Stainless steel gear shift cables

[Specky]

Of course this comes up after I buy AB Cables but before I install them

Could be worse, you could of fitted them....

TTFN

[JonT]

1. superbad
2. Tb10 (for my N/A).
3. Steve A
4. jerome marchand
5. DavidEJM
6. Aoki Magic Pants (S2 - I think my cables have died, I can select gears using the selector, but I can't select gears using the gearstick )
7. Cliff
8. Mike - MPx (but only if you do S2 spec)
9. Ailwyn - S2
10. Niall
11. esprit888
12. Denny - I'll keep the AB set up as a spare (Doh !!)
13. Tannerman (cables bodged so come on guys get your name down)
14. JonT

[bobbrown]

I have started a list in the Group buys section so if you want to buy them just add your name here
I'm not going to wait for the list to reach the magic 25 sets to get a discount on the cables but if we reach it then all well and good but I would think that once the pre production ones are fitted and proven we should be in a position to move forward in say three to four weeks time.
Some of the parts nessary I have already made and it will not take long to make the rest as it is all straight forward machining with nothing very complex or time consuming.

I have taken into consideration Dave's short shift and some minor issues Specky raised and addressed those, I have also now included a S2 gear box bracket which if you already have an S2 you will not need and the price will be adjusted acordingly.

1.jpg

The upper cable is the cross gate cable and has the diameter at a minimum to clear the selector shaft when Dave's short shift is fitted plus it help to identify it when working in the engine bay.

4.jpg

How to get round cap screw in a square hole as per the gearbox selectors with misalignment spacer.

3.jpg

Any questions ask away

Bob

[lotos]

Bob - not to hijack your thread in any way - but is it possible to salvage anything from the AB cables to improve them and get them closer to the ones you're specing out?

[bobbrown]

Lotos

It looks like it is possible to modify the AB cables to take rod ends which will allow for misalignment which is one of the reasons for them being stiff.
You would need to cut the current eyes off and thread the rod M6 but as the ones I have here have M6 rods that should not be too difficult.
both the gearbox ends will need adapters to get from the M6 thread to a M8 rod end to fit the gearbox selectors which is what I have done on the stainless cables all be it the lengths are slightly different but it is possible.
The main culprit is the main selector cable as that moves in and out as you move the cross gate and a bush is fine if there was no movement but there is.
It also assumes that the cross gate cable is in line as there is very little allowance for misalignment in a bush as all you have is the clearance in the bush hence probably why some people have fettled the bush.
If the selector is fitted with the AB short shift then you could leave the cross gates alone as long as it is aligned and just change the end on the main selector cable.


Bob

[bobbrown]

If your not on the list then you may have a wait as I will be doing these in blocks of 5 once the first batch have been completed which I hope to have done in a couple of weeks.
Most of the parts are made with just some final machining to do and the cables and rod ends to order for which I will need peoples money as it can get expensive, the cables and rod ends for the seven on the list in the group buy gets to a bag of sand ish.

If you are wondering how well they work read the comments in the group buy

Bob

[Specky]

A bit of an update...

The gear change is very bloody quick, sometimes it catches you out and here's for why:-

Because there's little or no restriction on the cable runs you can change gear quicker than you anticipate.

if you have the sightest amount of pressure on the gearstick and you start to depress the clutch pedal... Your in the next gear before you know it.

To make this system perfect I think a shorter gear stick may be just the trick. At the moment she feels like an up to the minute modern car, but can perfection be improved upon?

So overall 9/10 (prototype cables) I only had to use the angle grinder once...

A brilliant job Bob, give yourself a pat on the back.

TTFN

[bobbrown]

some pictures of the final arrangement

fore aft1.jpg

lever 3rd gear.jpg

pin removed.jpg

The AB short shift will require the pin on the cross gate be removed and repalced with a cap screw fore/aft is not a problem as below

modified AB short shift.jpg

More to follow

[Greggry]

Deffo interested

[bobbrown]

Also available with a short shift kit
These short shift kits are the same as Dave's as he sent me the drawings etc

Bob

[tigerdog]

Sweet! If I didn't already have Daves+AB cables, I'd be buying these. Bob, has anyone told you you're an asset to the community?

[PECKHS]

some pictures of the final arrangement

fore aft1.jpg

lever 3rd gear.jpg

pin removed.jpg

The AB short shift will require the pin on the cross gate be removed and repalced with a cap screw fore/aft is not a problem as below

modified AB short shift.jpg

More to follow

Bob, are these the photos that I should be showing to my fitter?
I am not sure.
Tks.

Peck

[Semoco]

Hi Bob, brand new member here from Canada. I have acquired a 1992 Elan LHD (US Spec) and am in need of some shift cables. One of them is broken on the transmission end but I would like to replace both for good measure is there any of your sets available? I have looked in your profile for an email address but could not find one, perhaps as I am a new member. Hope this reaches you....thanks.

[tigerdog]

I have looked in your profile for an email address but could not find one, perhaps as I am a new member. Hope this reaches you....thanks.

Hi Semoco, and welcome!
If a member's email address is available, you can email by clicking the small "envelope icon" under his/her name on any forum post. Congratulations on your new Elan!

[MisterP]

Hello,
Today i have finished the change of the Standard cables with These nice stainless gear cables.also i have fitted the short shift kit....the only i can say to these parts,it is a must have for every Elan driver
Brilliant work Bob and thanks for all!

[Fox]

Bob

I can't work out how to email you from the forum(being an IT blockhead) but i have a 92 SE that still has the old plastic cables and they go out of
adjustment, so i would be interested inthe SS kit.
Can you help? Martin

[FredFlanagan]

Me too!!

[Rice crispy]

Bob

I can't work out how to email you from the forum(being an IT blockhead) but i have a 92 SE that still has the old plastic cables and they go out of
adjustment, so i would be interested inthe SS kit.
Can you help? Martin

If you look below his name in the thread its the middle icon which is a pic of an envelope

[superbad]

Two thoughts:

1. This car is such a pain in the ass to work on. No matter what it is, it takes twice as long as my worst case estimate.
2. The combination of Bob's cables and Dave's short shift kit are incredible. Since it's 2:30, I only drove it around the block, but what a difference. Sharp, direct, fast. I was expecting something like an original Miata shifter, which was good, but this feels kind of exotic, more like a Formula Ford or something. Why can't Lotus make them like this?

I was proud of myself for bolting the rod end on the new cables to the end on the old cable and fishing them through that way, but the cable routing ended up being the easiest thing to do. I have skinny enough arms that I can reach down all the way to the bulkhead and push the ends through. So I made up for that by spending an hour trying to get the 4 bolts off on the selector housing, half an hour trying to get the circlips to engage the grooves in the cable ends, half an hour trying to bolt the shift lever bracket back down, and on and on. Then I lost the hose clamp going to the header tank and had to go to Walmart at 2:00am to get another. Imagine the worst Walmart ever, and then imagine it overrun after a zombie apocalypse.

[tigerdog]

Imagine the worst Walmart ever, and then imagine it overrun after a zombie apocalypse.

Thanks for the best laugh of the day! Glad the cables have worked out. Now that Mr. Brown is in the game, I'm almost sorry Smaug wears AB cables. I don't suppose Bob's end-bits can be transplanted on Alan's cables. Frankencable, here we come.