📓 Journals Adding Lightness

[Dragoon]

You still have the third cat installed, correct?

 

[Eagle7]

You still have the third cat installed, correct?

Yes, correct.

 

[Coreyalert3]

Unfortunately you can't stand or sit in the trunk. It's just like you said. Stand on tip toes while leaning over the trunk trying to reach everything. That gets real old in a hurry.

I'm 195lbs and stand/crouch In the trunk on my 400 and Emira no problem. Only way to access the Slave cylinder to bleed clutch to my knowledge on the 400/GT.

 

[Eagle7]

I'm 195lbs and stand/crouch In the trunk on my 400 and Emira no problem. Only way to access the Slave cylinder to bleed clutch to my knowledge on the 400/GT.

Lotus says in the manual to not put more than 50 kg (110 lbs) of weight in the trunk? Is that limit just for driving purposes?

 

[Coreyalert3]

Lotus says in the manual to not put more than 50 kg (110 lbs) of weight in the trunk? Is that limit just for driving purposes?
View attachment 52013

Yeah there's a weight limit sticker in the trunk too but I've never had an issue on the 400 just getting in and working over the engine. I did the same for the intake on the Emira and no wierd noises. I would suggest smooth movements but so far so good lol

Edit: and that page in the manual suggests it's for handling purposes not load bearing of the trunk itself. Neat! never knew that.

 

[Blackthought_]

I’ve stood on my trunk for an hour or 2 while doing mods lol

 

[Time2Fly]

Same for the Eventuri. No other way to reach things.

 

[kitkat]

The only way you’re installing this without being 7 feet tall is either a lay over creeper or sitting in the trunk/engine area.

 

[Rapture]

Eagle7, I'm curious. After having changed the transmission fluid a while back, do you find that the gear shifts are easier/smoother or can be done more quickly than when the stock fluid was used? I realize you also added the other additive but wanted to check in on this.

 

[Eagle7]

Eagle7, I'm curious. After having changed the transmission fluid a while back, do you find that the gear shifts are easier/smoother or can be done more quickly than when the stock fluid was used? I realize you also added the other additive but wanted to check in on this.

The answer is yes. There's less mechanical noise from the engine and trans too. Smoother and quieter all around. I'm sure there's a bit of wear-in involved, but shifting is now very smooth. I'm not a speed-shifter. I've been driving sports cars for over 50 years now, and their transmissions are not like American muscle car transmissions. You can't slam them through the gears; they just aren't built for that kind of thing.

For a sports car, shifting is more of a wrist movement than a hard push/pull with your arm. The movement is firm and decisive, but not harsh or you risk jamming the shift or missing it altogether. I haven't tried the short-shift mod, so that might enable faster shifting if you're looking for a track mod for example. I got one for my SS Camaro which worked out great on the track.

 

[Rapture]

The answer is yes. There's less mechanical noise from the engine and trans too. Smoother and quieter all around. I'm sure there's a bit of wear-in involved, but shifting is now very smooth. I'm not a speed-shifter. I've been driving sports cars for over 50 years now, and their transmissions are not like American muscle car transmissions. You can't slam them through the gears; they just aren't built for that kind of thing.

For a sports car, shifting is more of a wrist movement than a hard push/pull with your arm. The movement is firm and decisive, but not harsh or you risk jamming the shift or missing it altogether. I haven't tried the short-shift mod, so that might enable faster shifting if you're looking for a track mod for example. I got one for my SS Camaro which worked out great on the track.

Thanks, my main hope is that the transmission is less resistant to a higher RPM shift from 1st to 2nd. The short shift mod may also help with this if that adds a more mechanical mechanism and loses the spongy rubber connection. I'm not looking to slam through the gears but would appreciate more precision and smoothness again predominantly in the 1 -2 shift under higher load. Overall, I have no real issues with the shifting on a regular day to day usage and actually think it works quite well.

I've also driven a stick for many years and appreciate the comment about the muscle car shifters as I've had my share of those. They are very direct as the transmission is very close to the shifter and the linkage is much more direct. It's a bit different when the transmission is controlled via cables at a much longer length from the trans.

