Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

Some have told me to stick with the S1 front brake arrangement others have said upgrade. I believe i would like to fit the brake's fitted after serial no 4109. Everything I have now is shot anyway. Being a cheapskate i am searching flea bay regularly and am wondering which spitfire/gt6 calipers I should be after. The Girling serial number is never listed and one is lucky if these guys list which model triumph they fit. I believe there were four different calipers fitted to spitfire's and gt6. Help please??

Kurt
26/3754

I stand to be corrected - but I think you need these Type 14 calipers:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/bek090-TRIUMP ... 2a3631b9c3

Type 12s were the early calipers fitted to the S1 and early S2 cars and I think Type 16s were fitted to the +2.

Canleys have a good website to help you identify which model used which caliper - chiefly by looking at the shape of the dust plate!!

http://www.canleyclassics.com/?xhtml=xh ... mepage.xsl

Thanks Steve....think I have what I need...Spitfire MK3 on. Looks like new in England will cost about what it will cos here by the time freight is figured. I should have been buying parts from across the pond when our dollar was strong!

Kurt
26/3754

My dust plates/guards are like the earlier Spitfires rather than the Mk3 but with the later (Type14) calipers fitted.

Hi Kurt,
I should have some new old stock calipers and a pair that has only done about 2000 miles.
The new ones are the 4 bolt with inlet port at top and used ones are 3 bolt with inlet on the side of the pot.
I can dig them out and send photos if your interested.
I'm in the uk so postage would be at expensive but the caliper not so bad

I will check but I might be able to get some new ones made in original factory not Chinese crap - need to check if any left

Regards
Steve

patrics wrote:Hi Kurt,
I should have some new old stock calipers and a pair that has only done about 2000 miles.
The new ones are the 4 bolt with inlet port at top and used ones are 3 bolt with inlet on the side of the pot.
I can dig them out and send photos if your interested.
I'm in the uk so postage would be at expensive but the caliper not so bad

I will check but I might be able to get some new ones made in original factory not Chinese crap - need to check if any left

Regards
Steve

I suppose the new ones being offered are flavored Asian! Tell me more about getting them English made. I can buy new through VB here in the states for 160 for the two and was thinking of going that way but if they are C crap as mentioned that is not so attractive. Good used and kitted by me might be an option as well since freight from your side of the pond has been pretty dear lately. I'm interested in what you can come up with though! Which are the ones I would want to replace my early one's.....side entry or top. I would have to look mine over again but seems they are top entry.
Thanks
Kurt.

Hi Kurt
When yo say early ones do yo mean type 12SP?

When they were changed to type 14 they were side entry ie going into the back of the pot. Later ones would have been four bolt with inlet port at the top.

Got a busy weekend so let me know if I haven posted any photos by Monday

Regards
Steve

Yes type 12. I've a ways to go on this project so not in a hurry for them.

Kurt
26/3754

Kurt,

Having run the 12SP's for 25 years, I would say they are more than adequate for any kind of reasonably sane street driving, especially on the lighter S1. They do seem a bit weak on the track, so I've had a pair of adaptors machined up to mount 4pot Wilwoods, which are probably very much overkill. I'll let you know next spring!

Anyway, back to your 12's. The calipers are the type where the piston moves against a fixed seal, as opposed to the seal sliding along a bore. What this means is that pretty much no matter how crusty those calipers are, they can be blasted and re-plated to near new condition and a cheap seal kit handles the rest, assuming the pistons are reusable. Not sure what OEM pistons are going for these days, but stainless ones are about $30 each (x4). So something like $180 covers it all, with basic zinc or nickel plating.

I redid mine with new OEM steel pistons for less than $100 "back in the day" and they lasted the last 18 years. Just redid my rears again with stainless pistons which should last longer than I will.

Thanks Steve. Perhaps I ought to tear down my calipers and master cylinder to see what I have. The master is aluminum bore I believe and I'm not expecting a good outcome but will see what it looks like.

Kurt
26/3754

Hi Kurt
Have been looking for calipers but haven't found them yet - should find them soon -place isn't that big.

Regards
Steve

Tore the 12SP calipers down and though the pistons were all bad they look rebuildable. Master cylinder dose also so with the help of Steve's (Alfalofa) Canley Classic's site I have rebuild parts coming for far less than I expected.
So will be sticking with the early brakes for now.

Does anyone offer correct length made up STEEL brake tubes for Elan's??

Kurt