a situation that the engine works too well, so to solve this, use the exhaust system as a restrictor plate to inhibit performance, instead of attacking the problem directly. And what of that restriction in performance once the situation is alleviated?_ _ _Bill Luton

Sep 2, 2001 - 09:00 - From: JoAnne
Title: M100 toolkit
Message: Greetings! Does anyone have the original toolkit from the 91' M100 that they are looking to sell? Or does anyone know where I could purchase one? Ours was missing when my fiancée bought his Elan a few years ago, and he's been wanting to replace it ever since. Any help would be appreciated -- thanks!

Sep 2, 2001 - 14:54 - From: Mr_Sooty
Title: FAO Bill Luton
Message: Bill, I have just stumbled across this site as I intend to buy myself an M100 Elan. Now I admit that I am not 100% sure what it is that you and 'Matt Welsh' are debating as I have not read the whole forum. What I will say is that the attitude you seem to have is pretty pathetic and peculiarly American. Please answer me; why it is that the US of A (in the eyes of its inhabitants) is the focal point of the universe, the centre of all intelligence and knowledge??? Lets be honest, you Americans have never been able to build any good automobiles, especially not performance stock. Now get off your high horse!!!

Sep 2, 2001 - 15:27 - From: Guillermo
Title: RE: Mr Sooty
Message: Of course, they wont build them ... as ANYBODY knows the best cars of the world are GERMAN ... (that why I drive a Swedish and a British car) ... ehem ... mmm .. I don't think it is fair, in the US there are some good and some bad cars, and lets be honest: US cars are CHEAP, you can get full size cars for european supermini money. What do you expect, BMW/Merc quality with US prices ? The US is gone the cheap way, Europe is on the sophisticated line, aka there is no easy comparison. I read some articles (some german, some british) on American sportscars compared with european cars. And they did not perform that bad. What is bad is their price in Europe, they try so sell them against high price competitors - but fail on quality, so - usually - they are the losers. And don't compare US geography/infrastructure, fuel prices, laws, etc with Europe's, they are different from us, so they need other cars, it is another market on its own. Now, that is real, sometimes we - the rest of the world - have the feeling that the US doesn't realise that we don't think like them - especially Bush jr. as it seems, but I wont discuss politics here, that would not be nice.

Sep 2, 2001 - 15:27 - From: Mark
Title: windshield washer
Message: the windshield washer bottle was missing when I bought the car, and I'm looking to replace it. can someone confirm a couple questions. 1. the electrical connector to the bottle runs off the wiring harness at the right rear corner in the trunk, has two prongs and is T shaped. 2. is the low fluid sensor an integral part of the bottle or seperate, and does it have its own set of wires running off the wiring harness in the trunk? 3. the washer pump is activated by pulling the right hand steering column lever. pulling the lever also activates the wipers for a couple sweeps?

Sep 2, 2001 - 15:33 - From: Phil Johnson
Title: Re: M100 Toolkit
Message: Joanne, you can get the complete toolkit, including case, from your lotus dealer, part no: B100T6018F. Mine was missing too, so I bought a new one that cost about UKP25.

Sep 2, 2001 - 15:52 - From: Phil Johnson
Title: Re: Windscreen washer bottle
Message: Mark, in answer to your questions, the T shaped connector with a yellow/green and black wire go to the pump motor on the bottle. The low fluid sensor appears to be integral to the washer bottle as it does not have a separate part number in the parts book. It has two black wires coming off of it and these connect to the black/pink, and black wires by the rear rh light cluster with individual connectors. Your assumption about the operation of the wipers and washers is correct. Hope that this helps.

Sep 2, 2001 - 16:12 - From: Philbo
Title: Paul Matty
Message: Bill, I hate to point this out but unless you have been dealing EXCLUSIVELY with Lotus cars for more than 25 years then I suspect you have less knowledge of them than do Paul Matty. They are one of the most established and respected companies providing all manner of services, dealing only with Lotus. So before you start talking about "limited experience with these cars" and generally dissing them most ungraciously, I suggest you pick your targets more carefully. They've been dealing with LOTUS cars since 1976 which beats yours by a good 10 years. And before you start bragging about "24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year", at least Paul Matty respond to genuine sales enquiries, something you have failed to do to me.

Sep 2, 2001 - 18:42 - From: Bill Luton
Title: England, the US, Matty, etc.
Message: There are several problems with all of what has been pointed out. First off, no where have I said anything about the US, US cars, or anything about the quality of any cars at all. However, the US is about fifteen years ahead of England on Isuzu engines, because we had Isuzu cars in this country in 1976 and had the series engines used in the Elan in 1985. The engine was not introduced into England until 1989, in a quantity of under 1,000, meanwhile, the US had over one half million of that series engines on the road. Regardless of however many years Matty had experience in working on Renault or whatever other engines Lotus sourced for cars other than the M100, their experience with the Isuzu engine began in 1989 at earliest, more likely 1990 or later, almost a half decade after we did personally, and we counting the totals from 1985 through 1993, we've had over 821,527 to practice on compared to maybe 2,000 total in all of England._ _ _US automobiles? English automobiles? None of that is of concern here, this discussion is about Japanese engines._ _ _Again, while Matty's experience, with cars other than the Elan M100 and most specifically the engine in the M100, may be quite impressive, that is not the issue here, the issue is their limited exposure to the Isuzu engine, something that we do exclusively and have done so for about five years longer than Matty has even had access to those engines to do as a side to their main business, non Elan M100 Lotus models._ _ _Bill Luton

Sep 2, 2001 - 19:06 - From: Colin
Title: non-commercial usage?
Message: Isn't the purpose of this message board is to promote knowledge sharing about M100s, not to promote self-interested commerce. Bill, isn't it time you stopped hyping your goods and your store on this site under the guise of chat. You would better serve the users of the site if you struck a deal with Doug to market directly to those M100 owners who were interested in receiving your promo materials, and left the chat for non-commercial usage.

Sep 2, 2001 - 19:14 - From: Rod
Title: Dealers
Message: Paul Matty, service, repair, buy, sell, stock Lotus parts, non-Lotus parts, and provide their own solutions to M100 owners. They have been doing this since 1989. Their many years of experience prior to this on all makes of Lotus cars, helps them understand how Lotus engineer solutions from modified non-Lotus parts. They have a close working relationship with the Lotus factory and hence are a wealth of information. Whilst I am in no doubt about the knowledge you have of Isuzu powertrains Bill, how much more do you think UK dealers like this car learn after having M100's in for service nearly every day for the last 12 years ? They may also gain a little on you on the M100 specifics, do you for instance know how many revisions for the M100 ECU have been made available by the factory in the last 12 years ?

Sep 2, 2001 - 19:18 - From: Bill Luton
Title: Just defending myself
Message: I'm confronted by someone who tells me I don't know what I am doing and points at someone who knows far less than I on the subject, claiming they are omnipotent in that subject. I didn't start the line of discussion, I only responded. What would you have me do? What would you yourself do if someone said the same about you and your level of expertise in what you do for a living calling your own professional reputation into question?_ _ _Bill Luton

Sep 2, 2001 - 19:36 - From: Bill Luton
Title: I thought this was over...
Message: Now this is starting to look like a lot of English Elan owners all upset about being across the ocean from ground zero in Isuzu engine tuning, and if anyone has thoughts that I am being disrespectful to the English and English companies, you might want to reread your own posts and how disrespectful you have been toward me._ _ _You really want to get down to details, ask Matty what the deck height, deck clearance, compression height, rod length, crank journal diameter, piston pin diameter, pin length, combustion chamber volume, fuel injector flow rate, injector impendence, and maximum injector that will work with the factory ECU are for the 4XE1T engine._ _ _By the way, I don't remember Matty's telephone ringing when American Isuzu calls me to answer their questions about these engines._ _ _Bill Luton

Sep 2, 2001 - 22:47 - From: Tony V
Title: Shift Kits
Message: Just a note about the short shift kits...While at LOG..I had the opportunity to try the shifter in Dave. M's car...which came from Auto Europe, I also tried the one from Bill L. in somebody else's car (cant remember who)...It doesn't make much difference which one I liked better so I will not go there...as Bill's is no longer available...but the shifter from Auto Europe is available. You send in your old shifter..and they modify it and send it back. I plan to do mine if I don't sell the car. I really liked the way it was leaning to the driver's side..and the "feel" of it. It really felt like my old 72 Elan...(I have no $$$ interest here...) just thought I would let you all know that I talked to Eric Schick (owner of Auto Europe) and he told me they were still doing the conversion. Eric also let me drive the 340R...man was that a blast..

Sep 2, 2001 - 22:57 - From: Tony V
Title: Boost mod by shortening Waste Gate Arm
Message: Just had a thought...Does anybody have a wastegate actuator and arm assembly they want to let me have...I will have the upgrade done ($100 or so) and then post it too my site with all the details and pictures...first one that wants to swap out..and I will continue to do the swap.. It is too damn hard to get out of the car (It is easy to unbolt the actuator...real hard to take the circlip off the pin that attaches the actuation arm to the wastegate arm and harder to put the circlip on the pin back in) to entice me to take mine out and take pictures...but if somebody has one....I will go the extra mile and have it done..if you pull it out of your car...and if you wire the wastegate open..all you will be out while the upgrade is done is the boost...car will still drive..

Sep 3, 2001 - 00:14 - From: Matthew Welsh
Title: wastegate
Message: Tony, that's interesting. Another gentleman also recently had the suggestion that if we could 'change' (hate to oversimplify) our wastegate we wouldn't need any other boost controls. I imagine that by shortening the lever you are keeping the wastegate from opening as far, but I am not sure if the actuator rod is a 'pull' or 'push' type, so I can't say for sure. I had mine tested and it is working to Lotus specs, but of course it will still only flow as much exhaust as the wastegate disc diameter and movement away from the closed position will allow. I equate it to a valve in an engine. I am still wondering if there is any way to increase the flow of the wastegate, within our current turbo housing.

Sep 3, 2001 - 00:26 - From: Matthew S. Welsh
Title: nitrous
Message: Plunked down a $1240 USD deposit Friday for the custom nitrous installation I described earlier. Paid in full, in advance. By the way, the starting point is NOS kit 05030, a generic direct port kit for 4cyl/carbureted cars. That alone is $600 USD. It comes with an arming and WOT switch. Have also added an RPM window switch for mine. Will update with results and pictures when the time comes. The only thing that motives you to do something like this is when you can only barely beat a screaming green Civic! As in the words of so many immortal men, "Something must be done!".

Sep 3, 2001 - 01:00 - From: Doug
Title: Turbo Know-how
Message: Just wanted to let you know that the current issue (October) of "Sport Compact Car" Magazine has a good section all about turbo system parts and controls--and souped WRXs! The September issue had a great long tech article all about turbo design and matching turbo to your engine (very good and almost too technical)--for those that were just mentioning this recently!

Sep 3, 2001 - 03:54 - From: Philbo
Title: Bill etc
Message: Bill, if you think that all of the UK originated replies come through some deep-seated xenophobia or some kind of penis envy over the number of Isuzu engines in the US, you're wrong. Speaking for myself, my issue with what you wrote was that you did NOT limit your disrespect to Paul Matty Sportscars (to give them their full name, they are a medium sized engineering company, not some bloke working out of his back bedroom as your constant labeling of just "Matty" implies) solely to their exhaust. You made a sweeping statement about their lack of knowledge of Lotus cars in general and that they just supplied a few bits and pieces that were not their "bread and butter". You could not be more wrong. That is 100% of their business. Also, you were implying that only because "some" of their exhaust installations had problems, all those cars must have had faulty engine management systems. You managed to ignore my earlier posting on this matter that explained that the "some" of their installations were all stock cars. All of the modified cars worked fine. Personally I think that NOT selling a part to be installed in a car in which it would have detrimental effects would be an honourable stance to take. Maybe that's just me. But the tone of your last few messages is very defensive of yourself and your perceived position in the world order of Isuzu engines. I'm not disputing any of that, but if you really want to understand why some eyebrows have been raised may I respectfully suggest you go back and read your original message about Paul Matty. Personally, having spoken to Paul Matty Sportscar a number of times about their system, and the fact that I have a suitably modified car, I'm getting one of their systems installed as soon as they are available. Then my car is back on to the rolling road to see how the performance of the car has changed, if at all. I'll be making full details available publicly, hopefully including photographs of the installation. In response to earlier queries, the silencer box does sit exactly inside the original well.

Sep 3, 2001 - 08:25 - From: Bill Luton
Title: Philbo, etc.
Message: I hate to say it, but you seem to have hit the nail right on the head with your statement of "deep-seated xenophobia or some kind of penis envy", because that is exactly how all of the statements from the other side of the discussion are coming off. I would go on to say that I have already said Matty may be overly experienced with other Lotus cars, and have made that plain in all of my previous messages, however, the facts and reasons that they have comparatively little experience with Isuzu engines (and transmissions which I should have mentioned before) is undeniable and irrefutable. Experience with Renault engines in Esprits and Pinto engines in Sevens is wonderful, but neither compares in complexity to the 4XE1 from Isuzu. Matty may be wonderful for replacing leaky convertible tops or gluing interior panels back in place, they've had all that practice doing the same on all those Esprits, but when it comes to working on the Isuzu engines, they just don't have the experience. Performing routine maintenance? Wow, they know how to change oil and timing belts, that must have taken all of fifteen minutes to learn. You, yourselves point out that these are the most reliable Lotus cars on the road with the least number of problems aside from breaking down pipes and rain leaking in. Why did Lotus sell all those transmissions and engines below cost? Because no one blew one up and they haven't even gotten as far as ever opening one up._ _ _How many of their customers have ten second drag cars with that Isuzu engine? Do they even know how to convert one of these cars over to a Garrett T3/T4? Would they know that alternate synchros are available for that Isuzu 76 mm transmission that shift more smoothly, but that the alternate gear clusters should be avoided because they do not have the same level of heat treatment? No. No. No. Experts? Hardly._ _ _Now, I don't see anyone addressing my business by its full name of "Bill's Isuzuperformance", so if shortening anyone else's name is disrespectful, so is shortening mine._ _ _Bill Luton

Sep 3, 2001 - 08:47 - From: jeremy
Title: Bills attitude
Message: Bill, I'm Irish and am offended by your comments and not for the first time. Is anyone who disagrees with you just stupid? How come everyone with an m100 knows that big exhausts can cause overboost on 'some' cars but you?

Sep 3, 2001 - 09:04 - From: Ian H
Title: Lock Up
Message: I was surprised to read that some of you cannot get your brakes to lock up. I can lock the fronts on my Elan and this was before I put on the performance discs and pads. I think that the biggest problem is the bleeding of the brakes, if we could find a way to remove any air bubbles then I believe that this will increase the performance of you brakes dramatically. However using a single piston caliper for a sports car was not the cleverest move, my problem has always been the brakes not functioning with the same stopping power on each wheel and the calipers wearing out the inside pads before the outers. This would all be resolved by the 4 pot calipers Philbo found.

Sep 3, 2001 - 09:17 - From: Ian H
Title: Rear Caliper Rubber Boot
Message: Neil, you can get the rubber boot from any of the lotus dealers, I got one about a year ago I think they cost about £10UKP, that is for the 'Seal Kit' which contains all of the seals for the caliper, you may be able to get them separate but I am not sure. I have always found http://www.sjsportcars.co.uk/ very helpful.

