new owner '74 TCS misc ?

[Lumbes]

Fairly certain that I am missing a part on the speedometer drive assembly, where it connects to the transmission.  When looking at the parts manual off of RD's site within the Shift Mechanism page part#33 Ring seal.  I don't have it.  Hoping it is not a hard to come by part and that RD has one.  Going to be e-mailing/calling tomorrow.
Before the engine rebuild began, I ordered a new engine temp sensor and never got around to installing it.  Upon closer inspection the numbers stamped on the sensor differ between the old and new and just wanted to double check if the new one is correct.  Numbers read 06/20 on the new and 13/18 on the old.  The adapter with the rubber gasket glued to it has run out of time and will need replaced or perhaps I can scrape off the remaining rubber and replace it with a small o ring?  Another thing to ask RD tomorrow if they have in stock.
I could not find the lower engine back plate and the upper engine back plate was in rough shape so I ordered new ones a few months ago.  Seeing they fit between the block and the bellhousing the upper will line up onto the block and have 6 bolts run through it while the lower back plate needs to be fastened to the bellhousing by 3 bolts.  I do not have those bolts, would anyone on here know the sizing of said bolts?  365 gearbox, standard bellhousing. 

[BDA]

I don't have a TC motor but I'm not familiar with a temp sender that does not use 1/8" NPT threads. I believe it is to be screwed in where you have plugs in the thermostat housing.

The bottom shield is really only secured with one bolt. I believe it is a 1/4-28 bolt into the bell housing. Usually coarse threads are used in castings such as the bello housing so check and make sure what it is. I think I stripped mine    so I got a long 1/4-28 bolt and a regular nut. I ground the side of the nut down almost to the threads because there is no room for a whole nut. I put the bolt with a washer in a dust shield mounting hole on the exhaust side of the shield through a hole in the bell housing. The nut is retained by the bell housing so it won't turn. I just tighten up the bolt. I'm pretty sure that's how it goes together.

I admit that I'm a little foggy on the details but I think when you look at it you'll see what I did. You can use my method with the original bolt (which is, IIRC near the bottom and to the intake side of the dust shield) so you'd then have two bolts holding it on.

[Lumbes]

Thanks for the reply BDA!  Your explanation on how you mounted the lower back plate is very helpful.  I will source some 1/4-28 bolts so I have them on hand for when I pick up the transmission this Friday.  It will be a genuinely fun time come this weekend.  I have all the parts accounted for surrounding the engine configured as a small island next to the car.  Cannot wait to make that pile disappear. 

[BDA]

Nice shop and from the looks of the parts I can see, you’ll do fine. You might want to refer to the index of one of the nicer stock restorations on this forum (https://www.lotuseuropa.org/LotusForum/index.php?topic=4871.msg52756#msg52756). Hopefully that will be helpful but you know there are people here to help in any event.

[Lumbes]

Thanks BDA!  A few delays but I finally picked up the transmission today (7-10-24)!  Didn't arrive home until 930pm then went up to the garage and lost a few hours trying to mate the gearbox to the engine.  No luck so far.  I really wanted to be able to upload a picture of the engine and transmission happily married before turning in for the night but it just wasn't meant to happen.  I could line it up well enough to where the engine would begin to receive the transmission but could not line up the splines enough to finish the job and now I'm out of steam.  Oh well, with some luck I should be posting pictures of progress before long. Just need to take my time setting it up and match the heights and angles better.   

[4129R]

I could line it up well enough to where the engine would begin to receive the transmission but could not line up the splines enough to finish the job and now I'm out of steam. 

I found that I had the wrong clutch plate on one of my engines, so check to make sure the clutch driven plate is central and the right one for the splines of the gearbox first motion shaft.

I use longer 3/8" UNC bolts on the top 2 of the bellhousing to guide the gearbox into place.

[Lumbes]

4129R, thank you for the advice.  Using longer 3/8 bolts to help line it up was the ticket.  Mated the gearbox and transmission today but that is about it.  Hoping to put a full day in on Saturday.     

[Lumbes]

Bolted the engine and gearbox into place over the weekend as planned.  Stopped by Harbour Freight Saturday morning and picked up a 500 lb capacity hydraulic table cart to aid the install. My original plan was to put the engine and gearbox on the table cart and position it directly behind the car, wheel the crane over and straddle the table cart.  Lift the back of the car and push the engine under and into place.  The crane does not have the dimensions to be able to do that, so I quickly pivoted to opening the garage door and using a 331e mini excavator to do the lifting for me.  It went well, almost didn't have enough headroom but luckily it all worked out without needing to rerig and now I'm using the crane as the primary means of keeping the car lifted while I wrench away.  Using two jackstands as back ups for safety it hasn't budged an inch while snaking my way all through and under the engine bay, wheel wells etc.  Only managed a few photos of the install, at times my mind was not focused on taking photos and really was wishing I had more hands.  Trying to have the car resting on all 4 wheels by Friday and would love to fire up this engine.   

[Lumbes]

Most recent picture of the progress.  I'll be uploading more throughout the week.

[Dilkris]

Fairly certain that I am missing a part on the speedometer drive assembly, where it connects to the transmission.  When looking at the parts manual off of RD's site within the Shift Mechanism page part#33 Ring seal.  I don't have it.  Hoping it is not a hard to come by part and that RD has one.  Going to be e-mailing/calling tomorrow.

Hi Lumbes - you are doing well and I am following your journey with interest.
Tell me - what happened with the speedo drive connection dilemma - I may have the same problem.   

[BDA]

 Another step in your journey! 

[Dilkris]

Fairly certain that I am missing a part on the speedometer drive assembly, where it connects to the transmission.  When looking at the parts manual off of RD's site within the Shift Mechanism page part#33 Ring seal.  I don't have it.  Hoping it is not a hard to come by part and that RD has one.  Going to be e-mailing/calling tomorrow.

Hi Lumbes - you are doing well and I am following your journey with interest.
Tell me - what happened with the speedo drive connection dilemma - I may have the same problem.   

I think I have ended up answering this query myself - during a moment in the workshop today I had cause to look closely at the speedo drive connection arrangement.

There is a tapping in the gearbox casing for a 6mm x 1mm set screw - this is accessed through a hole in the gearbox rear support bracket (see photo's) - the speedo drive simply pushes into the gearbox drive assembly and this set screw then locates on the recess machined into the speedo cable end boss.

Hope this helps.     

[BDA]

Be sure to lube your cable with some gear oil with maybe a bit of light grease before you install it.

[Lumbes]

Uncanny timing!  I just came to the same conclusion today about an hour ago.
Sadly, two things prompted me down from the garage and to the computer one being the solution for securing the speedo cable and the second being I just discovered a leak from the right output shaft on the transmission.  Last night I filled it up with fluid and when I looked at it this afternoon I had a 4 inch puddle of gearbox fluid on the floor.  I went over the entire gearbox and it appears the only place it is leaking from is directly around the output shaft.  Thinking I'm going to want to address this before shimming the halfshafts and driving spiral pins in.     

[314159td]

Gear oil or grease on the speedo cable can become a problem over time, but modern oils are probably fine.
I typically prefer to use speedometer cable lubricant, which is graphite suspended in a thin oil or solvent. Ace carries it. Worked well on the heinously long Corvair speedo cable after degreasing the tube and cable itself.