Gearbox swop?

[alexblack13]

Hi Guys,

As an over the winter project I am thinking to change the 4 speed box for A Lotus 5 speed. Can I ask opinions please. Good Idea? or not. I know its a Maxi based box etc but at the mileage I am doing with the car and the way it gets driven and cared for (the box has had 2 oil changes already and is run on redline synth) I don't think reliability will be an issue. Has anyone got a Lotus boxed Sprint? What do you think? Worth the effort and cost? etc etc....

Questions.. What do I need to do to the prop-shaft to make it fit? What about the speedo drive? any other major considerations?? Clutch? mounting? Etc..

I am all ears!

Alex...

[john.p.clegg]

Alex

I know you like fiddling,you can with a little fettling use the existing flywheel / cover /release bearing arm etc. But you will need the 5 speed friction plate.

John

P.S.

all you need to do is ream out the bearing carrier If I remember correctly..

[bcmc33]

Hi Guys,

As an over the winter project I am thinking to change the 4 speed box for A Lotus 5 speed. Can I ask opinions please. Good Idea? or not. I know its a Maxi based box etc but at the mileage I am doing with the car and the way it gets driven and cared for (the box has had 2 oil changes already and is run on redline synth) I don't think reliability will be an issue. Has anyone got a Lotus boxed Sprint? What do you think? Worth the effort and cost? etc etc....

Questions.. What do I need to do to the prop-shaft to make it fit? What about the speedo drive? any other major considerations?? Clutch? mounting? Etc..

I am all ears!

Alex...

Alex,

When we meet at the NEC next month I'll give you chapter and verse on my experience of doing the job this year.
Don't forget to bring the sump you promised.

[alexblack13]

Bloody hell Brian. I had forgot!! Please please remind me again a bit further on.. Carol and I are staying in the Ibis hotel at the airport Friday and sat nights... I will prob not have the sump off the car by then but its got your name on it. When I make my mind up to do this I can remove it from below. So you never know... Are you local or staying over at the show?

I will enjoy the chat etc... Do you recomm' this conversion? So far no one has answered the question.. I'v got a box but I would want to know it is A1 so I am going to have it prof' rebuilt..

We can talk later...


Thanks also to John for that bit of info. By ''reaming'' do you mean boring to suit the input tube on the box?

Thanks for that though... Brill', just what's needed. Thanks.

Al' ....

[elansprint71]

Alex, there are thirteen pages of threads in the archive about the five speed box and the plus and minus thereof.

[alexblack13]

Yeh! I was wondering if there was any further thoughts /developments etc..

I will have another read...

Al'

[john.p.clegg]

Alex

"By ''reaming'' do you mean boring to suit the input tube on the box?"

Yes sorry about that,"I is not an Injineer",as someone once said..and I believe that you need to relieve two points where the fork would sit in the Ali housing.

John

[alexblack13]

Great John. Looks like these parts can be slightly modified / fettled to fit. Not a problem! thanks.

I have also found out that the driven plate might need a little machined off the splined 'boss' to allow more clearance. Bearing side. Again simple to do..

It would appear that with a couple of mod's and a 2000e type (std Elan) gear stick fitted to the bottom end,front side of the 5 speed stick and some carefull attention to the rebuild results in a perfectly good conversion with shift quality approaching that of the Ford box. Running on fully synth oil also makes a big difference apparently.. I've a bit of a 'stock' of Redline for that! job...

Hmmmmm....

Alex....

[FOX5D]

I,m late to this thread but I have 2 Elans with 4 speed boxes and I really don't feel the need for a fifth gear. The reason for this is that I have 3.55 diffs in both of them which keep the revs down. Burton are currently doing 3.54 CWPs for ?240.

Jim

[alexblack13]

I have the 3.55 diff' fitted....

Every little helps!

I might and again I might not.

Alex..

[AussieJohn]

Hi Alex, I now have a spare propshaft for a lotus 5 speed which has been shortened for a "baby", do you want your name on it? cheers, John.

[elansprint71]

Hey; notice the number of Coveted Fifth Gear respondents to this thread? Must be some kind of record?

[Galwaylotus]

Hey; notice the number of Coveted Fifth Gear respondents to this thread? Must be some kind of record?

I count four, Alex, John, Brian, and yourself.

[gjz30075]

I have nothing to add. Just screaming along here in 4th gear. I will follow this thread for Alex's fine updates.

Greg Z
'72 Sprint, pondering the 5th gear solution

[msd1107]

RE: Need for 5th gear.

I too have a 3.55 cwp and feel the car is severely under geared. I am constantly over 4000 and once came back from the Monterey historic car races in convoy with a Porsche and Ferrari at over 6000. Not too comfortable.

A 5-speed conversion with a .83 5th gear would reduce 4000 to roughly 3300, much better revs. Or 4000 would increase from roughly 70 to 85, much more in keeping with the traffic flow on Interstate 5.

A down loadable spreadsheet at http://bit.ly/auHe4d will allow you to explore all the variations of tire size, cwp ratio, rpms, etc to your hearts content.

David
1968 36/7988