Lotus Europa Community
Lotus Europa Forums => Garage => Topic started by: SilverBeast on Tuesday,May 26, 2020, 02:05:05 PM
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Does anyone know of (or has compiled) a bolts and fixtures list for the Europa?
In particular I'm after one for the Special, but I imagine there are a lot of common parts. The Parts List lists part numbers, and not thread size, length etc.
I was fixing my drivers seat at the weekend and found that the rear bolts into the floor were screwed into the moulded in bobbin and the front just had a smaller diameter bolt through to the outside which has a washer and nyloc nut! It turns out these bolts are 5/16" UNC x 3/4" - assuming the rear ones were correct. Fortunately I found some in my box of bolts from when I had a mini (I sold it around 1991!) as the generic bolt set I bought was for UNF bolts.
Presently I could do with knowing the size of the following:-
(i) The four bolts that hold the Gear Level Pivot mounting plate to the backbone. It currently has 3 different bolts fitted, and one was missing until I
fitted a 4th.
(ii) The two bolts that hold the choke/heater bracket to the tunnel. The ones fitted to mine are really too long as the bolt on the LH bolt is touching the
heater tube. Is the backbone tapped to take bolts as mine has nuts fitted inside it? - That's fun! I should have measured it when they were removed.
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10-32 screws screwed into the bottom plate on the Shifter pivot on my S2
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3/16 UNF for the gearstick.
1/4 UNF for the bracket.
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The fasteners are coded. Toward the bottom of the Parts List Introduction, http://www.lotus-europa.com/manuals/tcparts/intro/index.htm (http://www.lotus-europa.com/manuals/tcparts/intro/index.htm) at the heading STANDARD HARDWARE PART NUMBER CODING. I always find it hard to decode, but eventually get there.
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Thanks again to you all.
I probably need to start a spreadsheet to cross reference the Lotus Part numbers to "English" and what is used where.
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As Kendo said, they are all coded but they don't seem to be as good about listing all the fasteners as they might. Generally, bolts screwed into a part will be coarse thread and bolts with a nut will be fine threaded. 10-32 is probably the exception.
The bolts that hold the heater/choke bracket should have a spacer (about 1/2") to get the bracket over the pad between the frame and body and the body. Yours may have been lost and the PO continued using the same bolts.
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As Kendo said, they are all coded but they don't seem to be as good about listing all the fasteners as they might. Generally, bolts screwed into a part will be coarse thread and bolts with a nut will be fine threaded. 10-32 is probably the exception.
The bolts that hold the heater/choke bracket should have a spacer (about 1/2") to get the bracket over the pad between the frame and body and the body. Yours may have been lost and the PO continued using the same bolts.
It still has both spacers which I put back in, though I did forget to put the foam back in when I put the centre console back. That will get fitted when I finally fit the gear lever bushes. The longest 1/4 UNF bolt I had to hand was too short, as it only just came through the and a nyloc nut wouldn't have had thread into the nylon.
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I buy all my UNF and UNC nuts and bolts from Spalding Fasteners.
They haven't failed me up to now.
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In the US, I have used https://www.boltdepot.com/ . I find that price and service is good. Items can be purchased in quantities as small as you like, and shipping is reasonable and quick.
But I'm glad to know of any other favorite sources I might want to investigate. I don't use McMaster Carr as much as I used to, because the shipping is a bit expensive.
It seems like these things would really best be collected in the Resources, Parts and Products board.
Vince
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+1 on the Bolt Depot recommendation. I've bought from them before and been a happy customer.
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+2 on bolt depot. Placing an order there as I type this for the rubber backed stainless washers to pinch the doors for my hinges.
https://www.boltdepot.com/Product-Details.aspx?product=15791 (https://www.boltdepot.com/Product-Details.aspx?product=15791)
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I just checked out the Bolt Depot. Their product line is quite comprehensive. I checked for a couple of difficult to find items I've been looking for, and they stock both. Unfortunately, they do not ship to Canada, or anywhere outside of the US.