Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

I took my engine out a while back to replace a stuck clutch release bearing. I ordered a new bearing and carrier from Sue Miller expecting to get a replacement for the 4 inch long steel tube in the picture but did not. The carrier is just a small piece that fits inside the bearing. What is the tube pictured and how do I get a new one? It is all broken along one end and the bearing carrier has worn some pretty deep grooves in it, where I presume the rattly bearing has been moving around with too much play. There is no picture of it in any of my manuals that show how the bearing fits onto the main shaft. Is it something that has broken off that shouldn't have?

"What is the tube pictured..."



What condition is the retainer (#44) in?



Could it have been damaged, and someone has sleeved it, in the past?

Cheers - Richard

It look like it's 45 on your diagram, what is that? It's obviously broken away from the retainer. Sigh, better ask Sue if she does those too...

Thanks for your help.

Steve G wrote:It look like it's 45 on your diagram, what is that? It's obviously broken away from the retainer. Sigh, better ask Sue if she does those too...

Thanks for your help.

#45 is listed as a lock washer. Do you mean the whole "nose" of the retainer has broken off?

Good Luck - Richard

Yes, sorry, not 45. It look like it's the nose of the retainer as you say. Is it common for this to fail with a worn release bearing? It would explain why I suddenly couldn't engage any gear.

Steve G wrote:Yes, sorry, not 45. It look like it's the nose of the retainer as you say. Is it common for this to fail with a worn release bearing? It would explain why I suddenly couldn't engage any gear.

(With Alans' permission)

It's a new one on me! (Although a bearing carrier spinning on the retainer has been referred to recently)

The mailing list & subsequent forums have covered just about everything else...but not a failure like that, as far as I know

Cheers - Richard

Ummm...I'm finding Lotus ownership hard. I miss my Honda some days. I've clocked more hours in Aeroplanes than I have my own car in coming up to two years. As soon as I fix something, something else breaks. I understand now why a lot of owners have a fair bit of money and/or are engineering experts! My wife doesn't understand why I have an expensive 'wreck' in the garage when I claim to enjoy driving so much, I wish I could explain it to her but words fail me, maybe I'm an automotive sadist?

Steve G wrote:Ummm...I'm finding Lotus ownership hard. I miss my Honda some days. I've clocked more hours in Aeroplanes than I have my own car in coming up to two years. As soon as I fix something, something else breaks. I understand now why a lot of owners have a fair bit of money and/or are engineering experts! My wife doesn't understand why I have an expensive 'wreck' in the garage when I claim to enjoy driving so much, I wish I could explain it to her but words fail me, maybe I'm an automotive sadist?

I suspect that will chime with some folks on here...

...Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em!

But nil desperandum, you're nearly there. Hope it isn't too many ???'s. But maybe someone has one to spare? Anyone?

Good Luck - Richard

Hi,
Thorght i would show this, a Concentric slave cylinder.
It would apear to replace the worn and broken part on your gearbox and replace with a uprated one, along with a "improved clutch slave cylinder" ?
Although not cheep !

Just check aprox 1/2 way down this page
http://www.davebean.com/specials4.htm

http://www.davebean.com/images/slavecyl.jpg

As can be seen it's on a well known American site, but I expect Burtonpower or Qed etc will also sell them as the gearbox is a ford based 3 rail.
In fact they may be able to help with a replacement original part !

if fact a search found this !
which i believe maybe the exact part your after

http://www.burtonpower.com/parts-by-cat ... 2e500.html

Brett

The steel input shaft housing is the bit that has broken, and I've had that happen twice, once about 35 years ago!

I would avoid concentric slaves like the plague. Quite a few modern cars have them, and when they fail, which they do and have on one of my cars, the gearbox has to come out to replace it. In operation it doesn't seem to give any advantages, and failure costs a small fortune to sort.

The slave cylinder on the Elan couldn't be simpler, and lasts for many years.

Mark

There are two kinds I believe that are early and late. the later one has some meat to it but I doubt that they are interchangeable. I don't know that for certain as I haven't looked at these for a while.

Thanks for all your replies, great info there. In your picture Gary, the steel input shaft housing looks to be about four times the gauge of the piece that has broken off, either mine is about 80% worn through or it is some sort of sleeve/shim. The hole drilled in it makes me think it's the latter. I will have to have a look at the gearbox end tonight (still in the car) and work out what's going on.

Has anyone experience of the shaft housing being sleeved like this?

Steve G wrote:Thanks for all your replies, great info there. In your picture Gary, the steel input shaft housing looks to be about four times the gauge of the piece that has broken off, either mine is about 80% worn through or it is some sort of sleeve/shim. The hole drilled in it makes me think it's the latter. I will have to have a look at the gearbox end tonight (still in the car) and work out what's going on.

Has anyone experience of the shaft housing being sleeved like this?

Yes, I thought it was a shim, but couldn't really think of the "Why?"

Have your camera handy tonight. I'd like to see what you find.

Cheers - Richard

Hello Steve

Was it you that had the misfortune of the flywheel bolts failing and allowing the flywheel to become free upon over-revving when the throttle pedal stuck? If so, perhaps this more recent failure was effected at the time.

Just a thought. Ian

Do you have a five speed box? Looks like it could be the same part from the "maxi" 5 speed box...

John