Sep 3, 2001 - 09:32 - From: Bill Luton
Title: Who is offending whom
Message: I'm offended by every statement that has been made toward or about me on this topic. The difference is that the statements being made toward and about me were intended by the authors to be offensive, while my own statements in the matter were intended only to be statements of the facts, and you are offended by the facts, and would be offended regardless of how those statements were made or who made them, because the facts offend you._ _ _If Lotus had picked another source for their Elan M100 engine and drivetrain, that basically had no sales in England before, during, or after the car the engine Lotus sourced for their car (say Kia, Deawoo, Daihatsu, heck even Toro works for this example), you would be equally offended with the idea that the experts on that engine and drivetrain did not have their facilities overlooking the Thames and it would be equally hard to swallow that the leaders in working on that particular piece of equipment are outside England, even outside Europe, and in the case of Isuzu, the fact that leader is in a former colony, you find particularly galling._ _ _If Lotus had picked the Toyota engine for the M100, would you be making the same claims that Esprit specialists would have more working knowledge of Toyota engines than any of the many already established Toyota specific experts like Tom's, Nippon Seiki, TRD, Blitz, HKS, GReddy, or even Toysport? Would you be making the same disparaging remarks about these when comparing them to the Esprit and Non Elan M100 specialists in England who would be at an obvious technical disadvantage in dealing with Toyota engines just as they are at a technical disadvantage when dealing with Isuzu engines?_ _ _I hate to be so blunt, but when I come across an aberration to the norm, like "some", it is quite obvious that something else is at work here, and that blaming the new part for bringing to the surface a pre existing problem that has its roots somewhere else, is not the proper course of action. The proper course of action is to determine why the one responds differently than all the rest and fix the problem with the one, because all the rest work just fine._ _ _Bill Luton

Sep 3, 2001 - 10:11 - From: Philbo
Title: End of the line, for me anyway
Message: Bill, if you look back at my first posting on this topic you will see that I actually defend your position somewhat by saying that Paul Matty only found out about the exhausts when they began fitting them to stock cars. How you can be "offended" by that statement (seeing as you are "offended by all posts on this matter") is beyond my understanding. And you're still ignoring my point that their problem with "some" cars is that the "some" are ALL of the STOCK cars, not ones with faulty ECU's. I would also suggest that the real name calling began when you decided to brand Paul Matty as a bunch of box shifting cowboys. I'm sorry Bill but you seem to have some knee-jerk defensive reaction that borders on a persecution complex. As for your comments about the attitudes of UK people being based on jingoism and some kind of Colonial throwback, my last word on the matter is that those comments are immature and you've done pretty well to alienate a large part of your potential customer base - bearing in mind that 75% of Elans are in the UK.

Sep 3, 2001 - 10:40 - From: Bill Luton
Title: Philbo
Message: You might do well to go back and read your own comments as well, specifically the portion stating "...Matty found out by hard experience as well", implying that we have little or no experience and that we should differ to their "expertise" in the matter. However, I have pointed out over and over that they have far less experience than we do in working with this particular engine, and we have sold many, many, many more exhaust systems to people with stock engines without a single comment or complaint of fuel cutoff problems until Matthew's, which indicate a problem with Matthew's car in particular, as his case is the exception, not the rule. I would again suggest that you go back and read my comments, in which I have repeatedly stated that Matty may well be experts on every aspect of everything Lotus outside those parts obtained from Isuzu Motors Limited, in which area our experience dwarfs theirs many times over. I simply will not defer to someone who knows less than we do about this subject. And everywhere you see Americentrism in my comments, I see equally as much Anglocentrism in your own comments, with an equal amount of immaturity in everything you have commented on the matter, with an equal amount of knee-jerk defensivism. I'm still waiting for anyone to answer my previously posted question "What would you yourself do if someone said the same about you and your level of expertise in what you do for a living calling your own professional reputation into question?". I don't regularly stand up and proclaim that we are the industry leader in what we do, but if someone wants to publish that we do not know what we are doing and that someone who is obviously not the industry leader knows more than we do, I'm more than happy to point out the facts of the matter, which is all I have done._ _ _Bill Luton

Sep 3, 2001 - 11:13 - From: Ian H
Title: Free Flow Exhausts
Message: Just for info. I purchased a Janspeed exhaust to fit on my completely standard M100 and this causes problems with overboost, but not to the extent of the fuel being cut all the time, I took this to a local turbo specialist and he suggested that the issue was due to the exhaust being a free flow system, the ECU is not faulty and since the exhaust has been replaced the problem no longer exists. I know another owner had a similar problem with the Janspeed set up, this only suggests that the exhaust was not fully tested.

Sep 3, 2001 - 11:49 - From: Bill Luton
Title: Control system does not equate to ECU
Message: I seem to remember stating a problem with the control system, and while the ECU is part of the control system, it is not all of the control system, which consists of many sensors and a multitude of wiring and vacuum hoses, vacuum switches, and various other electronic components that are not the ECU. I'm suggesting that the likely cause of isolated cases is that at some point in the future, you are going to likely find a sensor that is operating out of spec, a vacuum hose disconnected, or something similar that is the root of the problem that you and others would like to blame on the exhaust system. And I would point out that just because the ECU does not flash any codes does not mean that all of the sensors are "good", and anyone with any serious level of experience with these engines would know this. I've commented before that we have people over here running these engines with three inch dump pipes exiting in front of the front wheels, and no problems. I don't think it is possible to get any freer flowing than that. I would venture to say that none in England have done such a thing with one of these engines, which, again, is an indication of the level of experience._ _ _Bill Luton

Sep 3, 2001 - 12:08 - From: jeremy
Title: and finally,...
Message: In England we are all so backward that all our cars resemble albanian wheelbarrows,... nevertheless we are ground zero in barrow modifications!

Sep 3, 2001 - 13:16 - From: Steve P
Title: Cool It!
Message: OK guys please cool it. Too much time is being wasted. Phil, lets have some more info on the brake performance and Bill, how about some more performance parts for the Elan?! ;-)

Sep 3, 2001 - 13:53 - From: Mark
Title: electrics
Message: thanks Phil for the water bottle pump info. granted that water bottle pump connections aren't as exciting as overboost or brakes, but how about a problem in electrics (the washer pump doesn't work). the steering column switch for the windscreen washer pump runs to a relay that also controls the intermittent wipers. My intermittent wipers work fine, so it seems as though the column switch and relay are ok. However, the washer pump won't engage when I pull on the switch. (The pump works fine if run directly off the battery.) I tested the electrical connector in the trunk. There is a continuous supply of about 3 volts of power to the pump electric connector, but no increase in power when I pull the column switch. What might cause the 3 volt power leakage, yet block the full 12 volts from flowing when the column switch is pulled?

Sep 3, 2001 - 14:37 - From: Edward
Title: rebuilding turbo
Message: I called Top End performance and they suggested that instead of replacing the turbo with T-3 or other and then have to figure out a way to adapt the turbo to the car, why not rebuilt the turbo and get no only improve the output, but also no adapting needed...

Sep 3, 2001 - 23:42 - From: Tony V
Title: wastegate...push or pull?
Message: Matt.....The waste gate actuation rod pushes on the wastegate lever to open the wastegate..No question..., I am positive of it.. I know because I assumed that it pulled at first and lengthened the rod the first time I tried doing the adjustment... By shortening the actuation rod...you are not allowing it to open the waste gate as far...thus increasing the boost. Look at the Lotus manual...you will see a turnbuckle (it did not make it to the production version) on the actuation rod...somebody at Lotus must have done it this way...

Sep 4, 2001 - 02:54 - From: Richard Steele
Title: Rear Wishbones
Message: I urge all of you to have a look at the condition of the paint and wax on your rear wishbones. I thought mine should be in reasonable condition as I have previously smoothrited and Dinol waxed them and had them waxed every 2 years with touching up at every service but there were large areas where the paint had come away and rust had developed. Don't put it off, look now and do something before the winter arrives.

Sep 4, 2001 - 04:07 - From: Philbo
Title: Wishbones
Message: Hi Richard, mine are completely shot too, having said that I only had the Dinol treatments done for the warranted 5 years. Anyway I'm after some new ones as well. B&C have a 6-month backorder on them - there's been a real run on them apparently as pretty much all S1 Elans need addressing about now.

Sep 4, 2001 - 05:40 - From: Russ
Title: Running Rich ?
Message: Just got my baby through it's MOT with no problems but the emissions test threw up some odd results. The figure on his machine for emissions (CO2 ?) was 3.25% which he reckoned indicated it was running rich but he didn't have the data for an Elan to hand so wasn't worried about it. He reckoned a turbo car should be about 1.5%. The chart on his wall for the Isuzu Piazza gave a figure of 2.5% +/- 0.5% which would still indicate that it's running rich. Anyone know what the figure should be for a 1990 Uk Elan with No Cat? and am I right in thinking that there's no adjustment possible anyway and that the mixture is set within the ECU? if so any ideas why mine might be running rich and what I can do about it.

Sep 4, 2001 - 05:55 - From: jeremy
Title: mixture
Message: I haven't seen it myself but apparently the mix can be changed by a limited amount by a similar device used on cosworths. It lies behind the dash somewhere. Mine needs a tweak for the mot. It still didn't quite reach the correct emissions levels but then I haven't exchanged my chip for the more recent one which will allow me to reach uk emissions. The chips are exchanged by lotus free of charge but you will have to pay someone to change it if you are an incompetent like myself.

Sep 4, 2001 - 06:18 - From: Ash
Title: CO
Message: I found this on the May 2001 Archive : ------ "The idle CO on non-catalyst equipped M100 Elan models is adjusted via a CO potentiometer which should allow a minimum output voltage of 0.66 volts. Legislation in force at the time of Elan production was 4.5% CO, but this was retrospectively changed by directive 92/55/EEC in 1995 to 3.5%. This change meant that some cars require a recalibrated mem-cal in order to meet the required CO level. This may be ordered from any Lotus dealer under part number A100E0097S, but is supplied on an exchange basis. Please enquire with your dealer. Bear in mind that it is necessary for the engine and fuel injection system to be in good order before the emissions requirement will be met." ----- to add my two pence worth I think you can find the potentiometer under the dash next to. or near to the ECU, I am pretty sure there is something on the technical side of this site, I hope this helps! Cheers Ash

Sep 4, 2001 - 06:44 - From: rudz
Title: Exchange ECU
Message: ash mentioned the exchange unit ECU that lotus will supply. does anyone know for sure if it has any performance improvements other than lowering the emission...err, perhaps smoother or slightly more powerful engine ??

Sep 4, 2001 - 06:49 - From: rudz
Title: cooling problems
Message: i had a peculiar problem with the cooling system. it used to activate the cooling fans when the gauge touched the 3/4 mark. it would then cool down immediately till 1/2 before the fans switches off. however, now the fan comes on at 3/4 but the gauge just keeps rising to almost full "H" before it drops to 3/4 & the fan just doesn't cut off ! even traveling on the highway doesn't seem to help cool it. does anyone have any clue or similar experiences....thanx

Sep 4, 2001 - 08:30 - From: Philbo
Title: CO mix
Message: There is a CO potentiometer next/behind the ECU behind the glovebox on a RHD car. The online service notes indicate that it controls the "base" value for the air/fuel mix for the ECU. Assuming you have a rich mixture right across the whole rev range, you should in theory be able to adjust this variable resistor to change the mix. Mine is also running rich (as is another Elan tested at the same time as mine) so next time I go on a rolling road I'll be adjusting the base CO mix to give a better result.

Sep 4, 2001 - 09:30 - From: Dave M.
Title: why do they call it Labor Day when we don't work?
Message: Joanne/Phil, thanks for reminding me to get the tool kit. I've been carrying a set of jumpers in it's location for a while now - that's been my "kit"! Edward, what specs does Top End give on a turbo rebuild? I would think a true "rebuild" would merely bring the turbo back to stock specs. If they modify it to increase flow (rather than putting in a larger turbo to increase flow and boost like the T3/4 conversion), I would think some "adapting" is in order (larger injectors, piggyback ECU, fuel pressure regulator, etc.). Both mods are entirely possible, it's just how much power you want out of the conversion.

Sep 4, 2001 - 09:35 - From: Dave M.
Title: cooling problems
Message: Rudz, sounds like either the water pump is starting to fail and not getting enough coolant around, or the thermostat could be shot. Check Doug's write up on the thermostat as I think he had a similar problem.

Sep 4, 2001 - 11:13 - From: Ian H
Title: Cooling problem
Message: I have recently had a problem with the temp fluctuating between 1/4 and 3/4 for no apparent reason. The heater in my car has also been playing up i.e. sometime hot sometimes cold regardless of temperature. I plan to replace the thermostat, but would this also stop the flow of coolant through the heater matrix? as I am not sure where abouts in the system the thermostat sits. Thanks for any help. Ian.

Sep 4, 2001 - 12:09 - From: Doug
Title: Thermostat and Cooling
Message: Guys, the T-stat sits at the edge of the engine, and until it opens warm water will not circulate through the heater core. You can have a sticky t-stat or one that fails in an open or closed fashion. Rudz, yours may be sticking open as mine was and this can be a serious problem. Replacing the t-stat is not too hard as I outlined in the write-up--but this has been an area of more than a few Elans having trouble with this year! The fans come on at the 3/4 mark and if your temp does not go down with them on then you have a real problem and should stop before you blow a hose or worse!

Sep 4, 2001 - 14:25 - From: David S.
Title: greenstuff and hello
Message: Doug glad to see your still doing a bang up job on the website, it looks great but I hope your not neglecting the family on our account...I have a question for all the greenstuff pad users out there..."how many miles on avg are people getting with theirs...type of setup, driving, etc?" my lotus is finally starting to move back up the priority ladder and i have a 90k service coming up... any recommendations on "must do's" that are not listed with the factory service? and Jaime the rest of us NOCAL club guys want to know when we get to test out all your new mods ;o)

Sep 4, 2001 - 14:50 - From: charlie
Title: jeez!
Message: As far as i'm concerned bills great because he's continuing to build and manufacturer parts for a car that's pretty much been discontinued by everyone, and is incredibly hard to get information, and off the shelf parts for. So what if you don't all agree, go fight about it on email. I'm sorry if it seems i'm saying don't annoy him or he may go away, but in a way , I am, just not in the way you think. I wish more commercial elan people would turn up on the board! I can live with a bit of advertising if it means i get more cool stuff for my car. certainly in the states there's only a handful of people with the knowledge to work on it, and only two i can think of who make a line of upgrade parts. So ladies and jellyspoons lets all live in perfect elan, isuzu and lotus happiness =)

Sep 4, 2001 - 14:56 - From: charlie
Title: got boost?
Message: What's the most boost people have successfully run with the stock turbo. Did you upgrade octane, is knock an issue ? Is the fuel pump coping? By successfully i mean for a long time and without a large mechanics bill at the end of it, large bill at the start is fine =) (assuming you've bypassed all the various cutoffs/limiters, LSDs etc etc) I'll start at 12. I'm looking for someone at 18 (which is almost twice as much).

Sep 4, 2001 - 15:09 - From: charlie
Title: top end,
Message: I think topend say that because they don't deal with the T3/T4 and the elan, they'd have to figure it all out first (as they've indicated). I believe they use a different turbo anyway. I can't see how you could get the performance out of a rebuilt IHI to match the T3/T4 hybrid? Bills already done the work of adapting it. ceramic ball bearing hybrids =), saying that can you fit the hybrid in?

