Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

Took the +2 to RE at Bury to tune the carbs. New smaller main jets fitted.
Good news, 85bhp at the wheels, I think equates to 105 bhp engine.
+2 now runs ok on the road.
Bad news, tachometer inaccurate.
No1 idle adjustment screw turning up and down has no effect, Ken tried to fix blockage.
No3 idle adjustment screw is seized solid, again Ken tried to move it but to no avail, now slot is stripped.
So idle is a bit lumpy and I have some work over the winter, taking carbs off to repair them.
And the cost? ?174, mostly labour trying to fix idle adjustment I assume.
Still hope to get to Castle Coombe on Saturday.
Please excuse the paintwork, it was meant to go for paint early this month.

Les.

Bad luck with the idlers, Les.

Out of interest what size Mains did you end with? My car insists on running rich though I've modified the slow running jets in the past to some improvement. And why are you happy with 105 BHP, I thought all early +2s had the S/E engine with 115?

Hi Meg, don't know what mains were fitted, left the car with him and size not documented.
The engine is the original one but I have no history, possibly rebuilt in the 80's and not ran since 1991. So 85bhp for a 50 year old, it is what it is. I must have carbon on my joints because I can't run as fast as I did when I was 17 .
Les

Hello Les

I also took my S3/4 to Ken at RE in Bury and got good results. If the weather is good I will head to castle Combe tomorrow so will look out for you on the road. Dark red S4 body DHC

Martin

85hp at the wheels is around 105hp at the flywheel as you stated . The 115 or 118hp Lotus quoted for an SE engine that was fitted to all Plus 2 and Plus2S was HP on the dyno probably using the SAE hp measurement method of the time that allowed it to be tested with no ancillaries such as fan, water pump or dynamo and a different exhaust all of which can make the sort of difference you looking for of 10 to 15hp

Standard Big Valve engines put out around 95hp on a rolling road at the wheels typically.

However all rolling road data is difficult to assess in isolation as car set up ( e.g. tyres and tyre pressures, how the car was tied down), test methods (e.g. what gear) and calibration of the dyno can all have big effects on the measured wheel power

cheers
Rohan