Difficulty Engaging 5th Gear

[thehackmechanic]

Continuing the sort-out of my '74 TCS that was off the road for 40 years, I attacked the sloppy shifter. I replaced the bushings at the base of the shift lever, and that tightened things up a lot, but it is still very difficult to engage 5th gear, as the shift lever hits the right side of the square hole in the plastic console. There is still a little play in both the bushing and the heim joint that attach to the bell housing, but not much. It seems like the main issue is that the front and rear halves of the shift tubes need to be rotated relative to one another to put the shift lever vertical when it's in 3rd gear, as I've read it should be. Short of heating the threads at the U-joint to break the old Locktite, rotating one half relative to the other, and drilling a new hole for the pin, is there some other adjustment for "clocking" the halves of the shift tubes that I'm not seeing?

Thanks.

--Rob Siegel

[Pfreen]

If the bushing attached to the bell housing is ok, I think you will need to clock the shafts.  It might seem difficult, but it really isn’t hat hard to do.  If the roll pin punches out, you are home free.  Just make sure you heat the thread on the shaft furthest (rear) from the rod end bearing.  That rod end is loctited  to the front shaft.

[andy harwood]

If there is slop in the u joint to the trans shifter shaft connection, a mod is to replace with a bolt, cutting the u joint attachment point so can get clamping force at the connection. there is a wrtie up on Golden Gate Lotus Club (I think there)

[BDA]

Is this what you're talking about, Andy? http://gglotus.org/ggtech/europa-shifter/europashifter.htm

[andy harwood]

No, BDA, that's not it. I found it on the yahoo group. "The shift linkage for the 352 and 365 transmissions connects to the shift
control shaft at the rear of these transmissions.  The attachment is made by
means of a roll pin through the linkage universal yoke and the control shaft.
This arrangement is highly susceptible to wear on the shaft, universal and the
pin, and a better arrangement can be had with the following mods. 

Remove the shift linkage from the car (good opportunity to clean, inspect and
repair).  The linkage can be detached from the shift lever with a little effort
through the access hole in the center tunnel.  The middle pivot and the rear
connection must also be detached.  Then the whole linkage can be slid out the
back.  Check the universals and rebuild as necessary.  Also check the rose joint
for the center pivot and the shoulder bolt and plastic bushings at the shift lever
and replace if necessary. The rose joint is attached to the linkage with
Loctite.  Try a 1/4" bolt to see if it will fit through the hole in the end
universal yoke and also through the hole in the shift control lever.  If not,
drill to 1/4".  Saw a slot through the universal yoke on ONE SIDE ONLY located as shown in the photos.  The yoke does not have a flat surface for the head of the bolt so you now need to mill, file, or grind the material away on the yoke so that a bolt through the holes has a flat place to sit.  Reinstall the linkage and install a good - at least grade 5, and an AN bolt properly sized is better - bolt through the hole and secure it tightly with a washer and a nyloc nut - also grade 5 or better.  The universal yoke will be tightly clamped onto the shaft and will no longer move around."  (Much better than my description, lol) The mod had been done when I purchased my car - I did put the yoke into a mill, and used a end mill to cut a flat spot in though.
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/LOTUSEUROPA/files/Shift%20linkage%20Mods/