Sep 4, 2001 - 16:46 - From: Bill Luton
Title: turbos
Message: You might want to set a standard IHI, the upgrade IHI, the T3, the T3/T4, and the T4, all next to each other, because this is five different sizes of turbos with five different ranges of power, flow, pressure, etc. It becomes a question of picking the one that fits the use of the car, and back to the question of "What are you doing with the car?". Does the use call for minimal spool time, power low trailing off at higher RPM, or maximum power conceding all other possible tradeoffs. It is much less a case of which is "better" but more a case of which is "more appropriate"._ _ _Bill Luton

Sep 4, 2001 - 20:20 - From: Edward
Title: rebuilding turbo
Message: My goals in rebuilding the stock Elan turbo is to reduce lag, smoother acceleration and increase output. Is this a possible goal? Realizing that larger turbo means lag is greater -- how do you improve on an 11_year_old turbo? It One of my most immediate goals is to make the car accelerate smoothly. Right now, the MBC allows boost to go to ~ .85 but as it spools and the car accelerates, it does so in a less than smooth manner. By contrast my 2002 WRX accelerates smoothly at WOT. This may be because of intake and exhaust. Both of my cars have K&N filters, WRX has stock exhaust and the Elan is stock -- except for the Magnaflow muffler. I suspect also that my boost gauge on the Elan is not accurate, meaning that when it show going to full boost at WOT, it make actually be slowly building the pressure to full boost. My question is: wouldn't a newer turbo yield smoother acceleration given the same size, by virtue of newer, better technology?

Sep 4, 2001 - 21:48 - From: charlie
Title: rebuilding
Message: rebuilding "the" turbo probably "isn't" going to make it up to "date" with the latest technology. "changing" it for "a" new technology turbo "will". The hybrid is "considerably" bigger than the others, i laid "out" pictures of all of "them" except the i"h"i, so i can't compare them "yet". So no ones admitting "going" above 12 yet "?". I guess new "bearings" and such will help "lag" times but how much "is" the question.

Sep 4, 2001 - 23:40 - From: Brian MDB
Title: Lag reducing ideas...
Message: Edward, a few suggestions that could improve your stock Turbo's performance....reducing exhaust back-pressure will enable the turbine to spin-up faster but you will need to effectively dump excess pressure to prevent 'boost spiking'. For around $70 you can buy an Turbo insulating kit http://www.designengineering.com/turbo_kit.html that should minimize heat / pressure loss around the turbine and reduce engine bay temperatures. A rolling road dyno session could be used to optimize Cam timing and mixture etc.

Sep 5, 2001 - 02:08 - From: Doug
Title: turbo woes
Message: There are so many different ways to approach this turbo issue and many will help. Internal wastegates at high boost (>10psi) are prone to creep and ours is likely one of them. How about finding a better "dashpot" (the valve that actuates the wastegate rod) that works at a higher pressure? How about researching the Elan's inherent electronic boost control via the boost solenoid valve and figuring (like the BBR set-up) how to get the car to raise the boost without an MBC? A freer-flowing exhaust like the Isuzuperformance system will definitely help your perceived lag and smoothness, Ed!! How about a more efficient or a bit bigger intercooler? How about developing a "cold air" enclosure (Brian?) to put around our open filters with even a cold air scoop behind the grille? All of these things will help the stock system and not cost the farm or all your wonga!! Okay now, who wants to volunteer for which research jobs?? ;-)

Sep 5, 2001 - 02:47 - From: Jamie
Title: Car Update
Message: David, I finally finished my car! Although it is not as detailed as I would like. I just got tired of having my car sit in the garage and up on all fours. Anyways, for those that didn’t know my water pump went out on my Elan last January. After doing some research and planning I though the easiest way to replace the water pump ($60 Isuzu dealer) was by pulling the entire engine out of my car. Well, since I had to pull out the engine, I though I might was well do a 3-angle valve grind and throw in some new valve springs (total cost $550). I was also going to install some larger injectors and put in a T3/T4 hybrid. However, after consulting some of my friends that are very technical with turbo cars they told me to put my car back together to ensure it ran properly then go for the turbo, injector, and stand alone ECU upgrades. This way if any problems should arise it would be easier to trouble shoot. Heck it made sense to me. Plus my wallet agreed! LOL! Anyways, I also installed a Muller aluminum flywheel ($410), Clutch Master kevlar clutch ($400), and a Quaife LSD differential ($900). Oh I guess I should point two things out before rambling one. First off Muller Fabrications no longer exists. Rumor has it that Mr. Muller (founder) passed away a few months ago and the company liquidated all their assets. Second off, I believe the Quaife LSD is no longer available for our cars. After my purchase Quaife UK (not Quaife America) had only 2 or 3 left and there were no more known future plans of production on this item. I guess the differential was a slow seller? However, for that want to purchase a Quaife LSD make sure you contact Quaife UK directly before making any payments through a US vender!!!!!! If Quaife UK does not have one in stock then nobody will!!!! Trust me! Now that I have rambled on let me get to the point. My car seems to be running okay, but I am experiencing a couple of problems. First off my car is running extremely hot. The engine warms up to the ¾ mark really fast. I can't seem to figure it out. I'm running a 50% to 60% coolant to water ration. I have a new 180 degree thermostat installed. The water pump is brand new. Finally, my timing is dead on 16 degrees BTC. Also, I notice my car doesn’t seem as powerful as before. Although it has been a long time since I drove it last and I had having some high expectation on power gain with a lightened flywheel. Lastly, I must say the Quaife LSD is SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET! Talking about putting power where it should be! Taking hair pin turns is now really, really fun! I'm talking going hot into a turn that's soo sharp you need to drop into first and smoothly but quickly pull out. My tires grip the road with minimal wheel spin and torque steer. Well if anyone can give me some input concerning my heating problem I'd appreciate it. Also, if anyone has any questions about my mods let me know.

Sep 5, 2001 - 03:04 - From: George
Title: Jaime, heat problem
Message: Jaime, there is one possibility that would be the culprit. It could be the head gasket. I don't know if you've touched it, but if the head gasket is damaged somewhat or if it's put back the wrong way, then you could have that "running hot" issue. I should be back in the States around the 14th or so. I'll call you when I am back in town again. Call me mechanic friend Alex if you want, his # is 650-328-0287.

Sep 5, 2001 - 07:02 - From: rudz
Title: water pump & new section from Doug?
Message: jamie, have you got the part nos. for the ISUZU water pump? mine may need replacement soon & since it's only $60, i wouldn't mind having one to keep for when i need it. thanks George mentioned before about using a Mercedes water pump to replace his. it worked great for him. has anybody else had similar experiences? doug, what do you think of having a separate section that lists alternative OE parts that would fit the Elan & perhaps even improve performance. everyone can then begin to contribute the parts that they have found to be a suitable/better replacement. something along the lines of your "common replacement parts". cheers

Sep 5, 2001 - 07:42 - From: George
Title: rudz
Message: Rudz, please accept my apology for not getting back to you last time... I really forgot about it, my life is a constant drama and mess sometimes...lol Anyway, regarding the water pump number, I've checked with my friend. It is the same one that I've given to you. I think the problem may be the way the U.S. and Asia organize the numbers differently. Anyway, I think my friend Dave is going to get one here. If he does, I'll ask him to back track it for you, since I'll be out of town (and away from my car) for a while.

Sep 5, 2001 - 09:27 - From: Bill Luton
Title: differentials
Message: I can not comment on the inaccurate information you were given concerning the differentials because the matter is in the hands of the lawyers before the board at the US Trademark Office. Suffice to say, we usually refer to the company you mentioned as "the respondent"._ _ _Bill Luton

Sep 5, 2001 - 10:19 - From: Scott Graham
Title: Chips & boost mods for Elan SE
Message: Found your site whilst looking for a new ECU chip for my Esprit GT3 (couldn't afford the V8...) and thought I'd share a few experiences. Seems to be a lot a chat from US about the BBR kit. I used to run a '91 Elan SE and fitted the BBR 'chip' to it. I was surprised to receive a set of three crude 'restrictors' and a small signal conditioner instead of the new EPROM that I was expecting. The whole idea seemed fairly crude and very overpriced but it did perform well. I ran the car for about 3 years in this form and it never gave me any trouble (including a lot of sustained very high speed runs on German autobahns). It seems rubbish value - but it did do the job (may as well make your own instead though!). Also, I have finally found a company in Italy that seem to make proper chips for my car and noticed in passing that they also do one for the Elan SE. I am still waiting on a reply to my initial enquiry so have no further info at this time, but their address is http://www.allcarracing.com/ in case anyone is interested. Hope you all enjoy your Elans as much as I enjoyed mine!!

Sep 5, 2001 - 10:40 - From: Scott Graham
Title: Fuel Supply Relay...
Message: Just a general note: If you take the top down on your Elan often, you may find that slamming the hood down into its storage area will eventually dislodge the fuel pump relay (which lives behind the driver's seat with the battery) which in turn will stop the car starting. This is a known problem on the Elan, but takes about twenty seconds to fix (saves having your car towed off to the nearest garage). After it happened to me (and Lotus diagnosed it by telephone whilst I stood in a phone box in Munich) I took to carrying a spare relay in the glove compartment.

Sep 5, 2001 - 11:11 - From: Loren
Title: WOT with WRX
Message: Came up against a Subaru WRX at a stop lite. I pulled ahead in a curve and WRX could not gain (M100 @ WOT in 2nd). Upon upshift WRX did start to gain but then another curve and WRX had to tuck back behind again. I believe it redlines before M100 does - but it is a very quick station wagon! thank you, Loren

Sep 5, 2001 - 12:25 - From: Ash
Title: Seat Leather
Message: Afternoon!, does anyone have any tips/suggestions as to how I can restore the colour (or color for our US friends), back on the lumbar supports on my seat, the Seat is a Dark Grey, with Cloth inserts. I am loathe to use shoe polish incase in comes off on my suit on the way to work!! any ideas gratefully received! thanks Ash

Sep 5, 2001 - 13:02 - From: Doug
Title: Replacement parts listing
Message: After a few good suggestions and some thought, I have decided to make a "Replacement Parts" page in similar form to this message board. You will be able to post the info yourself so that we will not be limited by my updating speed--so go dig up all your good part info and I will have the page up ASAP!!!

Sep 5, 2001 - 16:48 - From: charlie
Title: all car racing
Message: The have 3 chips listed for the car, two seem sort of the same though, the ANZX and the ANMX, i can't remember which mine is, but i know there are a lot of variations in the chips/ECUs used in the elan, i know of at least 4 different ones. anyone contacted them yet?

Sep 5, 2001 - 16:50 - From: charlie
Title: Jamie!
Message: How difficult was it to fit the LSD ? Did you take pictures (of the install, if not why not =) )

Sep 5, 2001 - 17:06 - From: Philbo
Title: All Car Racing
Message: Yep I contacted them but no response so far. The site claims 20-35bhp increase, which is roughly in line with a basic booster limit of .95bar. However if they were using more aggressive timings and fuel maps I'd expect it to be a bit higher still. However, it is quite encouraging at least that they mention 3 of the ECU variants.

Sep 5, 2001 - 17:43 - From: Philbo
Title: Oil Recommendations please
Message: OK after my next track day (stand by for braking results!) it's oil change time. Bearing in mind my car will be used mostly for high performance driving, what are the thoughts on the best oil to use? 20W50 (I'm very unlikely to use the car in cold weather, it'll probably be wintered up) fully synthetic? Mobil 1 or other (I have heard anecdotal evidence of Mobil 1 leaking across gaskets)?

Sep 5, 2001 - 17:55 - From: Jamie
Title: Re: Quaife LSD
Message: Charlie, I was able to borrow my friends digital camera and take pictures when taking apart the transmission. But I have some bad news. My friends camera takes 1.44MB disks and I cannot find the disks I used to store the pic's. I may have accidentally erased them. Anyways, I never documented the installation of the LSD. I was not able to get a hold of my friends digital camera the day of assembling the transmission. I was in a hurry to get my car back together; thus running. Sorry folks. As for the installation, I found it was not too difficult. However, I had rebuilt a (transverse) transmission before and I have a lot of technical resources in the event I had come across any problems.

Sep 5, 2001 - 20:42 - From: Jamie
Title: Re: Differentials
Message: Concerning the Quaife differential information I provided on September 5, 2001, I may have been provided inaccurate information. But this is what I do know for a fact. Quaife America or also known as Autotech (Proof - See contact information for these links --> http://www.quaifeamerica.com/ and http://www.autotech.com/ ) is the exclusive distributor for Quaife products throughout Northern America (includes Canada; hence North America). So this means anyone that would like to sell a Quaife product must directly go through Autotech to obtain any Quaife products. I am "Assuming" Quaife UK and Autotech have made a contractual agreement to market and sell their products. Thus, Quaife UK cannot directly sell any of their engineered products directly to a Northern America customer, but can only deliver their products into the US market through Autotech. When I contacted Autotech a very helpful sales rep told me he was not able to find any information on the ATB differential I needed [GM / Isuzu - Beretta/Cavalier w/ Isuzu 76mm trans (MJ1, MK7, M79) retail price @ $945.00] Upon asking his supervisor, he told me the product was not available. So, I called Quaife UK to verify the availability of the product. One of their sales rep told me they had (last April/May) 4 in stock and there was no future plan for production for the differential. He also told me he was not able to sell me the product as I live in the US and needed to go through Quaife America to obtain the product. Well to make a long story short I was able to have a friend in England purchase it for me and have it delivered inter-company mail. So luckily I was able to escape freight and custom fees; thus, paid a total of $840 for my Quaife ATB Differential. So if any of you are considering in purchasing a Quaife LSD I recommend calling Quaife UK directly to see if such product is available. If not, Quaife America may have one in stock of which they ordered on for me last May, but I cancelled it.

Sep 5, 2001 - 20:57 - From: Doug
Title: Parts List
Message: See the new Online Parts List. Add your part and let me know via email if I should add any lines to the list.

Sep 5, 2001 - 21:29 - From: Bill Luton
Title: Jamie
Message: I have already explained that the source for your information is the respondent in an action we brought before the board at the USPTO. While I can not elaborate, I do sympathize with your situation._ _ _Bill Luton

Sep 6, 2001 - 00:17 - From: rudz
Title: replacement list !!
Message: thanx, doug, for the replacement parts listing. i'm sure the rest of us can now build up a whole reference list of useful replacements that can be had if we don't mind not buying a LOTUS item form LOTUS. afterall, some of these OEMs supply to LOTUS so that they can put it in a LOTUS box. if you remember Randy's Lotus Elan site had a similar section where you can find from which car/manufacturer each part came from McLaren front indicators, Renault Alpine GTA rear light cluster, Vauxhall door lock buttons, orange clip & brake calipers & pads etc.... i also seem to remember among us people who have found out about OEMs parts eg the OEM for the hood seals, Vauxhall brake calipers, Ford window motor inserts, Mercedes water pumps (George), Ready-Aire compressor (Scott), front spoiler rubber lip. all these info will make owning our babies less painful on the wallet & perhaps better for the car too & these are only the ones i remember off the top of my head. its up to the rest of us now to begin pouring & sharing all our hard-found info, guys !! thanx, doug.....rudz

Sep 6, 2001 - 01:45 - From: Brian MDB
Title: Rear Brake Pads
Message: 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. The brand name on the box was 'autospeciality 'METAL-LUX'

Sep 6, 2001 - 01:47 - From: Doug
Title: Randy's site
Message: Rudz, now don't go giving credit when none is due! That is an incorrect reference. Randy's site is just illegal copies of my site's outdated write-ups anymore--it's too bad though. The parts cross reference is from the Golden Gate Lotus site.

