Rear gearlinkage kit

[Paul C]

I've got the Lotus kit fitted and all the rear bits replaced too

With so many of those old road tests being critical of the Esprits

gearchange, i kinda figured that mine was fine, but no! Also Vicki

struggled to get gears in it.

The Esprit's box is never gonna be like a silky BMW affair (it's an

Esprit sir), but this kit takes away all the slop you get used too (as

it happens over time), and makes it all a more positive experience.

...just in time for the clutch to die.

[Mysterae]

I ordered the front and rear refurb kits from SJSportscars last week, without the inhibit block. He was waiting for parts to come in so I hopefully should have it today, plus a K&N air filter

I'll report back on my progress. I'm going for a 2000 mile trek in my Esprit later this week, so a nice gear change would be most welcome!

[Mysterae]

Time beat me on doing this in time.

On inspection the gearshift internals were all covered in the foam that surrounds the area and attached itself and between the mechanism. The reverse inhibit block is pretty worn at the leading edge and there is a bit of play where the cables connect to. To take out the entire stick mech, do you have to remove the facia with the stereo and heater controls? It looks like it.

The translator at the back looked okay and I didn't want to risk not getting it complete so I left it be for now.

[gb_brown]

Tonight I have finally put everything back together on the car. Including the new gearlinkage kit, whilst testing it in my garage, I thought I was getting every gear. Going out for a test drive earlier has proved otherwise as I cannot get 5th gear at all. All other gears are easy to engage inlcuding reverse, when I try to move to 5th I can only get 3rd. Any ideas?

Cheers

Gareth

[Jonathan]

All gears have their horizontal and their forward/back position.

When you say you cannot enter 5th does the gear stick not move over far enough or can you not push the lever up ?

Take the cables off the translator and see if you can manually get it to go by pushing the translator by hand - you'll know when it's in by rocking the car and watching the cam belt that way you KNOW you can select the gear. Check also you can dis engage the gear into neutral by the same method.

Then check the gear lever - will be well floppy but you should be able to move it to the 5th gear position, if there is nothing obstructing it.

If those are achievable it's the linkage, and you're not getting across enough...it might help putting the gearbox into 5th and setting up the linkage from there as a guide.

Does the car free wheel ?

[Artie]

I too would like to know if you need to completely remove the stereo segment of the center console to remove the upper master gear selector. My return spring seems to have broken in half and the shifter is quite sloppy now. To add, I just removed and cleaned my rear gear linkage translator and associated bits. I needed a new ball end and link which I ordered from JAE Parts and is scheduled to arrive tomorrow(Friday). All the other links were fine, no play and quite tight. I've rigged it to stay tight atm and I can finally get reverse, which had been missing for months to great embarrassment with my Viper friends(I hang out with the Dodge Viper club since there is only one other Esprit here locally)

Artie

[gb_brown]

Hi Jon,

Thanks for the suggestions

I can move the gear lever to the right (there is a lot less resistance than one moving it to the left), though I cannot move it up in to 5th. It feels like something is either blocking the gear lever or the cables are to tight to allow it move up in to 5th.

From memory with the cables disconnected I could select 5th.

This is probably a stupid question, where is 5th by moving the translator by hand? I have the manuals for the car in PDF format is it illustrated anywhere?

The car is free wheeling.

Cheers

Gareth

[superdavelotus]

For anyone who buys the PNM kit, they have made a 15 minute video on how to install. I should know as I recorded it! I can burn a copy and post to them if this helps. It's really useful believe me.

[Jonathan]

The car is free wheeling.

Thats useful, that means your not stuck in a gear !

I'll have a look tonight when I get home from work, I think I can remember but I'd rather be sure.

Silly question but you have got the gear linkage cables around the right way, left and right

I'll look at my box tonight and let you know (unless someone gets there 1st) - the easy way to make sure is to move it into a known gear and move the cables and see if the stick has moved the the right position inside the car too.

[gb_brown]

Cheers Jon, appreciate your help. I'm pretty certain that the gearlinkage cables are round the right way as I had wondered if that was the problem.

Superdavelotus, a video on how to do this would be excellent and would certainly help people like me who are not the best mechanics around Please let me know how much you would like for postage etc and I will electronically send you the cash if that's ok?

Have a good day

Gareth

[Jonathan]

5th is pull the shaft OUT. That moves the selector into the 5th gear plain, then I think it's clockwise rotation to engage the gear - you need to take the tied rod off really as well to make moving the translator easier.

[gb_brown]

Spent this afternoon trying to get this sorted with no luck Tried Jon's suggestions and in my garage with the engine off, it seems to be engaging 5th gear. As soon as I take it out for a test drive and try to get 5th I can move the gear stick to the right but as soon as I try to move it up, it will not budge. With the engine off, it will move to the right and up, without the same resistance.

So tomorrow I'm going to be phoning around to see if I can get a speacilist to sort it for me.

