Gear stick translator

[Jonathan]

GT2 - gearchange is terrible - play in the stick is pretty lousy so I've taken it off and ordered the re-furb kit.

However when testing it off the car I noticed a spring that doesn't seem to be doing anything.

Regarde le picture,

Picture taken of the underside of the translator looking back up towards the gear knob.

Arrowed red, it looks as if it should be pushing againsty the lugs arrowed blue to centre the stick perhaps ? Any offical word on what this does ?

Again I'm guessing this is what's causing my poor side to side play and poor centering ?

There are no significant wear marks and the spring is flapping in the wind, the other end of the coil spring is clearly sheered off.

Anyone know how this should be set up as I have no other pictures for reference.

Also the spring will need to be replaced, I guess it's a call in to Lotus to sort this as there are no part ###'s for it.

Other than that for 90,000 miles it's in much better condition than I thought it would be - the only thing that seems to have worn is the spherical nylon bushes.

[Paul93Lotus]

I believe I may have the picture you're looking for when I rebuilt my translator (all nice and clean), but they are on my home computer...

[fjmuurling]

Hello Jonathan,

maybe this http://www.lotusespritworld.com/EGuides/EM...ift_Kit_LC.html can help you.

Freek.

[Jonathan]

Thanks and thanks, sadly it doesn't seem like a consubale part - trip down to the parts place tomorrow then, perhaps they can help.

Reading that it has to be the 3rd/4th spring

[wiseraven]

I've just ordered a nearly new shifter from Malc Holmes which he's bringing to Donny. If you're going, you're welcome to have a look at it to see how the bits ar meant to fit together. I'll be there both days. If you're not going (it is a bit of a trek from Maidstone), I'll take some pics for you when I get back (or even from the show if we've got a live link on the LEF stand - would be a nice demo of the forum in action).

Phil

[Jonathan]

OK so who's the nice person who can get me a centering spring and save me

[Jonathan]

Raght. I have a few people who could make these so I am going to order a few spares, but before I do has anyone got any pictures or has a spare master unit off the car that can take the spring off and take some dimentions - it would really help as I only have 1/2 a spring here and the other 1/2 is somewhere in the tunnel !

cheers.

[wiseraven]

Raght. I have a few people who could make these so I am going to order a few spares, but before I do has anyone got any pictures or has a spare master unit off the car that can take the spring off and take some dimentions - it would really help as I only have 1/2 a spring here and the other 1/2 is somewhere in the tunnel !

cheers.

I'll get you pics tomorrow evening after I've picked up my new unit at Donny. I wanted to pick it up today but Malc couldn't take my plastic.

If you're itching to get on though, the other half is effectively a mirror image of the one you've still got. The two legs go either side of the two lugs, squeezing them together & holding the stick in the 3rd/4th plane. When you push the stick to the left, the right hand lug is pushed out, and vice versa.

I've no idea what the spring rate is. You're probably best using your broken one as a guide.

Phil

[Paul93Lotus]

Hope this helps a little....finally had time to find it on the home computer.

Edited March 18, 2007 by Paul93Lotus

[Artie]

Hope this helps a little....finally had time to find it on the home computer.

Mine's broken too! I haven't gotten the translator apart or out of the car, but I've seen part of this spring at the bottom of the tunnel under the mechanism. My shifter is sloppy too but after fixing the rear translator endlinks I have much better shifting characteristics albeit very slow compared to my RX7!

Artie

[wiseraven]

I've got some pics now from different angles, but I don't think they add anything to Paul's. If you'd still like to see them just ask.

Both legs of the spring extend level with the bottom of the longest alloy tab at the front of the unit (the bottom one in Paul's pic).

Phil

[Jonathan]

Thanks chaps - so it simply pushes the two lugs together which are on the 3rd/4th.

I'm going to see if I can get some made up and then anyone who needs one can buy them - stay tooned, if I get anywhere I'll post it here !

[wiseraven]

Thanks chaps - so it simply pushes the two lugs together which are on the 3rd/4th.

I'm going to see if I can get some made up and then anyone who needs one can buy them - stay tooned, if I get anywhere I'll post it here !

Yes. This is a view from the bottom.

There's quite a lot of pre-tension on the spring. I've just tried opening the legs with my fingers (ahem!), and it's just not possible (I nearly ripped a nail off trying). I would expect the relaxed spring to "have its legs crossed", perhaps by as much as 45 or even 90 degrees. To fit it, you'll need to un-cross them somehow. Because of the tension involved, you should certainly wear eye protection when you fit it. If your luck's anything like mine, you can guarantee that if you don't wear goggles, it'll twang and have your eye out in a jiffy.

Good luck. If two of you have got broken springs, you can be sure there'll be others. It could turn out to be a must-do job whenever anyone has the unit out to fit new bushes.

It's not obvious how to disassemble & reassemble the unit, so it would be good to have a photo record of the rebuild.

Phil

[Artie]

Yes. This is a view from the bottom.

There's quite a lot of pre-tension on the spring. I've just tried opening the legs with my fingers (ahem!), and it's just not possible (I nearly ripped a nail off trying). I would expect the relaxed spring to "have its legs crossed", perhaps by as much as 45 or even 90 degrees. To fit it, you'll need to un-cross them somehow. Because of the tension involved, you should certainly wear eye protection when you fit it. If your luck's anything like mine, you can guarantee that if you don't wear goggles, it'll twang and have your eye out in a jiffy.

Good luck. If two of you have got broken springs, you can be sure there'll be others. It could turn out to be a must-do job whenever anyone has the unit out to fit new bushes.

