Gear shift lever assembly problems on my Esprit S2

[Esprit79]

After a one week trip to the alps (and apparently a lot of shifting) a bolt on the gear shift linkage came lose.
I couldn't engage reverse anymore and after a detailed investigation realized that there had been a lot of messing around by the PO.
The lever had broken off and was fixed with a screw, on the shift gate the step for reverse gear had been failed away and said bolt had come loose.
I didn´t have much choice but thanks to the google search and ebay, I sourced a NOS replacement gear shift linkage.
But now having them next to each other I noticed some slight differences and wonder if I have to worry about that?

The most obvious thing is that the lever is different. Original is chrome with M7 thread for gear knob, replacement is black with M8 knob.
What do you think, should I:
A - get the knob fitted to an M8 thread and keep the black lever
or should I
B - get a professional to cut of the black lever and weld the original chrome gear lever with the original wooden gear knob onto it?
or
C - order a M8 gearknob and don't worry about any of the above?
I would love to keep the chrome lever though…

The original Part and the replacement look different in some areas, are they easily interchangeable or is there anything else I have to be concerned about?

[giorgio67]

I think you have bought the assembly for the S3 car with the 8mm thread size, the parts are the same as are for the citroen c35 box so no problem swapping them.

Giorgio

[Paul Coleman]

See if Harry Martens has one he can sell you. http://www.ds-vitesse.com/en.html

 

 

Paul.

[iainskea]

On connecting it - the most awful lack of access ever, had to get my 10 year old son with little hands to do it!

... And Hi Giorgio!!

[johnpwalsh]

The Black one marked RC 1919 is from and S3, the notch for reverse gear is different, I hope it works for you on the S2

[Esprit79]

Yes it was already horror to get out, not really looking forward to the reassembly!

So you’re saying it could work since the gearboxes are the same on S2 and S3 but maybe I should better keep looking for an S2 assembly? I will try to contact Harry Martens, tanks for the tip! Hopefully they have something.

Edited November 11, 2013 by Esprit79

[molemot]

My chrome gearlever snapped off like a carrot years and years ago. The black lever seemed to be the standard replacement...the original walnut knob was used, modified to fit and locked in place with a locknut underneath it. You shouldn't have any problems with gear selection caused by the replacement mechanism...might need to adjust the linkage, though. Gearlevers get broken by those people trying to engage reverse with badly adjusted crossgate linkages....or who don't know you have to lift the lever over the reverse gate!!

[gvy]

My crome gearlever snapped off a year ago.

My dad made me a new one on his lathe .

Everything is fine since then.

 

some pictures of the new one and the broken one besides.

 

 

Edited November 11, 2013 by gvy

[Esprit79]

Thanks for all your comments and the pictures Geert, looks very tidy - Compliment to your dad!
I wish I had the tools, and .. the dad.

I´ve contacted Harry Martens but he couldn´t help me.

But I am relieved to hear that the my replacement assembly should fit without problems.
Now I just need to decide whether I just get the knob modified or somehow try to get the chrome lever fitted..
 

[peteyg]

Can you drill out the old thread and use a helicoil for the new size thread on the knob?

 

Pete

[Esprit79]

Yes I think this should be possible. Sounds like the cheapest and most straight forward solution.

And I guess finally no one will complain if there is a black lever instead of the chrome one as long as it shifts nicely!

 

Don´t know if I should bin the old parts. But if anyone reading this is interested in the parts of the old assembly let me know.

[peteyg]

My lever is black and original.

 

Pete

[vintaylor]

same here

[Mesprit87]

Nice Pics Mo,

 

Has John said, I would go for reliability. If Lotus changed the design, it's probably because the old one was flawed.

 

Luc

[Esprit79]

Thanks for all your comments! - interesting to hear that some seemed to have originally the black lever fitted.
 

[molemot]

The pretty chrome lever always seems to break across the hole where the reverse gate rollpin goes through. The black lever has more "meat" on it, iirc, and mine has been OK since I fitted it in 1990ish. The main thing is to ensure you have the crossgate mechanism adjusted properly, once that's done reverse just clicks in without effort...and it's the mad heaving across the gate that snaps the chrome lever....ask me how I know......(!) In those days, if you had an Esprit, you were on your own....no interweb for help and advice, and nobody knew any more than you did!!

[grayp77]

My crome gearlever snapped off a year ago.

My dad made me a new one on his lathe .

Everything is fine since then.

 

some pictures of the new one and the broken one besides.

 

 

 

Hi all

I'm rather embarrassed that my first post is to ask for help with a job that seemingly is very simple..... 

I'm struggling to remove the remainder of the gear lever (below the pin) from the socket on my S1 Esprit and (hoping that I'm not being incredibly stupid) hoped you could advise me how you removed it?  I can get it with long nose pliers but as I pull the broken piece it seems to spring back down into the socket.

I've been told that I need to remove the entire gear shift assembly, as in the picture above but I don't understand how that will help me.

I look forward to your replies and to getting more involved in the Lotus community.

Regards 

[gvy]

Hi Paul,

We met at Brands hatch in august. I was the belgian guy. It was very nice talking to you.

 

I think, you need to remove the gear shift assembly, which is not so hard to do.

The stick (or the part left) springs back because there is a coilspring, that is needed to pull the stick back when you lift it to get into reverse.

Now , in order to secure that spring , there is a circlip at the bottom of the stick. See red arrow in the picture below.( circlip is removed in the picture)

This has to be removed before you can pull the remaining part of the stick out.

Don't try this in the car. It wont work.

I even dismanteled the gear shift assembly.

 

 

 

Greets Geert

Edited January 26, 2014 by gvy

[grayp77]

Hi Geert :-)

 

It is great to catch up with you again! Are you coming over to the UK for the Lotus meet at Brookland's in April?

I am planning to be in Spa for the classic in May and again in September for the 6 hours, I'll give you a shout before hand to see if you are there.

 

Thank you for the information, it has been driving me crazy trying to get the piece out!!  

Just to clarify...Once the entire mechanism is out of the car I still need to pull the piece out far enough to get to the circlip and remove it?!

 

Kind regards

 

P

[gvy]

Paul,

 

Ones you have the mechanism out on your workbench, you will see.

The circlip ( and a washer) has to be taken out from the underside, and then you can pull the piece out.

 

Geert

[Esprit79]

Finally I just cut a wider thread into the existing metal sleeve inside the wooden gear knob. There was enough material, only the sleeve came loose in the process, but was easily glued back in. The linkage was NOS, but the lever had some paint chips from storage so I had it powder coated and gave the knob a quick polish.

 

[peteyg]

Smart!

[Esprit79]

The Assembly is back in the car now. It fits like the old one, shifts trough the five gears nicely, no problems here. Only reverse just doesn´t go in anymore, so a bit of adjustment on the cross gate will still need to be done.

One more question: Do I need to lift up the Gear Lever to get into 5th (Overdrive) aswell, or should this only be necessary to get into reverse?

[molemot]

Reverse only...5th doesn't (shouldn't!) have a "gate".

[UPAUTO]