Sep 6, 2001 - 02:28 - From: Brian MDB
Title: 'Research Volunteer'
Message: I've got a whole load of ideas for stuff I'd like to do for our Elans all of which have a common denominator that I'll try not to mention.... Carbon Fiber Intake Tube incorporating a BOV and auxiliary Reed Valve (to help reduce lag). Carbon Fiber Hood (Bonnet chaps !)with NACA intake and Ducting feeding into a redesigned Lid for the stock Airbox, and blanking the stock lower inlet which may improve Intercooler performance by increasing pressure. Carbon Fiber Steering Wheel (because I can). Carbon Fiber Rear Aerofoil to replace the stock 'plank' /boat anchor. Carbon Fiber Roof Lid with integral Roll Hoop / wind break (like what Boxsters have). Carbon Fiber Dash top cover with additional instrument mounting pods. Carbon Fibre Rear Diffuser / Fender (Similar to M250?). Aluminum/Iron Rear Brake Disc Hub Assembly. So...what do you think ? Any other suggestions for weight-saving goodies ? The starting point for some of these projects could be provoked by donation of appropriate 'scrap' parts....

Sep 6, 2001 - 04:08 - From: rudz
Title: misconception
Message: oops ! sorry doug ! everyday i learn something new ! now, that explains why your site is so much more alive & is the best ELAN site....& i'm not just saying it !

Sep 6, 2001 - 06:11 - From: jeremy
Title: brian
Message: Did I understand you right? Carbon fibre roof lid? Sounds interesting. How could you do that?

Sep 6, 2001 - 10:34 - From: Brian MDB
Title: Roof lid / roll bar
Message: Jeremy, the part I was referring to is the Lid behind the seats that closes over the Hood, The Roll bar feature would be cosmetic and would not offer much additional roll-over protection but it should stop winter driving becoming a pain in the neck.

Sep 6, 2001 - 10:42 - From: Philbo
Title: Brake performance
Message: OK I have done a rough and ready measure of brake performance. Conditions were on dry tarmac, with Bridgestone SO2 PP's at 205/50 R15s. Pads were stone cold, the stated performance of the Ferodo DS2000 pads I have is a friction coefficient of .3u when cold rising to .45u when warm. 60-0 braking distance was less than 30m with cold pads. Both tyres locked up immediately. Back to Hi-Spec tomorrow to get brakes bled in an attempt to recover pedal feel. Interestingly, EBC Greenstuffs are rated at .45u while Redstuff only from 0.3u cold to 0.33u hot. There would appear to be a definite tradeoff with EBC pads for fade resistance when hot (Reds) vs friction (Greens). Based on this information I would say that I was advised correctly, that Ferodo DS2000's are the better pad for track days - with the bite of Greenstuff but the fade resistance of Redstuff.

Sep 6, 2001 - 15:46 - From: Dave Schmid
Title: Water Pumps
Message: Doug, I think you have some confusion on the water pump issue. There are two pumps on the M100. The one earlier described that had a Mercedes replacement # is for the electric reverse circulation mounted behind the radiator. This will come on after the car has been shut of and circulate water in reverse on high temperature. The Isuzu water pump that was later mentioned is mechanical and mounted on the front of the engine and uses the timing belt to drive it. It is available from Isuzu for about $60. There are also several other parts that are exchangeable, but usually the Isuzu dealer wants to have a car model to reference. The engine rear oil seal is no longer available from Lotus, but Isuzu has them by special order, it was about $26. I didn't check the oil pump and bought it through Lotus, since I felt that this was too important of a part to be potentially different.

Sep 6, 2001 - 15:52 - From: Matt Welsh
Title: engine oil - the boring topic
Message: Have insomnia? Read this! My choice for oil in the M100 is Mobile 1 10W-30. I choose synthetic bcuz it leaves far fewer deposits (due to coking) in the turbo & turbo lines. I choose 10W-30 bcuz of the 3 available Mobil 1 weights (here in the US) it has the least viscosity 'range'. To me that is good bcuz that means the oil base stock (10 weight - the base stock in any oil is always the lowest viscosity number) has fewer long-chain molecules added to it, that do not in themselves provide lubrication, but increase in length as the oil heats up, thereby allowing the oil to have properties of 10-weight when cold, but 30-weight when hot. These ADDITIVES are the same whether you buy synthetic or conventional oil, and start breaking down after 2,000 - 3,000 miles; whereas oil is oil (the base stock), and only gets dirty. If I was not dealing with a turbo, I would just run conventional oil. I have added Slick-50 to oil, and don't think it worth a dime. Duralube impressed me. My cars run both more smoothly and cooler with it, but once you have doled out the $13 for it you might as well be running synthetic! To me, the most important thing is to change your oil every 3000 miles, it just starts to look dirty about that time. Even though synthetic gives longer change intervals, I just can't convince myself to leave it in when the oil is coming out black. Something is in there, and it ain't clean! My experience with oil leakage goes like this: if a car leaked conventional oil it leaked more synthetic oil; if a car did not leak conventional oil it did not leak synthetic oil either. I understand from reading that the molecules making up syn oil are smaller than those in conventional oil, and just plain slicker, making it easier for them to get by a "crevice". So, I can see where a syn oil might leak in an engine that did not leak conventional oil, but I have not had this happen. Lastly, do not mix different manufacturers syn oil together, as they may have take different design routes to concoct their unnatural synthetic wares. However, any syn oil may be mixed with a conventional oil, if desired, without damaging your motor. Asleep yet?

Sep 6, 2001 - 16:19 - From: Chad
Title: speaker size
Message: What size speakers does the front and rear take? The previous owner removed all four speakers. Thanks

Sep 6, 2001 - 19:20 - From: DAL
Title: 3RD GEAR TROUBLE
Message: Hello, I recently purchased a 1993 se turbo with 23000 miles. The cars had a bbr conversion (205bhp).When driving the car fast 3rd gear crunches but not when driven normal. Has anyone else experienced this and if so what's the problem and how much is the repair? THANKS

Sep 6, 2001 - 20:16 - From: George Swetland
Title: Front wheel bearings, Part II
Message: Well, dammit, I just tore off the front spindle again after having just replaced the left front wheel bearings. Looks like the morons who pressed the hub back in the bearings either should have told me the hub was bad, or they f**ked it up. Either way, I am now faced with replacing the hub (the little round thingie that yur wheel studs bolt into, for those from 'Rio Linda, CA'). Anyone know what the front hubs on the Elan are from? Its doubtful its a custom Lotus made item... Thanks in advance, and yes, this is one we can add to the list for future 'unfortunates' like me...!

Sep 7, 2001 - 04:56 - From: Ed Mullan
Title: Elan door and hood seals.
Message: As anyone who owns a M100 Elan knows the rubber hood and door seals as supplied by Lotus are appallingly poor quality and are priced as if they are the next years exhibit for the Turner prize! I have been led to understand that there is absolutely no alternative available at the moment and I for one resent paying over £500 for a crappy set of hood seals that probably cost no where near that amount to produce. I have been told that it was a Canadian firm who produced them for Lotus so perhaps if we could find out the name of the firm we could club together (since they'll already have the pattern) and place an order for some with a much thicker exterior coating. Obviously they will probably only be interested in producing some if there were enough orders to make it worth their while. Alternatively if we provided an old set we might be able to find a UK firm who would produce some better quality pattern parts but once again we would need to order a reasonable quantity. Does anyone have any comments? Rgds Ed

Sep 7, 2001 - 06:01 - From: rudz
Title: hood seals
Message: i believe someone on this board actually found out the OEM for the seals (hood & door). if you're counting the numbers, i'm definitely interested in replacing mine, so count me in to make the numbers.

Sep 7, 2001 - 10:31 - From: George
Title: While at the dealers.....
Message: Overheard this while at the dealers yesterday.... When asked about the new 'car' to be coming out... Reply was, " Lotus USA was to have a big 'release' meeting, but it has been postponed by Lotus UK. Lotus USA has told them (Lotus UK) that 'If there are no new cars coming, then Lotus USA has no reason to exist, and will cease operations'. Stay tuned, this can only get more interesting... Geo

Sep 7, 2001 - 11:39 - From: Steve t
Title: hood seals
Message: Ed I think you are right about the hood seals, I would be definitely interested in getting some so I am another one on the list, I'm sure most of the people who come on this site would be interested too.

Sep 7, 2001 - 16:05 - From: David S
Title: seals and window
Message: If we can get a reasonable price on the seals count me in too....also has anyone ever had to replace just the rear window? if so how much did it run you, or does the whole top (hood) need to be replaced??

Sep 7, 2001 - 17:31 - From: Matt Pritchard
Title: seals and window
Message: Count me in for the seal replacements... It's the only major thing that's making the car show its age. I know a man who got the rear window fully replaced... took out the old one, a fully double stitched in the new one (looked damn sweet and crystal clear) cost him 40 quid (UK pounds). That was from a local source to me in Swindon, I'll try and find out more, but I'm sure others around the country could do the same job.

Sep 7, 2001 - 18:04 - From: David S
Title: Damn u lucky Brits!!!!
Message: Well so far Matt the least expensive price I've been quoted is US$350 from the local upholstery sharks which is a far cry from the 65 clams your friend spent...Doug didn't you say that you talked to Robbins down in SOCAL?? If we can get a hold of the pattern I think I have a company that will produce the tops for us at a much better price...what about dem Kia boys do they have the same tops??

Sep 8, 2001 - 03:04 - From: Brian MDB
Title: Rear Window
Message: I had quotes of $250-$350 to remove the hood and replace the Rear Window, however I have not had anyone quote for doing the sewing only, I guess it would be somewhat cheaper. The heavy duty PVC material cost only about $10, so I've cut out the old opaque material leaving an inch inside the opening to bond a new piece of PVC to. So far the fix seems moderately successful though I could have chosen a better adhesive, the 1-part Polyurethane takes 2-4 days for a full cure and I had to use the car after 3 days of curing, combined with parking out in the SoCal sun the lap joint has slipped a tad. Otherwise the fix does not look too bad, careful masking gives the window a neat black 'frame' similar to bonded glass installations. I did this just a week ago so the fix is not fully tested yet but for under $20 it seems a reasonable fix.

Sep 8, 2001 - 16:32 - From: charlie
Title: seals
Message: someone posted the name, i tracked them down, the factory that made them no longer exist, they've changed names twice since then. It was one of those, well old george might know someone who used to work for the person who served tea to the secretary of the boss who was sleeping with the seals managers girlfriend type of thing.

Sep 8, 2001 - 19:33 - From: Mark
Title: boost / fuel cut-off
Message: Just swapped out my old MBC setup, which was an odd mixture of manual bleeder valve plus drilled out hole in the hose running to the wastegate. I put in the JoeP MBC (thanks for the recommendation Matt) and disconnected the BSV. The car runs vastly better than before, with more power at lower RPMs and no boost spikes at all. Strange about the acceleration tho. I can accelerate repeatedly with about 3/4 pedal, go to max boost and run very smoothly. However, if I press beyond about 3/4 on the accelerator, the engine starts to get lurchy, and fuel cut-out/check engine light coming on at about 5000 RPM. Any ideas what's happening here?

Sep 9, 2001 - 15:21 - From: eric radzwill
Title: broken convertible top, need help
Message: Recently, my latch to pop the convertible top broke. When I took it for repair I was told they would have to put a hole in the body and then repair it. Is this true? Does any one have advice on repairing the cable without injuring my car's body?

Sep 10, 2001 - 08:34 - From: donald
Title: eric's top
Message: Hi, eric - I believe of you remove the carpet and plastic liner above the battery (and all the side panels etc.) you will be able to get to the back of the door jam (if that is where they are having problems accessing). Don..

Sep 10, 2001 - 15:31 - From: neil.t
Title: For Sale (UK)
Message: Lotus Elan se Turbo for sale (1992). Excellent Condition. I have decided to move to Canada for a while. It is Silk Red (Rare colour) and has a black leather interior. It has done 29000 miles and has a FLSH. I do believe the first to see will buy. I did! I went to the Donington show last year in it. It has had two owners from new including myself. It was bought from London Lotus and has been serviced there 10 times. I have done less than 6000 miles in it in 1 year. If anyone is interested please email me. Quick sell wanted (Cry-Or I could put it in the garage). £11000

Sep 11, 2001 - 01:26 - From: rudz
Title: antenna problems
Message: has anybody had any clue or experience why my radio antenna refuses to retract when the radio is switched off. it used to extend when radio ON and retract when radio OFF. a swap with another antenna also produced the same thing. only extends when ON but refuses to retract. i have checked the fuses at the passenger footwell & near the 12V battery but they're all ok. could it be a relay ? where is it located ? anyone any clues ?

Sep 11, 2001 - 03:50 - From: Richard A Clifton
Title: For Sale (UK)
Message: Neil. It sounds like a cracker. I should put it safely away until you come back to Blighty. You may regret getting rid of it.

Sep 11, 2001 - 12:25 - From: Rod
Title: Rear wheel bearings
Message: I have a noise from one of my rear hubs, so guess its the bearings. Anyone done this repair and have a write up, or advice, on what parts I order / special tools required / how long it will take for me to have a go at it ?

Sep 11, 2001 - 13:21 - From: peter bentley
Title: New York
Message: I remember seeing someone on the list being from New York, I hope who ever you are you not caught up directly in the Trade centre situation.

Sep 11, 2001 - 17:25 - From: JB
Title: ECM & Batt Cables
Message: Guys, its with interest that I've followed your page over a couple of months, now we're in a situation & I could do with some ideas. Car 1990 SE Turbo (Girlfriend's) RHD Jersey CI Have to say when it goes it goes, trouble is of late it doesn't, ECM blew last week, so we're told !! Check engine light stayed on, Dealer plugged it in & couldn't see the ECM !!? Any ideas ? Anyway 1 ECM later, I take it out for a blast, giving it some in 3rd (chased 1st & 2nd, about 5000rpm in 3rd) light comes on for 10 secs, no power, failed overtake !! its done this before, but we thought it was the old ECM. The RPM was to low to be the Rev-limiter/fuel cut off ? Right, stop for lunch, 20min trip home, goes in come out 10mins later (to go look at rear wishbones !!) and turns over dead slow, bit like flat battery... then after two goes, smoke ... lots of it from the Left side of the dash (RHD Car) ECM area. Well Girlfriend not happy, car off to dealer on tow truck. With Batt disconnected. Dealer tells us its fine when be reconnects the batt. I tell him the story so he lets it run all PM and has same problem. He now thinks its the batt leads. Any ideas on the above greatly received. Ta JB

Sep 11, 2001 - 23:29 - From: Brian MDB
Title: Rear Wheel Bearings
Message: Rod, Following a rather prompt Rear Wheel Bearing failure, I had to pull put the old Bearings and Seals and find some new ones, so seeing that I was in that area I 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. The only special tool you need is a 'Disc Brake Piston Tool' costing about $12 and looking like a 1" cube with a square hole and pairs of short pins on each face, you'll need this when it comes to getting the Piston to go back in its housing (this is done by pushing and turning CLW for the LHS) which has the integral Parking Brake mechanism. You will have to remove the Caliper to access the inboard piston and get the Pads out, for this you will need an 18mm A/F socket, this one had me scratching my head for a while as in Europe, where I's brung up, there is no such thing as 18mm A/F, this is apparently the good ol' US of A Metric Standard for that particular bolt size (Brit Std is 19mm). While you're down there darling..... you might as well check / adjust your wheel bearings ! Use no more than 8lbs/ft preload on the bearings and if you feel any tight spots as you rotate the Disc then change the Bearings too. To remove the bearing races you should use a soft brass or aluminum drift that fits into the grooves inside the hub, about 1/2" dia x at least 4" long. The bearing info is on Doug's new 'On-line Parts list'.

Sep 12, 2001 - 05:44 - From: Ian H
Title: Rear Wheel Bearing
Message: Rod, I replaced both of my rear wheel bearings when I changed my rear discs. I did exactly the same as Brian apart from I could not find the Piston Tool, so I used a large open ended spanner to twist the piston back into the housing, as I could not find the tool for sale. I got my rear wheel bearing kit from SJSportscars on next day delivery. I think they were about 15UKP each. I would check if your rear discs are OK as now would be a good time to do them, you can get reconditioned one for £25 each. It took me approx 4 hours to do both rear wheels, which will depend on how easy the old bearing come out.

