1990 Red Excel

Thanks Pete.

One of my Excel's went for it's MOT on Monday, and Failed because the Nut had come Loose on the Front Lower Ball Joint. On investigation I found that even though they Both were Replaced back in late 2018, and it had been for 4 MOT's and Passed in each year and traveled less than 1500 miles. On Closer Inspection the Thread is now Damaged so am Replacing it. I can't remember where I found the Correct Torque Setting for it. I have looked in my Manual that has some Settings Listed, but not this one. I have also tried looking on the Net but again no Luck. Can someone Please tell me what the Correct Torque Setting should be, or where to Look. Thanks Ian.

Hi Guys I have a friend that has put a Rover V8 4.0 into his Excel ( I don't agree with doing this but each to there own ). He requires a new Oil Pressure Sender. The gauge he has is a Stewart Warner 0-100 psi which I think equates to 0-7 Bar. It has 240-33 ohms with low 20psi alarm ( what ever that means ) It also has a 1/8 NPT thread. Can anybody please tell me where to get a correct Oil Pressure Sender from. When I look there are so many sizes, types, threads and even prices from £10 - £100 So your help to find one would be most appreciated. Regards. Ian.

I have Split Rim Alloy wheels on my Excel the type that have Torx bolts all round the circumference about 30 in total. I intend to have some new tyres fitted, the size is 225/50R15 91V. My question is do the tyre fitters have to loosen all these bolts to get the old tyres off and the new ones on, or can they be fitted like conventional 15" alloy wheels? Thanks Ian.

I'm sure this has been asked before but I am still not clear as to the solution, for a low oil pressure. Can someone tell me how to get a higher Oil Pressure in my 1990 SE with a 912 engine. When I switch the Ignition on with a cold engine the 7 Bar VDO Gauge reads 0. On starting the cold engine the Gauge reads 3.5 Bar. When warmed up to about 80 degrees and car on the move, and drive about 15 miles the Gauge reads a constant 2.5 Bar. Now when I am stationary and with the engine running at 1000 rpm idle speed, the pressure drops into the Red sector on the gauge which is less than 1 Bar. That to me is very dangerous. I have fitted a Black 17W37 Oil Filter supplied by SJ Sports and used Castrol Edge 10W60 Synthetic Oil. Is there anyway of increasing the oil pressure to a higher pressure when warm and on a run, also more importantly when stationary at idle. Your help would be most appreciated. Ian.

Hi. Can anyone tell me where to get a Bendix Servo White Non Return Valve? I have tried everywhere, you can get the early Girling Black one ( A075J6081F ) for about £15 but the later Bendix one ( A089J6084F ) I can only find at SJ Sports at £61+. I know you can drill the nylon ball out and put a inline Valve in, but I don't know the size bore etcetera and also I would like to keep things standard. Many Thanks. Ian.

The Lotus excel.net site seems to have disappeared again. I know it was down over the Easter Weekend to be revamped. After that it could only be found on Google Chrome. Now that seems to have disappeared this last week or so, when I try to open it all I get is "509 Bandwidth Limit Exceeded". Can anyone help and tell me why I can't access the site anymore? I think I am still a member. Thanks. Ian.

What has happened to the Lotusexcel.net web site, since last week. It was a very good and useful site back when Angus run it. For some reason he left, and since then a few people were going to run it, but they found it wasn't as easy as thought. When the question of a small cost to members for admin, members didn't want to contribute. I was willing to pay a small amount but others were more bothered that someone might make a few quid, I wasn't bothered about that because the help on the site was unmeasurable. I have completed all the work on my 2 Excels and have now 4 cd's with hundreds of photos and two large ring binders with 600 detailed methods along with 2 cd's with manual and parts list. But with my experience thought I could still pass on advice. But it looks as if the site has finally died, shame. Ian

A very tidy Yellow one sold last week on Ebay for £4800 second time advertised and only one bidder at that so not many buyers out there for old 501 Elites most people want late Excels.

I am looking to replace both of my Wood Veneered Dash Panels on my 1990 Excel SE as the Center Panel has a crack in the lacquer also the compressed paper base is delaminating along with a twist I think due to dampness by the previous owner. The Dial Panel is also wavy so needs replacing as well due to the same damp issue. I want both replaced so the veneer wood matches. I have looked on here and all I have found are members covering the panels with all sorts of materials but none having new ones made. I have tried Lotusbits and they only have old ones. I have tried looking on the net but none list Lotus or only do kits to replace the veneer yourself. My question is can someone recommend any good companies that can use my old panels as templets and make new ones at a reasonable cost? Many Thanks. Ian.

Hi Paul I took your advice and pulled the leather trim back carefully, I thought there might be a molded piece under the leather that I could take off to put the wire under like other parts but alas no. So on further investigation I could see a gap between the leather piece and the windscreen, so tried a 4mm diameter piece of spare cable tucked down it and it fitted fine and well out of sight. So will be ordering my dash cam which also will have a separate rear camera as well. Just as a footnote I have already fitted a third high level flashing brake light, but the clowns still try to race me and cut me up when I am out so that is why I need a camera just in case as well. Thanks Ian.

Hi. Can anyone tell me how to remove the interior leather covered "A" pillar trim piece on the near side one on my 1990 Excel without damaging it, as I want to put a wire behind it from the rear view mirror and under the glove box as I want to put in a Dash Cam up there behind the mirror. It already has two radio wires behind it so thought I could put another one down there. I already have all the roof lining bits out at present as I am in the process of recovering them, when I receive the trim material from SJ. Thank. Ian.

Hi. Took my 1990 Excel out for a short run on Sunday as the outside temperature was about 20 degrees and dry for once. The engine temperature was reading at about 85 degrees constantly by the time I got home, drove into the driveway left the engine running while I opened the garage door on returning to drive car into garage noticed the temperature gauge was now up to over 100 degrees. I checked to see if both the radiator fans were working and they were both running fast, but both were running anti-clockwise when looking from the side pushing cool air towards the engine and not towards the radiator. My question is should the fans run anti-clockwise pushing cool air towards the engine and not towards the radiator as I thought the fans should cool the radiator? If the fans are working at the wrong direction how can I rectify them to work clockwise pushing cool air towards the radiator? Your help would much be appreciated . Ian.

I have a 1990 Excel SE and have been on the dedicated Excel forum to try and find out about two parts. The kind members on there have told me that one is a Throttle Jack Solenoid ( TJS ) and the other one is a Engine Speed Sensor Relay ( ESSR ) I have managed to find out that the ESSR is a Lotus part No. A910E6757F which is a Bosch 0280 230 103. But I am finding it very hard to find out what the TJS Lotus part No. is and who manufactures it. More important where I can buy the ESSR and TJS from. So I have come on here to see if anyone can help me track them down. Many Thanks Ian.

I did have the wheels on and car on the ground when I torqued the bolt up, but didn't have anybody in the car. Yes the suspension is the same on both the Excel and the Esprit as far as I know. Also I didn't loosen off any of the other suspension nuts on the arm bushes. I now ask if I loosen off the damper bolts again a bit and arm bush nuts a bit do I have to loosen all the bush nuts and do I have to replace all the nuts with new nylock ones? Or can I use what are on there as I am only slackening them off a bit? Can I still do each side one at a time with the wife just sat in each side in the front seat.