Clutch Slave and Fan Install Questions

[schwartzd13]

Hi All,
Before I whine about my current problems, let me wish you all a happy,
healthy, prosperous ,peaceful and hi-revving high g-force laden New
Year. I'm a lurker for the most part, but truly enjoy my daily dose of
Lotusness (on topic and off!), so thanks for all your across the globe
cameraderie, stories, cries & whimpers, and regalia...if there were no
other benefits, the Internet would be worth just this.

Clutch Slave cylinder...leaking...How hard to change? Looks awfully
close to the exhaust system to get hands on...rebuild kit or replace?
Myself or pay someone else? (I assume the usual suspects have the
necessary bits).

Fan Install---After many years of running hot in regular traffic, and 2
capsuile water pumps and a repaced head, I finally sprung for a 10"
electric fan kit with the temp sensor, etc.
I went to size up the install (it came with these plastic
thru-the-radiator threaded rods to hold it in place) and discovered a
few problem areas...
1. The hook at the leading edge of my bonnet lid that catches the
hold-me-up-a-bit spring is sure to foul the spinning blades unless
modified...Anyone have any sage words on this?
2. Is there a location of choice for the fan on the radiator - instake
side? exhaust side? high/low?
3. This model (from RD Enterprises) has 2 vertical portions of its
framework that house the fastening points which protrude from the fan
shroud proper towards the radiator side that prohibit mounting it
against the fins unless the entire unit is rotated. I don't see the
rotation as a problem, as the fan is going to spin no matter how it's
frame is positioned, but I was wondering if I was supposed to place it
so these protrusions hit the top and bottom radiator tanks and thereby
have 1/2" or so of clearance from the fins or if I should try to get it
as close to the fins as possible. Any thoughts/prior experience would be
most appreciated.

I tried to search the archives, but I must be doing sokmething wrong,
because there were very few entries for electric fan or cooling fan.

Cheers and thanks in advance,
-David
69 S4 - sitting for too long waiting for my attention!

[Briggs1]

Clutch slave..... A nuisance at best. It is close to the exhaust but with
perseverance you can remove. Just rebuild and install again. Life will be
good.

The Lotus engineers must chuckle each time we have to do this

Go for it, it is not that tough just a bit of time that's all.

Briggs Pletcher

["Michael Geiger]

Hi David,

Re: Clutch slave. Do it yourself, buy a new one. The toughest part
is getting the circlip off. Mine came with a circlip that had
pointed ends, you just had to hope it would stay in place. I
replaced it with a real one with those little holes in the tabs,
much easier now. Also buy a circlip that is a sloppy fit to the
cylinder to be used as a shim. My cylinder had some forward/aft
movement, this extra clip was perfect to take up the slack. Bleed
the cylinder detached from the trans. I wended mine back up through
the engine bay, cable tied a piece of hose in the cylinder so the
piston would not pop out, then bled as with slow pumps with the
bleeder up. This made it possible to get ALL the air out. If you
take the piston out you will see that the internal bleeder port is
nowhere near the top of the cylinder.

Fan install. I have mine on the exhaust side. My thinking is blow
the really hot air out with the hot air. I skipped the push through
mounting thingys and used four long cable ties wrapped around the
upper and lower tanks. Looks much better and no pointy sharp ends
sticking out. My fan is one of those common flat fans you can buy
in any auto store, mounted in the pusher configuration. It is 12"
wide with a 10.5" blade. I have no clearance problems.

Mike Geiger
36/6278

[Elan45]

Actually a bit of a nuisance doing it on your back, but it may actually be easier to do if left in place and rebuilt in situ. Just remember the bore must be honed and cleaned perfectly before installing the new kit. The new spray can "brake clean" is a wonderful aid in cleanliness.

Also, you might want to do the master cyl while you'er at it, then the whole system is done. If you think the slave is a pain in the @$$ to get to, that's only because you haven't been looking at the master.

Roger


Clutch slave..... A nuisance at best. It is close to the exhaust but with
perseverance you can remove. Just rebuild and install again. Life will be
good.

The Lotus engineers must chuckle each time we have to do this

Go for it, it is not that tough just a bit of time that's all.

Briggs Pletcher











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[TimMullen]

"Michael Geiger " wrote:


Actually, if you go to Sears and buy a "Lock Ring" Pliers, you won't have a problem with the "pointy end" lock ring. The pliers are designed to work with the "pointy end" lock rings (usually found in transmissions) and
work just fine. The pliers are also very useful for other tasks - like when ever you have to pry things apart.

Tim Mullen

Chantilly, VA
72 Elan Sprint

[john o]

I installed an R&D fan in my S3 this year. I put it in the center of
the radiator horizontally and to the bottom vertically. This left
enough room that the spring on the bonnet did not interfere with the fan
blades. But, it is a very tight fit and difficult to get the spring on
and off.

When running, the area behind the fan is very cool, but there is a
majority of the radiator with no air flow at all. Overall I am less
than satisfied with the performance. Since the fan will not fit flush
to the core, a lot of air just blows sideways instead of going through
the core. ( I installed a new 3-row high efficiency core this year.)
The temperature stabilizes at idle at about 95C at 80F ambient, but it
never cools to the point of feeling confident of the cooling. i.e. the
thermostat never closes. It always seems extremely marginal.

In summary it provides very marginal cooling at idle. It seems to me
that it needs a shroud, or other aid to move the air through more of the
radiator core is needed for it to be effective. I've looked at several
alternative suppliers and haven't found an ideal solution, but I'll keep
looking.

John

66 Elan S3 DHC

[Foxie]

John,

Have a look at the photo on the Yahoo lotuselan site:

http://photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/lo ... %26.view=t

These are Kenlow fans on a Plus 2 wide radiator. The Kenlowe fan is shrouded, and with some careful trimming top and bottom fits flush with the core. I fitted two for European travels, and only very occasionally run both fans together.

Sean Murray


----- Original Message -----
From: John Oglesby
To: ***@***.***
Sent: Saturday, December 28, 2002 3:11 AM
Subject: Re: [LotusElan.net] Clutch Slave and Fan Install Questions



I installed an R&D fan in my S3 this year. I put it in the center of
the radiator horizontally and to the bottom vertically. This left
enough room that the spring on the bonnet did not interfere with the fan
blades. But, it is a very tight fit and difficult to get the spring on
and off.


In summary it provides very marginal cooling at idle. It seems to me
that it needs a shroud, or other aid to move the air through more of the
radiator core is needed for it to be effective. I've looked at several
alternative suppliers and haven't found an ideal solution, but I'll keep
looking.

John

66 Elan S3 DHC

[simonknee]

Kenlowe Fan Tips.

For best cooling mount it near to the top hose (in Kenlowe notes)
This would be top left as viewed by the driver.

However my Kenlowe didn't fit the radiator either.
Later radiators are larger but in my S3 the fan fouls the rad surround top
and bottom by a cm or so.

With a bit of work with a hacksaw and pliers you can get the fan flush to
the rad.
(I don't know if this will work with an R&D fan)
You need to get the thing past the top and bottom of the radiator housing.
The Kenlowe is made of a fairly brittle plastic and with a good eye you can
see which bits to remove.
Hacksaw in to the outer "ring" of plastic and then snap with the pliers.
It doesn't appear to affect the rigidity of the fan.
The inner ring of plastic still completely surrouonds the fan blades.

Simon
'67 S3 FHC