Sep 12, 2001 - 08:19 - From: Rod
Title: Rear wheel bearings
Message: There looks to be an inner and outer bearing for each hub, are you saying I NEED to take the caliper / rear discs off in order to get at the bearings ?

Sep 12, 2001 - 08:41 - From: Ash
Title: rear wheel bearing
Message: Hi Rod, I've not done the bearing change yet, but am about to embark on a rear disk change. The inner and outer bearings are located on the hub (which is integral with the rear disks), so the answer to your question is yes you will need to remove them, before you do though I would suggest trying to adjust them, by (now I am going from memory but the online manual will help), tightening them up to 8lbs/ft them loosening them up, after which you do them hand tight - please please check this before believing me!! This is certainly what I did when mine started making noises over a year a go and since then no noise/free play at all. Cheers Ash

Sep 12, 2001 - 09:00 - From: Philbo
Title: Last word on brakes
Message: You're probably all sick to the back teeth with me going on about brakes all the time, but for those who are still interested I have updated my pages at www.informatica.zen.co.uk/elan with more details on pads, some pictures of the installed setup with the wheel off, and impressions after my first track day with the new setup. Overall conclusion: the brakes were excellent. Lots of power and no fade.

Sep 12, 2001 - 09:43 - From: Ian H
Title: Rear Bearing
Message: Rod, You do need to take the Disc and Caliper off. The Caliper is only two bolts and is easy to remove. The bearing itself is situated in the Rear disc so you will need to remove them to knock out the bearing. Hope this helps. Ian.

Sep 12, 2001 - 10:12 - From: Rod
Title: Rear Bearings
Message: Thanks all. I adjusted them last week, but 500 road miles and 200 track miles at the weekend, and the last few miles home I could hear one side making a noise. I suspect I may have over tightened it and knackered the bearings.

Sep 12, 2001 - 15:06 - From: charlie
Title: JB
Message: Probably the CAS (cam angle sensor), what was the RPM in 3rd? it'll seem likes its struggling for a while, perhaps even bunny hop then resume without the turbo temporarily. You ought to get an engine code for that though, which even the worst dealer should be able to find, if not read Doug's write up on checking the code.

Sep 12, 2001 - 15:15 - From: charlie
Title: slap hands
Message: for not reading the message properly =) (its early for me yet) ..................... First off unless you want to be buying ECUs left right and center go to a different dealer,. If there smoke something fried , period, its not ok, if it were a loose connection you would not get smoke ( except in very rare circumstances ) most likely what's happened is an over voltage going into the ECM which has fried part of the power regulator circuitry, pop off the top of the ECU and take a good look at it, you'll see something for sure, it'll probably smell really bad too when you get close to it, so if you can't smell anything , sniff around where the ECU is located, trained basset hounds are very useful here.. The battery charging circuit might be damaged and causing some kind of overvoltage, the simple ( and silly ) way to check it is to get a DMM that can store a min and max reading for the voltage, however its going to be tough since without the ECU its not going to run well, if you are doing it yourself you'll have to isolate the supply voltages from the car, either supply news ones or re regulate them in order to protect the electronics, also if it is the vehicles regulatory circuits, watch out for your other electronic systems in the car, radio etc, though good ones tend to be able to cope with large voltage differences (but not all!! ). I'll have to go read the electronics manual for a bit of research to help you more though.

Sep 12, 2001 - 15:28 - From: charlie
Title: JB, checking the alternator
Message: refer to these ".tif" files for the procedure on checking the alternator. This is probably a good first step, but be warned if it is overvoltage damage can and probably will occur without some kind of external regulation. http://www.charliex.net/Lotus/EN/p38.tif  http://www.charliex.net/Lotus/EN/p39.tif  http://www.charliex.net/Lotus/EN/p40.tif  (if you have a PC and quicktime installed you ought to be able to see these in your browser, otherwise save them to disk.) you'll need a decent ammeter/DMM which can handle/read upwards of 60amps, most auto stores will have an auto DMM that can handle this kind of current.

Sep 12, 2001 - 16:08 - From: Chris
Title: Window Tints
Message: Can anyone tell me exactly what is legal for window tints in the UK?

Sep 13, 2001 - 03:06 - From: JB
Title: Ideas,
Message: Thanks Charlie, Will check it out when we got the car back from the dealer !! JB

Sep 13, 2001 - 08:09 - From: Paul Piddington
Title: Ian H - rear discs
Message: Ian, you mentioned in a previous mail that reconditioned rear discs are available for £25 each. Please could you tell me where from? London Lotus charge £125 each so this would be a huge saving.

Sep 13, 2001 - 09:24 - From: Dave M.
Title: Philbo
Message: I appreciate the updates, Philbo. It's nice to hear about the real world experience with everyone's mods. It was also interesting to hear about your experience in the rain. Nothing makes you a faster driver in the dry than some trips around in the wet. I'm a believer in that. I almost hope it rains at my next day out as my wife is coming with her car, too. Great experience, I say. If you continue to get vibration after hard driving like that, you may want to consider some sort of venting. It sounds like something is overheating, then cooling (when the problem goes away). Keep up the great analysis. I hope to have some for you all soon, too, once my setup arrives.

Sep 13, 2001 - 09:38 - From: Ash
Title: Rear Brake disks
Message: Paul, the Disk Ian is referring to are from Sj Sports cars, and are not new but re-ground, I have just received a set myself at £25 each plus VAT they represent a real saving, you will be charged a £100 deposit which is refunded upon the return of your old disks for processing. It is worth checking if they have any in first, as they only send set's to be re-ground once they have 4 pairs I think it is, although they sent 3 pairs off for me which was good of them! Do bear in mind that this is also something you could have done as well though, the main reason for purchasing via the likes of SJ sports Cars is if like me you can not do with the car being off the road! - that said some places will do it the same day if you give them enough prior notice! Good luck with your decision! - I personally will avoid London Lotus though! (my own opinion!), cheers, Ash.

Sep 13, 2001 - 10:22 - From: Ian H
Title: Rear Discs
Message: Ash is right they did come from http://www.sjsportscars.co.uk/, I have yet to send me old ones back yet so they should have some more in soon. They certainly are a saving I am very pleased with mine which are still quite thick after the re-ground. Still not happy with the front brakes and Philbo's upgrade is very tempting. As for the Seals that were mentioned earlier I would definitely be interested as the rain is setting in here for winter.

Sep 13, 2001 - 12:28 - From: Ash
Title: Front Brakes - Ian
Message: Hi Ian, if you are only using your car for mild road use, and are not after spending a small fortune (just yet), I would thoroughly recommend the EBC upgrade (spotted/slotted EBC rotors EBC greenstuff pads) from SJ Sports as well, and at at £95 plus VAT very good value, and from my experience very easy to fit as well!!! only a thought really!! Ash.

Sep 13, 2001 - 16:42 - From: charlie
Title: tinting
Message: IIRC UK law says you cannot tint the front window, the sides can be 25% and the rear whatever you like, though in our case won't matter much =) My brother is a dibble in the northwest, he says they frown on heavily tinted windows. So you might get away with it, but it may increase your pullover percentage. Since most tinted window fitters are about as dodgy as they go they'll tell you anything =) , also if you have an alarm fitted that's proximity based, don't use metallic tint material as it will decrease the effective range considerably, possibly even completely. Incidentally is anyone else having troubles accessing this page, i see a lot of double posts, and the symptoms i get are something that would cause that? I did a traceroute to aol, and saw a timeout at aol.com so maybe they are having tech difficulties or DOS attacks?

Sep 13, 2001 - 21:08 - From: Doug
Title: MB access
Message: Yes, Charlie, but I think it is just general AOL lameness!!

Sep 14, 2001 - 02:07 - From: rudz
Title: ISUZU water pump
Message: hi guys, i need some help here. can anybody provide the part nos for the ISUZU water pump. someone mentioned it costs about $60. thank you.

Sep 14, 2001 - 11:30 - From: Rudz
Title: Re: Water Pump
Message: Rudz, sorry what was I and I totally forgot to follow-up on it. I'm actually wrong about the price. It is $81.94 and the Isuzu (Dealer) part number is 8-97031-473-0. See the online parts list for details.

Sep 14, 2001 - 13:28 - From: Jim
Title: Ferodo Brake Pads?
Message: Are the Ferodo DS2000 pads available for our car? What are the correct part numbers? Is there a source in the US?

Sep 14, 2001 - 15:11 - From: Philbo
Title: Ferodo DS2000's
Message: Jim, DS2000's can be fitted to an Elan but not necessarily to the standard calipers! http://www.ferodoracing.com/lotus.htm No entry for the Elan M100. However, the standard Elan brake pad is not an unusual size and DS2000's are available in a vast variety of formats, so this isn't necessarily definitive.

Sep 17, 2001 - 08:35 - From: Glen Conybeare
Title: Best place for service in London? Also how many in black?
Message: Hi, I've just taken ownership of 91 SE Turbo and it's almost due it's B+C service. I was thinking of Barry Ely in Stratford (E London). Anyone have any opinions or better ideas? (Must be London or close) Also my car is black. Anyone know how many black Elans were produced? I know they are quite rare.

Sep 17, 2001 - 10:39 - From: Geoff
Title: Service
Message: Hi Glen, I just had my car serviced at Barry Ely. I actually bought the car there and it has been serviced there for the last six years. Although the actual servicing and sales shop is not exactly what you would call impressive (looks a bit like a glorified shed), Barry is a very nice bloke, and is a REAL Lotus enthusiast. He races a 7 most weeks and does the race preparation on many Lotus cars. I was very impressed with the service and was pleased to see that he seemed genuinely upset that I had let the car run a little low on oil! I wouldn't be surprised if he had patted the car when he discovered this and said "There, there. It'll all be okay for another six months now." Price wasn't bad either seeing as he added some new competition pads to the front brakes. Hope this helps, Geoff

Sep 17, 2001 - 12:09 - From: Russ
Title: Ferodo Pads
Message: If you want ferodo pads look up Vauxhall - http://www.ferodoracing.com/vauxhall.htm  The elan pads are most likely FCP173's (My Lucas Pads (now happily replaced with EBC) that fitted the Elan were labeled up as Belmont among others and there's only FCP173 listed for a Belmont) but could possibly be FCP584's. AIUI one will have holes in for the pins that have to be knocked out and one wont - you want the one that has, a quick phone call to your supplier should sort this out. Now as to whether you can get DS2000 in FCP173 you'll need to speak Italian to sort out on that web site - again I suggest you speak to your supplier. HTH

Sep 18, 2001 - 02:53 - From: Jansen
Title: Lotus in Australia
Message: I would be more than grateful if anyone could provide me with a scrap of information as to whether they have brought a Lotus Elan se m100 into Australia and had it complianced. Furthermore if anyone has information on where I could find to what standards the Elan was built to e.g. whether it conforms to european standards or US emission standards? A fishing Trip or diving trip to anyone in Australia who can help me!!! Jansen

Sep 18, 2001 - 09:15 - From: Ian H
Title: Brakes - again
Message: Ash, thanks for the advice but, I have upgraded my front discs to grooved performance discs and have greenstuff pads, but the weakest link is definitely the calipers. A single piston just does not give smooth consistent braking.

Sep 18, 2001 - 09:47 - From: peter bentley
Title: Body preparation
Message: anyone tackled repairing small scratches etc. I'm trying to get the bits together to have a go at repairing some little scuffs here and there and wondered if anyone can tell me what to rub the bodywork down with in preparation for painting, I assume smooth grade wet and dry but can anyone offer any advice ?? Peter

Sep 18, 2001 - 12:24 - From: Doug
Title: Aussie M100s
Message: Jansen, I believe if you check the Owners List you will see Elan owners in Australia. You can ask them about the cars via email. Check into the VIN number meanings that I believe I have a link to in the Tech Spec area. This will tell you which VIN numbers are made to what emissions specs. I think there are 3 main versions of the Elan: the SE U.K. version, the SE "export" version that Europe and the worlds got, and the U.S. version. There is a fourth "Japanese" version with some extra sensors on it for emissions too, but only a few of these were made. Obviously the US cars were made to US spec with cat converters, while the UK models have no cat and no oxygen sensor and even use a different computer program. I think there is a page or 2 in the shop manual (see online regular service manual) that explains all this too. Unfortunately if you need US emissions spec all the US cars are LHD and conversion would be a nightmare as one of your countrymen brought up once (see archives). Also an email to the Lotus HQ in Hethel for clarification would be helpful after your research too. Cheers

Sep 18, 2001 - 14:30 - From: Matt Welsh
Title: Vehicle importation
Message: Jansen, I am shamelessly trying to win that diving trip! Have been diving all up & down the east coast & the Caribbean, but have not been bitten by a shark in Australia yet, so I still have something to aspire to! Anyway, the US gov has provided me exacting info on what the laws are to bring a non-US vehicle into both emissions & safety compliance. Perhaps by inquiring to your government, they can likewise tell you what will need to be done. Interesting that in the US (in the last few years), an individual can obtain a one-time (only ONCE in each individual's life) waiver of emissions regs on an imported vehicle. So choose your vehicle carefully! Unfortunately, no such exemption exists regarding safety (crash, etc). Now, about that diving trip...

Sep 18, 2001 - 21:50 - From: Doug
Title: Emissions
Message: Matt, aren't you trying your hardest to get your Elan out of the allowed emissions? LOL Wasn't it you with the Nitrous Fever? We are all waiting to hear the results.

Sep 19, 2001 - 12:39 - From: Loren
Title: RE: JB's Battery Cables
Message: One more connection to check is the battery cable to maxi-fuse block located in the left side of dash (RHD). I had a high impedance at the lug and thus burn marks as well. resulting in intermittent starting/slow starting/no starting. The battery cable does not make a continuous journey to the starter, but makes another cable connection at the maxifuse block. thank you, Loren

Sep 19, 2001 - 17:43 - From: Ben
Title: High RPM/Idle
Message: Hello all, it's been a while since I've started the car and the battery was dead not long time ago. Recharged it and started fine last week. I just started it today and the idle hovers around 3k-4k RPM and every time I step on the gas pedal it keeps going up like the throttle cable is stuck. I can't seem to to drive it out my garage at the moment. I juggled the throttle cable inside the engine bay, but that didn't help. The throttle cable is kind of old and it might still be the original. Any idea where I should start looking? (ie. fuel system, site archives, etc.)

Sep 19, 2001 - 20:08 - From: Doug
Title: high revs
Message: Ben, if it is a throttle cable problem it should be readily apparent. Look into the IAC (idle air control sensor) as it controls idle. I believe if you disconnect the battery and then reconnect it should reset itself. Also be sure to turn the key to run for a few seconds for it to reset each time you turn the key to the start position. You can read about the IAC in the Engine Manual. Perhaps it could be a loose or corroded connection as this is often a problem with the engine sensors.

Sep 19, 2001 - 21:14 - From: Doug
Title: idle speed
Message: Ben, you got me thinking and I may know your problem. The IAC is in contact with the Coolant Temp Sensor (CTS) and I have had this specific sensor go awry on my Elan twice!! I have an unfinished write-up on it that I will post and work on for you HERE You may or may not get a check engine light with a CTS problem. Most likely if you clean up the corrosion in the sensor electrical contact it will be fixed. email me as needed--Doug

Sep 20, 2001 - 02:59 - From: Richard Steele
Title: Re: Aussie M100's
Message: Doug - I believe that the 92 year UK cars VIN N6001 onwards were fitted with the closed loop system and catalytic converters as the UK emission regulations started for any vehicle registered after 31/12/91. Does anyone else know any different?

