Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

The idea, now defunct, of removing the heater was to make room for an a/c... but I agree, best to leave it and use one of these combined units as mbell mentioned. It will probably not happen now.

I think the reason for no heater-valve was to simplify and add cheapness!

That said, since I live in a place that is often very warm, having the core hot all the time Will Not Do. So with that in mind, I installed a valve. Somebody said I should use a valve for a Triumph but I read mixed reviews on the reliability of those, so I got this one instead- a simple 90-degree valve intended for use in mid-'60s American Motors and International Harvester vehicles. It fits perfectly, cost less than the Triumph valves, couldn't be simpler, and had sparkling user-reviews. It can be controlled via cable too so I may try to connect it to the existing heater controls to open whenever I move the temp-slider off the cold end.

I have not yet pulled the heater out - going to wait until I gert parts to finish other jobs as the place is looking a mess!

Depending on the condition of the matrix and motor, and mood, I may think further on a/c. There are a lot of small combined units around that will fit nicely in the [+2 anyway] heater void that would make things quite attractiv down here in SW France! But that is for later, certainly I will fit a tap to keep it going until a complete rebuild.

I also used a plastic body shutoff valve similar to a Jon. Mine was I believe from the VW parts bin. It makes a big difference to interior temperature in hot summer weather. I have a sun roof, and still think the valve is very handy.

From practice the cooling system is not compromised by the shutoff. Been fine for years in my car. Might have been covered above, but the Elan uses a cable actuated shutoff valve to regulate temperature while the Plus 2 uses the flap above the heater core. So with the Plus 2 shutoff valve closed the cooling system is essentially the same as the Elan stock configuration with the heat turned down.

As an aside, it might look tempting to add an Elan heat regulation valve to the Plus 2. Note the stock Elan valve is a bit of a clearance PITA when pulling the engine though; no direct experience to share but plenty of posts on the topic. .

After thinking about the whole issue I opted for an eBay sourced new inline valve with hose clamps as the least intrusive and fully reversible solution. Works great.

Just looking at Jon’s experience with the levers. I had a similar issue on my Esprit. Used a RC model airplane metal control arm as a replacement. Needed a bit of work with a drill to size it up correctly, but worked OK when done. In that case a replacement was NLA though. Just a suggestion if you find you have an issue.

Also suggest looking over heater box rebuild threads to see a common mod that adds more depth to the radio mounting space. Some claim to get sufficient extra room to mount a modern head unit; mine didn’t work out that way but there you go. Certainly can add a few inches which adds to radio choices (might not be an issue for you).

HTH

Stu

Thanks Stu - some useful stuff there to follow.

As for the radio, mine at somestage must have been too big as they have just cut into heater a nice oblong for the radio to sit into!

I've not tackled the job of removing the heater yet. Maybe the weekend

Looking for something else and came across these heater bits on ebay. May be of use to some.

https://www.ebay.com/str/classic-Land-R ... 5530400018

I had replaced mine, about 10 years ago. As I recall. Much fiddling. But, it was a near perfect fit. So a few years back, before it was maybe not available any longer. As it was only $30 or so. And nothing Smiths was available in N America. I ordered a second.

FourSeasons 35576. Made in Canada

I recall cutting the mount/bracket, or opening the three ears/bolt openings. Again, can't recall exactly how it fit. This part number should be correct, or at least a good start for y'all N Americans.

Some of the pictures of the 35576, show the mid mounted bracket. The one I have (correct/useable or not) only has the threaded rod out the front and back.

Hope it helps, ask if you want current or ohm.

I have two speeds on this fan, works great. With the relay, and larger + - wires...

I replaced mine with a Vintage Air mini system, heat and defrost actually work, as opposed to the standard. It is wider than the original, but lower. It requires fabbing new trim panels the bow out a bit more. It is short enough that you can then fit a regular radio in the radio slot

As to the original, take great care in detailing the heater flap. All off the air that is supposed to go to the defrosters must first go down to the heater vent and then back up. Consequently you get zero defrost air if the seal is dead
Even with a good seal they work poorly

I had a valve on mine for decades. The Elan uses a valve so it cannot be using the heater in the cooling circuit

The fiberglass shrouding the fan is poorly detailed. With the heater out you can cut away the part that doesn't keep the rain out to try to get more airflow.

For connecting the heater pipes at the heater end my car has a nice inspection hole. It looks like a factory fit job not an after market one, I’m only the second owner and the previous owner did nothing to the car, didn’t even repair the door handle when the button fell out, just carried a 6” nail in his pocket to prob the linkage with! I’ve had the car for the past 40+ years.