New comer - Progress (edit)

If you spot one, shame them into owning up!!
If you are new to the Lotus position introduce yourself here. Please try to keep your the post to your introduction and your initial question/problems to the right formum.

Moderator: Board Moderators

User avatar
Hawaiis0
Senior Poster
Posts: 4130
Joined: Sun Jun 30, 2013 18:39
Model: Excel SA (No 3); Elite 504
Colour: BRG; Dirty White
Year: 1986
Location: West Oxfordshire

Re: New comer - Progress (edit)

Post by Hawaiis0 »

Thanks for the observation Peter.

It is a single track road but I will monitor it.

It's also the wrong colour :)
Nothing is fool proof. Fools are clever!

User avatar
Hawaiis0
Senior Poster
Posts: 4130
Joined: Sun Jun 30, 2013 18:39
Model: Excel SA (No 3); Elite 504
Colour: BRG; Dirty White
Year: 1986
Location: West Oxfordshire

Re: New comer - Progress (edit)

Post by Hawaiis0 »

Pete Boole wrote:Now that looks impressive! Any probs with glare to oncoming drivers? The dipped beam cutoff looks really sharp.

Pete
Fully loaded boot took the beam off target. Lots of annoyed drivers. Adjustment required.
Nothing is fool proof. Fools are clever!

Pete Boole
Senior Poster
Posts: 3711
Joined: Tue Apr 04, 2006 21:28
Model: Elite
Colour: Monaco White
Year: 1974
Location: Nottingham

Re: New comer - Progress (edit)

Post by Pete Boole »

Hawaiis0 wrote:
Pete Boole wrote:Now that looks impressive! Any probs with glare to oncoming drivers? The dipped beam cutoff looks really sharp.

Pete
Fully loaded boot took the beam off target. Lots of annoyed drivers. Adjustment required.
Interesting. Could you introduce a double-position buffer so you end up with two pod positions to cover such a situation?

Pete

User avatar
Hawaiis0
Senior Poster
Posts: 4130
Joined: Sun Jun 30, 2013 18:39
Model: Excel SA (No 3); Elite 504
Colour: BRG; Dirty White
Year: 1986
Location: West Oxfordshire

Re: New comer - Progress (edit)

Post by Hawaiis0 »

Dash out to replace out of alignment clock; fix cigar illumination; replace dimmer; restore dash illumination

sorry it's blurred

Image

5:30 o'clock
Image

Bulb supply lead not connected
Image

How they should be
Image

How they shouldn't be! - no guts inside, or any wires!
Image

Dash now properly illuminated to factory standard but not dimming - yet!

Image
Nothing is fool proof. Fools are clever!

User avatar
Lotus-e-Clan
Senior Poster
Posts: 4454
Joined: Thu Nov 30, 2006 13:25
Model: Excel SE - EWP/Waterless!
Colour: Not Blue or Green
Year: 1989
Location: Swaledale

Re: New comer - Progress (edit)

Post by Lotus-e-Clan »

What happened to your dimmer?

Many, many, years ago I turned my dimmer for the the first time ever and it smoked a tad :shock: . So I quickly turned it back to where it was and it stopped smoking and haven't dared touch it since!
Peter K

User avatar
Hawaiis0
Senior Poster
Posts: 4130
Joined: Sun Jun 30, 2013 18:39
Model: Excel SA (No 3); Elite 504
Colour: BRG; Dirty White
Year: 1986
Location: West Oxfordshire

Re: New comer - Progress (edit)

Post by Hawaiis0 »

Lotus-e-Clan wrote:What happened to your dimmer?

Many, many, years ago I turned my dimmer for the the first time ever and it smoked a tad :shock: . So I quickly turned it back to where it was and it stopped smoking and haven't dared touch it since!
The PO must of had something similar to you as he has taped the wires together behind the dash. They were hard on max brightness. I'm still looking for the wires !
Nothing is fool proof. Fools are clever!

User avatar
Hawaiis0
Senior Poster
Posts: 4130
Joined: Sun Jun 30, 2013 18:39
Model: Excel SA (No 3); Elite 504
Colour: BRG; Dirty White
Year: 1986
Location: West Oxfordshire

Re: New comer - Progress (edit)

Post by Hawaiis0 »

It's only took me 6 years to do this fix :shock:
Nothing is fool proof. Fools are clever!

User avatar
Hawaiis0
Senior Poster
Posts: 4130
Joined: Sun Jun 30, 2013 18:39
Model: Excel SA (No 3); Elite 504
Colour: BRG; Dirty White
Year: 1986
Location: West Oxfordshire

Re: New comer - Progress (edit)

Post by Hawaiis0 »

2/4 fixes done.

Disappointed as the mis-aligned clock replacement doesn't go past 4:30 :( . Old one will go back in within the next 6 years.

Dimmer switch still to do as couldn't find the loom :shock: :oops:
Nothing is fool proof. Fools are clever!

User avatar
Lotus-e-Clan
Senior Poster
Posts: 4454
Joined: Thu Nov 30, 2006 13:25
Model: Excel SE - EWP/Waterless!
Colour: Not Blue or Green
Year: 1989
Location: Swaledale

Re: New comer - Progress (edit)

Post by Lotus-e-Clan »

That would annoy me too. :(

So much so that I'd .. :idea: ... drill a little pilot hole in the top (12 o'clock) and bottom (5.5 o'clock) of the case ..trap the 12 o'clock minute hand with a 'pin rod', then flick the hour hand with a pin rod through @ 5.5 o'clock to push the hour hand to 6 o'clock.

