The Lotus Grand Tourers

Any suggestions what replacement gas is best, or if a compression jet conversion is available to allow use of a newer type gas? The Excel air-con system has always been a bit under-powered so I don't want make it even worse by using a less efficient gas.

I had mine converted to something a bit more legal last year :

http://www.lotusexcel.net/phpbb/viewtop ... ght=aircon


Works very well.

Took a simpler appraoch.....

Took it out.

I'd lost gas due to the radiator splitting.
So pulled the pipes etc out.
Makes access easier without pipework and saved about 15Kg in weight.
(not that you'd notice that )

Not really missed it, and that was some 18mths ago.

Any lotus dealer should be able to regass it with a alternative to the original gas without further ado, had mine done 3 years ago, needs doing again now but i'm sure it won't be a big hassle

RS-24 or R49 are drop in alternatives for the original R12 ...

Wow. Removal of aircon is .... well sacrilige to an Aussie Excel owner (think.....removal of heater!). Luckily mine had factory aircon and it cost me about the same as Angus ($A350) to get it recommissioned with new type of ozone-friendly gas. It's not a big investment, keeps the beast original and the aircon on later Excels is top quality gear, being Supra-sourced.

Whatever you do, don't ever throw the parts away. They would be much in demand for owners in warmer climates.

Robert

Living in the south of england i find the car can get very hot and uncomfortable in the summer, problem here is the roads can get quite busy and progress can easily be stop/start and slow, on a hot day i find myself getting stuck to the seat, getting a sweaty back etc, not pleasant

I guess if you need it or not really depends on how hot it gets in the summer and how conjested the roads in youe area are

Jerry wrote:Dave
Did you remove the guts in the footwell/dash area as well? if you did any chance you can share the "how"??

The bits under the bonnet came out, surprised how heavy the pump was.
Did look to remove the condensor in the dash.
As it's part of the air vent lines I just left it in place.

[/quote]

The bits under the bonnet came out, surprised how heavy the pump was.
Did look to remove the condensor in the dash.
As it's part of the air vent lines I just left it in place.[/quote]

Would be a lot easier if the dash had a removable panel like its Supra counterpart

Mine had lost all it's gas, so I removed all the bonnet bits, rad, compressor, etc. but disconnected the pipes at the bulkhead, and made some pipe seals.
You may get hottter, but you have 10% more power"""

It would be simple enough to add a throttle switch to cut the compressor on full throttle if you want that 10% plus aircon ... then effectively all you're driving is a free wheeling idler pulley!

I used to have an Audi A3 that did that, the compressor clutch disengaged on acceleration. Brilliant. Probably a vacuum switch of some sort.
Robert

My ECU for the injection has some spare configurable outputs, so I could use on of those based on throttle pos / vac or almost any other engine parameter .. if I *ever* get it finished!

Jerry wrote:Dave

On another note are you thinking of a meet in the next few weeks??

I've pm'd you.

This may sound like a dum question but does the aircon still drain engine power when it's switched off?