A couple more Q's

[jimbo]

I've been reading the Brian Buckland book (a pressie from the wife and a top read) and the Workshop manual, but I am now a bit confused on a couple of things re: my '72 Sprint:

1. How should the seats be fixed to the car? Mine are clamped on the front edge (runners to right hand side on both seats) with the rears just flapping about. Should there be a rigid rear fixing as well or do they just sit on the carpet?

2. Would my car have had an air filter as stock? It currently just has a large diameter pipe feeding from behind the grill up to the airbox (Webbers). Not an air filter in sight!

Thanks in advance,

James

[elancoupe]

The seats are clamped at the front only, so that they will tilt forward.

There should be a metal canister holding an air filter, but some people (myself included) use a K/N filter in its' place.

[jimbo]

Good news on the seats - I presume they just rest wherever the happen to fall? The floor doesn't seem that level at the rear alhough I haven't pulled the carpet back to check as it's glued down!

There should be a metal canister holding an air filter, but some people (myself included) use a K/N filter in its' place.

OK, so there ***should*** be one, but do people also run without any air filter at all?

It seems a bit odd, not to mention a bit scary to me ... I suspect my car has been sans filter for a while as from what I can gather the last owner just ran the car and did minimal servicing, mot work etc ... so I know it's been that way for at least 7 years!

[DrEntropy]

The rear of the seat "rails" ought to have a set of "skid plates" to rest on at the back. The air filter box was of a Ford manufacture. Cortina, as I recall. Best to fit a K&N replacement.

...and use Nylock nuts in the airbox to hold the backing plate to the carbies! (ask elancoupe whiy this is a good idea)

[types26/36]

The Sprints seats were bolted down at the front but they also had a runner that prevented the seat from tipping up although it can slide back and forth, there was a thread on this recently and I posted pics of these runners.
I removed mine as I like the seat to tip up.
There should be a metal air cleaner to house the filter, here is one on ebay
For the record I have no links to the ebay seller.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/LOTUS-MANY-MODELS ... dZViewItem

[types26/36]

Here is the thread with the pics of the seat slide brackets
http://www.lotuselan.net/forums/viewtop ... c&start=15

[jimbo]

Brian,

Thanks for the link. I had searched the forums (honest) but wasn't having much luck!

Do the runners take the weight of the seat or does it still rest on the floor? If it's the former it will help me correct the seat back angles as the passenger seat is considerably more 'relaxed' than the drivers side. I had been planning on blocking it, but rails feels a better option all round. How do the seats attach to the runners? I don't recall my seats having wheels of any form, or is it something more basic?

Cheers,

James

[types26/36]

James, The runners are bolted through the carpet to the floor (stud in runner and nut/washer under the car) and the seat rests on the runner, the bottom tube of the seat has a tag welded on it which locates in the runner (which has a lip to prevent the seat lifting) there are no wheels.
I removed the runners for better access to the rear but I fitted some alloy strips in their place with rubber for the seat to rest on.
I hope you can understand my description, I can take more pics if required or as I see you are in Bucks you are welcome to come and see as I am in Bracknell (well for the next three weeks anyway)....and sorry no my old runners are not for sale.

[stuartgb100]

James,

Like Brian, my '71 Sprint also has these runners. They were pretty rotten, so I replaced them with new stainless from Susan Miller.

The rear frame of the seat runs in the runner, and rests on that, not the floorpan. You should find a little rectangular plate welded to the bottom of the seat frame ....... this locates in the runner.

Regards,
Stuart.

[jimbo]

Brian, Stuart,

I think I've got it. I had originially assumed that the rails mounted to the transmission tunnel and side of the car, but I can see now they bolt through the floor. That might make it trickier to fix the seat alignment at the same time ...

Cheers,

James

PS - Brian - will PM you re: meeting up.

[bcmc33]

The Buckland Manual clearly shows the seat runner (B25) that should be in a Sprint.

I recently modified my front seat to make it tilt by cutting a piece off the contact pad to stop it locating in the side 'U' channel.

As I understand, the Susan Miller supplied seat runners are as per S1/2 shown in the Buckland manual (B24). These should be fine for tilting seats.


Brian Clarke
(1972 Sprint)

[jimbo]

Thanks for all the feedback. I've not dealt with Susan before, but I'm quickly building up a list of suppliers!

Has anyone got any suggestions re: the air filter? I've been told that running without one is not uncommon, but it feels all wrong to me. I am not too concerned about ultimate authenticity, so I might just go for a K&N style filter on the end of the hose behind the grill. Does anyone have any experience of that style setup?

Thanks again!

James

[bcmc33]

For a nice K&N filter and mounting - contact Cliveyboy <http>


Brian Clarke
(1972 Sprint)

[MintSprint]

Has anyone got any suggestions re: the air filter? I've been told that running without one is not uncommon, but it feels all wrong to me.

I certainly wouldn't run without one... if you retain the flexi-duct down to the nose, it is ideally placed to draw in every bit of road dust and grit that is thrown up by traffic in front of you.

If you just run open carbs, without the ducting or air box, apart from the fact that there's still a risk of dust and grit getting sucked into the engine, there's a fire risk if the carbs spit back.

As others have said, you can still get the original filter casing, at a price, if you are concerned about originality, otherwise fit a K&N or similar aftermarket cone type filter. On my last Elan, I just took the ducting down to my local Boy Racer's emporium - they found me a cone filter of the right base diameter to slot neatly into the ducting and I fabricated my own mount.

[jimbo]

James, The runners are bolted through the carpet to the floor (stud in runner and nut/washer under the car) and the seat rests on the runner, the bottom tube of the seat has a tag welded on it which locates in the runner (which has a lip to prevent the seat lifting) there are no wheels.

I checked my seats and they dont appear to have the welded tags, they just have straight sides with the cover material pulled taught over the frame.

Oh well, so much for anti tilt runners!