I was sitting here thinking, I am not getting any younger, no time like the present and you cannot take it with you. I am looking for a 5 speed gearbox to put into my Elan Sprint. I am in the USA so over here would be prefererred but no necessary. I dont know what else I would need but open to a discussion on that or link me to a discussion on a 5 speed into an Elan.
Tremic T5, lots of gears, lots of new parts in N America Tony.
Plus if you look around you can get an aluminum bell housing.
Don’t do it… especially with the Lotus Box.Ask me why…
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I switched from the Lotus 5 speed to a T5, for many reasons. Agree with Mark.
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Is there a particular model of t5, and how was the gear lever position, many thanks Paul
Im here taking notes. Tremec T5 > Lotus 5speed
Okay, who has put in a new’ Tremec T5?
I am currently having a Lotus 5-speed rebuilt. Am I crazy? If so, I would appreciate knowing the problems I am going to encounter. I do have a proper bell housing as well.
Hi,
I had two rebuilt Lotus 5 speeds rebuilt by specialists, both were exceedingly poor imho. Notchy change, noisy and just a poor shift compared to the 4 speed. Each to their own but personally not for me. To ease things a bit I’m moving to a Ford 3.54:1 diff and adding a Quaife ATB while I’m at it.
Having said the above I do know someone who has made the 5 speed into an excellent box.
Thanks
Mark
Thank you for your response and insights. I am of two minds on this. I have put a ton of money into the transmission, but I don’t know if I should go ahead, pull the engine and trans., and then install the 5-speed. I still need to do the work to offset the shift lever. I am fearful that, after all that work, I will wish I still had my four speed.
Stick with the 4 speed…
I have an Isuzu 5 speed I would consider selling. It’s in very good condition. The adapter plate was CNC machined at a cost of $1200, and the Isuzu Bellhousing was professionally removed so that a standard Ford 4 speed bellhousing could be attached, thus making it easy to use the standard clutch, throwout bearing, etc. My build has changed directions. This is the same five speed explained by the New Zealand member that has done many conversions. Includes Transmission, adapter plate, bellhousing, yoke, and driveshaft. Shifter comes out within 1/4 inch of factory location.
I’m located in Atlanta. $2400 Frank email: [email protected]
In the last twelve months I have installed a close ratio Isuzu 5 speed box into my S2 elan. I have been writing about it on my blog, but I have not completed everything yet, but if you want to learn about the process start here (link below)…up to part five I think,
Installation Part 1:
Isuzu 5 speed GB into lotus elan S2
The extra cog provides effortless freeway cruising at what ever speed you are allowed. I don’t know what a RAM 1500 driver thinks when a little read elan whiz’s past him at a fair rate of knots.
There is a lot of engineering, and definitely a body off project, you need a great deal of engineering and fabricating skill and gear…unless you farm it all out, the end cost of which will be considerable.
Enjoy
Col.
Tony, I thought for highway cruising you were content with the Emira, the Sprint was for tight twisty back road exploring. At the last LOG I had a ride in a 5 speed conversion, can’t remember which transmission but remember it didn’t shift anything like our original ford box.
Nothing does… thats why imho the original is best.
Hi all. Been a bit busy with the computer business. I took the Elan to a show on Sunday. My son took the Emira. When I got home, I took the Elise out for a drive. I have to agree with “WoodCock”, If I want to cruise I will take the Emira. If I want to scoot around like I am driving a go-cart, I will take the Elise. For show and a really top down retro ride, I will take the Elan. I think I am going to stay with what i have. Now if someone told me they had a 5 speed that acted just like the stock 4 Speed, I would go for it. But so far I have not seen that. I only see problems.
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@ TVACC
I own a 73 Sprint carrying around 150 hp, a 2004 Elise 111S with a standard 154 hp, and an Exige 380 Sport with a Komotec 460 hp conversion.
In my VERY humble opinion the Elise, without a shadow of a doubt is the far superior car. Yes it does not have out and out grunt, but it does have sufficient HP and a very low weight to make it the best car I have ever driven. And I include in that Porkers, Ferraris, various fast Fords… The Elise is sublime, the last car I would ever sell.
cheers
I agree completely on the Elise. I have both a stock 2005 and a Supercharged 2005. I have a friend (of about 2 years) and he is a Triumph guy with 1 TR7 and 1 TR8. I have been telling him “once you drive an Elise, it will spoil you for every other sports car” I finally got him to buy an Elise. He LOVES it and now agrees with me. I love the Emira, it is a hell of a car but the Elise is a point and shoot go-cart. On a quick Sunday morning blast to a LOONY breakfast, I prefer the Elise. I will never sell them. I will give one to my other son (not my Emira son) and the other to my grandson should something happen to me.
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So back to the choice of box - I would have thought (apparently incorrectly) that a T5 would be physically larger and significantly heavier than an original Lotus box?
Are their fitment issues?
I have the T5 and yes, it’s physically larger and a bit heavier (by how much, I don’t know). However, no frame mods are needed to fit it but because the speedo drive in the tailshaft is right against the frame, you have two choices: fit an electronic sender, which requires drilling a hole in the frame and the body, or, simply plug it and use a GPS box to drive the speedometer, which was my choice.
I noticed price has increase dramatically since I bought it