lower engine tray missing
Discussion
just reposting to keep the topic from scrolling away. does the tray contribute much to keeping the engine dry during rain? last year, i was suffering from stray sparks and twitchy engine performance in heavy rain. based on this forum's suggestions, i installed new plugs and wires. (i get them for free) it didn't seem to improve things at all though. i always avoid puddles, so i'm guessing it's coming through the poseur vents on the sill. problems seem to start after a few minutes of highway speed. i'll try blocking these next rainstorm.
Not sure on the G cars (mine is an 88'), but the under tray does not appear to reach back far enough to cut down on water spray. In fact, I have been running mine w/out the tray for a little while as I have not completed all the "stuff" I am doing from below the car.
It does however appear to redirect air flow out and up from the side intakes. This would serve to cool the exhaust manifold while the car is moving as well as (I suppose) force the air up and out of the cooling vents on the upper deck (open on my car as it has no back glass).
hmmm... I'd be happy to get a photo to you if you think they are the same... let me know.
Drive topless!!!
Cameron
It does however appear to redirect air flow out and up from the side intakes. This would serve to cool the exhaust manifold while the car is moving as well as (I suppose) force the air up and out of the cooling vents on the upper deck (open on my car as it has no back glass).
hmmm... I'd be happy to get a photo to you if you think they are the same... let me know.
Drive topless!!!
Cameron
The undertray on my 1989 NA is missing too and unless its absence is changing some airflows under the car and contributing to smells inside the cabin (see my other post) there don't seem to be too many other bad side effects.
As I am still quite keen to have one reinstalled it would be great if Cameron could post a pic of the one off his S-car. I have only the drawing from the parts list to work off at the moment. Some pics/measurements would enable me to figure out whether it is possible to have something presentable made locally - as the costs of freighting the remanufactured item from the UK to NZ would be crippling.
I am told the other reason for having an undertray is that it reduces the (presumably small even without it) chance of foreign debris getting caught up in the cambelt.
cheers, Si
As I am still quite keen to have one reinstalled it would be great if Cameron could post a pic of the one off his S-car. I have only the drawing from the parts list to work off at the moment. Some pics/measurements would enable me to figure out whether it is possible to have something presentable made locally - as the costs of freighting the remanufactured item from the UK to NZ would be crippling.
I am told the other reason for having an undertray is that it reduces the (presumably small even without it) chance of foreign debris getting caught up in the cambelt.
cheers, Si
thanks for the insights regarding water entry. just another mystery yet unsolved.
mark from south africa is going to make an autodesk inventor™ file of the g-car undertray when he can measure one. his is missing too. at that point, i can maybe CNC mill one from plywood, and take a mould for use in making final fiberglas parts. would be nice if we all sealed that area up, which would reduce dust and sand to be sure. as for redirecting the air, someone on another forum told me nothing scientific was done to make the side vents functional; it was something that looked good in the design stage, so lotus kept it. i suppose with inboard brakes astride the transmission; the best use of that accelerated air would have been to cool the brakes. i was thinking of backlighting my side vents with concealed LEDs, but that would just draw attention to the fact they lead nowhere at present. on a road track, my stock brakes fade quicker than the coolant temp goes up. the brakes take longer to cool off as well. wonder why so many of us are missing that undertray, of which there is no picture in the service manual.
mark from south africa is going to make an autodesk inventor™ file of the g-car undertray when he can measure one. his is missing too. at that point, i can maybe CNC mill one from plywood, and take a mould for use in making final fiberglas parts. would be nice if we all sealed that area up, which would reduce dust and sand to be sure. as for redirecting the air, someone on another forum told me nothing scientific was done to make the side vents functional; it was something that looked good in the design stage, so lotus kept it. i suppose with inboard brakes astride the transmission; the best use of that accelerated air would have been to cool the brakes. i was thinking of backlighting my side vents with concealed LEDs, but that would just draw attention to the fact they lead nowhere at present. on a road track, my stock brakes fade quicker than the coolant temp goes up. the brakes take longer to cool off as well. wonder why so many of us are missing that undertray, of which there is no picture in the service manual.
Well, as for posting a photo here, I am one of those people that has never figured it out. Other forum I frequent I can simply copy and paste... As I currently have no website of my own I cannot link either. But, I do not mind e-mailing a photo to anyone. Just mail me at Autocross7@aol.com (for some reason this site "bounces" AOL mail so it cannot be done from this site).
As for the "missing trays"... my guess is one of human nature. The darn thing has to go on and off evertime the fuel pumps, belts, AC charge, etc... has to be done. So, they get taken off (like mine) and people just never get around to putting them back on.
I have a bit of time Friday, so I'll pop some photos and I'll also take some measurments in cm and try to put that in an understandable format for anyone interested.
As there are 'upturns' just in front of the side intakes that seem to redirect air upwards, it really would not be hard to create some way to really direct air to the rear brakes. Silicone tubes could easily be used... hmmm.....
Drive topless!!!
Cameron
As for the "missing trays"... my guess is one of human nature. The darn thing has to go on and off evertime the fuel pumps, belts, AC charge, etc... has to be done. So, they get taken off (like mine) and people just never get around to putting them back on.
I have a bit of time Friday, so I'll pop some photos and I'll also take some measurments in cm and try to put that in an understandable format for anyone interested.
As there are 'upturns' just in front of the side intakes that seem to redirect air upwards, it really would not be hard to create some way to really direct air to the rear brakes. Silicone tubes could easily be used... hmmm.....
Drive topless!!!
Cameron
LOL my dumb ass internet provider has a junk mail filter that blocks an email from myself.. I guess I cant spam myself.. I asked the tech help wtf up with that.. they tell me to turn off the junk filter..... I say ya so then I get 50 viagra ads a day.. then they say leave the filter on then.. I say why not fix the problem instead?
They look at me like i am crazy.
they should be issued a lotus for a while to see what problem solving is all about.
They look at me like i am crazy.
they should be issued a lotus for a while to see what problem solving is all about.
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