S1 and S2 bonnet springs

[garyeanderson]

Hi Rod

Take a look at this photo, it seems to show the spring with the loop at the top on the left side of the Elan engine bay.

[ardee_selby]

Hi Rod

Take a look at this photo, it seems to show the spring with the loop at the top on the left side of the Elan engine bay.

left side looks like the ring is ;located at the top.JPG

Complete with the grommet to pull against!

Richard

[rodlittle]

I agree with you but in practice I cant get my hands in to do it that way and I dont have big hands
rod


In theory there's no difference between theory and practice, in practice there is

[garyeanderson]

So the question got me out in the garage this morning. The temperature got down to 25F last night and Beau's cool down tub had 3/8 inch of ice on it. His tennis ball was frozen in it so he grabbed it and broke the ice and on went the game of slime ball. With that out of the way it was time to look at the problem we are talking about. I grabbed one of the damaged bonnets (it had both bobbins with the bolts in it but the back latch catch was broken out), it was good enough to see what was what. I tried it without the radi-ator in place and the loops at the top. I managed to get them hooked but the loops interfered with the bonnet slide sides. That satisfied some of the curiosity and I took some pictures of this. I cam in and read Rod's post about the Rad being in the way so I pulled one out and went to drop in in the holes and noticed that there was only on showing from the top, I reached under and it was there so I got out the drill. There is no access from under, the rack is in the way. I got out the tape measure and took a reading off of the studs, about 16 inches center to center. I pinched the location of the hole that was covered with a layer of fiberglass with my thumb and index finger and marked the location with a pencil and rechecked it several times. got the drill with a 1/4 inch bit and commenced to drill. It went right through and when I tried the radi-ator it dropped right in, I thought to myself "how did that happen?" lucky I guess. Got the bonnet and tried the springs with the loops up again and with a downward hook of the loop it was a total pain in the ass, I did get one on and it was even a bigger pain to get off. I flipped the springs around, still with the loop on the top but with the hook on the end facing upward and hooked the bolt in the bobbin without much problem. I did try with the loop at the bottom and I couldn't get the hook through both holes. Maybe someone that has more experience will weigh in and set me (and the rest of us) straight.

Gary

[ardee_selby]

The guy who compiled the parts list included a picture showing the design intent (spring hook opening to the bottom) even though he, or anyone else, may not have tried it themselves...

Cheers - Richard

[rodlittle]

Well Gary it looks from your last pic as if your bobbins on the bonnet are in a slightly different place to mine and it does look as if I could reach yours, maybe mine are in the wrong place, I didnt have much to go on when I glassed them in but I did have a picture to go by.
Anyway mine work for me the way they are now so Ill just keep them as they are.
Do you have any idea what goes in the gap between the cant rail and the door? I know the cant rail sits on a pad on the body but that leaves about a 1/2" gap between the door top and the forward part of the cant rail.
I guess a rubber lip seal would do but it would be nice to know
rod

[phillipcoombs]

Thanks for the good pics and info on bonnet springs. Now does anybody have a set I can purchase or know where a pair might be found?
Phillip 505 660-5256

[rodlittle]

Matty have them
rod

[Etienne 7]

Hello guys,
Thanks for these pictures and explanation, that's fantactic! I've now the car back with a bonnet on. The guy who did the work did not fit any bobbins nor pierced the square wholes on the windscreen side.
I'm driving teh car to the UK at the end of the month and then will have some time to sort all this.
Thanks again,
Etienne

[EnfoKen]

I just picked up a couple of sets over the weekend at Paul Matty's.

I just asked out of curiosity if they had them and about fell over when Roy walked out with them.
I've asked the "Lotus" suppliers here in the states about stock and they always come back with a ZERO.

Order them from [email protected]