Sep 20, 2001 - 06:50 - From: Tom
Title: UK insurance
Message: Hi I'm looking at buying a Lotus Elan M100 in the UK. The car is LHD. Do any of the UK members know of any sympathetic insurance companies ? Thanks, Tom.

Sep 20, 2001 - 08:27 - From: Steve P
Title: Closed Loop Elans
Message: Richard, I don't think any UK Elans prior to the Series 2 had a cat system. Mine was registered in '92 and does not have a CAT. The dealer told me that it was one of the last S1 production batch made?!

Sep 20, 2001 - 09:58 - From: Ian H
Title: CAT
Message: If I remember correctly any car produced after 1992 must have a CAT to pass it's MOT.

Sep 20, 2001 - 17:02 - From: Matthew Welsh
Title: Doug, an update
Message: Am taking my car in next week to have the nitrous installed. They have started to make the boost-cut defenser, but did not yet have 1 of the 3 parts. By the way, emissions are not a real consideration here in Florida, as we do not have the draconian measures forced on us as you do in California. We used to, then we elected a Republican governor. Bye bye emission testing!

Sep 20, 2001 - 17:37 - From: Bryn
Title: Aussie Rules!
Message: Jansen, my '91 UK Elan has a sticker on the bulkhead which reads 'This vehicle complies with the requirements of Australian design rule 37'. Hmmmm, wonder what design rule 37 is, and why Lotus felt it was so important to make this declaration (especially on a car destined for the UK) must be something to do with gaining compliance approval that they were particularly proud of!!

Sep 21, 2001 - 02:53 - From: Richard Steele
Title: Re- Closed Loop Elans
Message: Steve P - What's your VIN number, maybe you have a late 91 car that was registered before 1/1/92?

Sep 22, 2001 - 08:15 - From: Neil.t
Title: CAT
Message: My car was registered in 1992 and hasn't got a CAT either.

Sep 22, 2001 - 13:02 - From: Doug
Title: Virus Protection
Message: It seems George S. and Brian B. are the latest victims of that email virus--the "hi, how are you" one--I thought everyone knew about it? Well be careful and do not open any attachments that are ".zl_", or you will be installing the virus on your computer!!

Sep 23, 2001 - 03:02 - From: charlie
Title: momo wheel hub?
Message: someone else on the board fitted a momo topcolour style wheel, but IIRC they used the correct hub so the horn still works, if you're still here, which hub was it ?

Sep 23, 2001 - 14:30 - From: Darren
Title: Battery Conditioning
Message: Hi, I have an airflow battery conditioner that I used to keep my Elan battery fully charged as it's not used on a day to day basis and was wondering if there was a way of 'hard wiring' the conditioner, as opposed to popping the hood storage compartment, removing the battery cover, fitting the croc leads etc .. ?? My idea was to hard wire two wires to the battery terminals, run the wires to the storage box in the centre console, make the wires off to some sort of electrical socket, then fit the conditioner with appropriate electrical plug, that way it would be a two second job to open the centre console storage box, connect the conditioner and walk away. Now given the full potential of the battery would be presented across these two wires I propose to fit a 2A fast blow fuse (the wire in question would be twin core 3A, fitted with an in-line fuse holder and connected to the battery using crimped (large) spade type connectors), which should be small enough to protect against anything untoward happening with the hard wired connection etc but large enough to allow the conditioner to do it's job. Now not being an expert, I'd appreciate any information on my 'plan' both positive and negative before I get myself in any trouble .. !! Thanks in advance. Darren.

Sep 23, 2001 - 19:44 - From: Rod
Title: battery charging
Message: I have much the same setup as you describe Darren, however when the battery is left with the charger connected, I still pop the hood storage area, battery cover, and remove the battery top up covers, as I assume while charging gases are generated, so want these gases to vent easily.

Sep 24, 2001 - 01:39 - From: Brian MDB
Title: Virus
Message: Apologies to all who had my computer 'sneeze' the latest virus over them. The virus grabs information from the address book then sends out a document asking for advice. (And DID I receive some !!!) It appears so far that it's nuisance value rather than damage inflicting, however if anyone needs a fix, I can try to forward the Symantec patch that a victim kindly sent to me, seems to do the trick.

Sep 24, 2001 - 11:40 - From: Ade
Title: Hood seal repair
Message: I do not know if as been mentioned on this page before, but I recently found a sealant to repair the hood seals, made by hermatite. It is a silicon sealant that when dry turns to a nice soft strong rubber. I have just used It on my seals and it works really well, in fact the repairs can be made almost invisible. It can also be used to build up badly fitting seals. It is hermatite R.T.V SEALANT, for bonding, gap filling and caulking.

Sep 24, 2001 - 14:49 - From: charlie
Title: ALDL plug, shorting, getting to it.
Message: I'm changing my O2 sensor ( bosch $55 from autozone, next day delivery). I noticed the diagnosing "check engine light" problems page says the ALDL doesn't have any little letters on it, it does, they are on the side of the plug as part of the mold. Also I used a small value resistor instead of a wire to short the pins. Also opening the glove box is a lot easier when you know there's a hole in the top of the glovebox with a little metal tag that can be spun around, it then just drops forward. Its definitely the easiest way to get to it, the ALDL holding socket clip is a little awkward if you can't see it.

Sep 24, 2001 - 15:57 - From: David
Title: clearcoat revisited and udder stuff
Message: well its that time of the year again were I dream about calypso red cars without clearcoat bubbles, In trying to compile some stats on this problem for lotus I only ever heard from charlie and one other red owner, I would love to hear from everyone who currently has clearcoat issues or has had them in the past and has already fixed them on their own...Ade where did you find the hermatite sealant, and did you have to use any molding techniques to form the repairs? Has anyone as of yet been able to find a replacement set of wheels for our cars that have a greater than 50mm positive offset?

Sep 24, 2001 - 17:39 - From: Steve
Title: Elan Reading
Message: Hi, I've just spent a merry 30mins reading through the comments on the board and found it very interesting. I too have taken my Elan to Hi-Spec engineering and had a brake up grade although not to the calibre of Philbo as I was running low on cash at the time. I would have loved to fit the larger discs and calipers but instead went for grooved standard sized discs on the front with greenstuff pads, braded hoses all round, reconditioned discs (or dressed discs as Geoff at hi-spec calls them) at the rear with standard pads and Dot5.1 fluid. Its like a new car when you slam the anchors on even with such a "small" mod. Well worth doing if you ask me, I've recently heard the rear bearing making a rather expensive sounding grinding noise so that's next on the list (bearing comments appreciated:) I've also changed the rear window (as it was cloudy when bought as the previous owner didn't take care of it like I do:) Didn't cost me £40, more like £200 (including a few other touch up bits on the shabby roof - again due to poor care by the previous owner:). On the subject of Roof seals I have heard from a Lotus specialist based down the road from Hi-spec in Dartford that a new design in seals are soon to be released with groves for better drainage. No Idea on cost but I for one will be investing as all the seals are shot, I'm sure I'm not the only one to carry a towel in the car for leak stoppage:) My car is a normally aspirated one and don't see many references to them, I contacted the archive department at Lotus and I got a Fax back saying that only 59 N/A 91 Model Elans were made in that year! I would have got a Turbo but the insurance would have killed me (I bought the car when I was 22!). All in all, a top car and top site and one that I will be visiting again for Elan info and advise. Cheers;)

Sep 24, 2001 - 19:45 - From: Rod
Title: Welcome
Message: Welcome Steve. Yours would be only the 3rd NA I have come across in the UK, and they actually draw a lot of attention, as you have a clock that you can actually see from the driving position ! Please do see what you can find out about seals, as many of us would be interested. I am keen to see what Hi-spec can do for me, but am up north, so will need to take time off work to visit them.

Sep 24, 2001 - 19:47 - From: Rod
Title: Hood seal repair
Message: I would also be interested in where you got that product from Ade.

Sep 24, 2001 - 20:33 - From: charlie
Title: RTV sealant
Message: its pretty common stuff, brand names are permatex, 3m, form-a-gasket, pepboys etc carry it, its usually available in black or clear, I used it last year to seal my roof window seals.

Sep 24, 2001 - 20:40 - From: charlie
Title: O2 Sensor
Message: I just fitted my new O2 sensor, pretty easy, save yourself the hassle (like doug says) and get the special tool, i did and it was hassle free, i needed a sturdy socket driver, a short extension and a piece of pipe to get the leverage to remove it. Fitting it is easy, i didn't use the pipe to put it back on, but i fitted it pretty snuggly. Interesting to note the stock one is two red and one black wire, and the bosch is two white and one black, don't know if it matters but there you go. Original part numbers are AC SPARK PLUG APS 17P / 30493S, which of course is GM /AC Delco, I have seen there are different O2 sensors for DOHC, but i verified that the isuzus take the bosch 13722 style, so it ought to be dandy. I took pictures, but its such a simple operation you probably won't need them. There's no indication of coolant ( ie greenish tint to the sensor) so thats good, it looks pretty much as i'd expect, so either the sensors good and theres fault elsewhere. So far i haven't had a repeated warning light, but it tends to show up at freeway speeds, which i haven't been up to yet. Thanks to Byrn, i'm going to check into that CAS O-rings seal for the oil leak, i was just about to send her in for a gasket change... Theres oil in the sensor area. Glad i read that =)

Sep 24, 2001 - 21:50 - From: charlie
Title: O2 replacement pics
Message: Doesn't really need pictures, its very simple to do. However no point not doing it.... http://www.charliex.net/Lotus/O2/o2.htm 

Sep 25, 2001 - 01:50 - From: Mike Richards
Title: M100 import to Australia
Message: in reply to jansen's inquiry, as long as the configuration is original factory setup there should be no impediment to importation. however, although a LHD car can be registered here, you wouldn't want the hassle. seriously consider selling the left hooker and buying a local car. i know of a few cars here and there come in all configurations, although most are series 2. would be glad to help further.

Sep 25, 2001 - 04:47 - From: Philbo
Title: Cleaning products
Message: My BRG Elan is beginning to show my lack of "proper" cleaning. It's got 10 years accumulated road grime that really shows on the door mirrors. On a traditional metal car I'd use T-cut to cut through the grime and then a good wax/polish. But I'm concerned about the abrasive nature of T-cut doing damage to the paintwork. Any suggestions for products for giving the car a "proper" clean, wax and polish? It needs something more than a standard soap+water wash. Also, I have tried an alloy wheel cleaner but there are still a few patches of caked on brake dust blemishes. Any thoughts on a really good cleaner for the alloys (standard OZ 15" rims). Ta

Sep 25, 2001 - 04:49 - From: Ash
Title: Steve: N/A Cars; Calypso red
Message: Hi Steve, and welcome aboard! I to have on of the N/A cars - I love it to pieces! I also have fitted the EBC slotted/spotted disks with EBC Greenstuff pads on the front, and re-surfaced disks with EBC street stuffs on the rear! boy does it stop now - this could either be a genuine increase in stopping, or a more realistic stopping power than before! While replacing the rear disks I reused the old bearings as they are fine, and I will be honest with you it is a very easy job to do, so replacing with new ones (about £24 for both sides) should be very easy! if you need any advice you can get in touch with me, if you email me I'll give you my mobile number or something. Where are you located by the way? On the other subject of off red cars, my car had the said problem with the clear coat which was only rectified by a respray! Cheers, Ash

Sep 25, 2001 - 05:16 - From: George
Title: Philbo, cleaning tips
Message: Philbo, first, wash your car thoroughly with a good car washing detergent--not dish washer or any of those craps. Personally, I like Zip Wax a lot. Then after you've dried the car, use the "Clay Bar" everyone has been talking about to clean and prep the paint (I like Mother's). You can get some more info here: http://www.mothers.com/products/productcatalog/paintprod.html. After that's done properly, apply a good coat of wax on it; such as Maguire's Cleaner Wax, Crystal Polish, or Maguire Gold! (Yup, IMHO, Maguire makes some of the best auto polishing products out there). For the wheels, you can try Eagle 1 wheel cleaner or Maguire's Wheel cleaner. You know, those cleaners that you spray on and leave it for a few minutes then rinse it off. By the way, full strength Simple Green is surprisingly well in taking off brake dust on wheels...

Sep 25, 2001 - 06:37 - From: Rod
Title: Wheels - Cleaning
Message: Once a year I get the wheels off the car and give them a good going over with "Wonder Wheels", it does a good job, you will find it in Halfords etc. A couple of times a year I use Mer on the bodywork. Again available in Halfords.

Sep 25, 2001 - 07:34 - From: Richard Steele
Title: Re: Cleaning Tips
Message: Philbo, My recommendation for cleaning the paint surface is 3M Finesse which is about 1000 times less aggressive than T Cut. I have bought a "claybar" from Halfords but haven't got around to using it yet. Before the Finesse wash the car and then use white spirits to get off the tar and other bits. After the Finesse I use Mer as a polish and then a polymer sealant Simoniz Liquid Diamond on top of that. Does anyone know if the Liquid Diamond is still available as a liquid rather than in a wax as I haven't seen it around recently and can't find it on the web?

Sep 25, 2001 - 10:47 - From: Dave M.
Title: cleaning
Message: Philbo, some great cleaning ideas above. If you use the clay bar, be sure to do that between the wash and polish steps. It will take out the little tar spots and impurities and make the polish step more efficient by just working on the paint. Use a very fine polish to get off the "grime". Then be sure to wax, as you now have a beautiful, unprotected finish!

Sep 25, 2001 - 11:27 - From: Steve
Title: K&N 4 N/A
Message: I know some of you have added a K&N air filters to your Elans, and its something I have thought about doing for a while now but not sure what type ie. a drop in replacement for original or an external one. The K&N Web site is not very helpful as they don't have Elans on their records. Would it be worth it on an N/A? I suppose it would be as it would increase the BHP, but by how much depends on the vehicle and I have no info on BHP increase on the Elan (well, every little helps :O) Cheers.

Sep 25, 2001 - 12:21 - From: Ash
Title: K&N 4 N/A
Message: Hi Steve, I have the N/A car with a drop in K&N filter (also the SJ Sportscar SS sports exhaust), sounds great and there appears to be a perceptible increase in power, I don't know the exact figure, but I'd like to think 8-10bhp? - compared to the normal baffled exhaust this seems reasonably feasible. I will look up the code for you and get back to you, if you have any questions give me a shout. Ash

Sep 25, 2001 - 14:24 - From: Ade
Title: Sealant
Message: Rod, David, I found the sealant by accident. I was on a run out when I came across one of those accessory places , you know the ones you just have to have a look round. I just bought it, not expecting it to be any good, so I did not pay any attention to the name of the place, but I know it was not a big store. Charlie seems to think it is available at most places, although I have never seen this particular make before. If you wish you can e-mail me your address and I will squeeze out a sample, let it go hard, (as the actress said to the bishop), send it for you to evaluate and if you want any I will get you some, providing it is still in stock. Or I will be at the Club Lotus parts gathering at Stoneliegh in November, where you can see it and make a judgment. That could be a place for the M100 to meet again (hint, hint, Rod).

