5 speed breather

[vincereynard]

I've read about ensuring the gearbox (5 speed) breather is not blocked.

Can someone point out its location please.

[10kph]

At a local meeting I was speaking to Alan Voit who rebuilds gearboxes and has made 5 speed elan conversions. During the conversation he said " make sure the gearbox has a breather by drilling a hole to the right and forward of the gearstick mounting plate". My Lotus box did not have a breather so I drilled and tapped the alloy cover and screwed in a small tube with 1/8 " internal hole and protruding say 20 mm high.
Without a breather the box when hot will expand the oil and more important the hot air inside the box will expand considerably and push oil out past the seals.I presume that Lotus rectified this with later produced boxes.
Tony

[vincereynard]

At a local meeting I was speaking to Alan Voit who rebuilds gearboxes and has made 5 speed elan conversions. During the conversation he said " make sure the gearbox has a breather by drilling a hole to the right and forward of the gearstick mounting plate". My Lotus box did not have a breather so I drilled and tapped the alloy cover and screwed in a small tube with 1/8 " internal hole and protruding say 20 mm high.
Without a breather the box when hot will expand the oil and more important the hot air inside the box will expand considerably and push oil out past the seals.I presume that Lotus rectified this with later produced boxes.
Tony

Tony,

Many thanks.
As it happens I was considering doing something very similar. I had guessed that the best place would be over the gear shift "slider" as it would be protected from any oil splash. At the moment the only breathers would be the oil seals!

Thanks to your advice I shall go ahead.

Cheers
Vince

[gjz30075]

Tony, does the tube have any cover at all? Any pics, maybe?

[vincereynard]

I was thinking something like - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/332201787804

With a short length of pipe connected.

[gjz30075]

During the conversation he said " make sure the gearbox has a breather by drilling a hole to the right and forward of the gearstick mounting plate". My Lotus box did not have a breather so I drilled and tapped the alloy cover and screwed in a small tube with 1/8 " internal hole and protruding say 20 mm high.

Which cover? The gearbox or the shifter? I noticed the gearbox cover bolts do not protude into the case
and the cover overhangs the case so before I go drilling, can you point out exactly where this is done? If
possible, detach the attached picture, put an arrow, or something, where the breather should be, and re-
attach?

Or does Alan mean somewhere along the vertical plane of the case?

Thanks,

[vincereynard]

I'm planning about here -

breather.jpg (67.6 KiB) Viewed 1193 times

[gjz30075]

Perfect. Thanks Vince

[10kph]

Hi, The gearshift plate marked with the red x is where I placed my breather tube.
Oil will not splash up there and so no need for a cap or plastic tube extension.
Regards Tony

[mbell]

I was thinking that fitting something like:

https://www.mcmaster.com/#9833k18/=17rsp9t

In the location mentioned might be a good idea. Should allow the box to breath but prevent any gear oil escaping with out messing bends and tubes.

Another thing for when I am swapping the chassis.

[vincereynard]

I was thinking that fitting something like:

https://www.mcmaster.com/#9833k18/=17rsp9t

In the location mentioned might be a good idea. Should allow the box to breath but prevent any gear oil escaping with out messing bends and tubes.

Another thing for when I am swapping the chassis.

That is neat, in fact rather neater than my installation.

[mbell]

That looks quite neat to me. I am not 100% sure the breather would fit between the ribs on the cover or not.

Must remember to order one next time i order from there.As regularly find the odd drip of oil under the gearbox and with no obvious cause. Hopefully this would address that.