Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

Bombay Racing Green wrote:Just back from the plumber's merchant's. Indeed, AHM, it is a 1/2 BSP plug with an 18 mm hex head. The drain was an 8mm plug apparently. Two of each and fibre washers, ?6.

Thanks for the help.

Pete

Brilliant..

Trust Colin Chapman to have found the cheapest drain plugs during design of the diff housing.

For topping up I just bought one of those Hoselock plastic containers that you pressurise with a pump handle. designed for watering plants but just as good for replacing Tx and G/Box fluids. Fill with the fluid, pressurise, put the outlet pipe into the filler/level plug and pull the trigger.....simples!!

Martin B

Just thought I'd resurrect this thread as I've been trying to remove my filler plug to check the fluid level and the bloody thing is solid. Diff still in car.

I've tried an 18mm spanner but even with that I can just feel it digging in to the nut without it turning. There's no room for a socket...not that I have an 18mm socket anyway.

Any bright ideas - I don't want to round the nut.

Yes there is room for a socket spanner, once you cut a circular hole in the boot fibreglass in the appropriate place.

Use a size that you can get a grommet for.

Good morning Richard,

How fortuitous! Whilst the the car was off the road due to a unserviceable starter motor (I'll post that on the relevant thread) I took the opportunity to change all the fluids of the car. I have a 1970 S4 that doesn't have the cut out hole in the boot as per my +2. I'd highly recommend doing that modification as it will make the process abit easier.

I used a 18mm socket and ratchet. There is just enough space. If it's rounded, as was the case in my original post, then use a bolt/nut extractor. I have an Irwin set that cuts into the head. Sounds like your plug is knackered anyway. As I mentioned before, go down to your local plumber's merchant and get a new one as it's a BSP fitting. Whilst you're there get a new drain plug as well. It will not cost much.

For the the filling procedure, I tried something different. I had bought a battery powered oil extraction pump from lidl awhile ago. Whilst I was removing the plug, I put the new bottle of oil in the sunshine (yes, the sun occasionally shines here!) to heat up a little. I then put the pump and warmed bottle in the boot. The supply tube in the bottle and the feed tube over the side and into the diff. Connect it up to the battery and turn it on. 5 minutes later and the diff was full. I used the same process for the gearbox (17mm 8 point socket for the drain plug and a 15mm spanner on the fill plug!). However, the sun wasn't shining so I put the bottle of oil on the boiler! On the +2 I used a gunson ezbleed.

When I get more time I shall be cutting a hole in the boot for access. I have a set of hole cutters purchased from....lidl!

I hope that helps.

Pete

Thanks Pete. Interesting you have an S4 with enough room for a socket and I have a Sprint which doesn't!

Regards
Richard

Bombay Racing Green wrote:The drain was an 8mm plug apparently.

The three fittings in the differential housing are all BSP parallel:
breather: 3/8
fill/level check: 1/2
drain: 1/4
The major diameter of a 1/4 BSP fitting is 0.518 inches, quite a bit larger than 8 mm. Aside for those in Weber and Dellorto carburetors there are very, very few metric fittings in an Elan or +2. The Elan was designed before the metric system was formally adopted in Great Britain, but we all know that.