Lotus Europa Community
Lotus Europa Forums => Garage => Topic started by: surfguitar58 on Sunday,May 18, 2025, 07:25:14 AM
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The owner of the garage where I keep the TCS for the winter found this in my parking spot. I don't recognize the part. My stablemates are mostly newer Porsches, a Bentley and an Espada, and I don't think it came from any of them. Any ideas?
Tom
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I don't think it's a Europa part. It looks like a threaded fitting that could go on a strap. Maybe a bolt in the threads locks the position of the piece on the strap by pinching the strap? Or maybe it just provides blind threads.
You could check to see if they are metric threads. If they are, then you would know for sure that it isn't a Europa part.
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BDA, you reminded me. I have sen something like that on metal bands that strap cargo together. Bands go through the rectangular holes. A bolt tightens down on the strap ends, holding them and adding a bit of tension. I’m sure there is a simpler way of describing that. In any case, with my Europa in pieces, I have not seen a part like that.
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I don't think it's a Europa part. It looks like a threaded fitting that could go on a strap. Maybe a bolt in the threads locks the position of the piece on the strap by pinching the strap? Or maybe it just provides blind threads.
You could check to see if they are metric threads. If they are, then you would know for sure that it isn't a Europa part.
Thanks BDA. It is a 3/8-16 UNC (coarse) thread. Not metric, but aren't most bolts on the Europa UNF (fine) threads though? I agree it looks like some sort of strap-clamp, like an exhaust hanger, though I don't have any of those.
I think you are right that it is not a Europa part and this is a false alarm. It's just that nagging feeling you have when you build an airplane and find a leftover part that may or may not hold the wings on.
Tom
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Yeah, the general rule is that they use fine thread except when the bolt goes into a casting. As you can tell, I have no idea where that could have come from.