Hood/Top adjustment

[lotusrepair]

Still sorting out the new car. I noticed the diagonal brace on the right side is not locking in place. The left side locks straight but the right side stays at a slight angle. I try to straighten it to lock in place but it goes back to the slight angle. I know this brace helps keep pressure on the rear seal and pulls the top seal down for the window.

Can I adjust this or is something broken?

Chris

[Rice crispy]

If you look in your car at where the end of the bar is near point 5 and 7 in the picture you posted the is an cam that you can adjust to get it to lock.
David

[lotusflasherman]

Still sorting out the new car. I noticed the diagonal brace on the right side is not locking in place. The left side locks straight but the right side stays at a slight angle. I try to straighten it to lock in place but it goes back to the slight angle. I know this brace helps keep pressure on the rear seal and pulls the top seal down for the window.

Can I adjust this or is something broken?

Chris

First thing to check is whether all the countersunk setscrews in the frame are in place and tight. In 20 years of Elan ownership I've had a few drop out as I've been driving. The Allen Key in the tool kit is the right size to tweak them up.
Where you are pointing the red arrow there is a setscrew with an eccentric bush that adjusts the locking of the brace. Suggest you compare how that is set on one side to the other...

[dapinky]

Additionally, if the cam mechanism isn't actually touching the bar at the full extent of it's travel, no amount of adjustment will fix the issue.....

..... I had this on one of mine and needed to 'shorten' the forward round-section springy bar by taking it off and bending it just a tad (if you're looking at it all, it should be obvious which bit i mean - it's the bar running above 5-7 in your diagram, above the rubber seal) - this should give a bit more tension on the whole mechanism and straighten out the rear bars.

Trial and error may well be necessary to get it right!

[lotusrepair]

I did notice that the hinge point just above the center of the door is different on each side of the car. The left side has a bushing on the pin and that side works correctly. The right side has no bushing on the pin and is the problem.

Chris

[lotusflasherman]

I did notice that the hinge point just above the center of the door is different on each side of the car. The left side has a bushing on the pin and that side works correctly. The right side has no bushing on the pin and is the problem.

Chris

That's a setscrew and bush that has landed on my lap after a trip through Paris on their 'pavé' (cobbled) streets. Have a look under the drivers seat - bush might still be there. Without the bush the circular rod that goes rearward might not be at the correct angle and it does play a part in getting the brace to lock - just been out to my car to wiggle mine around.

[lolaman]

Whilst pulling up the hood today the frame went askew and broke off the o/s B post cover. A bolt has gone missing from the frame (near the big spring)
and has probably dropped down through the area covered by the post cover as I could see a large washer lying there before it dropped out of sight.

How do I get access into this area to retrieve the missing bits?

Alternatively are the components available from someone?

[Brit-Car-Nut]

You can get to that area by disassembling the interior behind the seats / rear speakers.

Shelf.jpg

Which version of "B" Post Cap do you have?

B-Post.jpg

These are available from Wayne:
http://www.elanm100.com/web-shop

Which Bolt do you mean?

Top-Frame.jpg

These are available from Lotus.

[mj2326]

Hi I'm here on behalf of a friend he got the car valeted to take down to the silverstone classic at the weekend but when he got the car back the rear of the hood does not sit flush on the panel. We got some advice off someone at the event to try pushing the rear bars to get them to lock as they become stiff over time. If I push the bars it does lock the roof but soon as I let go they just break again. I've tried adjusting the little cam lock on them to no joy. Is there anything else I can be looking at.

Thanks

Mike j

[lolaman]

Thanks for the information and the drawings, they are a great help.

I've placed an order with Wayne for the B post clips.

Cheers,

Seamus