Air Filter Box Fitment?

[supraholic]

I finally sourced an unmolested air filter housing from Lotusbits but it fouls on the plug on the back of the alternator.



Do I have the wrong alternator? Is the alternator installed incorrectly? Am I missing a spacer (the studs on the carbs have a bit of shank that would appear to need extra washers or a spacer)?

[John]

I'd remove the belt from your alternator and see if by lifting it higher you can clear the airbox. The existing belt may be shorter than standard.

The airbox should mount flush to the carb inlets. There's no gasket or spacer, and there should be trumpets on the inside that fit over the studs. They are fixed in place with plain nuts, shakeproof and plain washers. Access isn't great, I use a magnetic pickup tool to help locate the nuts and washers, take care not to drop any down the inlet tract! A flexi shaft socket driver is also useful.

Your alternator extends a little bit further back than mine, but mine isn't the original unit. Yours seems to have the correct spacer fitted.

Cheers

John

[supraholic]

Thanks I'll tinker with the belt this weekend. I have velocity stacks that came installed on the car but they are powder-coated blue, look unnecessarily tacky, and I'd assumed that they were aftermarket. Are they the same part number as the Esprit A907E6090H because I think I've found a source this side of the pond.

[John]

Hi Phil, yes the Excel lists the same part number for the trumpet.

Cheers

John

[tezzan]

Hi Phil

I saw your post and I thought I'd have a look at my alternator to see the difference. I've got an 84 LC model and I believe everything on it is original, including (I think) the original fit Valeo alternator.

My setup seems to be different to yours and I'm not sure why. I think my alternator sits lower than yours and below the airbox, so from my perspective your alernator should be lower, not higher. Also, your alternator bracketry (is that a word?) looks different to mine. I don't have this bracket on my car - see picture below:



Here's some pics of mine:







As you can see, there's just one engine mounting/bracket for the alternator. Not sure why - maybe the later HC engine had a different arrangement? Main thing to notice is that the alternator sits just below the airbox. Maybe you need a shorter alternator belt?

I'll also add my three haporth on the subject of the carb mounting bolts and studs. The nuts on mine are held using plain washers, nyloc nuts and loctite on the threads. It's probably an overkill using loctite as well as locking nuts, but the consequences of a nut coming loose are just too dramatic to chance it. SJ Sportscars use this approach when they do a rebuild so I do likewise. And John's right, it's a fiddly job and a flexi shaft for the sockets helps.

Cheers

[bash]

Is it aircon v no aircon re the bracket ?
Bash

[tezzan]

Is it aircon v no aircon re the bracket ?
Bash

Ah yes good point Bash - maybe that's the difference?

It'd be nice if some of us guys on here could take a quick pic of their setups, maybe from an 86 with and an 86 without A/C, for comparison?

[supraholic]

I do have an a/c compressor under there and its an SE.

[Hawaiis0]

Your airbox is correct ?

Not upside down? 2 clips atop, one central below? The image angle shows a slope with the end edge.

Heres mine 89 SA with AC. Very similar to yours on gap

[supraholic]

This is what the airbox which came with my Excel looks like. Notice the bodged fiberglass work?



I originally assumed that somebody did that to fit these aftermarket velocity stacks (or inlet trumpets if you prefer). They would not fit the stock airbox.



But now I'm not sure if they did all this ugly fiberglass work to clear the alternator or to fit the aftermarket stacks or what. Anyway, I'm trying to make it look nice again and not like a rat-rod.

[Excel SA]

Below is the parts diagram for the alternator - are you not missing some washers/spacers - items 3 or 17 - M8x16?



It will affect the lining-up of the fan-belt pullet I think....

Neil.

[MetBlue]

Does the rear of your alternator look like this Phil, particularly the main 12V heavy duty cable?


I recall Lotusbits once telling me that Esprit's have a slightly different alternator. It's identical to the Excel, except the position of the connectors, which fowl the airbox if an Esprit unit is fitted to Excels. From your first photo, the heavy brown cable looks to be much higher up.

[LotusMonkey]

In your original post, the airbox surface where the filter sits seems to have a very steep angle on it, when it should actually be parallel with the other surface at the back of the airbox - at least it is on my late SE. I've posted a couple of pictures below if useful, along with the part number printed on my airbox. That slope appears to be what is causing the obstruction for you, though it could just be the camera angle! It does also look as though at least one washer is missing from your alternator mounting too.

D

[supraholic]

Thanks everyone for the input and photos. Sorry for delayed response. I've been getting bandwidth exceeded the last few times I tried to log in. I've been tied up with more urgent problems than tinkering with my toy cars, but will try to get back on the Lotus this weekend and report back what I find in comparison.