Lou R

Hi Steve, The metal door/dash/tunnel trims in my car were scratched up/marred - not likely that a polishing would benefit them. They weren't terrible but not good enough when everything else in the interior was brand new. Before I bought new replacements I decided to try and improve them a bit. I did the best I could to remove small dents (using a small punch) and gave them a slight sanding and applied a chrome-like silver spray. They don't look entirely original but after looking at them I have to say I've grown to like the matte finish and am planning to keep them. I've attached a couple photos to show you how they came out. Also, I'm pretty certain they're aluminum - easy to bend and non-magnetic. Lou R IMG_20240403_185143584.pdf IMG_20240403_185757198.pdf

Thanks. I guess the best solution is to remove the short fuel pump extension on the SJ assembly and replace it with a longer hose via barb fittings on each end. At least that way I can push the "T" into the cavity beneath the tank so it, at least, looks like a somewhat professional job. Lou R

I'd appreciate if someone could take a look at the attached photos and advise if this is the correct routing of the cross-tank/fuel pump line for an S2 (Federal). I purchased this hose assembly from SJ a number of months ago and it isn't a very comfortable fit at all. I would have thought Lotus would have done something different but, of course, I may have installed it wrong so any clarification would be appreciated. The stainless steel line that exits the pump and crosses the chassis is fine - the problem is with the feed line to the pump and the corresponding tank lines - it's a sloppy fit ! I wish I'd have made my own line - I likely would have made it differently ! Thanks, Lou R

Mike, Thanks for your comments. I went out to the car the other day to wrap this up but after reviewing your comments vs. the diagram provided by JONWAT (copy attached) it only became more confusing. The diagram is for a Turbo Esprit but it doesn't seem likely to me that Lotus would have altered the plumbing between the S2 and the Turbo. Consequently, I routed the hoses as per this drawing. If I'm reading your comments correctly you advise routing the hose from the core to the chassis pipe, which, according to the diagram routes to the left side chassis pipe (looking forward from behind the car). And the hose from the water valve routes to the right side chassis pipe. If I route the hoses through the body as per your comments they will cross each other. Am I missing something ? I don't think this is a RHD vs. LHD issue. Thanks, Lou R Esprit Heater Plumbing.pdf

Steve, Sounds right and I would take note of NG5's comments on lubing the grommets. I didn't and the friction from the tubes would push the grommets in/out of the chassis as I was trying to fit them. Not a big deal but a bit of a pain. You can do it either way (grommets on pipes first or installed in chassis first) but NG5's way sounds a bit easier. Lou R

Hi Steve, I placed the chassis pipes in my car while the body was off - it was a very simple job to do at that point in time. It was much easier, for example, to install the grommets on each pipe while the body was off. Otherwise, it can get a bit difficult working in such cramp quarters. Regardless of when you place them in the chassis I doubt you'll have any issues with the shifter mechanism. Access is so much better when the body is off. Lou R

Jon, Steve, Thanks for the clarification. As you noted it looks like the drawing is for a later model but I should be able to work it out. The primary difference is the water valve - on my car it is attached to the top of the pedal box and the attaching bracket forces it to lay over on its side which means I'll have to use different hoses than what's shown on the drawing. Looks like the guy who worked on my car at the factory fell asleep at the switch. After a closer inspection it appears they drilled 4 holes to route the hoses to the heater pipes that traverse the chassis. Not very precise but at least they can't be seen unless the car is somewhat disassembled. Steve, After some searching I located a hole in the area you noted. I was able to push the 2 connectors with cables through and attach them as per your photo. I was afraid I was going to have to remove the heater/A/C unit (again). Luckily though I didn't so this all ended very well. Thanks, Lou R

Hi Everyone, Can someone please provide some clarification on how to connect the various hoses that run to/from the heater ? I've attached a photo which shows (2) access holes - presumably for the heater hoses from the chassis pipes ? I'm assuming the hole on the left (in the photo) is for the hose from the right side pipe (that runs through the chassis as you view it from behind the car) and the opposite side access hole (in the photo) is for the left side pipe that runs through the chassis (the return side ?). There is a 3rd access hole to the right of the 2 holes in the photo - it's out of sight. Not sure what that hole is for but am pretty curious. I'm further confused on how to connect the various hoses to the heater water valve and the 2 inlet/outlet ports on the heater matrix inside the heater box. No luck in finding any previous posts on this subject - those that I could find were very old and the photos were no longer viewable. All I was able to find was a reference that the 2 chassis pipes utilized formed 90 degree hoses (with the 90 degree bend at the chassis pipes) to get to the heater box. Can someone please clarify how to interconnect the hoses from the chassis to the water valve and the matrix ? Also, in the photo you can see how the heater blower motors are connected - the routing of the wires to the motors seems awkward. Is there a different way the factory routed these wires ? I realize they can't be seen when the cover is installed but I think I'm more curious than worried when I look at how I currently routed them. Thanks, Lou R Access Holes 1.pdf

