Isuzone Member from SoCal

[GEOsuzu]

As all of you know, we share the same 4XE1W-T motor.

I stumbled across this post on google:

http://www.lotuselancentral.com/forum/v ... sc&start=0

....and was asking to see if more are in the works to be made. I am a retired Marine helo mech and I am slowly restoring my 91 Impulse RS and I want this same setup from my RS. I sent a PM to the originator of the post asking if there is going to another run, but no reply as of yet. Can someone let him know he has a PM, thanks. Anyones assistance is greatly appreciated and happy to be here.

[tweetdriver63]

Does the Impulse RS have the same exhaust setup as we do? I used to have an Impulse XS (non-turbo).

Anyway, there's another route you can take to remove the restriction of the pre-cat, by pulling yours and cleaning it out. I don't mean just making it clean, I mean hollowing it out.

There's a write-up here.

Just another option you can try that won't cost any money at all.

[Enright]

Does the Impulse RS have the same exhaust setup as we do? I used to have an Impulse XS (non-turbo).

That makes me wonder too. The Impulse looks to be a much larger car than the Elan, and I would have thought that the front sub-frame/chassis components were completely different. Therefore because the exhaust wouldn't have to hurdle over the non-existent prongeron, it would most likely be completely different after the pre-cat.
Having said that, the topic in question covered both Pre-Cat Eliminator AND downpipe, so it was a bit confusing. I guess in hindsight Geosuzu must be referring to the PCE.

Anyway, there's another route you can take to remove the restriction of the pre-cat, by pulling yours and cleaning it out. I don't mean just making it clean, I mean hollowing it out.

There's a write-up here.

Just another option you can try that won't cost any money at all.

Good point Tweet. And furthermore, having got that far you could always take it to a machine shop and get them to open it's bottom hole (pardon?!?) out to between 2 1/4 and 2 1/2". Still a cheap but very effective fix.

[GEOsuzu]

Our PCE is the same as yours. Its the same Isuzu motor you have under your hood and both our cars motors came from the Fujisawa plant in Japan. Yours is stamped Isuzu-Lotus, mine is stamped Isuzu on the valve cover. The Elan got a different turbo piping and intake routing setup and also how your exhaust bends out from underneath the car from straight pipe, other than that we have the same setup.

Correct, I am interested in the Pre-Cat Eliminator AND downpipe posted by Nitroman.

Remember here in the US we have smog emissions and especially here in California the EPA is strict about catalytic converter stuff, so most likely I will not be able to to do much with the PRECAT although I would love to. My stock OEM exhaust is 2" diameter all the back to the muffler, not sure if the Elan was a bigger 2.25 or 2.50 so there, so there maybe a steel step-up plate on the back side of the PCE to except the larger diameter. I do want to purchase the Nitroman "Buy In" of the Pre-Cat, downpipe, and straight pipe w/flex.

[tweetdriver63]

I'm sure legally replacing with the pre-cat eliminator would have the same ramifications as hollowing out the pre-cat. Others in Cal have done it and have no problems passing emissions. You probably wouldn't be able to find a shop that would do it for you, but you can do it yourself and nobody would ever know. Do the state inspectors dismantle your exhaust system to inspect it, or just test the emissions? Personally, since you have to take the thing out either way, I would just save the money and gut the pre-cat for the same effect. It's something I plan to do to mine whenever I get 'round to it. I have other, more pressing repairs/upgrades taking priority right now.

My valve cover used to be stamped "Isuzu-Lotus," now it's just "Lotus." I went from a car with just "Isuzu," to one with "Isuzu-Lotus," to "Lotus." I guess the next step is no stamp at all????

[Monty]

Yours is stamped Isuzu-Lotus, mine is stamped Isuzu on the valve cover. The Elan got a different turbo piping and intake routing setup and also how your exhaust bends out from underneath the car from straight pipe, other than that we have the same setup.
.

Not the only difference, the cylinder head setup is different too IIRC our head is of the 1.8 then tuned my Lotus

[nitroman]

Personally, since you have to take the thing out either way, I would just save the money and gut the pre-cat for the same effect. It's something I plan to do to mine whenever I get 'round to it. I have other, more pressing repairs/upgrades taking priority right now.

The outlet of the PCE is 2.5" VS the PreCat's 2". I've a good comparison now as the M100 I've just bought has a 2.5" exhaust with a gutted precat VS the PCE/2.5" exhaust on my white M100. The white car has an instant surge when you depress the accelerator while the yellow M100 is FAR more leisurely.

My statement to the previous owner of the yellow car was, "I guess everything I've been saying about the PCE is really true!"

Also worth noting that Ekapol's car (when PCE'd while owned by Doug) is the next fastest Elan I've ever driven after mine, of the ten M100s I've driven.
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The extra front-pipe I have is suited only for an Elan M100. It has the "tricky" bends to go up & over the prongeron without a "squish" & is 2.5" mandrel (true 2.5" throughout).

As for the PCE you are in luck as another Florida M100 owner was able to get Stan to make him a one-off PCE for $160.

[tweetdriver63]

Personally, since you have to take the thing out either way, I would just save the money and gut the pre-cat for the same effect. It's something I plan to do to mine whenever I get 'round to it. I have other, more pressing repairs/upgrades taking priority right now.

