Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

Can anybody give advice on Icing. As the Miles Wilkin's books says the Stromberg elan will ice its needles and slides when the air temp is 3 degrees or below with damp conditions.

This has happened to me twice last year and again today. Had to push it from a traffic island until it warmed through. Iced at tickover. Last time it iced at 80 on the M6 at Shap. Had to cut the motor. Call me a loon for going out in winter but I like to keep my car on the road. Go out on dry cold days. Has anybody come up with a way to cure this. My son has just shown me a picture of a old mini with twin SU's and some metal foil type ducts to deflet air from the exhaust to the carbs to prevent icing. The manifold is on the same side on the mini so it helps.
I am sure I talked to one of the Scottish club lotus lads and some one mentioned a guy called Swindles who had done an article on this. Can anybody help. Even if it is a winter lash up.

Mike

As you say some sort of ducting to get hot air from around the exhaust to the intake is required. If you have the conventional air box in front of the radiator you could try swapping over to filters mounted directly on the carbs. This would help at tickover but will not help so much once at speed.

I solve the problem by tucking my S4 up in a nice warm garage as winter sets in

In the early seventies I ran my Elan in Ontario all through the winter (it was my only car) I solved the icing problem by blanking off the front air intake with two pieces of stryofoam cut to the shape & pushed into the opening from the outside. If memery serves me I left about a 2"wide opening between them in the middle. If the weather was not too cold then I would remove one of the pieces. The trick is to keep the engine bay & the engine warm enough to stop the icing. Without blanking off the intake the engine wouldn't even get up to operating temperature especially on the highway. I think that at temps of -20C the air passing around the sump alone keeps the engine cool.

Thanks for advice guys. I will try blocking the front and see how I go. If worked at Ontario temperatures, it should sort me out.

Mike

use dryer outlet tube attached to the air intake at the carbs ---wrap it around the front of the rad to the exhaust header area ---draws in warm air to the carb area ed