Hi Alistair, My photos agree with the photo posted by Jonathan. Lou R Coil 2.pdf

Hi Steve, Thanks for clearing that up. Good advice on incorporating a relay into the wiring for the compressor. The only problem I have is finding a location to place the relay and tapping into the fuse box for the relay power. Sounds simple enough but I much prefer to avoid drilling any extra holes that weren't put there at the factory. I've already added extra relays for the fans (which had an impact on the A/C wiring requiring an additional pink wire to the extra relays and an extra diode) and plan to add an additional 4 relays for the windows and 3 more (I think) for the headlights. So far I've had to drill a number of non-factory holes to accommodate cooling fan relays and circuit breakers (in the boot for accessibility) and I'm certain that will increase as I look to complete the various other installations. I'll look tomorrow and see if I can find a convenient location for the new compressor relay. Thanks again for your help. Lou R

Good Afternoon All, I've run into some confusion on the Air Con wiring on my Federal 1979 S2. Specifically, I can't seem to figure out how to connect the Thermistor wiring to the wiring depicted on the Wiring Diagram. The Thermistor has 5 wires that are supposed to terminate with the various wires indicated on the Wiring Diagram. The (2) White/Black wires attached to the Thermistor and are designated to terminate with the White/Black wires on the wiring diagram (temp sensor) - no problem there. Similarly, the single Black wire can assumed to be a Ground wire so I can easily connect that to the Ground junction - again, no problem. The problem arises with the remaining (1) Red and (1) Green wires. One of these wires needs to connect to the Yellow/Green wire that lands at the Fuse Box and the other has to connect with the (2) Pink wires that connect to the Fan Relay and the Air Con Compressor. I've looked at the Thermistor wiring carefully and cannot determine how these wires interconnect with the wires as depicted on the Wiring Diagram. If there were wires attached to the Pot I could logically assume they would attach to the Pink wires (that run to the Fan Relay and Compressor) as shown on the Wiring Diagram - no such luck ! I believe the wires attached to the Thermistor are original. Can anyone provide some insight on this ? Thank you, Lou R

Thanks everyone for the advice - I'm glad I asked ! I'm still not clear on where to ground the fuel tanks - can an anyone offer some advice on how/where Lotus did this ? My review of the layout isn't clear on where to land the grounds. I don't have the engine earth strap yet from SJ but I should be able to attach it to the chassis (per Tim's advice) and land the opposite end on one of the the bell housing bolts. Lastly, I'll have to look at the seats at a later date to see if there is a logical location to land both ends of the strap - that may be a ways off yet. Thanks for the responses. Lou R

Hi All, I was reviewing SJ's parts list and came across a couple of items that have confused me. Specifically, the Engine Earth Strap (A026M0039Z) and the Fuel Tank/Seat Earth Straps (B079M4094F). Regarding the Engine Earth Strap it seems somewhat odd the engine has to be grounded since it would appear to already be grounded via the engine/transaxle. Is there a specific reason the engine is grounded and if so where are the ends of the strap terminated ? Basically the same issue with the Fuel Tank/Seat Earth Straps. I realize it's good practice to ground the tanks but the straps provided by SJ seem to be about 5-6" long - I don't see where they could be grounded to the chassis assuming the other end is attached to the tank mounting bolt. And why do the seats require grounding ? Any ideas ? Thanks, Lou R

Eric, I've never seen that drawing before where the services ports are actually shown. It looks like the ports are located just aft of the bulkhead plate (#40) but before the grommets (#50) which are installed on the body. This would seem to indicate the ports are actually underneath the right hand fuel tank ! If that's the case there is no way to access them (unless you try accessing them from the 2 large cutouts in the body below the tank). I've spoken to an A/C specialist regarding the high side service port and they advised it would be OK to install it on the output side of the Drier. It might be best to simply follow Lotus' diagram and install both ports at the Compressor (?). Looks like I'm getting wrapped up in the usual problem - too many "internet experts" offering advice which often is contradictory to others' advice ! Thanks for sharing the drawing. Lou R

Steve, Good point. In my case I've replaced everything except the Evaporator (which I had pressure tested). The Compressor, Condenser, Drier and the Expansion Valve (and all of the hoses) are all new so hopefully there won't be any problems as you've described. But I will ensure to be extra vigilant the first few times I run the A/C to ensure it is operating as it should. Then, of course, I will have to ensure I'm diligently following all maintenance as a precaution. Lou R