Replacing the Lotus Esprit Aluminum Heater Pipes

The S1 Lotus Esprit has a series of aluminum heater pipes that run through the chassis. I can imagine these being the very first bits to be mounted to the Esprit at the factory given how impossible they are to fit when virtually anything else is bolted to the car. To make a long story short, the aluminum pipes on my car were a complete disaster and needed to be replaced (corroded, pinholes everywhere, rust and calcium deposits, etc.).

I picked up new aluminum pipes and made sure the wall thickness was at least as wide as the old ones. The heater pipes are straight so they didn't require any bending, but I still need to flare the ends to ensure the rubber hoses seal properly.


The picture says it all. Time to replace!


The new pipes are a standard 5/8 size so locating those were easy. The pipes still
need to be beaded at this point to prevent leaking once the rubber hoses are attached.


The new pipes after beading, now ready to install!