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A real anorak question!

PostPosted: Sat Nov 03, 2007 6:07 pm
by mikealdren
I've just noticed that most +2s have a single, central screenwash jet but some have two jets (spaced outside the wipers). Since my car is quite late, (72) I assumed that the change to a central jet was later but looking at photos, I have pictures of some early cars (conventional screen) with a central jet and later ones (bonded screen) with two.

Is this another example of fitting what was in stock? Since I'm still working on the shell, I could fit either and I assume that the two jets work better.

Mike

Re: A real anorak question!

PostPosted: Sun Nov 04, 2007 5:39 pm
by Foxie
Mike,

Both my 68 and 70 Plus Twos have two jet pods. these are in line with, and just outside the wipers bosses. The 68 pods are made of black plastic, with a single jet in a steel ball set in the pod.

The 70 pod is a chromed turret, with two chromed jets screwed in on each side at a diverging angle. i.e. a total of four jets.

Sean

Re: A real anorak question!

PostPosted: Sun Nov 04, 2007 6:50 pm
by mikealdren
Sean,
I've just got back from the Lotus Parts Fair and looked at a number of other cars. The cars I looked at have a mix of central or double jets and it doesn't seem to be related entirely to age!

Do your cars have electric washer pumps of manual push pumps?

Although both my cars (+2S and +2S/130) have single central jets and electric pumps, I'm thinking about fitting two jets for better coverage on my Zetec conversion.

Mike

Re: A real anorak question!

PostPosted: Sun Nov 04, 2007 11:43 pm
by Foxie
Mike,

I originally had an electric pump mounted on a small plastic reservoir on the lhs radiator mounting. I found the capacity too small for continental motorways, where overtaking a truck required continuous operation of the screen wash to prevent the screen greasing over from road spray, so I fitted a 2 litre reservoir from an e30 BMW, see photo. The electric pump is mounted on the inner wing next to the Kenlowe stat. I also fitted a Hella Variwipe, relayed the new wiper motor, and use the shorter 13" wiper blades so they they are much less likely to stick. And 4 jets are a definite advantage !

Sean

Re: A real anorak question!

PostPosted: Sun Nov 04, 2007 11:46 pm
by Foxie
Photo of screen wash reservoir !

Re: A real anorak question!

PostPosted: Mon Nov 05, 2007 12:25 am
by Lincoln62
I had a quick browse through my folder of Plus 2 photos and 90% of them have a single jet. I have photos of 1967's through to 1974's with the single jet. Maybe the double jet was done to satisfy a regulation in a particular market (the USA?).

Peter
66S2

Re: A real anorak question!

PostPosted: Mon Nov 05, 2007 9:22 am
by Elanintheforest
I think that, as a rule (!) the pre-S cars had two chrome washer units by the wiper spindles, each with two jets, and the S and 130 had the single chrome unit with two jets mounted between the air grilles. This is for UK cars, and I'm sure that a few 'S' cars had two units as they were being changed over.

Sean, your black plastic ones are probably S4 / Europa jets, which were either fitted at the factory because they'd run out of chrome ones, or the chrome ones were knackered and replaced in a restoration.
Mark

Re: A real anorak question!

PostPosted: Mon Nov 05, 2007 9:39 am
by Foxie
Elanintheforest wrote:Sean, your black plastic ones are probably S4 / Europa jets, which were either fitted at the factory because they'd run out of chrome ones, or the chrome ones were knackered and replaced in a restoration.
Mark


Well, the 68 car has not ben restored, so looks like a factory job.

Sean

Re: A real anorak question!

PostPosted: Mon Nov 05, 2007 12:51 pm
by mikealdren
Mark,
I thought so too but there seem to be a good few exceptions so I now wonder whether there is another explanation.

It could be that repairs on cars have produced the anomalies.

regards
Mike

Re: A real anorak question!

PostPosted: Mon Nov 05, 2007 2:05 pm
by Elanintheforest
I wonder if US or some European cars required 2 seperate units into the 130 build, and the 2-hole drilled shells sometimes used on a UK build? I've seen quite a few with the black plastic S4 / Europa jets, so I guess that whatever was in stock or even to hand was used. Another Lotus mystery :D

Sean, going off subject a little, does your car also have the metal thick chrome surround on the front windscreen? It has mystified me for a while that the first 100 or so Plus 2 cars had this surround, the old Classic - Capri windscreen surround, and as Ford had broken up the tooling, subsequent cars had the normal plastic insert into the rubber surround. Then came the 'S', some of which had the metal surround again. Then of course they went to a bonded screen, with the thick plastic surround.

Maybe Lotus just found an extra stock of chrome surrounds?

Mark

Re: A real anorak question!

PostPosted: Mon Nov 05, 2007 4:45 pm
by Foxie
Elanintheforest wrote:Sean, going off subject a little, does your car also have the metal thick chrome surround on the front windscreen?
Mark


The 68 +2 (Chassis no. 50/0993) has a rubber surround with the plastic insert, similar to the rear screen.

The 70 +2S (7005100255L) has the wide chromed insert. Looks nice, but a b***** to fit !

Sean

Re: A real anorak question!

PostPosted: Mon Nov 05, 2007 6:38 pm
by trw99
Lincoln62 wrote:I had a quick browse through my folder of Plus 2 photos and 90% of them have a single jet. I have photos of 1967's through to 1974's with the single jet. Maybe the double jet was done to satisfy a regulation in a particular market (the USA?).

Peter
66S2


I too have looked at the old road tests and found differently!

1967 to 1971 All road test cars had two screen washer nozzles -

LPW 120E
PAH 120F
RPW 444G
ABN 222 (US)
OLR 2215 (US)
MG 267 (Australia)
VAH 800H
YPW 400J
AVF 500J

Then those cars pictured from 1972 on have the single chrome nozzle, including US and UK cars.

Anorak off!

Re: A real anorak question!

PostPosted: Mon Nov 05, 2007 8:42 pm
by mikealdren
trw99,

I think you're basically right, early cars tend to have two jets and later ones, one.

The change was pre-1971 - my 1970 car has a single jet as have a number of other +2S that I have photographed.

I have photos of cars with bonded screens (hence later) with two nozzles and quite early cars with one but I suspect that they were the result of repairs.

I think I'll convert to two jets for better screen cleaning!

regards
Mike

Re: A real anorak question!

PostPosted: Mon Apr 08, 2013 8:39 am
by evansash
Wanting to replace washer jets but mine has a captive thread set in the body so the conventional washer jets with nut will not fit. Is this right or has someone fitted this as they are a pig to get to the nut? I can drill it out but thought worth checking first? thanks