Window Switches & Booster Fan

[andall]

Hi all,

I've had my Europa for 3 weeks now. During that time I've discovered some weird things:
a) The Banks aluminium fuel tank appears to be held in place by two bolts - the floor below said tank has been chopped away! I think the PO thought it'd be easier to fit it from below. I want to remove the rubber filler neck and move the tank upwards an inch or so before remaking the flat floor.
b) According to my S2 manual, the cabin booster heater fan should have 3 positions: off, on and on with radiator fan. That's strange, but hey, it's an old Lotus. It works that way with the engine cold. However, with the fan off, when the engine heats up and the radiator fan kicks in, so does the cabin booster heater! Anyone seen that before? I can sort the wiring by running new cables, but it's a hassle I can do without.
The cabin heater booster fan looks weedy and I'd like to change it for the cowled (later?) type. Does anyone know where they came from - Ford or Triumph??? Likewise electric window switches. I want to replace the modern ones currently fitted for original types. I know the UK Lotus specialists have them for £35 a pop, but feel that Lotus would use somebody else's parts that I can get cheaper. I've searched pages of Google Images looking at window switches from Rolls Royce, Jaguar and Lucas to no avail.

[jbcollier]

The switch is wired incorrectly, or, the incorrect switch.  There are three terminals, one gets ground, the second provides ground to the heater fan motor in the first on position, and the third provides ground to the rad fan relaying the second on position.  The second and third positions should be isolated from each other when the switch is off.  They should only be both connected in the second on position.

[Grumblebuns]

The fuel tank can only be installed/removed from below. Rather than sealing in the opening, consider using a removable floor.

I don't know what type of cabin fan you have but the stock type was the "scroll" style per the picture on my S2.

As far as I know, I don't believe anyone has found an exact replacement for the Europa window switches.

[BDA]

r. d. has replacement window switches that are very similar to the original switches.

[EuropaTC]

The cabin heater booster fan looks weedy and I'd like to change it for the cowled (later?) type. Does anyone know where they came from - Ford or Triumph???

The snail blowers as fitted on the Federal cars looks very similar to the ones fitted to an early Healey Sprite I had. If that's the case then it's likely to be Leyland/Austin/etc. Very common in the 60s, I'd imagine it's better than an un-cowled fan but given the design it's never going to be like a modern system.

Side issue....    what are those 3 things clipped to the side of your plenum chamber wall Joji ? Sticks of dynamite for when you reach the end of your patience with the car ?   

Brian

[andall]

Thanks to everyone who replied. I'll take a closer look at the fan switch. The photos I took with my phone don't quite show the entire switch connections, but next weekend I'll sort it out. The heater fan - I'll take a look at 1960s Triumph parts suppliers. Lastly, the fuel tank - I like the idea of a trap door. it's something I wouldn't have considered.
Thanks again, looking forward to a constructive weekend! 

[Grumblebuns]

The cabin heater booster fan looks weedy and I'd like to change it for the cowled (later?) type. Does anyone know where they came from - Ford or Triumph???

The snail blowers as fitted on the Federal cars looks very similar to the ones fitted to an early Healey Sprite I had. If that's the case then it's likely to be Leyland/Austin/etc. Very common in the 60s, I'd imagine it's better than an un-cowled fan but given the design it's never going to be like a modern system.

Side issue....    what are those 3 things clipped to the side of your plenum chamber wall Joji ? Sticks of dynamite for when you reach the end of your patience with the car ?   

Brian

Got a chuckle out of that one Brian. Those sticks are emergency road flares installed by the PO as part of a safety roadside breakdown kit. They're at least 30 years old, wondering if they would even work if needed.

The stock Smiths cabin fan is fairly clunky and takes up a lot of space. I'm wondering if a small pancake style motorcycle fan wouldn't be more efficient and have more air flow.

[EuropaTC]

Got a chuckle out of that one Brian. Those sticks are emergency road flares installed by the PO as part of a safety roadside breakdown kit. They're at least 30 years old, wondering if they would even work if needed.

Wow, I never even thought such things existed. Given the state we (the UK) seem to be in over here at the moment, I think having something like that would be a sure way to end up in jail !

[4129R]

Side issue....    what are those 3 things clipped to the side of your plenum chamber wall Joji ? Sticks of dynamite for when you reach the end of your patience with the car ?   

Brian

Look like sticks of TNT or some blasting material.

Standard procedure in case of terminal breakdown.

[Gmg31]

Th gap in the floor below the fuel tank is also an air intake for the engine bay so blocking it up isn't a great idea.  I used 5mm mesh so it looks nicer but still allows air flow.

I used a motor bike cooling fan from ebay for mine very cheap and easy to fit, see photo.   

[Stuleslie]

I thought the airflow through the heater and demister vents was very weak when driving. I assumed that the plenum chamber was not sealed properly by the bonnet and that I suspected that while moving there would be negative pressure created above the bonnet that might suck the air out of the chamber and not into the heater. So I thought there should be a better place to put the fan.
I noticed that the heater box has a plate fixed by three screws and the 'legs' on the old (UK) fan motor was fixed with three screws. I removed the legs and plate, then removed the fan from the motor and reassembled inside the heater box. See pics. I assume this is how it was originally in a Triumph or other. As you can see in the pics. I have not fully assembled my car yet but I intend to cover the large hole in the body plenum where the old fan was located with a wire mesh to filter out the large bugs! and fit two small axial fans to the front of the air cooling ducts that go to the dashboard outlets. I will then change the panel light switch for and on-off-on switch which will allow me to select one side for cooling fans through the air vents or the other side of the switch for the heater and demister.
Just another suggestion
Cheers, Stu

[jbcollier]

I did that on mine using Spitfire parts.  The fan is an abbreviated "squirrel cage" design and the motor extends into the area behind the dash.  Works well on an S1.  Can't say if it will also work on an S2 or TC.

https://jbcollier.smugmug.com/Lotus-Europa/i-XrkzXPq/A

https://jbcollier.smugmug.com/Lotus-Europa/i-fQ3LFT6/A

Your fan will require the opening in the body to be made much bigger.  Also concerned that the fan may be stressed and fracture as the hole in the heater box is not circular.  This will result in varying loads on the blades as they rotate.