Bonnet Catch Adjustment

[jfornarola]

Hello everyone,

I am having some difficulty with the adjustment for my bonnet release. I have a 67 S3 SS with a single release cable. The handle is mounted below the dash. This is a left drive Elan. Several photos of a similar setup were posted in this thread: lotus-chassis-f36/bonnet-release-lever-t15425.html.

The issue I am having is the force it takes to release the springs. In viewing my operation, the release spring closest to the handle compresses first and then the far side spring compresses. It takes considerable force (both hands) to fully compress both springs. The second picture I'm attaching is of the firewall area. I've installed the springs and cable clip according to the service bulletin from 11.1.71. The first photo is of the far side (right) spring, cable and firewall through fitting. You'll note the spring and fitting are about 3/8" off-center. I believe this is where most of my problem is occurring.

Has anyone else encountered this and how did you solve it? My thought is to re-position the spring, as this will be an easier and less visible fix than moving the fitting.

Thanks for any suggestions.

John

[types26/36]

The first photo is of the far side (right) spring, cable and firewall through fitting. You'll note the spring and fitting are about 3/8" off-center. I believe this is where most of my problem is occurringJohn

I'm not sure I can be of any help as my cars are rhd and only my Sprint has the one "pull" facility and then the pull handle is in the dash .....but a couple of observations from your pictures.
As I remember the spring (fitted on the firewall) is slotted where the two screws secure it, is it possible to raise the spring so the cable aligns better?
Another observation, I note that the screws that secure the spring to the firewall enter from the engine compartment, I believe that the screws should have the head on the passenger side, this is so that in the event of a cable breakage the screws can be removed from under the dash so the bonnet can be opened.
I know this this does not look as nice as the screw thread is visible under the bonnet but I'm sure I read it in one of the manuals.

[oldelanman]

Hi John,
Not sure from your picture if your misalignment is vertical or horizontal.
If it is vertical, as Brian says, the spring can be moved on the body but this will also affect the alignment of the bonnet to the body when closed. The spring is also slotted where the cable passes through to allow vertical alignment with the bulkhead abutment - have you tried adjusting that?
If the misalignment is horizontal then I'm not sure you will be able to correct it by moving the spring as it may not then line up with the catch on the bonnet. They are probably all different but my catches are only about 5mm wider than the springs so wouldn't allow 3/8" sideways movement. Check that out before you go drilling any new holes !

[jfornarola]

Hi Roger,

Thanks for the ideas. The photo is looking down from overhead. So the mis-alignment is horizontal and not top to bottom (vertical).

Yes, I've played with the height adjustment on the springs and cable and it is close but not yet finalized. Probably less than 3/16" out at this point. I am still using Play-doh on the valve cover, radiator and carbs checking bonnet clearance. Going rather slow on this. I've slotted the engine mounts about as far as they can go on the carb side.

Thanks again for the ideas. I'll be checking them in the morning (after the Spanish GP qualifying- about 5:00am here in Colorado).

John

[jfornarola]

Brian,

Thanks for the observation on the screw heads. I've used nylocks and so maybe not the best choice. I will reverse the spring attachments as you suggest.

You are completely correct in that the spring mounting consists of 2 slots and so adjustable up and down. The cable is also adjustable up and down with a slot through to the outside so you don't have to completely disassemble everything when there is maintenance.
My photo gave the wrong impression in that the mis-alignment is right to left, or horizontal as Roger was clarifying.

John

[gjz30075]

I think there's too much tension on the bonnet catch due to the latch being too far forward. I had the same issue and realized I couldn't pull it hard enough or back far enough to release. Pull the latch rearward by adjusting the cable stop under the dash. Note the distance between the latch and bulkhead is about half of your distance. Worked for me, anyway.

[Spyder fan]

John,
There is an adjustment nipple/screw in the centre of the cable, you need to tension this to equalise the two catches so that they near enough move at the same time when you pull the lever. Then adjust the cable stop under the dash to bring the catches a bit nearer to the bulk head as mentioned above.

Be prepared to accept that you will need to pull the lever to put the hood down to engage the catches correctly, or you will be constantly moving the catches slightly. Gently does it...

[oldelanman]

Be prepared to accept that you will need to pull the lever to put the hood down to engage the catches correctly, or you will be constantly moving the catches slightly.

What ...... even on an S4 special "Elan Supersprint" ?

[Spyder fan]

Be prepared to accept that you will need to pull the lever to put the hood down to engage the catches correctly, or you will be constantly moving the catches slightly.

What ...... even on an S4 special "Elan Supersprint" ?

One of the few items I didn't improve old boy!

[webbslinger]

John
I just installed the bonnet catch on my S4 over the weekend. All the comments I read hear apply. In addition, lube the cable. As mentioned, there is little opportunity for adjustment by moving the catch left or right because it has to line up with the bonnet. So when all is done and the cable doesn't line up at the ends, you pretty much have to relieve the hole in the firewall to put the end where it must be. That's what I finally did and it works well now and the enlarged hole doesn't show. Mine bound until the passenger side end was in line with the catch. I also used star washers on both sides of the catch screws to really lock them in place. If I was doing this again I would line it up before paint and putting the engine in. Then you could get under there and see what you were doing. Your car looks great. Victor

[jfornarola]

I wanted to post a final note to this thread. I took each of the suggestions and used them as suggested. Finally the release is working well, if a bit of effort is needed to get the far side release to disengage. Slotting the hole as has the cable more in-line with the catch so when pulled the cable is more effective. I adjusted the cable so that the releases were not so far forward and will catch the bonnet catch plate and not fall behind. I also lubed the heck out of the cable. Thanks to all who provided suggestions.

John