Sep 25, 2001 - 14:27 - From: Philbo
Title: K&N air filters
Message: Steve, the only way to know what difference the K&N makes is to do a couple of rolling road tests. Last time I had mine done, I went armed with my old paper filter for comparison. Basically I was told that at our levels of bhp the air filter would not make a perceptible difference, and although a K&N would always be "better" than the stock paper filters, it was not really quantifiable. The thing that really (can) affect bhp output is the exhaust. I have been researching this quite extensively and talking to experts recently and I am preparing an in-depth article for when I get my exhaust done (from Paul Matty Sportscars). The science (or is it art?) of exhaust design is really quite fascinating (or am I just very sad?). A good exhaust design will actually suck extra air/fuel mix into the cylinder, and then the rebounding sound wave will then push any excess mixture back into the cylinder before the valves close. So there are 2 major design considerations to a high performance exhaust: minimise air pressure changes and restrictions to gas flow, and maximise the synchronisation of the "sucking" effect of the movement of air to the valve operation. There are also lots of other variables, like how the primaries (that exit from the manifold) combine into a single pipe, how wide that pipe is and so on. Much more is coming in my website article. Its all very interesting - people who try and minimise "restriction" in their exhaust system by simply venting the primaries somewhere just outside of the engine bay are doing entirely the wrong thing.

Sep 25, 2001 - 15:00 - From: Doug
Title: paint and exhaust
Message: Philbo, if your car has enough neglect to the paintwork then I would suggest paying the farm for a real good detail job is worth it. You will likely not be able to come close to the ability of a detailer "properly" trained with an orbital and polishes. And nothing will make you smile more than a deep reflection through the BRG!! After this you will be able to keep the finish up with the methods described by others. About the exhaust, yeah this is what all the "header" design is about: to synchronize the exhaust pulses. But this is all prior to the single pipe and thus will be upstream from the turbo! I'd expect the turbo to do some streamlining of the flow as well. I feel a better air filter in our turbo WILL help the engine significantly. You'd have to calculate the CFM demands and such to be sure, but with the turbo "sucking" the air in you want to avoid "air starvation" at high boost as well!! And Ade if your "let it go hard" before you "squeeze the sample out" then you are likely sampling the wrong thing!

Sep 25, 2001 - 16:39 - From: Steve P
Title: Virus Alert
Message: My companies IT director says I've been receiving virus infested e-mails, didn't twig at first but then thought the names sounded familiar! See that Brian (who is one of the senders) is aware of this. Problem is that each day more are being intercepted, so clearly anyone who has had contact with someone via this site is potentially at risk. Suggest you guy's get yourselves a decent virus checker ;-) On a different note, I noticed how much better my car is going now the temp. has dropped again in the UK. You can't beat some nice cool air and a turbocharger :-)))

Sep 25, 2001 - 18:05 - From: Steve
Title: Exhaust
Message: Thanks Philbo and Ash for your comments. When I first got the car the down pipe was blowing like every decent girl should but not a good sound in a car! So I had it replaced, THEN the exhaust itself started to go in places so I had a whole Stainless system fitted. I just went for a standard though so I will have no need to touch that for ages (touch wood). Perhaps I should have gone for a sports system but I was reading on the tech page of this site that if its wrong then you could loose BHP due to through flow and not enough back pressure - or something. Basically, as Philbo says its quit and art to get and exhaust system to work in harmony with the car, get it wrong and you could be down on power:(

Sep 25, 2001 - 19:41 - From: Rod
Title: Seals / Stoneleigh
Message: Thanks for the info Ade, I will look out for it locally. If I have no luck then will come and admire your handywork at Stoneleigh.

Sep 26, 2001 - 03:00 - From: Brian MDB
Title: Unclean ! Unclean !
Message: First things first...Virus stuff, as previously apologised for, I found that my computer files have been infected by the 'I love you' virus which have now been placed in quarantine as Norton cannot repair them. However, I don't know if this is responsible for people being automatically e-mailed from my Outlook Express (which has also been fixed). My computers problems started when a Visual Basic script auto-opened on the desktop claiming it was 'Dedicated to my dearest Brother', received the day after the New York disaster.... Air Filters, I recall some tests done a long time ago comparing different filter types, Paper, K&N, and Foam type. The Foam type had least restriction and lowest filtering ability, the stock Paper and K&N flowed similar but the paper had the finest filtering, however the Paper filter's flow performance deteriorates very quickly whereas the K&N's performance stays reasonably consistent throughout its life. In Formula One the favoured solution (in my experience) is the Foam type filter (much lighter than K&N, only has to last 2 hours). Exhaust systems - Because an engines ability to breathe is essentially it's potential to make power, anything that restricts breathing...restricts power, so bigger is better right !?? Nope ! As Philbo (you sad man !)mentioned earlier, there's all kinds of sound (pressure) waves interacting in the Exhaust (and inlet to a lesser extent) to help fill the cylinders. Now, to help extract the burnt gases the pipe diameters and lengths must be optimized to maintain gas speed, because the gas has mass it also has inertia, such that when the piston is going back down the bore this freight train of a gas 'piston' is pulling in the opposite direction to help evacuate the cylinder....sounds like a good time to open the Intake valve n'est pas ? Drag some fresh air/fuel into the exhaust (in addition to the swept volume)...at the last minute poke it back in with a nicely timed pressure wave...close your exhaust valve...squeeze your mixture...light your pipe...stand back and admire the bang ! breathe deeply and repeat 1-4-3-2.....

Sep 26, 2001 - 04:00 - From: Philbo
Title: More on exhausts
Message: Just thought I'd make September "exhaust discussion month" for the archives... From experience (of the experts, not me), although every engine system has it's own unique traits, there are a few constants for the "best" results. Obviously we're interested in systems for the Elan. The established "optimum" exhaust design parameters for a 4-cylinder engine of less than 2 litres are: primary pipes between 24"-30" long (all equal length), a 4-2-1 design, and a 2.5" diameter secondary. It will be interesting to see how different exhaust options compare with the ideal. Very often packaging constraints mean that this isn't maintained. In particular, "stock" manufacturer exhausts often aren't optimised at all (you sometimes see 4-1 combiners at right angles to the manifold, yuch). Even a Caterham standard exhaust isn't much cop - up to 23bhp can be gained and much more mid-range flexibility by simply replacing the standard 4-1 with an optimised long primary 4-2-1 system.

Sep 26, 2001 - 06:17 - From: Richard
Title: Water Pump
Message: Does anybody have any experience of fitting a new water pump to the elan? Is it a difficult job, and what sort of time does it take to fit? Mine is making a hell of a noise, and losing water as well!

Sep 26, 2001 - 08:21 - From: Bill Luton
Title: headers and exhaust
Message: I'm trying to figure out what or rather why there is discussion about header design here where roughly 99% of the cars are turbocharged, and turbocharged cars do not use headers. Turbocharged cars use a cast-iron manifold or a tubular manifold. If you put a header on a turbocharged car, you would have to leave the turbocharger off, because a header goes from the head to the catalytic converter. Leaving the turbocharger off is going to pretty much mess up all those bleed valves and blow off valves. And design of primary pipe length becomes unimportant and has little to no effect on performance with manifolds that go between the head and a turbo charger, because whenever you place something like a turbine in the flow of the exhaust, all the tuning is negated and the concern is more of pressure and less of flow. Pipe length is thrown out as a concern because exhaust pulse is turned into backpressure as soon as the piston pumps the exhaust past the valve. I have seen some people spend several thousand dollars and lots of time to optimize flow finding out out that they could gain one or two horsepower by constructing an equal length manifold (called monkey fists because the pipe wraps around itself tightly), and that works out to 1 HP per $1,000-2,000 spent. I have heard these same people also comment that they will never waste the time or money again and would build their next manifold to fitment constraints alone._ _ _Back to header design, length of primary and secondary pipes is based on the relationship of pipe diameter, engine displacement, and what engine speed the performance increase is to be centered on. "24-30 inch primary pipes" without saying what the diameter of those pipes or what the displacement of the engine is leaves two of three variables unstated. The second part mentions 4-2-1 or Tri-Y header, and stating both the primary and secondary length would be important for that, because then you have to calculate both performance peaks for both of the points of engine speed that your performance improvement is to take place. For the Isuzu 1.6 liter engine, you might want to take a look at a rather extensive write-up on this at: http://www.isuzuperformance.com/bills/dyno/90-93headercomparo.html ._ _ _Something to think about with turbochargers and the idea of running 24-30 inches of pipe between the head and the turbo, remember that the exhaust system must build up pressure in the exhaust manifold to spin the turbo, and the more interior volume in the exhaust manifold, the more the engine has to work to build up pressure and the longer it takes, which means more turbo lag. The stock manifold runners are something like 3-5 inches long, you are talking about 5-10 times that, and lag would be obscenely long._ _ _I'm really not sure what you are after, but those are a few things to keep in mind. Ignoring that, the theory is very interesting to discuss._ _ _Bill Luton

Sep 26, 2001 - 09:47 - From: Ade
Title: Squeezing the wrong thing
Message: Doug, thanks for the advice, I must be more careful what I squeeze in future.

Sep 26, 2001 - 12:30 - From: Richard A Clifton
Title: Manifolds/Headers
Message: Can someone solve my confusion? I thought that the term 'header' was the American word for what we call the 'manifold'. Bill's last piece was using both words and seemed to be referring to different things. Bill? Anyone?

Sep 26, 2001 - 14:15 - From: Matthew Welsh
Title: Manifolds/Headers
Message: Based on 20 years of doing performance mods to my poor abused motorcars, I would have to say that HEADERS in the USA denotes a performance "exhaust-manifold" that bolts directly to the engine, which replaces the stock factory exhaust manifold. It could be a short-tube-header of either equal length (monkey-fist) or unequal length, or a long-tube header which is almost always of equal-length-tubes. Headers are only for non-turbocharged cars, they work wonders however, on supercharged cars. Long-tube headers would almost have to connect directly to a cat (if, my God, you have to have one!), or the cat would be too far down stream to be the required temperature. Short-tube headers may as well, but there may also be an additional "connecting-pipe" between them and the cat.

Sep 26, 2001 - 15:39 - From: charlie
Title: RTV sealant
Message: Its certainly commonly stocked in car shops in the states, it comes up on the board every few months, Dan did his windows with it last year. I had a poke round google for UK listings, theres plenty around http://www.google.com/search?q=rtv+sealant+UK , loctite is the permatex brand. Try the local DIY stores too, in the plumbing dept.

Sep 26, 2001 - 17:46 - From: Rod
Title: RTV
Message: I took a look at Halfords while I picked up some new brake pads tonight, they have Silicone sealant in black - is this the same thing ?

Sep 26, 2001 - 18:45 - From: Philbo
Title: Exhausts
Message: Bill, you are of course correct in saying that the turbo exhaust has completely different "optimum" requirements from the N/A one. I was responding to Steve's comments about his N/A car and didn't make clear that what I wrote only applied to his car. But the theory is interesting nonetheless, as you say, although I don't expect to see an optimised exhaust for the N/A Elan anytime soon!

Sep 26, 2001 - 19:41 - From: Bill Luton
Title: exhaust
Message: OK, I got lost when I went through Steve's message and hadn't picked up that yours was a response. I was too horrified with the thought of 30 inches of pipe between the head and a turbo and couldn't figure out if you were planning on cutting a hole in the hood (engine cover) or mounting the turbo under the axle. That's a scary thought. Steve might want to look over that header write-up and also the exhaust system comparison at: http://www.isuzuperformance.com/bills/dyno/90-93exhaustcomparo.html . Both those tests were done on the Isuzu FWD car with that same non-turbo 1.6 liter DOHC engine that Steve has in his Elan. The largest diameter exhaust system with the least backpressure had the highest power output and did not loose power anywhere._ _ _Bill Luton

Sep 26, 2001 - 20:02 - From: charlie
Title: coolant leak
Message: I'm suffering a loss of coolant, it empties within about 4 weeks. Anyone had a similar experience and and suggested places to look bar the obvious ?

Sep 26, 2001 - 20:32 - From: Bill Luton
Title: coolant
Message: For some reason, this page is loading more often than it would in the last couple days, so I'll offer a possibility on this one. The coolant pipe that runs from the heater outlet around from below the throttle body, under the cam angle sensor, behind the turbo, and into the radiator return fitting below the power steering pump on the front of the engine. There is a little O ring on that pipe to seal it and the little O ring can rot allowing a slow coolant leak that is nearly impossible to find (and about impossible to get to). Look for white residue across the bottom of the block below the radiator return fitting. If this is the leak, the O ring is an odd size and probably easiest from a dealership, and you can wipe a bit of Permatex Form A Gasket around it so it will never leak again._ _ _Bill Luton

Sep 26, 2001 - 20:38 - From: charlie
Title: o rings for CAS
Message: The parts manuals lists the O-Rings as A100E6562S , Bryns write up (A)100E65625, although as i write this, its obvious that 5 and S are terribly similar =) so its just a typo, which equals me misspelling Bryn. I'm trying to get the part number from Isuzu, but not having much luck, they want a VIN number =) Incidentally its the same o-ring as for the distributor 40.17A (no code, not shown), and the rear cam cap plug 40.07A Function code 18. I'm waiting for Joe Isuzu to call me back...

Sep 26, 2001 - 20:46 - From: charlie
Title: bl**dy manuals
Message: after reading some of the archives i see that the cam rear cap is quoted as A100E62945 but the parts manual quotes it as A100E6294S, will this pleasure never end. So both are probably ok. Incidentally where is the rear cam cap plug located, the exploded diagram (in typical fashion) doesn't show it. Anyone who says its at the rear cam isn't getting a xmas card.

Sep 26, 2001 - 20:51 - From: charlie
Title: thanks bill
Message: I shall take a looksee.

Sep 27, 2001 - 00:35 - From: Brian MDB
Title: Exhaust Design
Message: Bill, the Exhaust ball got rolling as one of our naturally aspirated brothers (or sister!) was curious about extracting some more power.... Terminology - I believe Headers in USA refer to tuned tubular exhaust manifolds, and 'Manifold' is taken to be the cast variety that's merely a convenient way to bring all of the exhaust ports together to allow a simple exhaust system. Primary Pipe or Header length, for 'normal street use' usually fall into the range as stated (remember this length includes the Port itself) , but we can calculate this and get closer for our specific application. To do this you have to take into consideration the engine speed where we want to be 'on the pipe' and the number of degrees the Exhaust Valve is open leading up to the Piston being at the top of its stroke, throw in a couple of constants, and there you will have a pretty good guestimate. The 'Pipe' internal diameter can then be calculated simply by working backwards to ensure its volume (including the Port) is at least twice that of the cylinder's (400cc for the Elan), so what you would do is use the next bigger size of readily available pipe. If the Primary Pipe has torturous bends in it then you'd be wise to go up another 1/16". The reason that the above is approximate is because the gas speed and speed of sound (the 'shockwave' or 'Pulse') is influenced by temperature, such that if you optimise your pipe then later insulate it this will probably shift the RPM where the Pipe is most effective. Regarding Turbo application of this theory, Tuned Headers have been used to help offset Turbo 'Lag' especially on smaller engines where Turbine inertia is proportionately higher. Placing the Turbo as close as possible to the Exhaust Valve captures the maximum amount of heat energy (the more the gas cools the lower the pressure), but we still have pressure waves to consider which are now being reflected at the Turbine and these have undesirable effects, to my knowledge I believe there is only one Turbocharger manufacturer that takes this seriously enough to offer a solution in the form of a twin-entry Turbine housing that couples harmonic cylinders (1&4, 2&3 for us). It's all well established theory, just be grateful our engines are 4-Stroke and not 2-Stroke they are a whole lot more sensitive.

