Ambient temperature gauge

[ema7elan]

My +2 is a Zetec elan built last summer. The dash has been modified from the original and is now leather covered. All the gauges are in the right place except the builder did not have an ambient temperature gauge at the tie of build and put a vacuum gauge (serving no purpose). I have just bought the temperature gauge but am unsure of the route the sender should take from the back of the gauge. Where abouts under the nose of the car should it sit? and what route should it take? Any help would be appreciated

ema7elan

[tower of strength]

on my former plus 2 S130 the capilliary passed through a sizeable hole on the bulkhead on the passenger side by the heater plenum, it then followed the same route as the wiring loom low down on the inner wing and into the nose cone where the bulb was laid loose below the grille(so out of the airflow into the radiator)

I'm not sure if this the correct route, but it worked!

hope this helps

Mark

p.s. welcome to Lotus ownership

[rgh0]

The route as described to the nose the same as on my plus 2. The bulb is held in a loop of steel strip that was bolted onto the front edge of the air cleaner see the attached photos. In the first one you can see the capilliary tube coming out of the fire wall and joining the wiring loom. The next 2 show how it was located on the air cleaner.

cheers
Rohan

[ppnelan]

Just out of interest, Rohan & any other +2 owner/servicers, how is your bonnet (hood) fixed on? Mine has cobbled-up bolts & nuts & lock-nuts with worn-out bobbins.
Being used to the convenience of 'instant' bonnet removal on the 2-seater Elan, it annoys me that it takes 10 minutes to remove the one on the +2...
I was thinking (one day...) of using clevis-type pins with R-clips.

Thanks,
Matthew

[ema7elan]

Many thanks folks!

I can go ahead and install gauge knowing it will be in the right place. Was originally, unsure about replacing my tired +2 with this 'new' Zetec, but now I (and Paul Matty) have ironed out the teething problems, it is a dream to drive-the torque is amazing!

I'll always keep my Sprint for that authentic lotus feeling but between the two I now feel that I have a perfect blend -Just hope the new 'Eagle' does not tempt me.

Finding this forum very helpful-your a good bunch of guys (and gals?)


Ema7elan

[rgh0]

Hi Matthew

My bonnect is secured via a similar bolt and bobbin set up.

The bobbin in the body is unthreaded, the bobbin in the bonnet is threaded. The bolt is screwed in from the outside and adjusted to centre the bonnet in the body opening and then a lock nut put on the inside against the threaded bobbin to prevent the bolts from unscrewing.

Provided a pin and clip set up was postioned to hold the bonnet in the centre of the opening which may need some making of specific length pins and clips to suit the variations from side to side of the body and bonnet moulding.

It would make removal a little quicker and elimate the need for adjustment when refitting the bonnet.

cheers
Rohan.

[ppnelan]

Thanks for the reply, Rohan.

Mine currently has bolts passing from the inside 'out' (into the wheel arch). One side seems to be threaded into the bobbin in the body, but the other side is clearance. Both have lock nuts on the outside, and have rubber-backed washers between bonnet & body to centralise things.

Matthew

[CBUEB1771]

The original construction has threaded bobbins (1/4-20 UNC) in both the body shell and the bonnet. This is an absolutely miserable design solution. On my second day of ownership some 31 years ago I had the bonnet detach from the front while at speed on a crowded highway. It was very entertaining to work my way to the side of the road with the bonnet up against the windscreen. I was amazed that the rear catches held and the bonnet stayed with me until I could stop. I didn't know to check the "hinge" bolts every time you open the bonnet as the bolts have a tendancy to back themselves out. My solution was to drill the threads out of the bobbins in the bonnet to 5/16 inch diameter and attach the bonnet to the shell using 5/16 shoulder screws as these have 1/4-20 threads. I centralized the bonnet with nylon washers between the shell and bonnet. It still is a PITA to attach the bonnet but the mount is very secure. All that being said I like Rohan's solution. This would clearly make it easier to remove and attach the bonnet. These days I am working on both my Elite and the +2 side-by-side in the garage. This has given me the chance to really compare body design details between the two. I think it is fair to say that Lotus went overboard in the cheap and dirty department in the evolution from the Elite to the +2. The Elite is much more sophisticated. My apologies to Ron Hickman for this little rant, I still love the +2.

[gerrym]

Ema7elan,

you are obviously tried to get your gauges correct, ie routing of ambient temperature capillary.

Did you you re-range your water temperature and oil pressure gauges. The Zetec runs quite a bit hotter (water) and over a higher oil pressure range (depending on whether oil piston cooling jets are open).

Interested in whether you retained original gauges but had them "re-ranged" or replaced them with something else.

Gerry

[ema7elan]

Gerry

My Zetec was built by an ex Saab engineer, he has used the Elan speedo and rev counter. The speedo reads correct at 30, 40 and 50 but at 60 the correct speed is 66 and at a speedometer reading of 80 the correct speed is 88. The gauges for oil and water and fuel are the Elan ones (smiths)but not sure how calibrated. Water when hot reads just on 85 and does not seem to move-even on a day like today when temp was 26degC and oil pressure reads 60psi.

I will take photos of dash tomorrow and post-I'm sure they will generate some reactions!

ema7elan