Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

In reorganizing my garage I've come across a NOS Ford gearbox I bought many years ago which I believe was intended for an early 70's Pinto with 1600 Kent engine. So my question is, are there any parts useable for an Elan gearbox? I've yet to open it up, and I'm guessing the gear ratios would be rather wide, and the tailshaft housing is different, but the main case and input shaft appears quite similar. I was just going to put it on Ebay, aimming it at the Pinto crowd, but if it might have some usable bit (bearings? synchros?) I'll keep it for spares for my Elan box.

Picture please

I don't know, but I've been told...the Pinto engine was the same block except for the deck height. Wouldn't that mean that the Pinto bellhousing would mate up?

I looked at one 10 years ago, it looks similar, though the starter was incorrect. Without the bell, it was near identical.

https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum ... 858/page1/

Some good information

USA64 wrote:I don't know, but I've been told...the Pinto engine was the same block except for the deck height. Wouldn't that mean that the Pinto bellhousing would mate up?

The pinto engine is totally unrelated to the Kent pushrod engine from which the LTC was developed. It was commonly referred to as the SOHC engine in the UK in the 80s & 90s & I think was originally designed as a Diesel. The bottom end was certainly substantial.
More info here - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Pinto_engine

The Pinto also came with a 1600 Kent engine... if that is what you meant...

The Pinto also came with a 1600 Kent engine... if that is what you meant...

Yes, that's why I said in my original post it was for a Pinto with a 1600 Kent engine. The 1600 pushrod engine was very common in the early Pintos here, before they began offering the 2.0L OHC engine.

That gearbox is a Ford type E. There is not one bolt that is common with the Ford box used in the Elan. The Elan box is a descendent of the Ford Anglia 105E box. The type E is from a totally different family of Ford boxes. The bell housing will mate up to the engine however but will not mate up to the 2000E Ford box in the Elan.

I more or agree that the two boxes have little in common, but I thought I had read, maybe in a Burton catalog, that the syncro hubs would interchange. I too hadn't brought myself to toss a 1600 single rail box in the till.

Roger

Elan45 wrote:but I thought I had read, maybe in a Burton catalog, that the syncro hubs would interchange.

No way. Completely different family. The Type E is not to be confused with an even later development of the 105E family box that had a single rail instead of 3 rail shift mechanism. A lot of parts from that version will interchange.

An easy way to distinguish them is that the Type E has a stamped steel top cover whereas the Anglia derived box always has an Aluminum top cover.

Okay, so an update, with photos which may help. Looks like it's a 2824E K gearbox?
Main body looks very similar to the Lotus spec.

Yes you have a good one. A lot of parts from that will interchange.

Be careful:
There's two input shaft lengths (not sure of US Pinto whether it had long or short). You need short (only applicable if you don't mind the standard ratios if you want semi close then this point is not applicable because the input gear will have an incorrect number of teeth.This one will have a standard ratio set (not semi close) unless the Pinto was available with a OHV 1600GT spec. engine (again I'm not that familiar with the US Pinto).

You should be able to use the synchro hubs and rings however!

Adding to this thread because I have found a similar gearbox, a 2824E7006E from a 69 Cortina with the 1600 crossflow. Can anyone comment or provide information on the following?

Would the mainshaft be the same as a 69 elan?
Would the tooth counts for 1st be the same?

The reason I am asking is my mainshaft and 1st gear are damaged and I am looking for replacements.

If it's standard ratio first gear itself will be the same, cluster gear is different, mainshaft is different.
If it's semi close ratio first gear and cluster gear will be the same but mainshaft will still be different.

Thanks for the reply. The search continues......

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