Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

There is a company that makes an adapter for running a Mustang T5 five speed transmission behind a Zetec. Has anybody tried this? The T5 should be plenty strong for the Lotus but would it fit? Thanks, Roy

I dont know about a Mustang T5 but the the Ford V6 engines had a T5 and I think it was just a stronger version of the Type 9.
If thats the case you would still have problems with the length and gear lever position, its also a heavy box.
Brian

T5's are very common over here so I guess I'll have to go measure one to know for sure. In the US market most Ford V-6's are transverse mounted in the Taurus models, so I don't know if it is the same as the transmission you are speaking of Brian. The Mustang T5 is inline, has a nice shift pattern, but it really isn't even strong enough for a stock Mustang, but it would be strong enough for the Zetec Lotus. If it would fit.... If nobody knows for sure I'll check out the situation and report my findings back here on this forum. The adapter bellhousing is $425 but a good T5 is only a couple of hundred bucks. Makes the idea worth looking into. Thanks, Roy

Roy,
Have a look at this link, it shows a T5, might help you.
http://www.domsat.co.uk/pages/gearboxes.htm
Brian.

..........and another link that mentions a T5 but no picture
http://www.zetecinside.com/xr2/gearbox.htm
Brian
Correction, it does show a T5 Borg Warner which I think is the one you are refering to.

HI,

there are a couple of different tailshaft housing for a t5,

one of them has the gearstick right behand the main case.

here's some links.

http://jcblack.com/Speedster/Chassis/5S ... peed.shtml

http://www.alltransmission.com/html/borg_warner_t5.html

http://www.novak-adapt.com/knowledge/t4_t5.htm

http://rigidsteel.com/y141pC3tIGk0.html

http://www.jpmagazine.com/techarticles/5527/

There's a uk company dos a 5 speed comversion for e type jags using the t5 and a custom tailshaft. Cant find the site right now.

Spyder is using the MT75 rather than the Type-9 because the Type-9 is too long. The MT75 has a remote shift mech which is cut down to its bare minimum length for the +2 application.

This kind of suggests the T5 will be too long too, as it's the same length as the Type-9.

I have a T5 in a S4 Elan. To get the right length requires the use of the somewhat rare short tailsection that was used in GM and Isuzu small trucks. Mine is a Ford box (2.95 - 0.725 ratios) from an 83 Mustang with the GM tailpiece bolted on. No problems except getting a working speedometer requires spicing a GM gear onto the Ford mainshaft. Fitting the box in a standard Elan frame required a cut and weld on the drivers side at the first bulhead mostly to clear the speedo drive.

The T5 has an aluminum case, weighs 75 lb total.

I looked at the T5 a while back, and I figured it would move the gear lever back about 3/4 inch using the GM truck tailshaft and a Ford 4-cylinder bellhousing. The T5 was used in an application with the Ford Kent 1.6L which is the 711M tall block version of the TwinCam Block Family but I can't remember what the application was.

I didn't have the actuall parts so I couldn't say if any cutting of the chassis would be needed, so I will take TomR's experience for that.

Having had one in a V8 Mustang the T5 is a nice box if a little weak for the mustang. It would be plenty strong for the Elan, and with a short shift kit it would have almost as nice a shift throw as the Elan.

Rob

In the UK the T5 was reserved for high power applications, such as the Sierra Cosworth. I don't doubt your word but are you sure it was mated to a 1.6 litre engine? Seems like an application where a Type-9 would normally be used.

v7slr is correct, T5's were fitted to the Ford V6 cars and were a 4speed cast iron box(not sure if it was made in 5speed)
The Serria Cosworth had the Borg Warner T5 5speed (Mustang)box.
In Europe/U.K. the Xlows 1600/1300 Kents (and 1600/2000 pinto's) had several 4speed and type9 five speed boxes.
To my knowledge no Kents were fitted with T5's by the factory and it would be "over kill" on an Xflow.
A summary of what boxes were fitted can be seen on the Burtons web site.
Brian

The T5 borg warner as fitted to the cosworth sierra should bolt to a zetec using the cossie bellhousing as supposedly ford stuck to the same fixing arangement but size wise it would be fun fitting this in an elan i think & gear lever would be in the wrong position. It is suggested they are too weak for a mustang engine the 5th gear is the weak link but they handle 350 lb/ft of torque in a TVR Griff 500 so a zetec would be no problem but i can't help thinking the MT 75 would be the easier route (perhaps not in USA)

regards

Ian

This all looks very very interesting to me too, having a 130/5 with the normal very rubbery feel, which at the same time doesn't really feel very strong.
But for now, someone mentioned an easy fix for this, improving the shift quite a bit, which included removing some rubber bit on the gear stick linkage. I can't remember on what post, so can someone explain this to me if they understand what I'm on about..?

Thor

Thor

At the base of the gear lever there is a rubber bellows that holds the ball pivot that the gear lever moves on into its seat. With age this bellows goes soft and you get he vague rubbery feel in the gear lever. You can make up a metal or spring spacer to replace the bellows to tighten up the lever and improve change feel. Altenatively if the bellows is in reasonable condition you can tighten it up with some shims between the bellows and its retaining circlip, which is what I have done.

Rohan

aha!, what kind of shims?