Dave's shortshift - now under the management of Bob Brown

[peteoddcar]

Dave
Do you have stock ? I am definitely in need of a kit so let me know how to pay and I'll send you the £'s
If not in stock can you add me to the list for the next run...
Thanks
Pete

[DeeAitch]

Pete, you have PM

Cheers,
Dave

[*LUCA*]

One for me please Dave!!
Thank you

[racerstev]

This mod just transformed the car! Very nice part for sure!

Steve Lockett

[Karl Martin]

For the price, this is the finest upgrade you will ever make on this car, it makes the gearbox so precise, I change up and down just for the hell of enjoying it!

HOWEVER....it puts a serious strain on the gear cables.

When I had mine fitted to my SE, I bought a new set of S2 cables, because the S2 cables were supposed to be stronger....they weren’t.

I collected the car from my garage and drove the 22 miles home, marvelling at the difference. At about 18 miles I changed from 3rd to 2nd and the gear stick just kept on going - oh dear, something wrong! - coasted into the side of the road and couldn’t get anything with my now very floppy gear stick.

Called the RAC and it transpired that the eye which goes onto the short shift’s pin, is held to the cable by a compression joint, which tore loose under the extra strain.

So it was back to the garage who could not refund me the cost of the cables (£240) because they had fitted them to a non standard part.

As the short shift was so good (whilst it was working!) I didn’t want to go back to the standard set up, so I contacted Alan Betts via pm on this site (it is very difficult to get hold of him on his own website in Hong Kong, with the telephone system) and bought a set of AB Motorsport Cables. From first contact to delivery took 5 days! What a faultless service AND Alan’s cables were cheaper than the S2 cables!

Furthermore, these cables are more like rods!....I am sure you could hook them up to the eye at the front and tow the car with them, such is the build quality!

The garage did have a little trouble fitting them because they were a little stiff, but to cut a long story short, every thing works perfectly now and the garage fitted them for free as a good will gesture.

I do not want to put anybody off, or criticise this kit, just learn by my mistakes and save yourself time and money.

This kit with the AB cables and garage labour, VAT, postage etc. (in the UK) is around £350 and worth every penny for peace of mind.

[HJ2]

I had the same problems, but got it solved for just a few pennies...
viewtopic.php?f=37&t=14821&p=197316

[DeeAitch]

Oh well – fun while it lasted

I would recommend you send those S2 cables back to Lotus Karl – no way they should fail in such a short time. Would be good to see a picture of the failure but from what you say it would seem that the crimp has been substandard.

There are quite a few kits out there now, most running SE cables without concern. One or 2 even track their cars with that set up.
My own kit – slightly higher ratio so even greater loads on the cables – has been in daily action for over 5 years / 60k miles now, on SE cables which were fitted 2 years before I bought the car – there I go tempting fate!
As with any performance mod , Power increase, bigger brakes etc, there will be an inevitable increase in the stress of associated parts. I've been at pains to point this out many times, including a passage in the fitting instructions supplied with every kit.
This kit increases the load on the cables by approx 30% - stock cables should easily cope with that. In fact I’ve never seen a crimp fail, at least not on SE cables – cue evidence to the contrary

[Enright]

Sounds like a pretty easy fix if you're reasonably handy with solder and a blowlamp.

[HJ2]

Solder and a blowlamp????
A big crimptool would be better and easier.... I don't think you want to pump heat in the bugger and due to the nature of the flexible part, the joint won't be very durable!, well that's my two cents anyway

[HJ2]

Quick question:

Is the selectorbox on the S1 gearbox the same as the S2?
I have an appointment to install 3 (!) of Dave's buggers this sunday

To my knowledge this will fit as a breeze

[Specky]

Can't speak for the S2, but there are two types on the SE.

For all intense and purposes they are the same though (especially where the DH short shift is concerned), one has an electrical connector that does bugger all and the other doesn't even have a facility to fit it to start with.

TTFN

[HJ2]

thanks for the quick reply man!

[Specky]

Look here at this pic...

You can sorta see both types

viewtopic.php?f=48&t=14484&start=40#p195105
TTFN

[DeeAitch]

Can't speak for the S2, but there are two types on the SE.

For all intense and purposes they are the same though (especially where the DH short shift is concerned), one has an electrical connector that does bugger all and the other doesn't even have a facility to fit it to start with.

TTFN

I have both of these and agree the Electrical thingy does naff all - at least there is no obvious application on the Elan for the switch.
The parts my kit attach to are identical.

[GeoffSmith]

For the price, this is the finest upgrade you will ever make on this car, it makes the gearbox so precise, I change up and down just for the hell of enjoying it!

HOWEVER....it puts a serious strain on the gear cables.

When I had mine fitted to my SE, I bought a new set of S2 cables, because the S2 cables were supposed to be stronger....they weren’t.

I collected the car from my garage and drove the 22 miles home, marvelling at the difference. At about 18 miles I changed from 3rd to 2nd and the gear stick just kept on going - oh dear, something wrong! - coasted into the side of the road and couldn’t get anything with my now very floppy gear stick.

Called the RAC and it transpired that the eye which goes onto the short shift’s pin, is held to the cable by a compression joint, which tore loose under the extra strain.

Karl, it's a shame that you had a problem with the S2 cables and Iam sure that it was a manufacturing problem with the cable you had, rather than the ability of the S2 cables in general. Yes, there is a slight increase in the loading because of the short shift but it is not excessive and any new cable should have sufficiebnt design margin in it to be able to cope with the extra loading. I think the compression joint would have given way eventually (maybe at an even more inconvenient moment) even with the standard setup.

I hope this doesn't put anyone off the shortshift as it does transform the feel of the original lumpy porridge spoon.

[quentin]

Hi Dave,
I'm a new owner of Elan, and the only things that bother me are the gear change and the brakes. How surprising ???
Bob is handking wih the brakes, thanks. Is your kit "S1 copmpliant" ? I only read about S2s.
Can you give me details regarding cost, delivery to France etc.. (PM ?).
Thanks,
Quentin

[DeeAitch]

Hi Dave,
I'm a new owner of Elan, and the only things that bother me are the gear change and the brakes. How surprising ???
Bob is handking wih the brakes, thanks. Is your kit "S1 copmpliant" ? I only read about S2s.
Can you give me details regarding cost, delivery to France etc.. (PM ?).
Thanks,
Quentin

Hi Quentin, You mean it doesn't leak

I take it by 'S1' you mean SE? If so, yes fully compliant - my own car is a '91 SE
You have PM

[quentin]

Dave,
I did mention only things that bother me..
And I prefer water leaks inside the car that oil leaks under the car... for which my Elan+2 is very competent..
I sent you everything ...
Thanks

[superbad]

And I prefer water leaks inside the car that oil leaks under the car...

So your oil cooler lines / CAS o-ring / valve cover gasket / oil pan gasket haven't failed yet? I don't know how Lotus managed to find the only Japanese engine in history that leaks like an old 60s British engine, but they did.

[DeeAitch]

Dave,
I did mention only things that bother me..
And I prefer water leaks inside the car that oil leaks under the car... for which my Elan+2 is very competent..
I sent you everything ...
Thanks

I also have a +2 which tends to dribble a bit
Keeps the chassis lubed tho'