The gearbox rebuild kit arrived from Kentucky yesterday, just 9 days after ordering, which I was very pleased with!
Today I managed to disconnect the engine from everything (I hope...), including engine mounts, so will be hoisting it out first thing tomorrow.
I have two weeks to get the gearbox fixed and everything back in place before I'm due to drive the car back to work. Let's see how it goes!
Gearbox Rebuild?
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- rbgosling
- Senior Poster
- Posts: 1702
- Joined: Sun Jul 04, 2010 22:55
- Model: Lotus Excel SE
- Colour: Midnight Blue
- Year: 1990
- Location: Rugby
Re: Gearbox Rebuild?
"Farmer" Richard
1990 Lotus Excel SE (Lilith)
2022 MG MG5 EV (not due to be a classic for quite a few years...)
2011 Nissan Leaf (Ragly - EV pioneer, must be due to be a classic one day)
1990 Lotus Excel SE (Lilith)
2022 MG MG5 EV (not due to be a classic for quite a few years...)
2011 Nissan Leaf (Ragly - EV pioneer, must be due to be a classic one day)
- rbgosling
- Senior Poster
- Posts: 1702
- Joined: Sun Jul 04, 2010 22:55
- Model: Lotus Excel SE
- Colour: Midnight Blue
- Year: 1990
- Location: Rugby
Re: Gearbox Rebuild?
Good progress this morning - split the gearbox from the engine, and bell housing off. Removed various bits - bias springs, reversing light switch, gear-lever mount, end dust cap. Got the rear housing separated from the centre plate. One of the nine bolts sheared rather than undid; think I will redefine what is left as a dowel.
Interestingly (or maybe not) the workshop manual and the YouTube video both mention a gasket between the rear housing and centre plate, and one is included in the rebuild kit. However it is clear from disassembly that it was put together using liquid sealant. I have no idea if the ‘box has been apart in the 20 years/120k miles before I bought the car, so can’t tell if this was done at the factory or by a previous rebuild. I’d assume the boxes came to Lotus already assembled from Toyota, and while we might accuse Lotus of occasional “inconsistency” in manufacturing, I’d be surprised if Toyota showed such behaviour.
Interestingly (or maybe not) the workshop manual and the YouTube video both mention a gasket between the rear housing and centre plate, and one is included in the rebuild kit. However it is clear from disassembly that it was put together using liquid sealant. I have no idea if the ‘box has been apart in the 20 years/120k miles before I bought the car, so can’t tell if this was done at the factory or by a previous rebuild. I’d assume the boxes came to Lotus already assembled from Toyota, and while we might accuse Lotus of occasional “inconsistency” in manufacturing, I’d be surprised if Toyota showed such behaviour.
"Farmer" Richard
1990 Lotus Excel SE (Lilith)
2022 MG MG5 EV (not due to be a classic for quite a few years...)
2011 Nissan Leaf (Ragly - EV pioneer, must be due to be a classic one day)
1990 Lotus Excel SE (Lilith)
2022 MG MG5 EV (not due to be a classic for quite a few years...)
2011 Nissan Leaf (Ragly - EV pioneer, must be due to be a classic one day)
-
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Re: Gearbox Rebuild?
Sounds like you're making good progress. Your photo from the previous post seems to have disappeared! Are you taking some photos as you go along?
Pete
Pete
- MetBlue
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Re: Gearbox Rebuild?
Hi Richard. Shame we are in lock down. You're not too far from me and would have normally been happy to offer a second pair of hand for those bigger tasks.
-- we don't know when things will return to close to normal, but at least as each day passes, we get another day nearer.
-- we don't know when things will return to close to normal, but at least as each day passes, we get another day nearer.
What goes together.... Must come apart.
- rbgosling
- Senior Poster
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- Joined: Sun Jul 04, 2010 22:55
- Model: Lotus Excel SE
- Colour: Midnight Blue
- Year: 1990
- Location: Rugby
Re: Gearbox Rebuild?
I’ve tried to take a few photos, but need to set aside a few minutes to upload them!Pete Boole wrote:Sounds like you're making good progress. Your photo from the previous post seems to have disappeared! Are you taking some photos as you go along?
Pete
"Farmer" Richard
1990 Lotus Excel SE (Lilith)
2022 MG MG5 EV (not due to be a classic for quite a few years...)
2011 Nissan Leaf (Ragly - EV pioneer, must be due to be a classic one day)
1990 Lotus Excel SE (Lilith)
2022 MG MG5 EV (not due to be a classic for quite a few years...)
2011 Nissan Leaf (Ragly - EV pioneer, must be due to be a classic one day)
- MetBlue
- Senior Poster
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- Joined: Sat Mar 24, 2018 21:00
- Model: Elite 74 & Excel 92 (SEish))
- Colour: Metalic Blue
- Year: 1974
- Location: Northampton
Re: Gearbox Rebuild?
