Rear gbox mount - Spyder

[HCA]

I have hit a small snag, and Spyder have not answer my mails, so another question please.

I understand there is a spacer somewhere at the rear of the gearbox that go a long way to lowering the front of the engine. I am not sure if this spacer is a fixed height, nor if it is an optional item.

What I do know is that my car does not have anything resembling a spacer and the front of the engine needs lowering. Will someone please tell me where this spacer should be, is there a fixed height or if not, how high can I raise the rear? Importantly, where does it fit please? I can only see it being behind the large bolt holding the mount on, or are there two spacers sitting bewteen the mount feet and the chassis plate?

I think I have found the Lotus (or is it the Spyder?) 'gotcha' - it is not welding the 5/16" mounting bolts to the feet, yes? Or are there more yet to reveal themselves..

Thanks
Hal

[Craven]

Standard set for Lotus chassis, I don’t think Spyder use them, they use a higher bracket/cross member.
http://rdent.com/manuals/elan/chassis/aa.htm
spacer part 4

May help

[JonB]

No separate spacer on mine. A flat plate with a raised bit bolted to the underside of the chassis, then the gearbox mount is bolted to it. I’ll see if I have a picture after lunch.

[HCA]

Ah, do I have it wrong maybe. I read back on past posts a while back and sure I remember it that it was the Spyder chassis that had the problem. Obviously the other way around, thanks Craven and Jon.

OK, let me approach this from another angle. Previous owner(s) fitted a lovely new sheet of, quite thick, horsehair under the bonnet. It is this that is fouling the cam cover. So whoever fitted it, to overcome the issue elonged the front mounting holes to allow the engine to drop a half inch or more, but in so doing the airbox then vibrated on the footwell on accelaration (or is it overrun..? ).

I now have the front mounts back as they should be, so now I have three options open:

1. Remove the horsehair mat. I'd like not to do this.
2. Cut out a section of the horsehair for the front of the cam cover to sit into. Messy, or
3. Lift the rear of the gearbox some.

Even if it meant going against the design, is there any harm in lifting the gearbox?

[JonB]

Not sure I'd advocate that. Move something, get an unwanted side effect (as you noted). There is little clearance for that, even in a Plus 2. By Jove, you should have bought mine.

Either cut a slot in the matting, or pull it and replace with something thinner. Or just pull it out (mine has none, for example).

[RichardHawkins]

Hal,

My car is an S4 Elan.

Whilst you can lower the front of the engine by raising the back of the gearbox, there is little to be gained. The engine gearbox assembly will pivot about the engine mountings, but the distance from the engine mounting to the gearbox mounting is about three times larger than the distance from the engine mounting to the front of the engine. If you raise the gearbox mounting by 3mm you will lower the front of the engine by 1mm. From what you have said I don’t think you will be able to lower the front by the amount you need.

Hope this helps. I lowered the engine as much as I could, raised the gearbox as much as I could and put packers between the body and chassis.

Richard Hawkins