calling anyone useful with a spanner in my area...

[MattDon]

ok so i got the news today that my gearbox has collapsed, which means im royaly screwed, what i need is someone to help me remove the engine/greabox on my scrap car. If anyone can help, please give me a bell on 07813605118, can offer some financial reward or possible parts.

long story short this is my final push to get my car sorted, im all but out of cash and this has to work.

[bobbrown]

So it was a gear box issue wonder if it is the problem with 5th gear. I would check the spare before fitting and make sure the nuts are tight staked correctly.
I would help but too far away and too much to do.
You will need an engine hoist but these can be hired, weekend?? beg steal or borrow?

Bob

[MattDon]

i wonderd that too bob, i think its the only know issue with the gearbox. I know im out in the sticks and wouldnt want to put anyone out, but its always worth asking.


just to clarify im looking to remove the engine from the scrap car and take the gearbox off, the turbo manifold exhaust & driveshafts are all off, will have a look tonight to see what i can manage but im pretty intimerdated by the whole thing.

[Monty]

i removed pinky1`s engine on my own as the car was a scrapper you don`t have to take as much care. If you`ve got the clam and bumper off then all you need to do is pack up the engine undo the engine mounts then just remove the longerons (side chassis), obviously a bit more to ie unding wiring etc.

[Tannerman]

Hi Matt,
I can't help as it is way above my capabilities but i use a great little garage in Doncaster and he is very reasonable too....

He works on my Lotus and is a proper mechanic as oppossed to a "fitter" Not sure what he would charge for a gerabox swap but by the time you have rented a engine hoist snapped pipes and took skin off of your knuckles it may work out cheaper.

If you want his number PM me and i will give you it..Just tell him John with the Lotus reffered you....He will know who i am.....I have been his best customer since i bought mine LOL

[mikeydude]

Just take your time and lable everything plus keep everything in order.

the manual is pretty good for everything.

Even taking the engine out of a car is not beyond a novice, neither is swopping the gear box.

It's stuff like reconning ...fitting new rings, measuring bores, etc that can be difficult.

So go for it.

We may not be able to directly help, but you are welcome to PM me with any questions....in actual fact I have never taken an elan engine out..but I have done many other car types.

[MattDon]

thankyou to everyone for the offers and advice, monty your idea sounds like a good un'. im going to spend tonight going through the manual and seeing what i can do. this car is a scrapper, while id like to keep everything i can things arnt as critical with this car. the only issue i could see with that plan is that the scrap car only has two wheels (at the rear) and no front wishbones so moving it would be tricky, front bumper is off but the clam isnt.

tannerman, you sound alot like myself, lol. my issue is i need the engine & gearbox out of the scrap car (a none runner) so i cant get it to anyone, thats why im asking for help rather than taking it to someone (although finance does play a large part too) the poorly car got towed to pure lotus lastnight (i knew joining the aa was a good idea) i just need to get the good bits of the scrap car and get them down to the poorly car, lol.

again my sincerest thanks to everyone, and i'll keep you all posted.

[MattDon]

ok if you want to keep track of progess ... viewtopic.php?f=79&t=13126&p=209475#p209475

[MattDon]

ok todays update, i got a price for just swapping out the gearboxes, and if i do that i wont be able to afford to swap the engines/whishbones/rear brakes which need doing for the mot in december. so my plan was to get my car towed back to my place and see what i can achieve myself or with help, but it also just occured to me that my drive is still a sandy hardcore bed waiting for tarmac.... for the last month, so that rules out that plan unless i get a solid date on the surfacing. plan A was to get everything done in one go but im not sure i can get everything together in time, or enough cash together to see it through.... the drama continues.

[owentec]

Hi Matt,

Where exactly are you based? Also, what's up with your gearbox? I know a thing or three about fixing them now!