If it comes to it which I hope it doesn't, so I can go to the factory visit. Apart from the obvious of the engine revving higher and using more fuel etc, will I run the risk of damaging the gear box\engine if drive the car at speeds when it should really be 5th e.g. above 40MPH for long periods of time?

[Jonathan]

Might be a stuck synchro then - or you might have a burr thats only on 1 side of the mechanism that only gets into play when that shaft is rotating.

5th's / selector mechanisms are not too bad to work on as the rear cover simply un-bolts and you have access to it. As for driving it you'll have to keep the speed down (rpm) and ensure the box has the correct oil level before you set out. If I were you I'd get this looked at as soon as you can - Lotuses tend to have their way of going wrong a bit and then really going wrong when not investigated.

Let us know how you get on.

[gb_brown]

After phoning round verious mechanics in Berkshire last week I couldn't find anyone who could look at this until after the Factory visit So I drove very slowly (it's embarrassing when lorries are constanly overtaking you in an Esprit) back to my mechanic in Essex. Got a call from him yesterday afternoon to say it's fixed

As you can imagine I'm only slightly happy about this as I really thought I wasn't going to be able to make it this weekend.

Thanks to everyone who has replied to this thread and I look forward to meeting any of you going this weekend.

[Jonathan]

Did he mention what the problem was ?

Bring yer tool kit again just incase (bringing mine too and some overalls this time !)

Note my mob # down and come find us tomorrow - buy you a b33r

[gb_brown]

Spoke to Jonathan at the weekend, but hopefully this thread will help other people in the future. The problem was with the setup of the rear gear linkage. It took my mechanic a few hours to get it right.

[andydclements]

I've just done the rear linkages on the Renault box and used standard joint , I could have purchased joints and beariings from mnay of the usual sources, but used my local bearing supplier.

I bought and fitted the translator ones when i put the gearbox back in, but left the cables etc as I din't have time to re-adjust etc.

Now done them.

I've lost about 3 inches of front to rear movement on the gear stick, which isn't a bad thing, it's now a reasonable travel. I t feels so much better, can't wait to tackle the front end of the syatem now and get a nice positive selection.

Cost- translator bearings about

[THECARREAPER]

I too would like to know if you need to completely remove the stereo segment of the center console to remove the upper master gear selector.

Artie

hey, does anyone have an answer for this? i cannot engage reverse, and first is hard to find. i am off from work with a sinus infection and really need to find somewhere in the USA to order the front / rear overhaul kits while i am at home on my bum.

i managed to take my console apart, but it sure looks as if the forward console must be removed also , as there is no room to get in there with tools! i think my problems are all in the forward shifter, as i inspected the gearbox side of things and all appears ok. my 89 SE was kept in a climate controlled garage and is in super nice shape overall, no corrosion anywhere!

i have been on the phone trying to find parts kits and prices, but all of the businesses so far are on the west coast and are not open yet.

any help would be most welcome.

thank you!

[Paul93Lotus]

hey, does anyone have an answer for this? i cannot engage reverse, and first is hard to find. i am off from work with a sinus infection and really need to find somewhere in the USA to order the front / rear overhaul kits while i am at home on my bum.

i managed to take my console apart, but it sure looks as if the forward console must be removed also , as there is no room to get in there with tools! i think my problems are all in the forward shifter, as i inspected the gearbox side of things and all appears ok. my 89 SE was kept in a climate controlled garage and is in super nice shape overall, no corrosion anywhere!

i have been on the phone trying to find parts kits and prices, but all of the businesses so far are on the west coast and are not open yet.

any help would be most welcome.

thank you!

Been there done that...the stereo console has to come out if you want to remove the master gearshift selector. I wrote up a whole how to with pics a while back on here.

http://www.lotusespritforum.com/forums/ind...aster+gearshift

Edited November 6, 2007 by Paul93Lotus

[OwenGT3]

Tips:

BOIL the rubber boots before trying to slide the rod ends on - makes it so much easier (be caeful not to split them, although they cost pence to replace)

Pence to replace, 500 pennies each I paid! I bought mine from SJ sportscars, the ball links were

Edited November 6, 2007 by OwenGT3

[THECARREAPER]

thank you. the parts are on the way from JAE, and i will continue taking the car apart!

[wiseraven]

i managed to take my console apart, but it sure looks as if the forward console must be removed also , as there is no room to get in there with tools!

You shouldn't need to remove the forward console on an SE. I think they changed the console design when they updated the interior for the S4. On an SE, it's tight, but I replaced my shift mechanism and only needed to remove the arm rest. Just make sure the cables are disconnected at the gearbox end so you have enough play to work with. Make sure you label the cables before you release them, it'll save some headscratching later trying to work out which is which.

You may need to drill into the fibreglass to gain access to the nuts that secure the top plate of the shifter. In the manual they call this "fettling". Clearly, Lotus thought the shift mechanism would never need to be replaced!

Once you've unbolted the top plate, you can ease the mechanism out far enough to access the cable fixings.

It took me a couple of hours altogether and I'm no demon with a spanner.

Phil

[THECARREAPER]

thank you, i finally have some free time and am going to start on the repair today.