Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

Keith Scarfe wrote:There was also the idea of fitting a hand squeezable thing in the boot to prime the carbs. I can't find that now. Does any one remember that? Have one fitted? Maybe have a link to somewhere to buy one (uk)? Would be a lot easier to fit than an elec pump.

There is a picture of a hand pump in pharisso's trunk/boot in this thread. I've got the same type of pump. Works just fine. They are cheap and available at auto parts stores.

lotus-carbs-f40/installing-priming-pump-t42024.html#p297154

The snag might be that those rubber bulbs might be susceptible to destruction by alcohol in fuel, they are after all designed for use with two-stroke engines.

Does the petrol portion of fuel for two-strokes include alcohol nowadays?

billwill wrote:Does the petrol portion of fuel for two-strokes include alcohol nowadays?

It does for my two strokes - if it's in whatever I buy at the pumps. If there's a difference in performance between the E10 I get in France and the ethanol free expensive stuff then I can't feel it. The bikes run exactly the same. The rubber bulb thing on my 30yr old two stroke strimmer has survived ok so far.

Also if you are cranking allot to get your car started try cracking the fuel lines off the carbs and crank while watching, if you don't see fuel very quickly maybe you should be looking at the one way valves or maybe the diaphram in the fuel pump but even so you should have enough fuel sat in the carbs to get it to fire.

Shouldn't be cranking much, the standard elan battery is not up to lots of cranking so i can understand the problem but be carfull you are not just masking a fundemental issue.