Or just drill one pin hole at 12 o'clock (to accept two pins) ..turn the misaligned hands to 12 o'clock, trap the hour hand with one pin and flick the minute hand into position with the other pin.

Mastic the pin hole(s) and jobs a good-un. :D
Peter K

User avatar
Hawaiis0
Senior Poster
Posts: 4130
Joined: Sun Jun 30, 2013 18:39
Model: Excel SA (No 3); Elite 504
Colour: BRG; Dirty White
Year: 1986
Location: West Oxfordshire

Re: New comer - Progress (edit)

Post by Hawaiis0 »

The thought is already there :D . Ill report later :wink:
Nothing is fool proof. Fools are clever!

User avatar
Hawaiis0
Senior Poster
Posts: 4130
Joined: Sun Jun 30, 2013 18:39
Model: Excel SA (No 3); Elite 504
Colour: BRG; Dirty White
Year: 1986
Location: West Oxfordshire

Re: New comer - Progress (edit)

Post by Hawaiis0 »

Lotus-e-Clan wrote:That would annoy me too. :(

So much so that I'd .. :idea: ... drill a little pilot hole in the top (12 o'clock) and bottom (5.5 o'clock) of the case ..trap the 12 o'clock minute hand with a 'pin rod', then flick the hour hand with a pin rod through @ 5.5 o'clock to push the hour hand to 6 o'clock.

Or just drill one pin hole at 12 o'clock (to accept two pins) ..turn the misaligned hands to 12 o'clock, trap the hour hand with one pin and flick the minute hand into position with the other pin.

Mastic the pin hole(s) and jobs a good-un. :D
Update:
The hands spookily were exactly 180 degrees out to the clock face. A quick 1.5mm hole, lock the hand and done


Image

Image
Nothing is fool proof. Fools are clever!

User avatar
Lotus-e-Clan
Senior Poster
Posts: 4454
Joined: Thu Nov 30, 2006 13:25
Model: Excel SE - EWP/Waterless!
Colour: Not Blue or Green
Year: 1989
Location: Swaledale

Re: New comer - Progress (edit)

Post by Lotus-e-Clan »

Nice One! I like when a plan comes together! 8)
Peter K

User avatar
Hawaiis0
Senior Poster
Posts: 4130
Joined: Sun Jun 30, 2013 18:39
Model: Excel SA (No 3); Elite 504
Colour: BRG; Dirty White
Year: 1986
Location: West Oxfordshire

Re: New comer - Progress (edit)

Post by Hawaiis0 »

Suspension Saga

When one buys new rear shocks and standard springs, make sure the spring seat ordered is also for the rear. Whilst I was swapping out the 2.5 inch coil over springs for standard 3.25 inch springs I hit a little hiccup. I didn't have the correct parts. So I had to bodge it as I was borrowing a friends ramp 120 miles from home. Basically, to recover a drive able car, I had to mix the off coming rear coil over 2.5 inch spring seats with the new 'Front' 3.25 inch seat to get me home. The internal diameters of the seat aperture to chassis are different front and back and as I was going to a different spring size I was screwed.

This picture shows on the left, the 2.5 adapter and front seat I had to cobble together to enable a 3.25 inch spring fit and on the right the standard seat size. Quiet a ride height difference.

Image

This picture shows the 3.25 seat with small internal diameter that wont fit the rear chassis mount; the 3.25 to 2.5 inch convertor from the off coming set up and an original rear seat

Image

This picture shows the temporary ride height due to the bodge, with the before and after spring position

Image

I minced about a bit and have took all afternoon to do one side and will do the other rear tomorrow. Then the fronts need new springs. Going to use Lotusbits new 2.5inch Eibachs on the current coil overs. Dampers are still ok (at the moment) which should eliminate the coil bound situation I suffered from.
Nothing is fool proof. Fools are clever!

User avatar
Lotus-e-Clan
Senior Poster
Posts: 4454
Joined: Thu Nov 30, 2006 13:25
Model: Excel SE - EWP/Waterless!
Colour: Not Blue or Green
Year: 1989
Location: Swaledale

Re: New comer - Progress (edit)

Post by Lotus-e-Clan »

Crikey! :shock:

I feel for you. :)

Looking forward to part two... and a happy camper. 8)
Peter K

User avatar
Hawaiis0
Senior Poster
Posts: 4130
Joined: Sun Jun 30, 2013 18:39
Model: Excel SA (No 3); Elite 504
Colour: BRG; Dirty White
Year: 1986
Location: West Oxfordshire

Re: New comer - Progress (edit)

Post by Hawaiis0 »

A limitation with AVO shocks (old design - may be different now) has stalled progress.

A mangled allen socket which holds the top strut whilst locking - or in my case un-doing, has resulted in having to cut out the old spring and split/grind the top nut out.

Lotusbits have kindly provided at short notice, secondhand replacement dampers so I can be a little more heavy handed moving forward.

Took a moment during the lull to be attentive to the wife during 3 episodes of "say yes to the dress".

I re-enter driveway isolation tomorrow after such heroic deeds.
Nothing is fool proof. Fools are clever!

Post Reply