Elan +2 5 speed and Elite

[cal44]

I'm reading an article that states the Elan +2 5 speed is the same as an early 1974 Elite 5 speed. Is this true?

mike

[pharriso]

The main gear housing is the same, but the bell housing & extension housing are different , all explained in the attached.

elan5spd.pdf

(1.14 MiB) Downloaded 570 times

Most of us think of the 1957-62 Elite type 14 as the early Elite & the butt ugly 1973 on Elite as the later Elite; the 5 speed was used in the latter.

[cal44]

Thanks Phil, I've made correction to my post. Thanks for the article.

mike

[cal44]

This is the trans that came with the +2. The output housing is different for Elan +2.....than the smaller Elan .
Or, am I having another senior moment? Or is this not the proper Ford transmission?

[mbell]

I don't think that's a lotus 5 speed. Only seen mine from under the car but casing looks different. Lotus box has ali case and think it's it's more rectangular than that one.

[rgh0]

Looks like the standard 4 speed 3 rail Ford 2000E box that was in both the Elan and Plus 2.

The Lotus 5 speed box is a totally different looking gear box - all alloy, square main case with cast in cooling fins and Lotus cast in big letters on the top.

cheers
Rohan

[john.p.clegg]

5 speed...

John

[cal44]

Fellers, I know mine isn't a five speed. I probably didn't explain this correctly. I have/had a chance to pickup an Elite (74) five speed. I wanted to know the difference as to fit. Then Phil provided an article on obtaining a 5 speed and changing over the output housing and bell but in the article the output housing looked different for the smaller Elan. Sorry for the mangled explanation.
The article I was reading explained that in the end of production the +2 was being made at the same time the Elite was starting.......both had a five speed. That is how I ended up going down that road.

mike

[rgh0]

Hi Mike
I still am not sure I understand the question - which output housing looks different to which other output housing?

The output housing for the ford 4 speed used in a Plus 2 and Elan is different from the output housing for a Plus 2 Lotus five speed which is different from an output housing in a Elite Lotus 5 speed.

The casting details in terms of ribs and webs on the ford 4 speeds changed over the years of usage by Lotus but the functional dimensions stayed the same

cheers
Rohan

[cal44]

I think where I getting messed up is the pictures in the article Phil posted.
I'll check out for now until I get the squared away in my head.

Thanks boys,
mike

[vernon.taylor]

Salut Mike

And just to be really clear, the output housing and bell housing are not interchangeable between 4 and 5-speed 'boxes.

@+

Vernon