Lotus Elan

Tool set sizes

PostPost by: nitch » Sat Jan 21, 2006 7:59 pm

Hello,
I'm intending to buy my self a nice set of tools for the elan. I've seen some realy nice sets, but I don't want to buy one which will be an overkill.
Which socket sizes do I need? Inches or milimetric, or both?
Hex keys? Wrenches?

Thanks,
Liad
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PostPost by: rgh0 » Sun Jan 22, 2006 12:53 am

Buy the best quality set you can buy, you will regret buying cheap tools. You dont need metric if you only want to work on an Elan. Get a set with sockets and extensions , ring spanners and open ended spanners you need them all to get at some of the locations on an Elan. Buying a good quality torque wrench is needed if your are working with the critical suspension, brake, drive line and engine bolts. It is also a good idea if you have not done a lot of wrench work to use the torque wrench on all the other non critical bolts unitl you get a calibrated feel for the right torque.

You dont need to get a very big set with the largest possible range. The standard small sets cover most nuts and bolts on a Elan. If you find your missing a particular large size (eg steering wheel nut) or small size (hand brake caliper spring locating nut) buy that individually as you need it.

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PostPost by: pereirac » Tue Jan 24, 2006 10:38 pm

A cheap 1/2inch spanner which you can shorten is useful. There is never a lot of room in an Elan engine bay and having some 'cheap' tools which you don't mine cutting up to fit for particular jobs is always useful, as are long extension bars for your socked sets. The 'wobblt' type look useful as the work over a range of angles...
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PostPost by: steveww » Wed Jan 25, 2006 2:34 am

Using a 3/8 drive socket set is the best size. As has already been said there is not a lot of room around the Elan an a 1/2 drive socket can be a bit bulky.
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PostPost by: twincamman » Wed Jan 25, 2006 3:49 am

how about a nice set of British Standard Whitworth spanners :twisted: ed
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PostPost by: M100 » Wed Jan 25, 2006 10:25 am

twincamman wrote:how about a nice set of British Standard Whitworth spanners :twisted: ed


I can't recall there been any whitworth threads on the car at all just UNC, UNF and BA.

I've found the flex head type very useful in tight to access areas

Image

also these can be useful too

Image

For sockets 3/8" 6 point flank drive type with wobble extensions

And a good torque wrench

Oh and one of these for when it gets real tough :-)

Image
Last edited by M100 on Sun Jan 29, 2006 6:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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PostPost by: berni29 » Sat Jan 28, 2006 11:12 pm

Hi

Don't forget the angle grinder for when the hammer doesn't work. I find that 3/8 and 1/4 inch drives are the ones that I use, and the hex sockets (6 sides). That type of socket is far superior but you need to make sure that the drive has a fine ratchet.

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PostPost by: Matt7c » Sun Jan 29, 2006 8:16 am

rgh0 wrote:You dont need metric if you only want to work on an Elan.


Webers are metric, although a small and cheap metric spanner set would suffice. Also, if your exhaust clamps are recent, they are likely to be metric, too, perhaps depending upon where your Elan has been in the last few years.
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PostPost by: rgh0 » Sun Jan 29, 2006 9:07 am

Matt

While you are correct, you can do everything you need to do on a Weber with a screwdriver set and a small adjustable wrench.

:wink:

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PostPost by: nitch » Sun Jan 29, 2006 1:43 pm

Bought myself set 12890 from Signet.
It contains both 1/4" and 3/8" drives, and both metric and inches sockets.
The largest sockets on the set applies for the oil sump screw, and that's enough for me.
Thanks everyone,
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PostPost by: M100 » Sun Jan 29, 2006 6:24 pm

Matt7c wrote:Webers are metric


And I guess so are Dellorto's
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