Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

The +2 is now a driver, need to mount the air filter. I have the "twin horn" Lotus air filter. How does the filter mount in the nose of the car? On the filter side? Down on the bottom of the nose floor (horns facing toward the left of the car)? If the filter mounts on the side, what side does the air box hose come in from? Do the "horns" point toward the front or the back toward the radiator? Some pictures would help. I also have the large K@N cone style filter. From what I have been reading online, there is no difference in performance between the large K&N and the Lotus filter. Does the Lotus filter silence some of the intake noise (the car has twin Webers)? From trial fits it appears that, mounting the filter flat on the nose floor, would give the least restriction of air flow to the radiator. Thanks in advance. Steve V. +2 running in Arizona.

Hi Steve,

No pictures to hand but I can tell you how mine fits and I think it is correct. It stands vertically (like a coin stood on edge) with the horns pointing backwards towards the rediator and the trunking attached to the central spigot which should face to the right. There are two propriatory brackets (available from the usual suspects on this side of the pond) which bolt one to the main body of the filter, also bolted to the floor of the nose and I can't recall where the other attaches to the car but it picks up on a bracket on the intake horns (this one is pretty simple in shape). Once I had got it into my head that the horns didn't have to point forward things looked a lot more logical when I did mine.

Good luck with it

Roy

Roy is correct (ish). The filter was originally mounted flat on early chassis numbers and there is a service bulletin that shows the brackets available to position it vertically as it was prone to getting (and staying) wet. I suspect the real problem was the filter housing rusting. I have left mine flat as I live in a place where it hardly rains (and the car is not a daily driver anyway). You should notice that the filter housing has a hole in one side which clearly should be positioned downwards if mounted vertically.

petersracing wrote:Roy is correct (ish). The filter was originally mounted flat on early chassis numbers

Picture shows the original layout:

Robbie693 wrote:

petersracing wrote:Roy is correct (ish). The filter was originally mounted flat on early chassis numbers

Picture shows the original layout:

It is offset to the right on mine but our cars were exported as kits and assembled in Australia so who nows what was left to the imagination of the assembler. Interesting that it's flat on such a late car. I'll have to dig out the service bulletins some time and see when it was issued.

petersracing wrote:

Robbie693 wrote:

petersracing wrote:Roy is correct (ish). The filter was originally mounted flat on early chassis numbers

Picture shows the original layout:

It is offset to the right on mine but our cars were exported as kits and assembled in Australia so who nows what was left to the imagination of the assembler. Interesting that it's flat on such a late car. I'll have to dig out the service bulletins some time and see when it was issued.

I think i've caused confusion - sorry. The picture was of the filter layout on an early car, not mine which, being a '72 model, has the filter housing vertically and the inlets pointing to the radiator.

Quite why the Tudor bottle is doing laying next to it I've no idea!

Robbie

Robbie693 wrote:I think i've caused confusion - sorry. The picture was of the filter layout on an early car, not mine which, being a '72 model, has the filter housing vertically and the inlets pointing to the radiator.

Quite why the Tudor bottle is doing laying next to it I've no idea!

Robbie

No spotlights. I should have guessed. Thanks.

Not sure if the air filter housing mounts back toward the radiator or, forward in the nose air intake? Closer to the nose air intake (grill) might give the filter cooler air. The intake horns are pointed toward the left side of the car or? Appears that mounting the filter flat, on nose floor would, have less cooling air restriction to the radiator? Standing water could be a problem with filter on the floor, avoid using the car as a "U-boat"? Was the filter raised off the floor to avoid the water problem? Thanks for the help on this. I filled all the holes in and had to replace the nose bottom. Not sure of positions of parts. My car is a, 1969/1970 not a +2S. Thanks for the help. Steve V. +2 driving in Arizona

mr.vman wrote:Not sure if the air filter housing mounts back toward the radiator or, forward in the nose air intake?

The two trumpets face backwards towards the rad.

Closer to the nose air intake (grill) might give the filter cooler air. The intake horns are pointed toward the left side of the car or? Appears that mounting the filter flat, on nose floor would, have less cooling air restriction to the radiator? Standing water could be a problem with filter on the floor, avoid using the car as a "U-boat"?

Yes no matter how many times James Bond does it you ought to stay out of water more than 6 inches deep.

Was the filter raised off the floor to avoid the water problem?

yes the brackets have it up an inch or so and it is mounted across the low point of the nose which ought to have a decent drain hole in the lowest point (1 inch?)

Thanks for the help on this. I filled all the holes in and had to replace the nose bottom. Not sure of positions of parts. My car is a, 1969/1970 not a +2S. Thanks for the help. Steve V. +2 driving in Arizona

Mines a 69 too. Whats your chassis number?

here are a couple of photos in my 73 plus2

cheers
Rohan