Current one weighs in at just over 6kg, the one I’ve gone for is 4.5kg which isn’t the lightest you can get (Fidanza do an aluminium one which is 3.5!!).
I’m cautious about going too light as it can make low speed driveability a bit awkward, so went middle for diddle really. I’m not too sure how light the Cup 260 one is though.
I only drove a 260 sedately, but it felt a fair bit more responsive particularly whilst rev matching and lower down in the revs.
Added to shopping list
Thanks!
I had the Fidanza flywheel, oh my does it rev, however, it is a real pig in traffic when it gets really hot. It would not disengage correctly and drag, all down to the flywheel expanding in the constant heat. Ended up parked at the side of the M25 once for 45 minutes to cool down while the traffic started flowing better.
Yeah that’s the main reason I didn’t go as light as possible, been there/done that. I had to get my Civic on life support this weekend in preparation for if/when the missus goes back to work this week and I’ve always loved the flywheel feel in that. Appreciate the K20 is not a 2ZZ but if I could get a similar feeling setup in the Exige I’d be quite happy. (According to google the FN2 flywheel is around 4.5kg).
All the suspension is now off the car, no bad surprises really - the bushes are in OK condition but a couple of them had walked out a bit… so they will get replaced.
Obviously will get it all tarted up too, got new bolts/fixings to go on too. I replaced the NS wheel hubs last year after I managed to break the speed sensors on both( 
) so will stick some new OS ones on this year too so at least I’ve got the full set.
Finally past the point of no return with the gearbox and I’ve sent it off for rebuild.
I’ve been back and forth on this more times than I care to count, should I run it to destruction (if ever?) and fix it then, or be proactive and try to use it as an exercise to optimise performance a bit more? The big sticking point was the diff, I really wanted to try one in my car and I just couldn’t justify the cost and effort of install without doing the strengthening stuff whilst at it.
Obviously I decided to go ahead, still not sure if it’s the right decision or what - hopefully I’ve not ruined the car and hopefully it rewards me with years of happy motoring and trackdaying… we shall see.
I opted for the following ‘upgrades’:
SSC 3rd and 4th gears, same ratio as standard - just chunkier, and still helical so hopefully not too noisy.
Kaaz 4.8 Final Drive
Longer 6th gear from a Corolla/Celica
TRD LSD from an MR2
Added to that I’ve got a Stage 2 clutch and lightweight (4.5kg) flywheel from Competition Clutch:
What I’ve calculated to end up with looks something like the following:
Effective wheel torque should be +10%ish through gears 1-5. At most circuits I go to regularly I’m at the very top of fourth and usually short shifting into 5th just to give me breathing room coming into the braking zone. I expect to be using more of 5th now, and hardly any of 2nd (if at all). The change I don’t think is too extreme, it was very tempting to go all in on a very short box using either Kaaz gearset or a 5.0 FD with stock gears but ultimately I leaned towards a more conservative setup.
The diff I know is a controversial topic, I don’t think there’s a clear right or wrong answer for the Elise platform so I just need to try it myself. Fingers crossed…
Gearbox is with a local specialist (http://www.stephenbreargearboxes.co.uk/) who do a lot of Toyota stuff and I have a few first hand reviews of their work in Lotus circles too so hoping for a top job. 
Jury is still out on gearbox cooling, from the temps I logged last year I’m not convinced my stint lengths would benefit from one, but I shall continue to log temps and I will of course add one if needed as the new gears may generate more heat just through altered tolerances etc.
Suspension is also off to Chris Type116 for Zinc plating, I’ll topcoat it with something (probably POR15 clear) when they get back.
Anyone who says you dont need one is wrong.
( and good progress. I shall be watching with interest )
Well… I got a PAX with Matt Becker at the Lotus 60th at Hethel… we were in a 111R with an LSD, he said he didn’t like them as it pushed to front too wide, especially out of the top corner there… with Gavan Kershaw in a 211 at Snetterton, he said he preferred it (in a 211)
I’ve spoken (and driven) with people whose driving ability and Lotus experience I respect a lot. Some love the diff, some say it’s OK but not mandatory, and a couple say it spoils things.
Certainly I think the higher power gets, the more beneficial a differential will become.
I really think it’s something that everyone needs to try themselves. There was probably a cheaper and easier way for me to conduct that experiment, but hey-ho 
sure it will be great - I think it depends on your driving style as you say… I had quaife LSD in my Talbot Sunbeam race car back in the 90s… could drive it sideways for miles… epic ! 
I look forward to hearing your views on the LSD when it’s all finished. I don’t have Lotus specific LSD experience but from the car’s I’ve had with/without one I believe if you are comfortable with oversteer it makes for a more predictable handling dynamic when on/past the limit.
Stephen Brear & Co turned the gearbox around crazy fast. I think I dropped it off Friday afternoon and it was done before Monday lunch time. I was delayed picking it up due to work etc, then Leeds got snowed in - but eventually I could make the trip and collect the box.
They did say it was a nightmare to strip down, no fault of the box - it was just “one of those jobs”. All of the hardware came out of it looking mint, there’s no evidence of wear and tear in the box at all which I guess should be a good thing, but I was half-hoping they’d uncover some justification for doing all of this.
Back at home, the clutch wasn’t even in yet. I’d bolted the flywheel up with new ARP bolts but I was waiting for some new pressure plate bolts from Toyota. I’m pretty sure the old ones can be re-used, but I’d ordered some new ones anyway… they were just taking ages. I also ordered a new throw out bearing for the clutch from Toyota. The clutch kit included one, but I’ve heard of enough stories of pattern part bearings grumbling after a few miles, so better safe than sorry.
