lamp pods

[Emma-Knight]

A short question:

Should there be bobbins where the vac rods/return springs are
attached to the lamp pods? Or just a hole in the plastic?

Anna

[RotoFlexible]

There should be an unthreaded bobbin in the lamp pod. The bolt goes through a sleeve that in turn goes through the loops on the actuator rod and return spring, with a washer between the two loops and washers outside the loops. The bolt goes through the bobbin and is secured by a nut on the inside of the pod. It can be challenging to hold this assembly together long enough (under spring pressure) to get the nut on!

The parts manual that was recently made available in another thread shows this pretty clearly.

[marcfuller]

Should there be bobbins where the vac rods/return springs are
attached to the lamp pods? Or just a hole in the plastic?

There are no bobbins in the pods where the vac rod and springs attach. It is just a hole in the GRP.

I have just looked at the pair I am stripping today. These are very good never repaired pods and even have the original body code number still visible. It also matches my recollection of another early S3 I dissembled last year.

I have also just looked in parts manuals (1966 and 1972 ) they do not show a bobbin. What they show is a sleeve that fits over the bolt to stop the bolt's threads from "chewing" the hole in the GRP. But the sleeve rotates on the bolt and is not "glassed" into the GRP of the pod.

[Emma-Knight]

I found a hole on the left pod, looking exactly like a broken out
bobbin, and no trace of a bobbin or repair on the right! The left pod
had a new hole a little bit backwards. So whats the difference
between an Elan? It depends...


Any more opinions? S2 / S3 different pods?

[marcfuller]

I have had a number of non-failsafe pods from S2 and S3, no differences and no bobbins for the return spring. (can't speak from firsthand knowledge re failsafe pods) According to the parts manual all non-failsafe pods, S1-S4, have the same part number, left and right respectively

A broken out bobbin creates a hole larger than the bobbin because of the GRP layering used to capture the bobbin's "waist". If there was a bobbin present on your left pod there should be evidence of addtional GRP layers around the hole. Your non-repaired right pod is correct.

[RotoFlexible]

Well, that's a puzzlement. I had to refit the bolts last fall and distinctly remember bobbins on both sides. I will check tonight. Could be that some have them and some don't. I think the bobbins are necessary because the spring and actuator rod can exert a significant bending force on the bolt. The bobbin resists that force better than plain 'glass and prevents wear if the nut should loosen (as mine did).

[marcfuller]

There are bobbins on both sides, but for the "hinge" pivot.

[jkatthehelm]

Anna
Based on my S1 and my previous non-failsafe Plus 2:
The bobbins are for locating the lamp pods to the car. The vac rods/return springs are attached to the lamp pods through just a hole in the plastic, no bobbin.
JK

[Emma-Knight]

Having checked the nearside pod again, the funny bobbin shaped
hole had no laminated inside shoulder - which a bobbin would have caused.
Not even remains of it - so it seems - no bobbins...