Folks-
Nelson Yaple (Nelson_Yaple@ccm.hf.intel.com) writes:
"Well, I got the Engine and Tranny out of the Yellar Dawg
(a.k.a. Lotus Elite) this weekend. It really wasn't to
difficult, about a two hour job all totaled. I popped the
top lid off the tranny to discover a second gear with a
missing tooth. It also made a mess of the laygear 2nd.
Sooo, I'll at least have to replace 2nd and the laygear.
Now the question of the day is I have read and been told
that this tranny is a BMW from the 2002 tii touring and it
also uses Austin Maxi gears. Does anyone know if this is
true, and maybe some alternate choices (besides the Lotus
folks) where I could get these parts? Are the BMW tii's
common? How about Austin Maxi's?
Thanks"
While BMW 2002 Tiis are relatively common, the 2002 Tii _Touring_ is
pretty rare in the USA. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen one over
here, though I've seen them in Europe. The 2002 came out in 1968 but
the "Touring" was made only from 1971 through '74.
1974 was the last year for all the 2002-style cars in the US; they were
replaced with the ubiquitous 320i for 1975.
My sole reference book on the 4-cylinder cars said thery were actually
called "Touring 2000 Tii" until December, 1972, when they were re-badged
as "Touring 2002 Tii". The car itself wasn't changed as far as I can
tell. The body was a fastback/hatchback variation on the 2002 body
rather than the slightly larger 2000 4-door sedan, so I dunno why they
ever called them "2000" in the first place.
The total production for all 2002 variants exceeded 250,000, with
almost all of them being the 2-door sedan; the Touring and the
convertible were only a small fraction of the total production.
The book says the 2002 Tii came standard with a Getrag 4-speed,
with a ZF 5-speed optional.
Neither the Touring nor the ZF 5-speed was normally imported to the
USA, though some of the transmissions have made it over, and probably a
few of the cars, too.
Is "Yaller Dawg" a 4-speed or a 5-speed? I've only driven a Elite
once, and that was many years ago, so I can't remember what they have.
I called my BMW guy (Ken at Bowman Motor Works, 404-237-1001), since I
don't know that much about the 4-cylinder cars, and he had this to say
about 2002 transmissions:
(1) All 4-speed "Getrag" (i.e. from Getriebe A.G.) trannies for 4-
cylinder BMWs are the basically the same, physically. All the 5-speeds
are basically the same, physically, too, though diffo from the 4-
speeds.
(2) He didn't know of anything special about the 2002 Tii 4-speed 'box
versus the 2002 Ti or normal 2002.
(3) The 4-speed 'box from the 320i is the same as the 4-speed in the
2002 except for the location of the clutch slave cylinder. It has
different ratios, too, though I don't know in what direction (wider,
closer) they differ.
(4) A 5-speed 'boxe (either from a 2002 or from a 320i) will bolt
right into the same place the 4-speed 'box went, but they are
physically longer so they require that you shorten the driveshaft and
shift tower about 3.125". The slave cylinder might be in a different
place, though, depending on which 4-speed you're replacing with which 5-
speed. A driveshaft shop can shorten the driveshaft, and Ken said the
shift tower was "a simple welding job, we do them all the time for guys
putting 320i 5-speeds in hotted-up 2002s." He also said the 5-speed
2002 shift tower is a standard BMW _European_ part and can be ordered
through a BMW parts specialist.
Of course, you probably don't have the same shift tower anyway ....
My understanding is that all the 4-speeds have a 1:1 top gear, but that
the 5-speeds came in two major versions, one with a direct 4th and
overdrive 5th (the regular version) and a close-ratio "sports" job with
a direct 5th. According to Ken, the 5-speed 'box in the 2002 was the
close-ratio, direct 5th unit, and the one in the 320i is the normal,
direct 4th, one.
Were I you, I'd take that 'box down to a good, independent BMW
garage and ask 'em if it looks familiar. Don't tell 'em what it's out
of until they tell you what they think it is; use the "I need one of
these" method.
If it is, indeed, the same as a 2002 tranny, it seems you have a wealth
of options ....
Good luck, and let us know how it goes.
-Shel
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