The 2ZZ isn’t like other clutch setups I’ve been exposed to (not many) in that the input shaft doesn’t sit home in some sort of bushing or spigot bearing, it’s just “floating”. That means there’s nothing in the flywheel/crank for an alignment tool to sit in. The clutch kit included a 2-piece alignment tool that gave you a plastic bush to push into the crank, which would then need to stay there for the life of the clutch. I also had a generic “align from the front” tool so I opted to use that instead, so I didn’t have to leave any plastic inside (even though I’m sure it’s fine).
I’m fairly certain I got it lined up perfectly central using this, but after I bolted the clutch up it failed the eyeball test… it didn’t look particularly well centred… so I ended up slackening off and adjusting it by eye anyway. Eh well.
Onto this morning, I was up early so I got the box all cleaned up and fitted the fork/bearing etc ready for fitting.
Once we got to a socially acceptable hour, I borrowed the hands of my helpful neighbour Geoff (and his motorbike jack) and we made an effort to refit the box. With the subframe in place, the box needed to go up on a 90degree tilt and then once up “inside” the subframe we could orientate it properly but not quite reach the appropriate height with the motorbike jack.
In the end we had an engine crane to tilt the engine, as it was easier than tilting the box. The motorbike jack got the box high enough then we 2-man lifted it from there. I Was a bit nervous about my eyeballed clutch alignment but it went straight on! All bolts screwed in easily by hand, result.
Getting the box onto it’s proper mount was a huge weight lifted (pun intended?) as the engine being sat on a floor jack was a constant source of anxiety.
For some reason I’m convinced that I’m not home dry yet, I seem to to have it in my head that the clutch engagement/disengagement won’t work. No idea why I think that, just lack of experience and an expectancy that I’ve cocked something up… I’ve hooked the slave cylinder back up, clutch pedal is actuating the fork and it feels fine… but I just can’t test it properly until driveshafts/oil/suspension is back etc.
On the topic of suspension, I had a disappointing discovery on my coilovers. These were pretty expensive a year ago, have done very limited mileage between lockdowns and winters in 2020 but the coating on the springs has had it.
All four springs are the same, but helpers seemed fine, and the shock bodies are mint. I know its not a huge deal in the grand scheme of things but after what I spent, I was expecting a premium product to last at least a couple of years. Nitron were willing to sell me replacement springs at a discount, but informed me warranty wouldn’t cover this. Disappointing, but I opted to get them powdercoated locally rather than send Nitron more money and maybe only get another 6 months out of them?!
I reset everything back to my previous rideheight, and they’re now looking much better. I’m not sure how long this powdercoat finish will last, but it was cheap enough to redo it as needed (if needed).
Powdercoaters also sorted out some other bits and bats, roll bar supports for example.
Progress.
That is most certainly progress!
Very envious. I should be doing this but alas I am fritting away cash on daft seats and virtual DSG boxes.
You won’t regret the SSC gears, they are great. Your ratios mean you’ll probably use 6th on track. I could just hit the rev limiter (3rd light) in 5th at Spa and goodwood and never needed 6th ( which with the celica in, it does drop the revs noticably) My FD was an SSC std ratio
Sounds reassuring I think 6th maybe will come into use at the massive GP circuits (like Spa) but I can’t see it happening at any of my usual haunts (Cadwell, Croft, Oulton, Blyton etc) because I’m barely getting into 5th as it is… so I expect to be using more of 5th, just higher up in its power band.
If I do have to shift to 6th whilst ‘on it’ I’m expecting it to feel a bit naff, as I’m essentially running with 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 now
I was trying to get SSC’s FD but they don’t make it anymore. They explained that they and their customers had as much success buying a brand new stock FD from Toyota and getting it cryo treated and/or shot peened before installation. I looked into that, but it wasn’t a particularly cheap alternative and as I mentioned before I’d already convinced myself that running a higher ratio would help justify all of the cost/effort anyway!
At Spa if you are really brave you can make 140+ through Blanchimont, I was never that brave because I never really chased lap times, I was just happy to get under 3 minutes
I’m graduating now from bolting on parts to master fabrication.
Heatshield to numberplate plinth bolts had worn through the heatshield, I’d stuck some repair washers in when I first bought the car but thought I could do something a bit nicer that will last a bit longer.
Got a few other updates ready to compile but I have about 3 different jobs 80% done so will wait till they’re done before writing them up. Gearbox is almost completely buttoned up now, cables are in, starter is in, various brackets/bolts done up - just waiting on driveshafts and fluids really.
Been tinkering away at other bits, little stuff like painting up the new hubs to slow down the rust/grot a bit:
The Nitron saga is now concluded, Nitron agreed to cover the costs of my powdercoating - initially I took the gesture and was happy to just write it off based on the aggro of obtaining an invoice from a backstreet powdercoater and claiming, but then we came to an alternate arrangement - a couple of my locking rings were chewed up by what looks like an attempt to force an allen key in rather than the correct tool when I had my geo done… so a new set of lock rings was sent out FOC. Happy days, problem resolved.
For some reason I am drawn to the colour of your sill runnners* there, Kyle.
*in bad weather. 
I’ve read that a couple of times… and still don’t know WTF you’re talking about
Sorry… far too cryptic. Lotus owners often have towels sitting on their sills in bad weather to mop up the water that makes it past the roof’s woeful defences and yellow… wonder why that might be a thing for me… 
OK yes I needed 8 or 9 more coffees to make that link
