Plus 2 airbox or K&N

PostPost by: Gazm » Sun Jul 15, 2018 9:31 pm

Hi, looking for guidance from the collective about which way to go with our ?70 Plus 2S.
Engine currently has ?socks? over the Webber trumpets. We would like to change that to either K&N filters or source original/replacement airbox and trunking.
Any thoughts on pitfalls, effect on car value source and cost of parts would be appreciated.
Cheers
Gary
Gazm
New-tral
 
Posts: 8
Joined: 09 Mar 2018

PostPost by: JonB » Mon Jul 16, 2018 7:26 am

Well first off I'd say that you'll lose no value by fitting K&N if you already have "socks" fitted.

As to original covers, they tend to be expensive but:-

  • You get cold air from the nose cone rather than hot air from the engine bay. You probably know that cold air is denser and leads to better combustion and thus performance.
  • You get somewhere to put the outlet from the oil breather. The standard air box has an inlet pipe welded into it that connects via a rubber pipe to the breather hole in the cylinder head so that oil vapour can be drawn into the inlet for No. 4 cylinder (although there is the problem of oil fouling the spark plug occasionally). Maybe your car has a catch tank?
  • It's original. I'd consider this especially important if your engine bay is otherwise original.
User avatar
JonB
Coveted Fifth Gear
Coveted Fifth Gear
 
Posts: 2396
Joined: 14 Nov 2017

PostPost by: Gazm » Mon Jul 16, 2018 10:43 am

Thanks for the reply Jon,
I do lean towards originality as I have a Turbo Esprit HC that is very original.. but this Elan has had a few mods over the years from previous owners. It has electric fan, a battery cut out switch (to stop the battery going flat when the lights come up in the garage) and the interior has had a few replaced items...
I presume my year car would need a 3 bolt fixing airbox.
Gazm
New-tral
 
Posts: 8
Joined: 09 Mar 2018

PostPost by: JonB » Mon Jul 16, 2018 12:45 pm

Well - mine's a '73 and it has three holes in the airbox.
User avatar
JonB
Coveted Fifth Gear
Coveted Fifth Gear
 
Posts: 2396
Joined: 14 Nov 2017

PostPost by: Matt Elan » Mon Jul 16, 2018 2:45 pm

I'd also go for the standard airbox - I get nervous with the distributor below the carbs with lots of HT ready to set fire to the car :-) At least the standard airbox won't be burping petrol gas all over the dizzy if you have a backfire or similar problem!
Also the lights coming up when its in the garage shouldn't drain the battery unless there is an issue with the wiring. The lights should not be on if the vacuum has leaked and the pods raise - I'd do a check over the wiring for the headlights to see if there is anything wrong.
HTHs
Matt
Matthew Vale - Classic Motoring Author
1968 Plus 2 - Somewhat cosmetically and mechanically modified
1969 Plus 2S - Currently undergoing nut and bolt restoration
Visit me on matthewvale.com
User avatar
Matt Elan
Fourth Gear
Fourth Gear
 
Posts: 651
Joined: 27 Oct 2011

PostPost by: Gazm » Mon Jul 16, 2018 6:07 pm

Thanks Matt,
We haven?t had time to explore the switching of the lights, I think it?s the parking lights that illuminate when the pods extend, regardless of switch position.
I?m pretty sure the function of the original switch isn?t as OEM, we have 2 rocker switches at the bottom of the offside dash that also control light functions..... an addition by previous owners.
Gazm
New-tral
 
Posts: 8
Joined: 09 Mar 2018

PostPost by: Bigbaldybloke » Mon Jul 16, 2018 9:41 pm

Personal choice, but I?ve gone for a replica of the original system, I had the one bolt airbox on the carbs but nothing else. I bought a replica of the original pattern air filter housing and mounting brackets and the trunking. I got mine from Kelvedon, but I think they buy them in and they all originate at the same place whoever you buy them from. Does make distributor access difficult but as I have electronic ignition that shouldn?t matter. The trunking can make locating the coolant bottle tricky, but it also depends a bit on what radiator you have. The workshop manual has instructions on a revised location for the air filter housing. There is quite a bit on here about these original air boxes restricting airflow to cylinder 4, but not sure how relevant this is unless you intend to race or have a highly modified engine.
Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine!
Bigbaldybloke
Fourth Gear
Fourth Gear
 
Posts: 894
Joined: 16 May 2017

PostPost by: Davidb » Mon Jul 16, 2018 10:35 pm

I agree with all of the above reasons plus one more-the original cold air box makes the car quieter! And that makes it more pleasant to drive on a long trip.
'65 S2 4844
Davidb
Fourth Gear
Fourth Gear
 
Posts: 935
Joined: 02 Jul 2009

PostPost by: McBiter » Tue Jul 17, 2018 9:16 am

I logged in to post a near identical request- an airbox- but for a Stromberg rather than Weber setup.

I don't know if they're available but they car came with a pair of 60's pancake type airfilters with a thin foam filtration which must have both throttled the engine and allowed everything bar lumps to be ingested.

If someone has one for sale I'd be interested but failing that some illustrative pictures would help in re-constructing a replacement.

Good luck with the Weber air filter. Like you I'm in favour of a quiet engine without inlet roar- the noise should be at the back end.
McBiter
First Gear
First Gear
 
Posts: 24
Joined: 15 Sep 2009

PostPost by: 69S4 » Tue Jul 17, 2018 11:19 am

The Stromberg airbox is a one piece moulding rather than the backplate and front cover Weber arrangement. They are available from the big name dealers - SJ list them at ?83 +vat but if you've only got pancake filters atm you'll also need trunking, filter box and a filter to complete the set.
Stuart Holding
Thame UK / Alpe D'Huez France
69 S4 FHC
Honda GoldWing 1800
Honda CBX1000
Kawasaki H1 500
Yamaha XS2
69S4
Coveted Fifth Gear
Coveted Fifth Gear
 
Posts: 1347
Joined: 23 Sep 2004

PostPost by: McBiter » Wed Jul 18, 2018 5:01 pm

Many thanks.
I guessed I'd need the trunking and air filter.
McBiter
First Gear
First Gear
 
Posts: 24
Joined: 15 Sep 2009

PostPost by: JonB » Wed Jul 18, 2018 5:26 pm

User avatar
JonB
Coveted Fifth Gear
Coveted Fifth Gear
 
Posts: 2396
Joined: 14 Nov 2017

Total Online:

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 13 guests