Coolant Filler Neck

[jkolb]

In the technical information on this site there is an article about installing a capsul type water pump and a picture of an alternate filler neck for coolant http://www.lotuselan.net/publish/water_pump.shtml Does anyone know what this part is off of and/or where I might purchase one? I live in the US.

Thanx

Jerry

[hethelfan]

The water filler IIRC is off a MK3 Ford escort. you can buy them from Burton power products in the UK for about ?25.00.
I remember at the Donnington show someone having a similar one but specifically for the twincam.
H

[cliveyboy]

That was me with the housing at Donnington.
What you saw was only a mock up though, as I am in the process of getting some cast specifically for the twincam so they are a direct swop and you can use the original top hose(s).
Hopefully they will be ready for the Stoneleigh show (UK) later on this year.
Cliveyboy

[jkolb]

Does the thermostat housing contain threaded outlets for the heater valve and the temp sensor?

Jerry

[cliveyboy]

Hi Jerry
The Ford MK3 housing has two outlets, one is for a temp sensor which can be blanked off if not needed and the other is a take off pipe for an expansion bottle.
My housing will also have two outlets but both will be threaded.

The advantge of using these types of housing are that you will always fill from the highest point (which on my Elan is not the filler cap on the radiator). You get the option of an extra temp sensor and also you can use more modern type radiators which do not have filler caps on them.

I have a couple of photos at http://groups.msn.com/cliveyboylotus
The pictures show the housings all in the same orientation. As you will see from the pictures the Ford housing (on the right) uses a smaller hose and is 90 degrees out.
Cliveyboy

[crannyr]

A word of caution. The pressure caps are prone to failure of the retaining flange when mounted directly on the motor. We raced an Elan with this set up and had two caps come off in mid race due to vibration and metal failure. A similar failure in a later race of a cap safety wired in place convinced us to relocate to a remote reservoir on the firewall. Rick

[hethelfan]

Bolting the radiator cap onto the engine of a race car is certainly going to give it a hard life.
The Ford cars that these housings come from were compulsary ownership for myself and all the other young "chavs" growing up in Essex and as far as I can remember no one had trouble with radiator caps blowing on their road cars.