Hex Head screw on Baby Elan rear shock tube

[fattogatto]

There is a small hex head screw on the side of a baby elan rear shock tube. Was this originally to service the shock with oil? One assumes with a Spax cartridge shock this screw is superfluous.

Thanks

[UAB807F]

I've not got a manual to hand but seem to recall that the steel damper tube is filled with oil once the insert is fitted.
I don't have screw holes for filling on mine, it sounds like something the previous owner has done, or maybe a production mod by Lotus.

IIRC it was something to do with heat transfer from the insert ? (but no doubt helps to stop internal rusting)

Brian

[rgh0]

There is a small hex head screw on the side of a baby elan rear shock tube. Was this originally to service the shock with oil? One assumes with a Spax cartridge shock this screw is superfluous.

Thanks

Yes the early Elan rear shocks used the strut tube as the shock outer and the oil could be filled through this hole. I have only seen them on early issue 16 shock tubes so it looks like Lotus changed to cartridge shocks some time before the issue 18 struts were introduced.

with cartridge shocks you can add some oil or antifreeze between the shock cartridge and the strut tube to aid heat transfer away from the shock cartridge. People normally jusy pour some into the tube before fitting the shock cartridge but you could add it through the original plugged hole if you have one and wanted to add it that way.

cheers
Rohan

[fattogatto]

Thanks Rohan.