Richard. What oil did you go with on your rebuild?Pete Boole wrote:
I'd be surprised if you need new gears - it's the other bits on the shafts that often cause the problem - synchro/dog rings. Defo worth putting some very good synthetic oil in there as a starting point though - may just help the synchro rings engage more fully in the first place.
Pete
What are the advantages of synthetic gearbox oil Pete?
Now i've learnt which clevis to adjust when setting the clutch my gear change is a lot better, but I'm plan on checking the gear box oil level and contemplating an oil change.
One other general question : Whats the current current availability of the plastic bushes and bit's and bobs on the gear lever / linkage discussed earlier in this thread?
Tony
What goes together.... Must come apart.
- rbgosling
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- Joined: Sun Jul 04, 2010 22:55
- Model: Lotus Excel SE
- Colour: Midnight Blue
- Year: 1990
- Location: Rugby
Re: Gearbox Rebuild?
Hey Tony,
I used Fuchs Titan Gear Syn 75W-90, I have no complaints (but equally haven't done back-to-back trials of lots of other oils to compare!). Chosen because it's the right grade, supplied by Opie Oils (a supporter of this forum), and I've been happy with the Fuchs oils I've used before.
I didn't look into the bushes etc. on the gear linkage, the ones in place are still perfectly serviceable after 185,000 miles in my case, so a bit of lube and they are back at work.
I used Fuchs Titan Gear Syn 75W-90, I have no complaints (but equally haven't done back-to-back trials of lots of other oils to compare!). Chosen because it's the right grade, supplied by Opie Oils (a supporter of this forum), and I've been happy with the Fuchs oils I've used before.
I didn't look into the bushes etc. on the gear linkage, the ones in place are still perfectly serviceable after 185,000 miles in my case, so a bit of lube and they are back at work.
"Farmer" Richard
1990 Lotus Excel SE (Lilith)
2022 MG MG5 EV (not due to be a classic for quite a few years...)
2011 Nissan Leaf (Ragly - EV pioneer, must be due to be a classic one day)
1990 Lotus Excel SE (Lilith)
2022 MG MG5 EV (not due to be a classic for quite a few years...)
2011 Nissan Leaf (Ragly - EV pioneer, must be due to be a classic one day)
- shaunw
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Re: Gearbox Rebuild?
I got the nylon bush and seat straight from my local Toyota dealer a couple of years ago Tony. It made a big difference to the quality of the gear change even though the old one didnt look that shabby. There is a thread in here somewhere about it with part nos I think.MetBlue wrote: ↑Fri Jun 26, 2020 07:38Richard. What oil did you go with on your rebuild?Pete Boole wrote:
I'd be surprised if you need new gears - it's the other bits on the shafts that often cause the problem - synchro/dog rings. Defo worth putting some very good synthetic oil in there as a starting point though - may just help the synchro rings engage more fully in the first place.
Pete
What are the advantages of synthetic gearbox oil Pete?
Now i've learnt which clevis to adjust when setting the clutch my gear change is a lot better, but I'm plan on checking the gear box oil level and contemplating an oil change.
One other general question : Whats the current current availability of the ⁸plastic bushes and bit's and bobs on the gear lever / linkage discussed earlier in this thread?
Tony
Shaun
- MetBlue
- Senior Poster
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- Joined: Sat Mar 24, 2018 21:00
- Model: Elite 74 & Excel 92 (SEish))
- Colour: Metalic Blue
- Year: 1974
- Location: Northampton
Re: Gearbox Rebuild?
Thanks for the feedback guys.
My box is around 145K and although now I've got a better clutch setting it's very usable (can go down the box as well as up when moving), I'm tempted to get the service kit from Richards link so it's ready for the future. Compared to other sources, it looks pretty good value.
Short term though, I'm thinking to check the level, maybe do an oil change (but thinking the oil in there may only be 10000 miles old), and get those linkage bushes. There appears to be nothing wrong with my box, just not particularly slick.
Tony
My box is around 145K and although now I've got a better clutch setting it's very usable (can go down the box as well as up when moving), I'm tempted to get the service kit from Richards link so it's ready for the future. Compared to other sources, it looks pretty good value.
Short term though, I'm thinking to check the level, maybe do an oil change (but thinking the oil in there may only be 10000 miles old), and get those linkage bushes. There appears to be nothing wrong with my box, just not particularly slick.
Tony
What goes together.... Must come apart.