Exige front clam

SteveBanks · Post by **SteveBanks** » Tue Aug 29, 2006 2:12 pm

My car is at MMC to get a new oil cooler fitted under warranty and in typical stupid fashion, I'd cleaned out the boot a few days ago and have forgotten to put the toolkit, but more importantly, the wheel key back in...arghh!

They seem to think that they don't have to remove the clam to fit the oil cooler...I disagree.

They also think they don't need to remove the wheels to remove the clam...is this the case?

This is my first experience with MMC in 4yrs of Lotus ownership and after all the recent threads, I'm getting worried. Lots of hassle already regarding warranty issues, had a wasted trip because they made a mistake by booking me in on the 24th of Sep rather than Aug, and now the car is sitting through there and the oil cooler (I asked them to order this a week past Monday) has not turned up.

Steve

Post by ed » Tue Aug 29, 2006 2:24 pm

i believe that they definitely have to take it off. not sure about the wheels though but i would imagine so.

mark r added one on his car so he should know better though.

kenny had huge problems sourcing a new cooler as there was no stock, not even in the factory.

Good luck!

edit: sp

Sanjøy · Post by **Sanjøy** » Tue Aug 29, 2006 2:28 pm

Phone Hethel.

mckeann · Post by **mckeann** » Tue Aug 29, 2006 2:34 pm

they dont need the wheels off to remove the clam. not sure where the oil coolers are located on an S2 tho

Post by **Shug** » Tue Aug 29, 2006 2:37 pm

mckeann wrote:they dont need the wheels off to remove the clam. not sure where the oil coolers are located on an S2 tho

Think the oil coolers are mounted in front of the front wheels.

Not sure what the underside of the S2 front clam is like, but maybe they can loosen the front and go in sideways from underneath, via the front undertray?

roadboy · Post by **roadboy** » Tue Aug 29, 2006 3:28 pm

How do you get the arch liners out without removing the wheels then?

I can't see how its possible to remove the front clam with the arch liners still in place, wel, not without damaging something anyway.

Dan@JPS

Post by **Shug** » Tue Aug 29, 2006 3:30 pm

roadboy wrote:How do you get the arch liners out without removing the wheels then?

I can't see how its possible to remove the front clam with the arch liners still in place, wel, not without damaging something anyway.

Dan@JPS

Deffo took mine off with the NS arch liner in. OS was out, so that maybe made more room though....

SteveBanks · Post by **SteveBanks** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 9:24 pm

Got the car back tonight and all seems well. They fitted the oil cooler, with the clam and front wheel still on, via the wheelarch! Didn't think that would be possible but it's there.

Oh, and after me whinging about being booked in for the wrong time etc., John from service was really helpful (to the point of giving me his company car as a courtesy car since they weren't any available) so top marks to the bloke for customer service. Car was nice and clean too.

They also fixed my squeaky roof - squeaked like the hardtop on my S1 before but silent now

Also went for a spirited drive once home, first really good blast in the car since getting it due to the oil cooler concerns <BG>

Steve

Scottd · Post by **Scottd** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 9:27 pm

Nice one! I'll have a wee shot in it tomorrow then

ryallm · Post by **ryallm** » Fri Sep 01, 2006 11:01 am

SteveBanks wrote:Got the car back tonight and all seems well. They fitted the oil cooler, with the clam and front wheel still on, via the wheelarch!

Steve

I have fitted a second oil cooler to my car and I reckon what you describe above is physically impossible. Have a look at these pictures, especially the fourth one of the oil cooler in position and the clam back in place (in the first 3 the clam has been moved forward by several inches)

http://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y92/ry ... 20fitting/

There is absolutely no way you could get the cooler in/out unless you did some serious bending/hacking of the the greenish plastic moundling. Before I did the job I spoke to someone at Lotus who confirmed that the only way to change a cooler is to remove the clam. Clearly MMC have a guy called Harry Houdini working for them......

Mark

SteveBanks · Post by **SteveBanks** » Fri Sep 01, 2006 1:03 pm

That's what I initially thought but it's in there and I didn't see any obvious signs of hacking etc. I had the front wheel off before I took it in and noticed the plastic moulding, I remember thinking there was no need for it and the cooler could have been removed from the wheel arch if it had not been designed this way.

You've got me worried now, may take the front wheel off to check everything is ok once I get home.

Steve