The outlet of the PCE is 2.5" VS the PreCat's 2". I've a good comparison now as the M100 I've just bought has a 2.5" exhaust with a gutted precat VS the PCE/2.5" exhaust on my white M100. The white car has an instant surge when you depress the accelerator while the yellow M100 is FAR more leisurely.

My statement to the previous owner of the yellow car was, "I guess everything I've been saying about the PCE is really true!"

Also worth noting that Ekapol's car (when PCE'd while owned by Doug) is the next fastest Elan I've ever driven after mine, of the ten M100s I've driven.
==================================================================
The extra front-pipe I have is suited only for an Elan M100. It has the "tricky" bends to go up & over the prongeron without a "squish" & is 2.5" mandrel (true 2.5" throughout).

As for the PCE you are in luck as another Florida M100 owner was able to get Stan to make him a one-off PCE for $160.

So, bottom line, which do you recommend, the PCE or the gutter pre-cat? When I get to it, I'm going to gut the pre-cat and stick with my stock exhaust until it actually demands replacing. Financial considerations play a big role in my decision.

[nitroman]

So, bottom line, which do you recommend, the PCE or the gutter pre-cat? When I get to it, I'm going to gut the pre-cat and stick with my stock exhaust until it actually demands replacing. Financial considerations play a big role in my decision.

Bottom, top, and sideline I recommend the PCE. But "financial considerations" considered, only you can decide what's right.

[GEOsuzu]

Nitro, I will take a pic of the underside of my RS downpipe/straightpipe for your viewing. I will take some measurements too from the precat down to the downpipe and straightpipe. After your review my pics, can you give me your most educated guess and then tell me if pipe setup you had made is workable or can be shortened the length of my measurment to fit my cars application. It can't be too much of a design mod to either straighten the pipe or cut it a little shorter and make the pipe the same as my setup. Here is Robie's pipe he re-did:

http://www.robietherobot.com/storm/geo_ ... xhaust.htm

The first picture with both pipes shows our stock OEM above and the Elan M100 underneath. The picture below these two pipes shows his mod where it was shortened to except our cat setup. Hope this helps.

What size do the pics need to be to post here or send to you as a PM? 400x600mb or less?

Ok, so how do I purchase the one knock-off design PCE from you or the other Elan owner in florida? PayPal?

You know (the guys name we cant say) had Stan make alot of his racing parts for our IMPS and he wont budge to help us owners. I called stan one day last year and he said (Mr.X) has all the blueprints and copyrights, so he couldn't help me and make any of his designs, thus, I have to go this route knowing our powerplants are very similiar.

[nitroman]

Bill, I had the front-pipes made up custom ON MY LOTUS so that is truly a one-time deal not to be repeated.

As for the PCE I had to send one for him to model off of as he truly does not have any of the old schematics. He however, now has the PCE "jigs" or whatever the correct term is.

I ordered 11 PCE's off him for around $1500, and that was the only way he'd approach it. He did do a follow-up PCE for $160 but I don't know what he thinks as far as continuing that practice.

More importantly, maybe Mr. Lutton does "own certain rights." Perhaps these apply only to Isuzu but not to Lotus. In any case, I don't know if Stan knew WHAT KIND OF CAR the PCE was for; savvy? Maybe he thought it was for an Esprit. If you referrence the Lotus group buy AND NOTHING ELSE you might get what you want.

[GEOsuzu]

Very good. Thanks a bunch. I will call Stan directly and see where that goes. Did he also make the pipes as well? If he can make me a one off PCE, I will just give him my dimensions for my pipe and go from there. Ok, thank you again for your help.

[tigerdog]

I guess the next step is no stamp at all????

[Doug]

FWIW, when I had my Elan, it passed the CA smog test 3 times with no pre-cat at all and only a replacement main cat.

the pre-cat is for cold-start emissions and shouldn't affect the smog test

[GEOsuzu]

GTG. So the precat was just for cold weather starts, got it. I called Stans yesterday and he said he can made the modded PCE for me at the $160 price like those of you who did the buy in. Where did you all get your down pipe, flex, and straight pipe made? From Stan's as well? I have to measure mine as ours is a different length and has different bends too. I am going to a 2.5" exhaust setup instead of the OE 2" on my IMP, so I need to open it up from the precat all the way back to the muffler. Restoring the underneath of the car first by improving the exhaust flow to 2.5, swapping the OE AWD D/S with a rebuilt and balanced OE D/S from a donor car, replace the AWD, ABS, Lotus tuned blown Kayaba (KYB) struts, swapping out the rear diff with the rebuilt donor rear end, swapping the left and right rear drive axles, hubs, rear disc calipers, and brake cables. Once the underneath is done, the motor will be sent off to colorado to be rebuilt by a friend who rebuilds 4XE1-WT motors. While the motor is away, clean the engine bay and R&R the struts and rebulid the suspension, A-arms, stab bar, etc... When I am completely done, I will drive it over to Jay Leno's house so he can buy it.

[GEOsuzu]

Nitro, Stan will be able to make more. I called him yesterday. $160 + $8 S/H= $168.

[Enright]

That is a really nice looking car. Would be nice to have one over here.
Would be even nicer to obtain a scrap one and have some fun with the drivetrain and an Elan chassis...

[nitroman]

Bill, note the picture of the Impulse front-pipe is SUBSTANTIALLY different from the M100 pipe, but perhaps the picture will be of use.
http://www.isuzuperformance.com/bills/e ... html#stans