Lotus Eleven/Elise/Exige. Manual - part 17

Lotus Service Notes Section BR

Page 9

BR.5 - DOOR HINGE COVER PANEL

A separate glass fibre composite body panel is used to fill the area beween the door and wheelarch, and

uses threaded fasteners to attach to the rear of the clamshell, top of the sill and bottom inboard edge of the sill
panel.

To remove a door hinge cover panel:

From beneath the sill, remove the two fixings securing the bottom edge of the hinge panel to the sill.

Remove the filler panel concealing the fixing securing the hinge cover to the door sill recess, and remove
the fixing.

Remove the wheelarch liner and remove the single screw securing the door hinge cover panel to the
clamshell.

Release the repeater lamp harness and withdraw the panel.

BR.6 - FRONT CLAMSHELL

The front clamshell is a bonded assembly of several glass fibre composite mouldings incorporating both

front wings, the front access aperture, radiator air intake and headlamp housings. The clamshell is secured to
the windscreen frame, radiator mounting panel and other panels using threaded fasteners for ease of removal
and to facilitate service access and body repair.

To Remove Front Clamshell
1.

Remove both front body access panels.

Remove both front wheelarch liners;

No fixing used

Remove front

in this position

top fixing

Door
sill
filler
panel

Door hinge
cover panel

Hinge cover to
door sill fixing

Hinge cover to

b231

sill underside

Lotus Service Notes Section BR

Page 10

From inside each wheelarch, remove the single screw securing the top edge of the door hinge cover
panel to the clamshell. On cars fitted with front mounted oil coolers, release the hoses from any clamshell
clips around the top of the wheelarch.

Via each door aperture, remove the single fixing securing a bracket at the top rear corner of the clamshell
to the base of the windscreen pillar.

Remove the fixing at each side securing the clamshell to the bottom of the windscreen frame.

Elise: Remove the two nuts securing the clamshell spine bracket to the wiper motor bracket extension.
Exige: Remove the two nuts and bolts securing the clamshell spine to the wiper motor extension bracket,
and the two screws each side securing the clamshell channel to the radiator air deflector panel.

If fitted, remove the single fixing at the bottom front of each wheelarch, securing the clamshell to the
radiator panel extension (not used on oil cooler cars).

Remove the headlamp cover/mask assembly from each side by releasing the three socket head screws
inside the wheelarch. Remove the clamshell fixing at the front of each headlamp housing. Release the
headlamp harnesses, and feed through the clamshell hole. Disconnect the aerial lead(s).

Beneath the nose, release the screws fixing the front lower edge of the clamshell to the alloy undertray.

10.

Lift the clamshell from the car. Note any spacing washers or shims fitted at any fixing point.

Clamshell spine to

Fixing inside

wiper motor bracket

headlamp
housing

Clamshell lower front

Fixing to

edge to undertray

windscreen
frame

Fixing to base of
windscreen pillar

Fixing to radiator mounting panel
(not used with oil coolers)

Fixing of door hinge

b316

cover panel to clamshell

Lotus Service Notes Section BR

Page 11

BR.7 - REAR CLAMSHELL

The rear clamshell is a one piece composite moulding incorporating both rear wings, the engine bay

aperture, rear transom and integral luggage bay. The clamshell is secured to the chassis and other body
panels by threaded fasteners for ease of service access and body repair.

To Remove Rear Clamshell
1.

Remove the soft or hard top roof (including Exige) - see sub-section BR.1

Remove both rear wheelarch liners;

Elise: Remove the rear window shroud - see sub-section BR.2.
Exige: From within the cabin, remove the two screws above the rear window securing the top edge of the
clamshell to the rear bulkhead. Remove the two cant rail latch plates from their brackets on the roof
hoop. Peel off the weatherstrip seal from the clamshell flange.

From inside the cabin, remove both seats and the full width trim panel from the rear bulkhead. From the
access thus provided, remove the fixing securing the front end of the clamshell to the 'B' post above the
engine bay air intake.

Elise: From inside the cabin, release the fixings securing the engine lid hinges to the rear bulkhead, and
withdraw the engine lid complete with hinges.

Boot floor to subframe

Engine lid hinge
fixings

b317a

Fixings to sill
panel and grille

'B' post fixing
from inside
cabin

Lotus Service Notes Section BR

Page 12

Release the six (USA market) or eight (other cars) screws securing the fuel filler neck to the clamshell.
Withdraw the filler neck from the clamshell aperture, noting the earth braid secured to the roof hoop
backstay. Keep the filler cap fitted to minimise vapour hazard.

Remove the air filter box intake scroll, and from inside each rear wheelarch, release the air intake grille
fixings, and the two screws securing the clamshell to the waistline joint of the sill panel. Withdraw each
grille from its retaining clip.

Remove the battery and feed the battery cables through the clamshell grommet. Disconnect the rear
harness and rear lid switch harness from the area behind the battery, and feed through the clamshell
grommet.

Remove the rear diffuser panel.

10.

From inside the luggage area, release the two screws each side securing the boot floor to the subframe.

11.

Unhook the washer bottle.

12.

Withdraw the clamshell from the car, noting any spacer pads fitted on the subframe.

13.

Refit in reverse order to disassembly with the following notes:

Shimming of clamshell floor mounting points:

It is most important to maintain a gap of at least 7mm between the phenolic resin heatshield rivetted to

the underside of the clamshell boot floor, and the exhaust muffler corrugated heat shield bolted to the sub-
frame. The corrugated shield must touch neither the muffler, nor the clamshell mounted shield, or heat dam-
age may be caused to the clamshell.

On factory build, the subframe is marked adjacent to each of the four clamshell mounting points with the

shim thickness required. Shim plates are available in 1mm and 2mm thicknesses. If a new subframe is being
fitted, or the markings are not visible;
-

Use a straight edge across the clamshell rear mounting points on the subframe, and measure down to the
muffler heatshield. Sufficient shims need to be used to bring this dimension to a minimum of 7mm.

With these shimplates fitted, trial fit the clamshell and if necessary add further shims to optimise the fit of
the clamshell with respect to sill and door shutlines.

Measure the shim gap at the boot floor front fixing point.

Remove the clamshell, fit the required shim plates onto the subframe and refit the clamshell.

BR.8 - DOOR MIRRORS

The manually adjustable, plastic housed

door mirrrors, are mounted via an injection
moulded plinth to the door shell. A spring
loaded ball and socket arrangement provides
a means of mirror adjustment, and a sprung
attachment of the mirror housing to the pivot
socket allows for the mirror to move forwards
or backwards on accidental contact, in order
to reduce the potential for personal injury or
vehicle damage.

Mirror housing

b240

Mirror glass & surround

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