Thanks for the input, I need to schedule my indie to change the fluid, just need to go back and find the various notes and pictures on this as I believe it is different than on the Evora.

 

[Eagle7]

Finally got all the stuff I needed to install the Mega Mat in the muffler area.

Here's the before:

And here's the after:

I didn't take a picture with the 3rd cat and muffler installed because I had taken so much time carefully taping up all the seams, that it was getting late and I just wanted to get the car back together and go for a drive. The slight amount of resonance at 2,000-2,300 rpm is gone now. If I'm at that rpm and accelerate, it gets a bit louder for a second but once you get out of that range there's no boominess.

The Mega Mat is also a heat reflect, so the next time I go out I'll take my laser thermometer and get a reading in the trunk.

With all these little changes, the car just keeps getting better and better to be in and drive. The extra torque the @Aerie titanium muffler added to the lower rpms is noticeable and welcome. This car actually has quite a bit of power, it just needs more torque to get going. My last dyno run showed 319 lb ft to the rear wheels, but it could really use more like 350. My original baseline dyno run showed 303 to the rear wheels, so I've gained 16 but it could certainly use more. Still, even as-is, this is such a fun car to drive.

 

[crestima]

Finally got all the stuff I needed to install the Mega Mat in the muffler area.

Here's the before:

View attachment 52972

And here's the after:

View attachment 52973

I didn't take a picture with the 3rd cat and muffler installed because I had taken so much time carefully taping up all the seams, that it was getting late and I just wanted to get the car back together and go for a drive. The slight amount of resonance at 2,000-2,300 rpm is gone now. If I'm at that rpm and accelerate, it gets a bit louder for a second but once you get out of that range there's no boominess.

The Mega Mat is also a heat reflect, so the next time I go out I'll take my laser thermometer and get a reading in the trunk.

With all these little changes, the car just keeps getting better and better to be in and drive. The extra torque the @Aerie titanium muffler added to the lower rpms is noticeable and welcome. This car actually has quite a bit of power, it just needs more torque to get going. My last dyno run showed 319 lb ft to the rear wheels, but it could really use more like 350. My original baseline dyno run showed 303 to the rear wheels, so I've gained 16 but it could certainly use more. Still, even as-is, this is such a fun car to drive.

Good stuff. Do you think it's possible to place the Mega Mat w/o removing the muffler, or is it a must?

 

[Eagle7]

Good stuff. Do you think it's possible to place the Mega Mat w/o removing the muffler, or is it a must?

No. The glue on the back of the Mega Mat is really sticky, and if you accidentally get it stuck in the wrong spot, you'll probably tear the foam off the metal backing trying to lift it back off. It's very lightweight and fairly easy to work with, but you still need to contour it to fit. You're going to want easy access for that. Do it in small sections, rather than large ones. You also need to tape up the seams afterward with heat-reflect tape which is also metal backed. That took quite awhile too, and it's also easier to do it in smaller strips rather than long ones.

 

[crestima]

No. The glue on the back of the Mega Mat is really sticky, and if you accidentally get it stuck in the wrong spot, you'll probably tear the foam off the metal backing trying to lift it back off. It's very lightweight and fairly easy to work with, but you still need to contour it to fit. You're going to want easy access for that. Do it in small sections, rather than large ones. You also need to tape up the seams afterward with heat-reflect tape which is also metal backed. That took quite awhile too, and it's also easier to do it in smaller strips rather than long ones.

Cool. I'll have to remove it then. Thanks for the tips.

 

[Time2Fly]

Any results from your heat matting?

 

[Eagle7]

Any results from your heat matting?

Yes. I forgot I was going to do that, so I just got back from running around; about half an hour. Outside temp was 51° F, water temperature for the car was 190° F. I got home, and with the laser thermometer in hand, popped the trunk and immediately took a reading: the bottom of the trunk was 71.6° F. I could feel the heat coming off the engine, but the bottom of the trunk wasn't even warm to the touch. I took a reading of the back of the trunk too and it was 71° F, so the Mega Mat worked like a champ.

 

[Time2Fly]

Seems the trunk is 20-22° above ambient? I'd be interested if that tracks to the same on the next warmer day that matches your original temp testing.