Lotus Elan Central

by **Steve A** » Sat 20.03.2010, 22:26

All the aggro was self inflicted, :oops:

but yes well worth the effort :-D

Me thinks a small addendum to the install instructions might be in order

Maybe,
" not to be attempted when you come off night's" :wink:

by **G UK** » Tue 06.04.2010, 19:41

Sorry, I missed this topic. It sounds like you've got the exact same problem I had at Hethel.

My solution as I couldn't get the cam realigned was simply to remove it!!! :-D

by **Steve A** » Tue 06.04.2010, 20:29

as I couldn't get the cam realigned was simply to remove it!!!

Doesn't that make it possible to go from 5th to reverse :shock:

I managed to reset it on my selector, a bit fiddle y but doable :wink:

by **G UK** » Tue 06.04.2010, 21:38

Steve A wrote:Doesn't that make it possible to go from 5th to reverse
I managed to reset it on my selector, a bit fiddle y but doable

Yes it makes it physically possible but extremely unlikely as if like me you don't put any lateral pressure on the stick going from 5th to 4th you allow the spring in the selector box to do its job. I'm quite heavy on the gears (and clutch, and brakes, and accelerator :-D

) but I did over 6k miles with it removed and never came close to shoving it in reverse once.

Edit: Correction, I forgot about my habit of going for 6th gear in every car I've driven despite never owning a car with 6 gears :-D

. Trying to go 5th to 6th (aka reverse) at 70mph doesn't work, you drop it into neutral get and then just get some resistance, I'm sure you could try and force it but nobody in there right mind would do that!!

by **dapinky** » Sun 12.09.2010, 17:35

I've just got home from a weekend away with Mrs P - well, mostly it was good (driving round Exmoor roads with the roof down CANNOT be bad - especially when you stay at a marvellous little place which just happens to be Michelin starred, so the food was okay :wink:

).....

....anyway, back to the point........

......we got as far as Bridgwater, when it wouldn't come out of 5th - so, with 10million revs and a slipping clutch i got it as far as a carpark - not easy

....

....now, anyone who has been there will agree, that no-one ever wants to spend longer in Bridgwater than they have to, and certainly wouldn't choose it for a weekend break, so it was down to memory as to what was needed to remedy the issue......

....not many tools in the car, (my usual selection had been removed to allow space for hairdriers, straighteners, clothes etc - plus a few bits for Angie :-D

).....

....so a quich call to the helpful man in Swindon (Cheers, Dave!) to confirm what is required, and, more importantly, it would work well enough to allow me to continue, and not go home.

...if i'd needed to go home and swap cars, i didn't want to spend an hour wasting my time on a repair which wouldn't work.

Anyway, upshot was (as i thought) - whip off the selector box, line it all up, put it back on, and drive using 1,2,3,4 & R only!!!

Luckily, the planned trip wasn't going to involve too much 5th gear work anyway (Anyone know Porlock hill?), so it isn't a big issue - now i'm home, i just have to remember not to use 5th to get to work tomorrow, before i take it all apart and fix it properly.......

....luckily, I have a spare selector box, so i should be able to compare them and get it set up quite easily (especially with the pics and words already on here), so basically, thanks to all who have posted here (this thread and others), Specky for confirming my thoughts, and anyone else who knows me......

Note to self - put the tools back in the car - but this job CAN be done with a chisel (to undo jubilee clips, in absence of screwdriver) - also to lever the clutch arm up a bit to get the cable off.
and a 12mm 3/8 drive socket with 2 x 3" extensions to get the selector box bolts out (it wouldn't reach the last one, but by putting just the socket on the bolt, and using the chisel in the end to turn it, I managed).