Owen

[MattDon]

im in hambleton a few miles from selby, which is inbetween and slightly east of york and leeds. yo8 9qb.

im not sure what exactly is wrong with the gearbox, i was told it has collapsed, all i can tell you is something let go and while i still had drive id say it was only just, and there was a god awful spinning grinding and banging.

im torn at the moment, basicly i could take out the gearbox from my other car and swap them over, with a labour cost (if i can get the old one out for free) is £460, which isnt too bad but i also have the front wishbones to replace as the front ones are likely to go at any moment, and the rear brakes to sort out which will fail an mot which is due in december, and around £600 in my elan fund (which is where any cash i have goes), the other option is to get everything done in one go i wont list it all again but basicly everything bar the chassi and body will have been replaced. only two realy issues with that idea and thats the cost (although id save on the gearbox as the engine is coming out anyway) and getting everything ready in time, I dont have another car. the things i need to sort before i can do this are esm chip so i can go closed loop, 12psi wastegate (turbo needs to be sent to turbo dynamics) and idealy these front wishbones from bob, but im not sure what time scale he's looking at and i imagine i can always temporarily fit my s2 wishbones. And if your math is any good you can see my favored option involes me magicing a wad of cash from somewhere. option c is to get the car back to my place and see what i can achieve but theres also the issue of time scale and the fact that i dont have a drive at the moment, or atleast no tarmac on it, and then theres working on a car outside in september, unless i can move the green car out.

so im very confused and have been trying to work this out for three days, and am no closer to any option, and if i cant get the car 100% i may have to mothball it.

[saska]

im not sure what exactly is wrong with the gearbox, i was told it has collapsed, all i can tell you is something let go and while i still had drive id say it was only just, and there was a god awful spinning grinding and banging.

Following on from owentec's comments, I'd want to take the gearbox end cover off and see if the nut(s) have come loose/off. It may be possible to re-press fifth gear, tighten it all up and see if it works OK. This can be done with the gearbox in situ. Only problem with this is the large 32mm nuts are not re-usable, so it may take a little while (a week) to obtain them. I've got some landing on Tuesday for the S2 which is jammed in fifth.

im torn at the moment, basicly i could take out the gearbox from my other car and swap them over, with a labour cost (if i can get the old one out for free) is £460, which isnt too bad but i also have the front wishbones to replace as the front ones are likely to go at any moment, and the rear brakes to sort out which will fail an mot which is due in december, and around £600 in my elan fund (which is where any cash i have goes), the other option is to get everything done in one go i wont list it all again but basicly everything bar the chassi and body will have been replaced. only two realy issues with that idea and thats the cost (although id save on the gearbox as the engine is coming out anyway) and getting everything ready in time, I dont have another car. the things i need to sort before i can do this are esm chip so i can go closed loop, 12psi wastegate (turbo needs to be sent to turbo dynamics) and idealy these front wishbones from bob, but im not sure what time scale he's looking at and i imagine i can always temporarily fit my s2 wishbones. And if your math is any good you can see my favored option involes me magicing a wad of cash from somewhere. option c is to get the car back to my place and see what i can achieve but theres also the issue of time scale and the fact that i dont have a drive at the moment, or atleast no tarmac on it, and then theres working on a car outside in september, unless i can move the green car out.

I could be wrong about this Matt but it seems the first priority is having a car that you can drive safely and will pass MOT. You can do all the rest of the mods when funds/time allow.
If the gearbox could be fixed as outlined above then you don't need to remove gearbox from scrap car and pay to have it swapped into yours. Given that sooner or later you're going to have to hoik the engine/gearbox to do the rest of the mods, doing it now seems a waste of 460 squids.
Then if I read correctly, you need to swap the front wishbones for the S2's and sort the rear brakes. I haven't done front wishbones but, reading the service notes, it doesn't look too hard. Maybe others who've done it would comment.
The rear brakes aren't too bad as long as you have the piston locator ring press tool (which I do thanks to BB). They just need care on re-assembly so as not to nip the sliding pin seals.

Left a message on your answerbone the other day but got no reply. I'm about 120 miles away and could help on weekends but booked pretty solid for the next couple of weeks Mon-Fri.
Not an expert with a spanner but not a numpty either. Just ask.
2p