reverse gear troubles

[Tom H]

I am having trouble getting into reverse in my 89 lotus esprit. I have not had any trouble getting into reverse since I obtained the car in May. When I try to select reverse I end up in 2nd gear. I have check the reverse lockout pin and its not that. The pin is moving above the strike plate and the gear select is meeting the strike plate before I attempt to move it back into reverse. I also tried putting the car in 1st gear then reverse but have not been sucessful. Any info on this would be appreciated.

Could this be a misadjusted crossgate cable? I read a post on the topic from Lotusguy from 5/23/03.

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.a...ed+hose+reverse

Not sure if this is the problem I am experiancing.

Thanks,

Tom H

[andrewp1989]

It sounds like the problem is not with the shifter itself (i.e. in the interior of the car) but with either:

1) the translocator T-piece (on top of the trans where the two shifter cables mount) or,

2) inside the actual trans involving the brass shifter "finger" that engages either of the three shift plates/blades) . . . . Lotus might call them "rods".

My 1989 car had a poorly adjusted translocator T-piece. The gap between each heim joint (the end of each cable) was too short. Also be aware that the measurement of this is odd because 2 people are needed to do it. One to hold the shift lever 4.5 degree off the 1-2 plane (how does one measure 4.5 degrees anyway while sitting in the car?) and the other to measure the eye-to-eye length and the angle of the translocator. The translocator turns on a set of bearings. Mine where crusty and needed to be pulled and replaced. Do NOT buy the bearing from Lotus; an industrial bearing supply house is 20 times cheaper. To make things worse a key holds a shaft steady against the translocator. The key is 4mm keystock . . . . I think. Buy it at an industrial supply house as it is cheap. The keystock material Lotus chose is too soft. The steel wears round against the slot of the shaft . . . . making the translocator swing later and less per mm movement of the shift lever.

My car had all these issues. Cleaning everything, lubing the heim joint pivots, new bearings, new keystock, proper alignment solved everything and made the shift lever "feel" directly located to trans . . . . for once.

AP

[Vulcan Grey]

I am having trouble getting into reverse in my 89 lotus esprit. I have not had any trouble getting into reverse since I obtained the car in May. When I try to select reverse I end up in 2nd gear. I have check the reverse lockout pin and its not that. The pin is moving above the strike plate and the gear select is meeting the strike plate before I attempt to move it back into reverse. I also tried putting the car in 1st gear then reverse but have not been sucessful. Any info on this would be appreciated.

Could this be a misadjusted crossgate cable? I read a post on the topic from Lotusguy from 5/23/03.

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.a...ed+hose+reverse

Not sure if this is the problem I am experiancing.

Thanks,

Tom H

Also check that the translator is securely clamped to the cross shaft. I've seen it come loose and make 1st, 2nd, and Reverse difficult.