It's not obvious how to disassemble & reassemble the unit, so it would be good to have a photo record of the rebuild.

Phil

It seems I can disassemble an engine, turbos, radiator, chargecooler and all, but the Gdamn master gearshift mechanism has eluded my capability. I started to look into disassembling it but gave up after not being able to reach a wrench into the tunnel to get the bolts off.

Artie

[wiseraven]

It seems I can disassemble an engine, turbos, radiator, chargecooler and all, but the Gdamn master gearshift mechanism has eluded my capability. I started to look into disassembling it but gave up after not being able to reach a wrench into the tunnel to get the bolts off.

Artie

Have you read this bit in the manual?

3. Remove the 4 screws securing the aperture plate to the chassis. This may necessitate fettling or drilling the body for access. Slide the aperture plate to the rear to permit access to the gearchange lever mechanism

The aperture plate is the plate that the rubber gaiter screws into, and is the plate that I'm assuming is blocking your access to the bolts. According to the diagram, the screws are conveniently hidden underneath the body

I think the cleanest approach would be to locate the position of the screws and drill a hole directly over them, just wide enough to take the screwdriver head. This would minimize any weakening of the body panel compared to cutting a notch around the screw.

Clearly Lotus never expected this to be removed once the body went on!

I've yet to do this myself, so I hope it's not too traumatic. Let us know how you get on.

Phil

[Artie]

Have you read this bit in the manual?

The aperture plate is the plate that the rubber gaiter screws into, and is the plate that I'm assuming is blocking your access to the bolts. According to the diagram, the screws are conveniently hidden underneath the body

I think the cleanest approach would be to locate the position of the screws and drill a hole directly over them, just wide enough to take the screwdriver head. This would minimize any weakening of the body panel compared to cutting a notch around the screw.

Clearly Lotus never expected this to be removed once the body went on!

I've yet to do this myself, so I hope it's not too traumatic. Let us know how you get on.

Phil

Oh one should have a manual to work on these cars? ..... I have an S4s manual but have only used it to look up part numbers for valves and body parts! I like the idea of drilling a hole over the bolt, makes beautiful engineering sense actually. I need to replace my bushings I'm sure. I'll have a go at this sometime this summer as I would like to make a strengthening plate as well as Lotus did in the later model cars to stiffen the center tunnel.

Artie

[Paul93Lotus]

Oh one should have a manual to work on these cars? ..... I have an S4s manual but have only used it to look up part numbers for valves and body parts! I like the idea of drilling a hole over the bolt, makes beautiful engineering sense actually. I need to replace my bushings I'm sure. I'll have a go at this sometime this summer as I would like to make a strengthening plate as well as Lotus did in the later model cars to stiffen the center tunnel.

Artie

The whole center console needs to come off if you want to pull the gearshift mechanism. I remember using a dremel to trim some of the plastic on the leather trimmed gearshift surround on the ceneter console in order to reach a couple of screws in the removal process(you can see where I dremeled in my pictorial below). But the master gearshift will not come out with any shortcuts. Look to my post about its removal ...it will help guide you as I included many pictures.

http://www.glcforum.com/esprit/forums/inde...mp;hl=gearshift

Edited March 20, 2007 by Paul93Lotus

[Jonathan]

I got the whole shooting match off and in little pieces - perhaps a LEW guide is in order ?

Fitting the spring should be pretty easy actually becuase of the way it comes apart, you can use the lugs to prise the spring back on their pivots.

More news as I get it, got the refurb kit coming tomorrow.

[Artie]

I got the whole shooting match off and in little pieces - perhaps a LEW guide is in order ?

Fitting the spring should be pretty easy actually becuase of the way it comes apart, you can use the lugs to prise the spring back on their pivots.

More news as I get it, got the refurb kit coming tomorrow.

LEW guide sounds like a marvelous idea! I will need to do this when I get my car back from paint.

Artie

thanks Paul, I'll look back thru your post!

[Artie]

I read thru your guide Paul, I'll have to make one up for the Turbo model as mine is different. There is a metal plate that I will need to figure out how to remove that the rubber gaiter is screwed to, this is the piece that has prevented me from removing mine for refurbishment. I'll investigate when I get the car back.

Artie

[Jonathan]

That plate is screwed to the GRP iirc - it has a split cut down it so remove the screwsand open the split and it comes off - I'll see about pics, I would go out tonight but I am such a cold wimp and it's bloody cold out !

[Jonathan]

Okey donkey - after making my own prototype jig and spring I've actually had 1 reply of 10 companies back with quotes on them springs.

Their minimum order is 50 which is understandable so be looking at

[Vulcan Grey]

I'd take 1.

You should also contact the Lotus parts sellers, SJS, JAE, Dave Bean, SCW, and see if they are interested in stocking some.

[ragingfool35]

I read thru your guide Paul, I'll have to make one up for the Turbo model as mine is different. There is a metal plate that I will need to figure out how to remove that the rubber gaiter is screwed to, this is the piece that has prevented me from removing mine for refurbishment. I'll investigate when I get the car back.

Artie

I just slid mine towards the rear under the insulation to remove the gearshift mechanism

[Jonathan]

You should also contact the Lotus parts sellers, SJS, JAE, Dave Bean, SCW, and see if they are interested in stocking some.

Thats a bloody good idea, the more I order the cost drops dramatically - 200 pieces on the quote is only 50% more expensive than 50 items alone which means the price falls.

I'd need to get a sample off of them 1st to test (just imagine taking an order and finding they break too !).