5 speed vs 4 speed

[HelpMyLotus]

Can anyone shed light on when Lotus started putting 5 speeds in the cars?  Was it a blanket change?  Was it an option?  I've been told by Andy at the registry that my car was a 4 speed build based on the number but it has a 5 speed.  Curious if it could be an option added later or if something else is up.

[jbcollier]

4spd:

Early TC had the 336 transaxle.

72.02...2150R (federal), 72..3...020Q (export) and 72.03...1444P (UK) and up have 352 transaxle.

5 spd:

72.08...1101Q (export), 72.08...1783P (UK), and 72.16...268R (federal) and up had the option of having the 365 transaxle.

AFAIK, and according to period press reports, you could get specials with 4 spd transaxles.  It may have depended (speculation alert!) on the market.

[4129R]

It probably depended on how many 4 speed boxes Chunky had lying around in Hethel that he could get rid of before the 5 speed boxes started arriving in sufficient quantities to put in all the TCS.

His credit with Renault must have been better than his credit with Weber/Dell-Orto and Ford.

Never missed a bargain ! Most of the parts were cheap and plentiful coming from large volume built European cars. Only the head was expensive to produce and no doubt he did a deal with Ford on the R&D costs so they could use the engine in the Lotus Cortina and the Twin Cam Escort, both very fine motorsport cars in their day. .

[HelpMyLotus]

Maybe I should clarify.  My car is 2735R and the trans number 22807.  It was built October of 72.  It has a 5 speed trans (including the shift knob) but Lotus is saying it was a 4 speed build.  I don't doubt cars could change but I sort of doubt the effort was put forth so early on.  OR I'm mistaken and that's exactly what happened.

Where do I find the number on the trans?

[BDA]

I think the 5-speed was introduced with TC. As 4129R says the confusion could easily be poor record keeping by Lotus. On the other hand, a PO could have swapped trannies.



I think you need to find out which tranny and which frame was supposed to have come with your car. According to the parts manual: The 352 (4 speed) and the 365 (5 speed) both used the same frame. The 352 was also installed in a unique frame. The 336 (4 speed) was installed in another unique frame.


If your car really came with a 352 in a 352/365 frame, it would be a pretty simple job to swap the 352 for a 365. If it came with a 352 in a 352 frame, it would require either modifications to the rear hoop of the frame or a 352/365 frame fitted. I believe this 336 used a different shift linkage and besides the modification to the rear hoop, the 352/365 linkage would have to be procured (it could have come with a 365) and I'm not sure but it may require pulling the engine to change out the linkage.


Who knows. I think you need to have a basic assumption and go from there.

[Roger]

I think your car would have the 352/365 frame. I expect some one swapped the 352 for a 365, some time in the last 43 years.

[HelpMyLotus]

Is there only one 5 speed box?  The 365?  Where is the ID for it.  I just looked ALL over the place and couldn't find any tag or 5 digit number. 

[jbcollier]

The only 5 spd from the factory was the 365.  Many people put in other 5 speeds, usually a 395 or one from the NG series.

The number is a on a small round tag under one of the tail housing bolts.

[HelpMyLotus]

my tag must be gone then.  I looked high and low on that thing.  No tag.  I shifts 5 gears though, that much is sure.

I recall a collar between the engine and the trans (from output to input).  When I was young I took off from a stop light and it felt like it jumped out of gear.  I later found out (from a very pissed dad) that the collar stripped out.  They had to weld it to either the engine or trans.  Anyone else know of this issue?