Gear Cables

Drivetrain problems

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Gear Cables

Postby fillpoke » Thu 16.04.2015, 21:34

When I bought my car I was fortunate to get quite a few spares with it. I've just dug out the box with gear cables in as the change is getting very much like stirring porridge. Trouble is I don't really know what I've got nor, in the absence of any instructions, how to fit them. From the attached photo could anybody please tell me which cable set is which. I assume, from my reading on here, that one set will be Bob Brown and the other AB. Am I right? Which is which? Which should I choose to fit? And what are the loose bits and which cable set do they belong to? Thanks for any help. Dave
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Re: Gear Cables

Postby tweetdriver63 » Thu 16.04.2015, 21:38

I don't know what Bob Brown's cables look like, but the black ones look like the AB cables I have. That other set, and maybe it's just me, looks like the cables are shorter than the black ones. Those look like Bob's, but they look noticeably shorter than the AB cables.

It's also possible that the cables need to be shorter if you use Bob's short-shift kits (again, I've not seen them, so I'm only speculating). Just thinking that the short-shift kit may make it so the cables need to be a little shorter too. If that's the case, I'm envious. From what I've read here, his cables and short-shift make a huge positive difference in the car.
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Re: Gear Cables

Postby Enright » Thu 16.04.2015, 23:50

You are a very lucky man - there must easily be at least £600 worth of stuff in that pic! :shock:

I agree that the bottom ones look like AB cables, so the top ones must be Bob's. The RHS end of the AB ones will go at the gear lever end.
To remove the old cables you need to take out the centre console, unbolt the gear lever securing bracket from the top, release the cables from the gearbox end and pull them out through the hole left by lifting out the gear change lever assembly. Fitting the new ones is the same but in reverse, and once the old ones are out you'll soon see that there's only one way they can possibly fit.

The loose bits are the main components of a short-shift kit (either Dave's or BCN's). I can't see too well what's in the bags, but it looks like the rest of the bits. The offset bracket between the sets of cables has to be used with your cables if you are going to fit this. If there are 4 plastic bushes/grommets in the top bag then they will replace the rubber versions in the original gear lever to chassis mounting.

Oh and if you're not interested in the short shift kit, let me know cos I'll happily buy it off you! You could easily sell your other cable set for good money too, as either the AB or BB set should outlast the rest of the car.
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Re: Gear Cables

Postby tweetdriver63 » Fri 17.04.2015, 00:19

There are detailed instructions for changing out the gear change cables in the workshop manual. If you don't have one, you can sign up to access them at the "manuals" link in the top menu.
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Re: Gear Cables

Postby Pete_Tapping » Fri 17.04.2015, 00:27

Neil, don't be greedy you've already got a short shift fitted (I know, I've felt it!) If Dave doesn't want it I'm still looking for one!
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Re: Gear Cables

Postby Enright » Fri 17.04.2015, 08:38

Pete, please don't broadcast to everyone about me letting people feel things of mine - that's how rumours start! ;-)
Anyway, I've only got 1 short-shift kit between 2 Elans - they HAVE to be both up to the same standard, is that greedy? :poke:
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Re: Gear Cables

Postby lotusflasherman » Fri 17.04.2015, 10:53

Enright wrote:Pete, please don't broadcast to everyone about me letting people feel things of mine - that's how rumours start! ;-)
Anyway, I've only got 1 short-shift kit between 2 Elans - they HAVE to be both up to the same standard, is that greedy? :poke:


So have I ... 1 between 2 that is.
I've got a "Bill's Isuzuperformance Short Throw Shift Kit for 90-93 Isuzu & Storm Cars" on my SE which I've got on SORN. I saw it on ebay at a silly price years ago so thought it worth a try. That uses the original cables and gives a very short throw, maybe a little too short. The kit supplied another selector casting complete with selectors but with the anchor pins relocated on both the Bellcrank Lever and the Cross Shaft Lever, and a revised cable anchor bracket that changed the angle the cables approached. Quite simple to fit and quite effective. (Manual Section FF Page 4 shows the levers).

As I have the original selectors & casting I'm considering modifying those to fit my SE which is in daily use - doesn't look too challenging. I'm thinking I might move the pivots about 80% of the distance towards 'Bill's position' so I get a short throw but not a very short throw and make a new anchor bracket that's appropriate.

It's one of those 'Jobs To Do' that hasn't got near the top but I think I ought to remove Bill's kit from the SORN SE so I can start measuring and comparing his to the original ... I feel a Project coming on - 'Make your own Short Shift' - would that be Major or Minor Project? I'm coming to work in Nottingham for 3 months at start of May so will need something to occupy my evenings... do you want to meet up and sort it out together?

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Re: Gear Cables

Postby Brit-Car-Nut » Fri 17.04.2015, 14:32

fillpoke wrote:When I bought my car I was fortunate to get quite a few spares with it. I've just dug out the box with gear cables in as the change is getting very much like stirring porridge. Trouble is I don't really know what I've got nor, in the absence of any instructions, how to fit them. From the attached photo could anybody please tell me which cable set is which. I assume, from my reading on here, that one set will be Bob Brown and the other AB. Am I right? Which is which? Which should I choose to fit? And what are the loose bits and which cable set do they belong to? Thanks for any help. Dave


The top cable set is one of Bob B.'s kits. The left hand and right hand plastic bags contain the spacers and bits to install Bob's cables. The gold bracket to the right is the cable abutment bracket for Bob's kit. There are no real instructions for installing them, but a guide is in the WIKI Under the topic Stainless Steel Gear Shift Cables

The lower cable set is from A-B Cables. The plastic bag at the botton is for the AB Cables and the gold and silver metal parts between the cables are a AB short-shift kit which replaces the fore-aft shaft in the shifter housing on the gearbox. That is why there is a gasket in the kit. I believe the AB Short-Shift kit came with new bushings for the shifter to body which appears to be what is in the bag to the left of Bob's bracket. The AB cables originally came with typed up installation instructions but it appears that nobody kept theirs after installing them. I dug around and found pieces of the guide in different posts on LEC and combined them into a makeshift guide that you can download from my manuals area: http://www.lotusm100.com/manuals/AB-Cable-Install.pdf
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Re: Gear Cables

Postby epipete » Fri 17.04.2015, 19:03

Interesting dilemma, assuming you are driving with standard cables and someone gifts you both the BB's and AB's how do you decide which set to install?
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Re: Gear Cables

Postby Enright » Sat 18.04.2015, 09:17

Phil,
If you have access to a decent tool-room or fabricator, then I have some useful inside knowledge which could prove "advantageous". :wink:
Sounds a bit like a parody of a Wurzels song!

Anyway you have a PM - let's take it from there.
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Re: Gear Cables

Postby fillpoke » Mon 20.04.2015, 20:30

Thanks for the help and advice everybody. At least I know what I've got now and how to use it.
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Re: Gear Cables

Postby rip » Tue 21.04.2015, 14:12

Has anyone tried replacing the cables by attaching the new ones to the old & pulling them through?

I fitted my AB set on my own & I could only feed them through a little at a time before getting out to route the cables a little, then get back in & feed a little more through.
It seemed to take forever. :?
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Re: Gear Cables

Postby Fredjohn » Tue 21.04.2015, 14:19

rip wrote:Has anyone tried replacing the cables by attaching the new ones to the old & pulling them through?


Ian
When I did mine I attached a 3 core mains cable (NOT plugged in!!) to each of the old gear cables and then pulled them out into the car, leaving the electric cables in place to pull the new cables through. Still needed a lot of encouragement to get them through though, but managed.
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