Will I Lose My Bonnet?

[jmesh]

I just installed an electric fan and had to remove the spring from the bonnet to make it fit. Given the lip on the front of the bonnet, I assume that it doesn't need the spring to keep from flying away, but I do get nervous every time it lifts a little in place.

Any thoughts?

Jason

[pamitchell]

.
My bonnet clasps were slipping off and couldn't be adjusted correctly so I sold the entire assembly and installed Dave Bean hood pins. Problem of the lifting bonnet solved. I found the spring was putting a strain on the bonnet causing stress cracks so I modified a bungee cord to hold down the bonnet front. Easier to remove the bungee than a spring with a pusher fan in front of the rad.
Phil

[nebogipfel]

.
..I found the spring was putting a strain on the bonnet causing stress cracks....

Bonnets on later Elans (certainly S4) should have a metal hoop laminated in to take the strain of the spring. Bonnets without the metal reinforcement are much weaker.

Jason, It should be possible to fit a fan in front of the radiator so that the bonnet spring can be retained. Certainly the original installation allowed the spring to fit alongside the fan motor. The fan is fitted to the right side of the radiator looking from the front of the car.

Modern fan units should allow even more room

FWIW, I wouldn't be happy to drive around with the bonnet lifting. That must put strain on everything and encourage cracks to appear.

[jmesh]

Thanks for the replies.

The new fan is a bit thick and blocks access to the steering rack, so I can't get the spring onto its original mount. Are there any other places I could mount the spring? Or other easy to do methods of keeping the bonnet in place?

Jason

[1964 S1]

Greetings, I've never had the spring on the bonnet of my S1 and have seen 100 mph with no loss of bodywork. HOWEVER, make sure BOTH rear latches operate correctly. What model Elan do you have?

[jmesh]

It's a '67 S3 and the latches seem to work well, in fact, it's a b**ch to get them to release sometimes.
Jason

[66S2]

Vintage race at Riverside in the late '80s: my S2 bonnet launched straight up as I passed the start/finish line. Luckily it went vertical and didn't do any extra damage beyond destroying itself. Felt like I was watching a missile launch from a submarine, for some reason. A fellow Elan owner stopped by later in the pits to say his had done the same thing. Hood pins are a good thing.

[nebogipfel]

Vintage race at Riverside in the late '80s: my S2 bonnet launched straight up as I passed the start/finish line. Luckily it went vertical and didn't do any extra damage beyond destroying itself. Felt like I was watching a missile launch from a submarine, for some reason. A fellow Elan owner stopped by later in the pits to say his had done the same thing. Hood pins are a good thing.

I'm not surprised, on one of my previous Elans the spring was obviously getting weak and the bonnet would start to lift at speed against the spring tension

Jason, would it be possible to make a spring attachment point a bit further towards the front of the car? You could bolt through the 'glass with a plate or big washer underneath to spread the load.

My vote is keep the spring - pins work fine and are good for racing, but a bit ugly on a road car

[bcmc33]

Surely the spring is intended to lift the rear end past the bonnet catches when the bonnet release is actuated. The large lip at the front end will not allow the bonnet to be ejected through the aperture, but without the spring would rattle a bit.
The spring in my Sprint is attached to the bonnet by a metal bracket, but still was interfered by the standard fan motor. I have fitted a full width radiator and a multi blade fan which is much thinner and it does not interfere with the spring.

If you want to retain a standard fan, simply make a longer bonnet bracket, or move the lower body fixing forward.


Brian Clarke
(1972 Sprint)

[rgh0]

I removed the spring on my Elan bonnet many years ago as I got sick of trying to pull the spring off every time I opened the bonnet and got sick of holding it open with my head.

I put a strip of rubber foam on the fromt lip of the bonnet to hold it firmly down and stop the bonnet rattling.

As its a competition car I also use bonnet pins in place of the standard catches so its easy to pull the pin clips, push down on the front of the bonnet and the back pops up and it can be removed all in about 1 second. Without the pins its a lot harder to open a bonnet with the standard catches and loss of the bonnet much more likely.

cheers
Rohan

[alan71]

I found you can get to about 70mph before it flies off if you don?t fit the spring, much to the surprise of the driver behind.

Alan

[mac5777]

On mine the hood release needed to be adjusted so I didn't need a second set of hands to get it up. I use two smaller fans that leave the middle open for the spring. If you are using one fan, set it to the right of center where the hot water comes into the rad. again it will miss the spring.
I am guessing that from the comments that some fans get in the way of things, my set up does not block anything. I can get a picture if anyone is interested.
Sarto

[twincamman]

put these on--ed

[elandoc]

I've got a series of pictures in the gallery, one showing an aluminium bonnet, which had to be made during a rally, as the original flew off at about 200 kph. It had a history of lifting a cm or two at speed, but I stupidly ignored it. When it went (with a noise like a pistol shot), the spring streched to about 2m, and the bonnet pins sheared off like they'd been cut with a gas axe.
I now use ocky straps ("bungy cords" for you foreigners) to hold it down, plus a nylon strap with a fastex buckle for quick release, adjusted to just lose its slack as the bonnet sits in the correct position - never had another problem. Rohan, I guess I could have extended the front lip, but once bitten...
Cheers
Patrick

[jmesh]

Elandoc,

It was your picture that got me thinking. I guess I've got some work to do. The fan's too big to move, so I'll have to do some playing around to find another way to mount the spring.

Thanks for all the replies.

Jason