Hood steel-structure drawing anyone?

[Mcclure]

For my M100 coming out of restoration :

Does any one have a measured drawing (or even an accurate schematic drawing) for the soft top structural configuration? I haven't found anything on the forum or in the manuals and don't know of a sister car nearby to compare with (I live in France between Rouen and Paris).

My local soft-top specialist, armed with a copy of the LEC adjustment instructions, cannot get the hood to sit straight and figures the setup is somehow awry. He says that the suggested adjustment system (2 x 3 8mm bolts, daiagonal bolt, cam disk...) has little effect and suspects that either a couple of pieces are missing or misaligned : for instance, the two torsional double-springs don't appear to serve any purpose.

Any help would be welcome.

Bert

[lotusflasherman]

Don't know what the LEC instructions are but I fitted a blue S2 hood to my SE and it took a quite bit of fiddling around to get it near correct. I used the information in the Lotus Service Manual.

Service Manual Section BK pages 29 & 30 was their first attempt at explaining hood adjustment and that is shown in the Index but they produced a BK Addendum and pages 59 to 66 is all about hood adjustment and seals. Page 60 shows the wedges you have to make up for the adjuster bolts to push against.

I found it easier to remove the front catches and mark their centre with a chinagraph pencil and mark on the windscreen. That allowed the adjustments made at the rear to move the hood across the windscreen and I could see what was happening. Adjusting the bolts on the left side rear seems to make more difference to the right front position and vice versa so it involves a bit of walking around the car. Perhaps your specialist hasn't noticed that.

My window glass still doesn't sit tight against the seals in a couple of places near the B pillar but it doesn't produce wind noise or let rain in so that's how I've left it.

[Nickydee]

I and a number of others on the forum have found the careful use of this specialist Hood realignment tool to be effective.

[Mcclure]

Thanks for the helpful information. A couple notes and a couple of questions remain :
Notes :
- the double springs assist in heaving the soft top out of its well and they do function in my case.
- for some reason moving the six adjusting bolts doesn't result in major position change - retaining bolts are loosened
- when fully closed, the two struts' eccentric disks barely touch their supposed support points
Questions
1. Several Forum posts mention "making wedges" in conjunction with the adjustable, box-shaped main support structures but I cannot identify anything on my supports I would consider a "wedge"; could someone give me a better idea (or photo) of the wedge, its purpose and where it should be hiding?
2. There are also two cylinder-headed bolts attached to a vertical flange on the interior edge of both of the soft-top's adjustable structure frames. Does anyone have an idea what purpose these two bolts serve? Both look as though they should attach something. But what?
I will send a photo to anyone interested.
(I take the point about the suggested high-tech adjusting tool - never far from any workbench - even though E. Bugatti is said to have fired any mechanic found using one in his shop!)

[muley]

I and a number of others on the forum have found the careful use of this specialist Hood realignment tool to be effective.

Jim

[lotusflasherman]

Thanks for the helpful information. A couple notes and a couple of questions remain :
Notes :
- the double springs assist in heaving the soft top out of its well and they do function in my case.
- for some reason moving the six adjusting bolts doesn't result in major position change - retaining bolts are loosened
- when fully closed, the two struts' eccentric disks barely touch their supposed support points
Questions
1. Several Forum posts mention "making wedges" in conjunction with the adjustable, box-shaped main support structures but I cannot identify anything on my supports I would consider a "wedge"; could someone give me a better idea (or photo) of the wedge, its purpose and where it should be hiding?
2. There are also two cylinder-headed bolts attached to a vertical flange on the interior edge of both of the soft-top's adjustable structure frames. Does anyone have an idea what purpose these two bolts serve? Both look as though they should attach something. But what?
I will send a photo to anyone interested.
(I take the point about the suggested high-tech adjusting tool - never far from any workbench - even though E. Bugatti is said to have fired any mechanic found using one in his shop!)

"for some reason moving the six adjusting bolts doesn't result in major position change" .... remember I said "remove the front catches and mark their centre with a chinagraph pencil and mark on the windscreen. That allowed the adjustments made at the rear to move the hood across the windscreen" - have the front catches been removed ? - you can't just undo them as the peg still sits in the hole and the hood doesn't move while adjustment is made - but when it's then lifted it goes miles out - or kilometres in your case.. Also you can't adjust the vertical position with the vertical long bolt without wedges in place !

So to answer point (1.) The wedges are home made, not part of the hood nor a Lotus tool.
Download a copy of the Service Manual here ....www.lotusm100.com/manuals/Elan-M100-Service-Manual-v6.pdf
Then open it as a pdf file and Page 217 & 218 shows the shape of the wedges and how to use them.

Are you talking about the eccentric disc that controls the force that the rear of the hood makes on the hood cover panel ?.... these in middle of photo here -

hood 0.jpg

[Mcclure]

Phil,
After fishing in several manuals and not having chosen the correct one, I only found sketchy materials. So, many thanks for the speedy and ultra-pertinent reply. I use schematic plans and diagrams in my work (architect-urban planner) so this material, plus your helpful advice, will put me on the right track.
Yes, the cam-disk I was referring is that of your photo.
I will get on to the problem quickly, profiting from this (rainy) weekend.
Thanks again,
Bert