Purge Pump

[Will49]

My Purge Pump had been taken out so looking for one. it can't be found new so wondering if anybody had a second hand one that needs refurbishing.
Ive asked Lotus Bits but not heard from them so thought I'd ask the forum in case.

Has there ever been an alternative device developed by anybody?

[Lotus-e-Clan]

I've been using an unencapsulated washer pump successfully for donkeys years. I think mine is an aftermarket Mazda inline item. That said, mine only runs for short periods (so is unlikely to burn out) because I've modified the hot start circuit such that the head temperature drops rapidly to below 73C. Again, only achievable because I deleted the mechanical water pump and my electric water pump, plus fans, run when the purge pump is on.

Main reason the OE purge pump fails is that it runs for a ver,y very, very long time (the head temp takes forever to drop below 73C) and is encapsulated in a thick plastic capsule so it overheats

[LotusMonkey]

My Purge Pump had been taken out so looking for one. it can't be found new so wondering if anybody had a second hand one that needs refurbishing.
Ive asked Lotus Bits but not heard from them so thought I'd ask the forum in case.

Has there ever been an alternative device developed by anybody?

If you do find one that needs refurbing it is an easy job, and you can get the motor required from most model shops. One of the reasons these fail, is that the head takes so long to cool down so the sensor keeps the motor running on a long time, but given its primary job is to extract the warm air from the airbox, different people have come up with different solutions. The most elegant solution I have seen is at the link below on this forum, but that was because I wanted to keep my car as original as I could. Good luck with your search.

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=5270&p=53180&hilit= ... mer#p53180

[Will49]

What a common sense solution that is with the timer/relay etc. should i ever find one i will replicate it.
Sadley so far no luck even from Lotus Bits.

[Hawaiis0]

What a common sense solution that is with the timer/relay etc. should i ever find one i will replicate it.
Sadley so far no luck even from Lotus Bits.

It should be very easy to fabricate a replacement. It is just a scalectrix car motor turning an impeller in a box to create a suction. Possibly a fish tank pump might provide a solution.

[Will49]

OK i will sort out a purge pump myself.
Does anybody know the capacity flow rate of the lotus purge pump?

[Lotus-e-Clan]

OK i will sort out a purge pump myself.
Does anybody know the capacity flow rate of the lotus purge pump?

No, but as I reported earlier, a std aftermarket windscreen washer pump does the job efficiently. So whatever that flows, is about cock-on. Mine will hot start without hesitation after topping-up with just 20L of petrol, so after about 5 minutes running, Maybe less. The OE purge pump isn't that good, or any better, tbh.

[Will49]

Iv'e ordered a brushless air pump, for longevity, which pumps 5 liters a minute which should be ample.
It's of a similar size to the original so i'm sure, assuming the wiring works from the old pump, it will suffice.
Ill post results when done

[MetBlue]

My pump displaces so little it's hardly measurable.
To know if I'd wired it the right way I had to put a pipe from one end into a glass of water. If you submerge the pipe anything more than a few mm, the pump can't blow bubbles.
Tony