Sep 27, 2001 - 01:09 - From: Brian MDB
Title: Water Leak
Message: Charlie, I too had a water leak somewhere in the system, until one day recently I was crawling along the freeway worrying about a breakdown when right on cue...steam started swirling around the sides of the hood, closely followed by a feeling that my stomach was being attacked by an ice cream scoop (anybody else get that ?). Fortunately I was only 10 minutes from home and the Police were just re-opening the freeway, cruising at a steady 60-ish brought the temperature back to normal and no steam was visible until I had to slow again and the temp' went back up. The culprit this time was the li'l coolant hose leading to the top of the Turbo Housing, it is covered by a neoprene sleeve to protect it from the EGR(?)pipe. You may want to take a close look at this with the engine running with the fan kicking in.

Sep 27, 2001 - 06:12 - From: charlie
Title: water
Message: yeah i'm no stranger to coolant problems, that time my fans got stuck on and my battery drained, so i disconnected them temporarily, well its amazing how quickly it overheats =) mainly the time to find a parking space at century city mall..... not pretty.

Sep 27, 2001 - 07:04 - From: rudz
Title: coolant problems
Message: incidentally, i'm also experiencing some coolant problems of my own. i couldn't figure out where the leak was for a couple of days. i just kept loosing water at about a litre or two per day. before every trip i have to ensure that the tank is filled up with water, at least. one fine day, i was passing by my parked car, i noticed a pool of water that was trickling down & there it was, i had found the leak, it was like "eureka". it was actually visible from the right hand front wheelarch just behind the drive belts. upon a hoist inspection, me & my mechanic pal deduced it was coming from behind the timing belt cover & so presumed that it was the water pump......already ordered & waiting to fix it when it gets here unless the diagnosis was way out ! reading all this other suggestions, i better check them anyhow!

Sep 27, 2001 - 10:10 - From: Paul P
Title: David - clearcoat revisited.
Message: Count me in if you are compiling stats for red Elan owners with clearcoat problems. I have now totally stripped the clearcoat from my boot lid, spoiler and bonnet. That sounds drastic but the white bubbles were spreading like the plague and looking very ugly. Underneath the clearcloat, to my delight, is the original red colour (my Elan was pink). I am working on stripping as much of the car as possible - it should then only require a new clearcoat application from a professional paint shop rather than a complete re-spray. If you need my serial number for Lotus, let me know.

Sep 27, 2001 - 10:23 - From: Bill Luton
Title: header primary pipe lengths
Message: There seems a tendency to really generalize header design when it comes to the difference between 4 into 1 and Tri-Y and also primary pipe length. Selecting primary pipe length (and secondary for Tri-Y) is no less involved than calculating out the port size for a speaker box. In both cases, a multitude of diameters and lengths offer a range from one extreme to the other. For the 1.6 liter engine, 24-30 inch long primary pipes would tune for power from 1,500 RPM all the way up to 7,000 RPM, depending on what diameter of pipe is selected from just a range of one inch to two inch diameter pipe. Change the engine size and that shifts the whole thing. Depending on larger or smaller, you shift power into the range below idle speed or up over 15,000 RPM. The generalization of 24-30 inches just doesn't quite hold true._ _ _Another generalization would be that 4 into 1 headers tune for high engine speed power and Tri-Y tunes for low engine speed power. 4 into 1 tunes for a single bell curve increasing power in a more localized spot, and that spot depends on the combination of engine displacement, pipe length, and pipe diameter. The generalization does have its basis in fact, though, because a responsible designer would pick that localized area high in the RPM range, as a 4 into 1 header tuned for low end power looses power on both sides of it's narrow peak, and tuning low in this case looses peak power in the upper RPM range. (A 4 into 1 header with 23-29 inch long 1.4 inch diameter runners on the 1.6 liter Isuzu engine looses power, compared to stock, from 5,400 RPM through redline)._ _Tri-Y on the other hand tunes for two peaks, and a wider range of improvement, and a responsible designer chooses those two peaks spaced across the RPM band so that the engine gains power across the entire range of engine operation. Not low end power, but power across the board._ _ _Bill Luton

Sep 27, 2001 - 13:25 - From: Philbo
Title: Exhausts again
Message: I did say that the 24-30 inch primary optimum length was for engines of less than 2 litres (ideally 1.6-1.8), the diameter of the primaries was left unstated but engines of this size generally have primaries of something not too far removed from 1.5". It is a generalization but the expert I was talking to (who tunes engines and exhausts way beyond that which I'm dreaming of - he tunes small capacity (1.7l) car engines up at the 150bhp/litre mark and motorbike engines beyond 230bhp/litre) did tell me that 24"-30" was nearly always around the ideal primary length, given no other packaging restrictions. He also did say that although historically (since the days of the Ford Crossflow engine) 4-1 had been dubbed the single high power peak and the 4-2-1 (Tri-Y) the power spread configuration, with modern engines that was not always the case. A case in point was a Rover 1.8 K-series engine that had been tuned to a narrow peak of 242bhp with a 4-1 layout, but a revised 4-2-1 layout with long primaries maintained that maximum bhp but a much more useable power spread. He also said that the computer models that calculated "optimum" lengths didn't give brilliant results (better than stock, not as good as an expert hand tuning). All this goes to show I guess that determining a truly optimum exhaust for a particular unique configuration is more of an art involving trial and error than a science. However I'm not expecting any such perfectly tuned exhaust ever to be developed or available for the Elan, however when you look at the stock one it is obvious that a reasonably simple improvement can be obtained. When I finally get my new one it's back onto the rolling road to see how much it really has given, it's the only way to be sure.

Sep 27, 2001 - 14:13 - From: Ade
Title: Sealant
Message: Rod, it it sounds like the same sort of stuff, give it a try. What I like about the sealant I used, was it seemed to dry to a softer rubber finish compared to other sealants. Just a tip, it is horrible stuff to get a decent finish to. Put some washing up liquid with some water in a glass, then dip your finger or a blunt flat knife into it and the sealant will not keep sticking to your finger or knife, when you try to mould it into shape. Finally, it tends to dry a bit glossy, use a fine grade wet and dry to remove just enough shine to match the original seals, but do it carefully or you will start to peel back to sealant. Good luck.

Sep 27, 2001 - 16:31 - From: Doug
Title: Mods
Message: Okay guys, enough speculation about header design, let's get some thought going on some cool mods we can ALL benefit from! How about a bigger diameter front roll bar? A cold air intake box? Some side valance skirts and new rear bumper design? These are what I would like; anyone else have some desires? What's up with Andy's freescan program, Rod?

Sep 27, 2001 - 16:38 - From: Doug
Title: Jamie
Message: Jamie, did you ever figure out your cooling problem? How is your car now?

Sep 27, 2001 - 17:28 - From: Rod
Title: Doug's Stuff
Message: Ahh, cold air intake, I am sure that would help. As Steve mentioned, the nice cold evenings really make my car sound and feel better. A cock up on mine and Andy's part means I only sent him the money for a cable yesterday Doug. I also have the TECH 1 project on the go, plus was out in the rain changing my pads and adjusting my rear bearings last night - give me a break Doug ;-)

Sep 27, 2001 - 17:41 - From: Rod
Title: Sealant
Message: thanks Ade, will add it to my list of winter jobs.

Sep 27, 2001 - 17:57 - From: Philbo
Title: Not exhausts!
Message: Sorry Doug, exhausts are on my mind at the moment while I wait for my new one to become available, it's holding me back doing some other mods. Anyway here's something we can all chew the cud over. I'm considering having a Unichip installed down the line. Now, we know that the standard ECU contains mappings up to .95bar, but the Unichip can handle turbo air/fuel mixtures and could theoretically provide mappings beyond that. My question is, is there something else that would prevent me going up to and beyond 1.0bar? The installers could defeat any limiters so that isn't an issue. I remember Bill saying that the 4XE1 engine was over-engineered, is there anything that could be severely overstressed beyond the 0.95bar that the standard ECU handles?

Sep 27, 2001 - 18:45 - From: Doug
Title: More Boost
Message: Philbo, You should look into the max boost our turbo can support, it seems to be nearly hypersonic already at full boost. Too fast and your turbo will break! Also the engine compression is pretty high at full MBC boost now (you can calculate it with inline programs) and increasing this can cause piston and valve problems and the need for higher octane gas to keep it all burning right! Lotus won't tell you about the internal mapping and will not say anything (to my query at least) about mapping above the 0.65bar level! Then you have my age old-warning that you will lose a lot of traction without the LSD installed with more power!!

Sep 27, 2001 - 18:53 - From: Rod
Title: 0.95
Message: IMHO what's the point going beyond 200bhp. That's about the limit for FWD to still handle ok.

Sep 28, 2001 - 04:23 - From: Philbo
Title: More boost
Message: Hi Doug and Rod, yeah that pretty much confirms my thoughts, I wasn't desperate to go way beyond 0.95 or 200bhp, just wanted to know what me options are if I got the Unichip done. Personally I feel that the Elan isn't quite maxed out at 200bhp, there may be another 10% or so that it could handle but I'm really not on a quest for the most powerful Elan ever so I'll probably just de-restrict my BBR to 0.95 (currently at 0.8), tune the CO mix and then maybe fit the Unichip for extra mid range flexibility (where you really need it coming out of corners on tracks!).

Sep 28, 2001 - 08:09 - From: Thomas
Title: Paul P - clearcoat stripped
Message: Paul, how did you strip the clearcoat from the color. I also tried this at the boot lid, but it seems impossible for me. - Thomas

Sep 28, 2001 - 09:07 - From: Dave M.
Title: more power
Message: Only another 10%? What the point in exceeding 200 HP? Not on a quest for the most powerful Elan ever? Am I hearing you guys right?!? Hello, is this the same board, or did AOL hose me for silently complaining about the access problems and send me to the Honda Civic tuning board? ;-) Just kidding, all. On the power issue, even if fuel supply concerns were addressed at boost over .95, our little IHI is inherently limited to producing a given amount of boost (at least not without lots of lag). Not sure what the limit is, but that's probably why the big power upgrades use a larger turbo (see Bill's kit, etc.). I'm with Doug on the LSD - after my autocross experience (lighting the tires out of most corners) with just the MBC, it needs it. Frankly if I had the cash this winter (or will I ever?), I'd be sending the car to have the T3/T4 conversion and an LSD installed. Too much power is a good thing, especially in third gear on a track at about 65 mph! I still may do the IHI mod upgrade (the extra 20-30 hp) and some fuel system improvements. Need to see how the bonus check is for work first. Bad news on the brake upgrade: Bill is having supplier problems and it doesn't appear I'm getting them before my last track day next weekend. May have to save the analysis and write-up until next year. Actually I'm considering taking my Subaru instead - maybe it'll rain and I can spank some butt with the AWD! Speaking of exhausts, try finding or tuning headers for the flat four. My poor Scooby is going to stay the 135 HP putz she is.

Sep 28, 2001 - 10:29 - From: Paul P
Title: Thomas - clear coat stripped
Message: Thomas - to strip the clear coat you will need to work on an area which already has some white bubbles indicating paint/clear coat separation. I place a sopping wet towel on the offending area overnight to find that water has ingressed between the paint and clear coat like a blister. You then need to spread the water underneath the blister all around the boot lid, for example. To achieve this you can use the flat of your finger or a scraper with a rubber tip (such as a ceramic tile grouter). The clear coat will then be separated from the paintwork and easily peel off. I would add not to do this unless your paint work is in such a bad way that it looks terrible at the moment, as once you start removing the clear coat you need to go all the way due to the huge colour difference in the revealed paintwork.

Sep 28, 2001 - 10:30 - From: Matthew Welsh
Title: shifter cable
Message: Hey guys, one of my shifter cables has either broken or slipped off from the shifter lever (they are still attached on the transmission side). How do I access the bottom of the shift lever? It looks like it will have to come out from the top. This is delaying my nitrous install, which should answer the bandied about question about the Elan handling more than 200hp!

Sep 28, 2001 - 12:11 - From: jeremy
Title: windscreen wipers
Message: As any of the uk guys will know, it has been raining like you would not believe recently. Suitably, my windscreen wipers picked yesterday to let go. The rod that drives the drivers side blade is attached to the wiper assembly by a ball & cup arrangement. This is worn and the ball part falls out. The ball & cup gubbins is not available separately and the whole linkage is 240 ukp plus vat. The whole thing with a brand new motor is only 260ukp. Has anyone any ideas before I reluctantly spend the child's education fund on a brand new complete wiper linkage and motor? Thanking you in advance.

Sep 29, 2001 - 06:01 - From: charlie
Title: freescan
Message: so far no ones decoded the elan's data, i haven't heard from ian in a while, i contacted ttspowersystems and they said they had stopped development since they couldn't get an elan to test on, i offered them the use of mine, but i heard zilch back from them, so i guess they aren't interested. I keep toying with the idea of playing around with it again, but its hard work with garage =)

Sep 29, 2001 - 08:23 - From: Matt Pritchard
Title: Wobbly Wheel
Message: Hello all. Need a bit of advice on a Wobbly Wheel!! Had a couple of problems with wheel wobble over the last couple of years, but the rear left hand wheel is a persistent wobbler. We replaced the rear wheel bearings and tightened them with the correct torque settings etc. about 6+ months ago. I have noticed the handling recently not being up to its usual best and gave the wheel a push and tug to check it and the movement is back again. After we initially installed the bearing we checked it and retightened it again after a week or two to take up any slack. So what I would like to know is ... what would be the next things i need to check that would affect the handling and produce this slight play in the rear wheel, other than the bearing. Any advice much appreciated. P.S... I've got one of the dreaded Calypso red cars with a bit of pinking going on. The blistering of the paint is just starting to show on a few patches of the rear end also. - Matt

Sep 29, 2001 - 14:00 - From: Bryn
Title: Cam Seals
Message: Charlie, if you have not already found it, the cam seal plug is a black plastic D shaped (kinda) bung which sits proud of the cam cover by a couple of MM, it has a bolt head at the bottom. You are probably looking for something which obviously takes the O ring seal (like I did), but when you undo the bolt head and prise out the bung all will be revealed. Oh yeah, I checked my receipt for the correct part number which is LA100E6526S, my error on the write-up.

Sep 29, 2001 - 14:17 - From: Ade
Title: Thank god for E.B.C. green stuff
Message: I was driving along today, top down, all was right with the world, just rounded a bend and I was looking up at my sun visor, that had just decided to descend of its own accord and thinking there must be something I can do to stop this. I was trying to think what had been suggested on this page previously, when all the world seemed to have stopped in front of me. I hit the brakes, the wheels locked for a second and the car stopped miraculously a cars length from the car in front. A month before I had fitted new E.B.C. rotors and pads. THANK GOD FOR E.B.C. and for stopping me looking a right ******.Any suggestion about the sun visor.

Sep 29, 2001 - 14:40 - From: Phil Johnson
Title: Sunvisors
Message: Ade, there is a service bulletin in the online manual 1992/03 that states it is 'to provide a stiffer pivoting action'. In other words, the mounting spigot is a slightly larger diameter. They were fitted as standard from VIN 6446 (April '92) p/n B100V0290H and you would need 4. I fitted them to my '91 SE and have not had the sunvisors lower themselves since, even in hot weather (not that there has been much of that this summer in the UK) and bumpy roads.

Sep 29, 2001 - 17:08 - From: Doug
Title: sunvisors
Message: Ade, you can remove them altogether if you want, as some have done. I simply took the spigots out of the visor and put one turn of masking tape tightly about the tip to increase the diameter--however I may need to re-do it as they are loosening again, but it worked well for a few years and cheaper than new parts!

Sep 29, 2001 - 17:29 - From: charlie
Title: sunvisors, cam plug
Message: ah that's a good tip, here's mine make then translucent so you can see through going round corners. Thanks for the info Bryn.

Sep 29, 2001 - 20:50 - From: Steve
Title: Sunvisor
Message: Nice tip on the Sunvisor Doug, mine does the same. Now, where did I put that tape........ :)