Expansion bottle location

[2tmike]

My early S4 SE doesn't have a radiator expansion (recuperator) bottle and I'm thinking of fitting one. The car has the wider S3 type rad . The final pic in this thread page shows a nice , early S4 SE with an expansion bottle
viewtopic.php?f=50&t=21231&start=15
Is this the right or best position for it ?
Thanks
Mike

[oldelanman]

My S4 has it in the same place.... it's original as far as I know.

[2tmike]

Thanks Roger, that's a really helpful pic
Spotless nosecone too !!!

[richardcox_lotus]

That?s where mine is on my Sprint

[MarkDa]

Yes it is supposed to be in front of radiator but I put mine behind.
I can't see any reason why not - it's easier to get at without removing the bonnet.

http://images.lotuselan.net/lel/52261/0/dsc_0042_13.jpg

[fatboyoz]

Hi Mike,
My early 1968 S4, also with wide radiator.
If the original mounting holes have been filled in and painted over, perhaps you could find some evidence of them from below.
Cheers,
Colin.
P.S. For some reason, the upload is upsidedown.

[69S4]

Is it different for the narrow rad versions? My expansion bottle is just in front of the right hand ?wing? that supports the rad rather than in the middle at the front as in the pics.

[vxah]

My S4 has it in the same place.... it's original as far as I know.

Engine bay front 003.jpg

Roger, what's happened to your fan blade? looks the wrong way round to me?

[oldelanman]

This subject was discussed previously and Tim (trw99) posted a copy of a '71 Sprint Road Test from his website which shows the location of the bottle. Hope he won't mind me posting it again here.

http://www.lotuselansprint.com/Document ... tMar71.pdf

Previous thread here ...

viewtopic.php?f=39&t=19628

[oldelanman]

My S4 has it in the same place.... it's original as far as I know.

The attachment Engine bay front 003.jpg is no longer available

Roger, what's happened to your fan blade? looks the wrong way round to me?

Very well spotted !
That picture was taken some years ago and it's the correct way round now. As far as I can tell it was always the wrong way round and I only discovered it during my rebuild. The fan is marked but it's a little difficult to spot if you're not actually looking for it. For anyone having cooling issues it may be worth checking your fan is the right way round.

[alan.barker]

My S4 has it in the same place.... it's original as far as I know.

Engine bay front 003.jpg

Roger, what's happened to your fan blade? looks the wrong way round to me?

Very well spotted !
That picture was taken some years ago and it's the correct way round now. As far as I can tell it was always the wrong way round and I only discovered it during my rebuild. The fan is marked but it's a little difficult to spot if you're not actually looking for it. For anyone having cooling issues it may be worth checking your fan is the right way round.

Cooling fan 006.jpg

Cooling fan 005.jpg

Cooling fan 008.jpg

Hi Roger,
that's strange on my 1972 Sprint the Cooling Fan has METAL Blades. As far as i know it's the original one. I'm the 4th owner and know history of my Sprint.
Can anyone say if a Sprint should be Plastic Fan or Metal
Alan

[oldelanman]

Hi Roger,
that's strange on my 1972 Sprint the Cooling Fan has METAL Blades. As far as i know it's the original one. I'm the 4th owner and know history of my Sprint.
Can anyone say if a Sprint should be Plastic Fan or Metal
Alan

Hi Alan,
The Parts List shows a different fan, motor and bracket for the Sprint so that could be introduction of the metal fan. The '71 Road Test Sprint in the above article has a plastic fan but I believe that car was a converted S4 car so not representative of later production versions. (Tim may be along shortly to confirm that)

[MarkDa]

Doesn't the name on the plastic fan tell us most of the story?
I'm afraid I ditched my old electric fan on my sprint in the early 80s for reasons I can't really remember now! I think the old other switch had been replaced with a screw in one and that was broken off maybe?
I replaced it with a mechanical fan off a triumph Spitfire which was multiblade and very effective.
In those days we didn't realise that we be thinking about spending silly money to be original.
These were cars we bought to have fun in and ran in line with the depth of our pockets as one did in those days when parts were readily available at breakers.

[englishmaninwales]

............These were cars we bought to have fun in and ran in line with the depth of our pockets as one did in those days when parts were readily available at breakers.

Indeed! My first Elan, a ?67 S3 coupe, purchased in1982 was my daily and only transport too, which was a bit of a nightmare. Breaker?s yards and my father?s rusted and almost dead Lotus Cortina provided many spares (I even ?borrowed? the cylinder head just to be able to drive away from our wedding!)
Malcolm

[2tmike]

Thanks to everyone for the advice and pics. I've gone for the front of rad location and after a bit of tweeking to the servo vac pipe that runs across the nosecone (Girling 2a with rigid pipe) it fits in nicely.
Mike