Bellhousing height?

[gearbox]

Hi All;

I was wondering if anyone has a dimension for a Lotus Elan Bellhousing from the mating face to the engine and mating face to the gearbox? I got a 109e bellhousing and I know some used a coil spring clutch and others a diaphragm and the bells are different heights. Thanks Allan

[joe7]

I think they are the same. Don't know the height but to be sure because of the shape of the bell housing an 8 - 81/2 clutch plate will only fit into a ribbed bell housing. So you are limited to a 71/2 inch clutch plate for an early non ribbed bell housing.

[tesprit]

Here are a couple of photos of the measurements of my spare bell housing. Using my dial caliper with the bell housing lying on the flat face of my milling machine table it measures 6.750" in depth as shown on the photos. I believe this is one of the "ribbed" bell housings and it is shocking how heavy it is compared to a modern aluminum bell housing casting! Definitely not in line with lightweight Lotus standards......

[Vic]

I was recently measuring my various bell housings. The Elan, marked 105E7505, measures 6 11/16". Cortina, marked 3034-7505A, measures 6 3/8" and from a Capri (cable clutch), D12A-6394 BC, measures 6 15/16th. I spoke with my engine builder about the variations. His opinion was that the 3-rail transmission had enough spline and pilot depth to accommodate any of the bell housing depths.

Vic

[gearbox]

Thanks, that's exactly what I needed to know. Thank you all, I love this site.

[rgh0]

I was recently measuring my various bell housings. The Elan, marked 105E7505, measures 6 11/16". Cortina, marked 3034-7505A, measures 6 3/8" and from a Capri (cable clutch), D12A-6394 BC, measures 6 15/16th. I spoke with my engine builder about the variations. His opinion was that the 3-rail transmission had enough spline and pilot depth to accommodate any of the bell housing depths.

Vic

Interesting - while the spline and pilot depth may accommodate the variation I wonder what it does to the clutch pushrod adjustment. Maybe this is why some Lotus Elans have problems with running out of clutch adjustment as its due to using the wrong bell housing?

cheers
Rohan

[gearbox]

From what I have seen on the 105e Angila site, the original clutch was a coil spring clutch which is much taller. But there was a way to install a modern diaphragm spring clutch by modifying the bobbin and moving it forward about 1/2 inch. http://www.fordanglia105eownersclub.co. ... ng-clutch/ I was not sure about the 109e which came in the 1961-3 Ford Capri Consul, but all these engines are related and not sure when the evolution between coil and diaphragm clutches were introduced. My bell measures about 6 3/4" face to face and could fit a 8.5" clutch plate down about 2" before hitting the bell, but it is not a ribbed bell. So not sure yet if a 8.5" Clutch would work yet. But anyone know of a 7 1/2" diaphragm clutch I could use?