Lotus Elan Central

ABS SYSTEM

Anyone who knows the Elan and all it's variants will tell you the car doesn't have ABS, it never came with ABS and those dam EBay ads are wrong! Well, that's not entirely true, the Elan was most definitely designed with ABS in mind, and there may even be a couple of cars out there with it still fitted to this day.

Every car has a partial fit, or a least some legacy components from it.

So where to start, I could come straight out with it....

"It's a Delco ABS system that was fitted to the Elan".... But where's the fun it that.

So, what got me started, it's that dam ABS light on the dashboard.

In addition why were there things on my car that were over engineered and not quite right or even have a different part number. There was only one way to find out, let's do a bit of digging and see where the story goes.

The ABS light turned out just to be a plastic filter with no bulb or filament holder, most probably a legacy item from the Vauxhall Calibra, but was it? Lotus were making subtle changes to every thing GM, so why not this...

And why was my '89 instrument cluster modified after the car was completed and more to the point what was actually modified.

So many questions...

There was only one thing to look at, the running gear and brakes...

let's start with the rear brakes...those oddities didn't stop.

Here's a photo of a genuine Lotus brake disk, why's the end machined down, there's no apparent reason... a legacy donor car I hear you cry....

And I say...I'm not compiling a thread about the ABS system for nothing, it's for Clemo

The stub axel has a funny cut out, again no apparent reason...

So far all these parts were fitted to every car, but did you even notice there were odd, if not wrong...

So it's onto the hub carrier,

Luckily I have a brand new one, cheap as chips from the Aftersales back in the day

Well, the post above seems a waste of time...

Now for the ultimate geeks, it's all about the first letter of the Part No... They normall start A100...

But this one didn't, this that means it's modified or changed... It's back to the car for another look, here's an original...

.... I know... Legacy car....

Are you beginning to believe me.... ABS on the Elan does excist

Let's assemble the odd stub axle and hub carrier backwards...

So that explains why it's there... It's designed to let the ABS sensor pass through

So it's back to that machined brake disk... We know what we're looking for... It's gotta be a phonic wheel or induction ring..And it's not there...

Luckily for me another member had an issue with his rear brakes, something had worked it's way loose and was causing an unusual noise, his mechanic removed it...

So let's try the same principle on the front...

I have a new carrier, the Aftersales saves the day again...

You guessed it... Modified... That dam Pt No has changed

Back to the car...

Another sensor mount

So we're looking for an induction ring on the drive shaft, these are made of plastic and normally crack and fall off on modern cars, I've yet to find one on an Elan, but other Lotus cars of the same era have similar systems.

I love it - great investigation!

I was certain mine has ABS when I bought it, in fact it was just seized calipers and sliding pins!

Joking aside, I don't feel like the car 'needs' ABS, but if there was a way of preventing violent/sudden lift-off oversteer (aside from driver training), then I could see the benefit of that as I've had a couple of 'surprises' from it - luckily only one on the public road and that quickly straightened when I let off the brakes.

Candles.

Specky wrote:So we're looking for an induction ring on the drive shaft, these are made of plastic and normally crack and fall off on modern cars, I've yet to find one on an Elan, but other Lotus cars of the same era have similar systems.

PM sent

dapinky wrote:

Specky wrote:So we're looking for an induction ring on the drive shaft, these are made of plastic and normally crack and fall off on modern cars, I've yet to find one on an Elan, but other Lotus cars of the same era have similar systems.

PM sent

Seen, just let me finish this bit.. Nearly done...

TTFN

So where were we....

In my mind I was looking for an ABS controller or wiring...

Well this is where my story stalls, I haven't got an ABS controller, but I may have the cars main wiring loom... I've not delved into its composition and probably never will, not unless I locate the pertinent wiring diagrams for the ABS.

There are no manuals which I can find which mention the ABS, the manuals are just the usual few versions which get passed around the Internet which seem readily available. The old and bold may have their original course notes, but I've only seen one handout, and it wasn't about brakes.

Have others experienced the Elans ABS... that'll be a yes.

I'll keep digging and see what more I can find

Ex Fastcat wrote:
I also only have memory of 1 Development Federal Elan in Yellow. Yellow was a late addition to the colour chart.
The first ones were not Norfolk mustard, but Camel Yellow as per the F1 team. We did some for the Federal launch fleet and we had one back at Hethel that was a general test vehicle. I did a trip round the UK in it that was ...memorable. We were testing a 6 CD stacker in the trunk and the Delco ABS. 1500 milwes in 1 weekend, roof down middle of winter to a test route chosen simply because we wanted to follow the route in the "Its Immaterial" track "Driving away from Home"!

thread approved ,
But requires more information !

Good stuff Sherlock!
You'll sort it, so here goes:


ABS DELCO retrofit kit groupby

1. HJ2 (just because, and I don't want to miss this golden opportunity)

HJ2 wrote:Good stuff Sherlock!
You'll sort it, so here goes:


ABS DELCO retrofit kit groupby

1. HJ2 (just because, and I don't want to miss this golden opportunity)

That''s brilliant

Looks like this:



Needs something like this:



BTW are you sure it's a Denso system and not AC Delco ABS-VI which is GM of the right vintage which is set up using the Tech 1 scanner?