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Best mods to improve shift feel, modify Elise to feel more like 08+ Exige S240?

13K views 35 replies 21 participants last post by  LesAlbin 
#1 · (Edited)
I own a stock '06 Lotus Elise (Sport/Touring) and test drove a stock '08 Exige S240 and was blown away at how nice the shifting felt. In the S240 there's a cushion or padding when you get into gear, providing a more positive feel, in addition to the actual throw being shorter. What mods do you guys recommend to do to achieve the same effect in the Elise?
 
#2 ·
The difference is it uses a whole different shifter. The "blue ball" shifter. It is a little more ridgid and has less play, but still is meh. You could buy one of them from someone, or get a alitech, or inokinetic shifter. Or add the reinforcements to your stock shifter, but it will never be the same.

Did the exige have a letsla by any chance? Are you sure it was stock? Because I don't think shifting should be much shorter between the two.
 
#3 ·
See #5 below:


Note to new Elise & Exige Owners:


1. These cars have large (i.e. dangerous) blind spots. Multivex mirrors are NLA, but RLS (Really Light Stuff) offers very good tape-on replacements.


2. The horns are way too weak (quiet). There’s an inverse relationship: smaller the car, louder the horn needs to be.

Get something such as a Stebel Nautilus.

Stock: “Excuse me”


Stebel: “HONK! LOOK OUT!”

Remove the stock horn; replace with louder.

(I drive with my finger on the horn button in any traffic. Iffy situations, my headlights are on.

Stay to the left of traffic, i.e. avoid passing on the right if you can.

Stop way behind trucks, SUVs, etc. Some have blindspots >50’. )


3. The early cars came with misaimed and dim headlights. If you drive at night, convert to HIDs. While better than stock halogen bulbs are available, HIDs throw more light. Stay around 5000k.


4. Ensure your car has had the work required by the recall for oil line fittings done. You could lose an engine and/or spin in your own oil.

5. The best transmission lube I’ve found is Redline MT-90 plus a little Power Punch Extreme Gear Oil Additive. (Note that it takes two changes to get rid of the previous lube.)

a) Early cars have wobbly shift towers. Look up Stan’s Mod (bolt and spacer; http://www.billswebspace.com/ShifterReinforcement.pdf) and

Re-Enforcer long thru bolts that terminate under car and tie down the tower:
https://www.inokinetic.com/lotus/re-enforcer?category=Transmission

These (lube, mods) make a huge change in shifting.


6. As per some engine builders on these sites, wait AT LEAST 20 minutes after coolant has reached full operating temp before engaging cam switchover.


7. Rear toe-links can loosen and break with disastrous results. You can check tq periodically, or use Nordlock washers. Best is conversion to better engineered brace, such as BOE’s for one example.


8. While under the car with panel off, look around for hoses and wires chafing their way to failure. That’s how this was found:
http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f311/cooling-ticking-timebomb-how-your-cooling-u-tube-47232/

9. The stock radiators are prone to leaking where the end caps meet the metal part. Keep an eye on this. Most of us use single-pass all-aluminum radiators.

10. When your wheel well liner comes loose, skip the lame plastic rivet and use Well-Nuts instead.

11. Life will be better if you disable the auto-arming alarm function on the earlier cars. You won’t have to press a button to start the car. Instructions:

http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f320/remote-key-fob-immobilizer-misc-alarm-programming-70940/


12. Some on this site are a bit obsessed with hockey pucks for lifting the car. Don’t use these. Too hard and slippery, generally, and too small a surface area. Use a piece of wood, as your hero does.

13. Visit the Uber Thread

http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f3/elise-exige-uberpost-read-everything-you-need-know-here-25131/

14. Most parts on the car are made by Toyota and others, so buying things like a/c compressors, engine parts, etc. are wildly expense when purchased thru Lotus.

Toyota dealers, auto parts stores are way less expensive.


-----

Plus:

http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f101/how-bleed-brakes-241138/


How to Search:

For future reference: Don't use the search on this site. Simply use Google and end the search text with "site:lotustalk.com". E.g.
Transmission Fluid change what bolt site:lotustalk.com no space betw site:lotustalk.com
 
#23 ·
The LETSLA device helped ours. And they are adjustable. And just plain fun to hold in your hands, worlds better than the stock stamped steel parts.
 
#25 ·
A good upgrade that has worked for many people is our SMOOTHoperator. Much lower cost and will fix some of the slop. Honestly, some shifters seem tighter than others so swapping the cables (weak link) may be the first thing to try out. Find it: HERE

We also have a new short shift kit that reduces throw by 35%. It is not adjustable like the LETSLA but works quite well. See it: HERE

Of course, if you have the budget, adding our shiftR111 to the above upgrades will deliver amazing results. Either way, we have a good upgrade path that can allow you to improve the feel as your budget allows...
 
#31 ·
I think it depends on the car and how well everything is adjusted. For me, doing the LETSLA upgrade, MWR shifter stiffener and 60A motor mounts was enough to improve the feel quite a bit. I'm still on the stock cables with 85k miles and no issues. I won't replace them unless I lose one.
 
#36 ·
The LETSLA shift linkage combined with the new cables, floor stiffening and MT-90 makes a world of difference. The stiffer motor mounts make a difference at the track. My Elise now shifts about the same as Miata.
 
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