Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

OK guys ---what is soldiered into the tube and bulb that makes the needle move on a smiths gauge and is it available ? [ mercury comes to mind and the gas it emitts when heated ]-----ed

Ether. That I'd leave to a repair shop. They have the special tools to evacuate and refill it.

Mine spring a leak a few months back. I bought new one from someone here in the USA that's reproducing them. The gauge is different though and will not mount directly back into the dash without modifications to the light brass tube housing. Hint, it's too long so you can't screw on the 90 degree fitting for the oil pressure line connection. I cut the brass tube off so the fitting could be screwed on and then epozied the tube back together with an internal sleeve to accept the dash light. It's better this way because that damn light does not shine throught the gap between the dash and the crashpad top cover now anymore.

and and how does one install the gas and soldier same without an embarrassing and noisy event? I'M TIRED OF ENTERTAINING THE NEIGHBORS and my eye brows are just growing back from the last time] ed

Ed,
BTW, it's cheaper to replace the unit than to repair the old.

ok will do--------[btw--any off roading]----ED

Nope, but I'm getting ready for the trackday coming on the 13th. The RE92s scrub off the outer edge of the front tires so I'm lowering the car's ride height so the lower a-arm is parallel to the ground now and introducing some negative camber. Been running the stock setup which is slightly positive so far and has the upper a-arm parallel to the ground. Just hoping it stays being almost completely neutral handling and I don't screw it up. It's fun to be as quick as all the folks running race rubber and I'm the only idiot out there on Mud and Snow rated All-Season tires. If I don't lift off slightly the understeer at WOT will take me right off the racetrack at about a 30 degree angle even though I've got more than enough steering cranked into it. I love that feeling of steering actually with the throttle. That's what makes it really fun at the hairy edge of control.

mine is still in the sorting stage-----limped home twice --once with a throttle cable failure [ my fault] and second with a duff alt--easy repair ---but now there is a trans am driver who is convinced there is a dangerously fast yellow miata out there ---ed [ btw---gauge the wisdom of too fast into a corner and screwing up the exit as opposed to a little sacrifice in and faster out ] the fast guys are not fast everywhere

We all have teething issues with our newly reassembled cars. Some things took about five trys before I hit upon the permanent solution. My first couple of trackdays were DNFs also. Had to resolve those issues too. Here's one, the stock throttle return which is a hairpin type had never given me a bit of trouble on the road clocking about 100k miles. Third time out on the track my throttle stuck halfway open because it disappeared. That was the least of my troubles that day however. It overheated and blew all the water out when I pulled into my driveway that late afternoon. That's when I discovered Lotus had improperly installed a cylinder sleeve in #3 new from the factory that was too short by about 1/8" and it slide down away from the head gasket. That 40C day up at the track at WOT was what it took for it to come loose after all these years. That happened last fall about this time of the year.

http://www.gaugeguys.com/Smiths/Authentic/classic.htm
These folks are the only game in the USA. Anyone else is a middleman.

bear in mind these are old fast cars- that were never too reliable any how --the problems we have with them are the same as when they were new----and over stressing the old parts [both drivers and the cars] on the track doesn't help longevity -----ed

Any stupid snot can buy one this modern performance cars and venture out on the track. The risk of removing yourself from the gene pool goes up trashing around in a vintage Lotus. I'm game! It would be boring afterall if there wasn't any risk at all.

Back in the day many of the (smarter) drivers refused to drive a Lotus F1 car for Colin. My resource for that fact is the 4-part video tapes which chronicle the racing history of Lotus. I've almost worn out my tapes!

'the most successful lotus drivers were completely devoid of any engineering principals'-- ---ed

And todays stupidest question: What is the ambient temperature gauge watching, the outside temp?

Thor

Yes, I've only had the +2S for three weeks, and no handbook yet, my rattly Triumophs didn't have that many fancy instruments..

And todays stupidest question: What is the ambient temperature gauge watching, the outside temp?

Thor

Yes, I've only had the +2S for three weeks, and no handbook yet, my rattly Triumphs didn't have that many fancy instruments..

That's exactly what it's watching Thor. Just make sure the car is moving forward to get an accurate reading. (Heat may bleed back from the radiator or engine/exhaust if the car is standing still)

Hamish.