Gearbox capacity???

PostPost by: nomad » Sun Feb 18, 2024 11:13 pm

The Lotus Elan workshop manual claims the oil capacity of the gearbox is only 2.1 pints. This seems a very small amount. Is the manual accurate?? My fill and check plug is going to require heat to remove it so that is why I'm asking.

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PostPost by: The Veg » Mon Feb 19, 2024 2:24 am

Assuming that you're talking about the four-speed, have you seen what it looks like when removed from the car? The gear-housing really isn't very big, so I think 2.1 pints is completely plausible.
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PostPost by: Sadbrewer » Mon Feb 19, 2024 12:37 pm

The manual will not be wrong.
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PostPost by: bitsobrits » Mon Feb 19, 2024 1:47 pm

Yeah, it's less than a US quart. Which is why you need to check the gearbox level once a year or every few thousand miles when they get leaky. Not much in the way of excess capacity.
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PostPost by: nomad » Mon Feb 19, 2024 2:39 pm

Thanks folks. New seas so I shouldn't have leaks. Sure wish I had tried that plug before fitting the tranny to the car. I'm sure a little heat would persuade it but a bit difficult to do in the frame.

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PostPost by: mbell » Mon Feb 19, 2024 4:07 pm

Just be careful if it's in US pints (16fl oz, us fl oz, 473ml) or UK pints (20fl oz, UK fl oz, 568ml) as the difference is probably big enough to matter here.
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PostPost by: nomad » Mon Feb 19, 2024 11:56 pm

mbell wrote:Just be careful if it's in US pints (16fl oz, us fl oz, 473ml) or UK pints (20fl oz, UK fl oz, 568ml) as the difference is probably big enough to matter here.


Workshop manual lists it both ways but the difference is a good thing to remember. The king must have liked a bigger pint! :D

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PostPost by: skelteanema » Tue Feb 20, 2024 12:04 am

I recently changed the oil in my box. I think it was about 2 ints although i didn't measure accurately, just filled until it started coming out of the plug hole.
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