Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

Has anyone got the trick on how to install the front to rear brake line on an S4 Elan. The pipe at the front has to jog around the engine mounting bracket & at the rear it has to go up through the chassis then immediately do a 90deg. turn to go to the 3 way fitting. I can't see any way of pre bending & then getting the pipe installed. If you bend the front section then you can feed it into place but you can't then get the rear section through the chassis hole. How do you do this magic trick? I would have thought that Lotus had the lines pre formed & somehow installed them. It must be a real magic trick.

I had the frame out and upside down when I made up my front-to-rear line, which helped. I think I did the rear portion first, then worked my way forward, bending as I went. The length of pipe along the spine is great enough that you can maneuver the pipe through the engine mount without disturbing the already formed pipe too much.

I've never made up brake lines, but does it need to be one continuous pipe? Can you put connectors on the line to make it easier to fit?
Phil

I solved the problem by bending all the front section & connecting to the 4 way block, then as I fed the tube through the rear hole in the chassis I had to continually bend the tube to clear the chassis arm that the 3 way block is attached to. As suggested I did have the chassis upside down when I did the installation.

Hi,
Hopefully attached are a few photos from previous build. I put these pipes in with the body on but with diff removed - so should give some idea.
If I find a photo of front pipe work I post that also.

Hope to re new the pipe work again over next month or so but all the old pipe work in the photos was bent and then fitted to the car whilst on axle stands.

Regards
Steve