5 speed question again.

[Famous Frank]

Ok, it's time to restore my very late 66 S2 SE Elan. I'd like to go with a 5 speed. I was going to try to install a T-5 but have just recently been offered a T-9 that needs a rebuild by a fellow member and good friend. The T-5 looks like it would place the shifter about 1 inch farther back than stock. The T-9 I heard can be modified to place the shifter in almost exactly the same location.

Does anyone know what modification must be made to the T-9 to fit an Elan and have the shifter come out in the original location? Does anyone have a picture(s) of the modifications? I know Alan Voight in England supposedly makes these mods but I'd prefer to use someone stateside. I contacted John Esposito of Quantum Mechanics a year ago and he said he'd be making them last March but to my knowledge that has not happened and it may not happen in the near future. Does anyone know of anyone in the states making this modification?

Thank you very much, Famous Frank

[CBUEB1771]

I know Alan Voight in England supposedly makes these mods but I'd prefer to use someone stateside. I contacted John Esposito of Quantum Mechanics a year ago and he said he'd be making them last March but to my knowledge that has not happened and it may not happen in the near future.

Try John Esposito again, he may be getting close to working out an import deal with Alan Voight. To call this a "mod" suggests over simplification, there is a lot involved in moving the gear lever of a T-9 forward more than ten inches.

[msd1107]

There was quite an extensive post on adapting a T5 into an Elan.
http://www.lotuselan.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=15954

In the US, this is attractive since T5's are more common than T9's.

worzel
http://www.google.com/search?num=100&hl ... Fforums%2F
has made several posts about adapting a T9 and positioning the shift lever.

The Alan Voight T9 conversion is more complex than meets the eye. However, he retains the standard 3.65 1st gear, which in essence gives you a four speed with a startup 1st gear.

BGH
http://www.google.com/search?num=100&hl ... Fforums%2F
http://www.bghgeartech.co.uk/html/5_speed.html

offers better gearsets for the T9. Mike Ostrov used the E7 2.75 set for the T9 conversion for the Type 14 he did. If you have driven this conversion, it is quite nice.

It would be nice if John Esposito could put together the Voight/BGH combination. Let's hold our breath.

David
1968 36/7988

[mac5777]

Hi David,
While I was completing my restoration, I was thinking about a 5 speed to lower the freeway revs. After removing the engine to rebuild and again after a failed water pump replacement and maybe a third time for a 5 speed, decided to install a new 3:55 R&P gears, stock 145x80x13 --155's rubbed-- and stayed with the original, Semi close trans.

Questions
Given my tire size and the 3.55 R&P diff. and a semi close box, what would be the revs be at 60 MPH? I can not trust my speedo or tach readings. But show about 3,600 rpms at 60 mph. I have not been able to master your charts to figure it out myself.

This is one of your older posts--
The fastest road test speed was achieved in a FHC with 3.55 and 155-13 tires, but with the wide ratio transmission. --
I assume the semi close is between the close ratios and a wide ratio?
Can you tell me, in an original car, what gears are in a semi close box, 1st thru 4th? 36/5785 coupe built in June of 66

I spoke to John Esposito of Quantum Mechanics awhile back and he was going to have a 5 speed available for elans, but that is old news.
I had purchased a T9 5 speed from him for my Triumph spitfire years ago that felt right through the gears. It moved the shift lever back about 4 inches. Originally it was right up against the radio. The parking brake was in the way of shifting but only if it was set. A little off subject, sorry about that.

Still in Holiday mode! Sarto

[msd1107]

Sarto,

For the 145-13 tires and 9/32 (3.55) diff, 60 mph is about 3300-3400 rpm. 155-13 tires would give 3200-3300 rpm. The gearbox drive gear should be 23 teeth for best odometer calibration (I am assuming you have the older speedometer SN 6136/00A 1000. The newer speedometer is SN 6207/08 980 and would take a 24 tooth gearbox drive gear. 155 size tires would take a 23 tooth gear for both speedometers.) The speedometer needle itself can be calibrated to give accurate speed indications even if the odometer reads incorrectly.

Different manufacturers make the same nominally sized tire with slightly different rolling diameters (I have seen as much as 2%+ variation). The tire also changes in diameter as it wears (by as much as 3%), and the diameter also changes depending on the load on the tire and the inflation pressure, among other factors. The 145-13 tire is nominally 939 rev/mile, the 155-13 is nominally 912 rev/mile.

Elans had three different transmission ratio sets. Very early Elans (with 1500 cc engines) had the sedan wide ratio 3.54, 2.39, 1.41, 1.0 set that was roundly panned for use in the Elan, but Chapman had no choice. The Cortina rally set used in the earlier Elans had 2.51, 1.64, 1.23, 1.0. Lotus advertising variously called this close ratio or ultra close ratio but is actually a mid ratio set (close ratio 4-speeds are around 2.2 or so for 1st gear). The later sedan gearbox with 2.97, 2.01, 1.39, 1.0 was used in later Elans and was euphemistically called mid-close ratio.

David
1968 36/7988

[mac5777]

Thanks David,
I will have the speedometer checked and fixed. It is nice to know what is really happening. After I made all of the changes, I did not feel the engine was looking for another gear at 60 mph. Mike Ostrov had shown me a Michelin XAS FF 155x 13 tire and they appear not to be as wide and may fit the arches. I have found a set.--expensive-- They might lower the revs a little more. The five speed cost will not make much sense any longer. I'm looking for the diameter of the XAS FF tires to compare to my current tires.

Much help, thanks again, Sarto