Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

Hi,

Is there a simple "at home" test to check if a vacuum unit is still
serviceable?

Thanks,


David


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--- In ***@***.***, "ALLEN, David" <david.allen@...>
wrote:

If you have an Elan workshop manual - Review J.13 - there are a
series of tests. I can summarise them here if you don't have a manual.

Alternatively, find a bit of clear gently downhill road and, engine
running, stop the car from (say) 15 mph - quickly but not a crash
stop.
Now go back and do it again with the engine off (you need to let it
roll up to speed) - if it takes more effort to it pull up, the servo
is functioning.

rgds,
Elliott

--- In ***@***.***, "ALLEN, David" <david.allen@...>
wrote:

If you have an Elan workshop manual - Review J.13 - there are a
series of tests. I can summarise them here if you don't have a manual.

Alternatively, find a bit of clear gently downhill road and, engine
running, stop the car from (say) 15 mph - quickly but not a crash
stop.
Now go back and do it again with the engine off (you need to let it
roll up to speed) - if it takes more effort to it pull up, the servo
is functioning.

rgds,
Elliott

Yes,

If you remove the cap, you'll notice that there is what looks like a
tightly wound coil spring connecting to the moveable plate. Remove the
hose from the vac unit (outside), push on the spring thing as if you
were trying to compress the spring (although it is actually so tightly
wound, it appears to already be compressed). You may leave it connected
to the moveable plate and if you do, pushing on the spring will rotate
the plate in the distributor. With the unit compressed-, place your
finger over the end of the vac unit where you have removed the hose. Now
remove your other hand from compressing the vac unit (actually, you have
moved the diaphram inside.) Then when you remove your finger from the
vac port, you should hear it pass air and see movement of the plate/
spring thingy. This will tell you the unit is airtight. This is best
accomplished with the distributor removed from the engine and clamped in
a vice.

Roger



Is there a simple "at home" test to check if a vacuum unit is still
serviceable?

Thanks,


David


CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE

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I guess we need to determine which vacuum function you wish to test, the
vacuum servo for the brakes or the vacuum advance unit on the S4
distributor, which is what my previous comments concerned.

Roger



If you remove the cap, you'll notice that there is what looks like a
tightly wound coil spring connecting to the moveable plate. Remove the
hose from the vac unit (outside), push on the spring thing as if you
were trying to compress the spring (although it is actually so tightly
wound, it appears to already be compressed). You may leave it
connected
to the moveable plate and if you do, pushing on the spring will rotate
the plate in the distributor. With the unit compressed-, place your
finger over the end of the vac unit where you have removed the hose.
Now
remove your other hand from compressing the vac unit (actually, you
have
moved the diaphram inside.) Then when you remove your finger from the
vac port, you should hear it pass air and see movement of the plate/
spring thingy. This will tell you the unit is airtight. This is best
accomplished with the distributor removed from the engine and clamped
in
a vice.

Roger



Is there a simple "at home" test to check if a vacuum unit is still
serviceable?

Thanks,


David


CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE

The information contained in this e-mail is intended only for the
confidential use of the above named recipient. If you are not the
intended
recipient or person responsible for delivering it to the intended
recipient,
you have received this communication in error and must not distribute
or
copy it. Please accept the sender's apologies, notify the sender
immediately
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Actually I am referring to the headlight unit!!

It is off the car at the moment and due to be fitted next in the
restoration. I just wish to check it is OK before I give it an other coat of
paint and fit it. It is in very good condition so I guess it is not
original.

Cheers,

David

-----Original Message-----
From: ***@***.***lto:***@***.***
Behalf Of Roger Sieling
Sent: 03 April 2006 16:25
To: ***@***.***
Subject: Re: [LotusElan.net] Vacuum unit


I guess we need to determine which vacuum function you wish to test, the
vacuum servo for the brakes or the vacuum advance unit on the S4
distributor, which is what my previous comments concerned.

Roger



If you remove the cap, you'll notice that there is what looks like a
tightly wound coil spring connecting to the moveable plate. Remove the
hose from the vac unit (outside), push on the spring thing as if you
were trying to compress the spring (although it is actually so tightly
wound, it appears to already be compressed). You may leave it
connected
to the moveable plate and if you do, pushing on the spring will rotate
the plate in the distributor. With the unit compressed-, place your
finger over the end of the vac unit where you have removed the hose.
Now
remove your other hand from compressing the vac unit (actually, you
have
moved the diaphram inside.) Then when you remove your finger from the
vac port, you should hear it pass air and see movement of the plate/
spring thingy. This will tell you the unit is airtight. This is best
accomplished with the distributor removed from the engine and clamped
in
a vice.

Roger



Is there a simple "at home" test to check if a vacuum unit is still
serviceable?

Thanks,


David


CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE

The information contained in this e-mail is intended only for the
confidential use of the above named recipient. If you are not the
intended
recipient or person responsible for delivering it to the intended
recipient,
you have received this communication in error and must not distribute
or
copy it. Please accept the sender's apologies, notify the sender
immediately
by return e-mail and delete this communication. Thank you.









Visit your group "lotuselan" on the web.
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
***@***.***
the Yahoo! Terms of
Service.






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intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they
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I don't know what the "standard" is but here is what I did to test them in
my non-failsafe. Attached plugged hoses to the inlets/outlets and attached
a 5 pound weight to the base. Then clamped the rod in a vise so that the
unit hung below the bench and measured (every 15 min) the distance to the
floor from the base and how long it took to fully extend.

At 10:49 AM 4/3/2006, you wrote:

If it is off the bench it is fairly easy. I pull out the rod then suck on
the inlet and the rod pulls in on the good ones. It doesn't do anything on
the bad one. The bad one is unused because the diaphragm wasn't captured at
one spot causing a huge vacuum leak, which I can see by looking in the air
hole on the atmosphere side.

If you have a handheld vacuum pump with gauge then you could pump up the
vacuum and then let it set and see if the vacuum goes down.

Rob LaMoreaux

A & D Technology Inc.
4622 Runway Blvd.
Ann Arbor, MI 48108
734-822-9696
Fax 734-973-1103
Main Desk 734-973-1111
www.AandDTech.com
Work email: ***@***.***
Home email: ***@***.***

There is also a good write up on testing the whole system at the
Golden Gate Lotus web site.
http://www.gglotus.org/ggtech/elan-hdlamp/headlamp.htm

Fred T.

At 01:40 PM 4/3/2006, Robert D. LaMoreaux wrote:

On 3 Apr 2006 at 18:40, Fred Talmadge wrote:


It's a good article, but the author confused "Murphy" with "Peter".

--
Michael Robertson
Oceanside CA USA

Thanks. How long did it take?

David

-----Original Message-----
From: ***@***.***lto:***@***.***
Behalf Of Marc Fuller
Sent: 03 April 2006 18:17
To: ***@***.***
Subject: RE: [LotusElan.net] Vacuum unit



I don't know what the "standard" is but here is what I did to test them in
my non-failsafe. Attached plugged hoses to the inlets/outlets and attached
a 5 pound weight to the base. Then clamped the rod in a vise so that the
unit hung below the bench and measured (every 15 min) the distance to the
floor from the base and how long it took to fully extend.

At 10:49 AM 4/3/2006, you wrote: