Speedo in reverse!

[buzzer]

Yep it must be something like that.  I wondered what that extra module on the dash was ... must be a flux capacitor!!
I am doubting my sanity 

[BDA]

I think you've found a wrinkle in your space-time continuum!

[4129R]

And dear SH of Cambridge is sadly no longer around to work out what is happening.

[buzzer]

Ok, I have taken the rear of the box off (I can do this in situ as I have a removable rear crossmember) Here are some pictures of the speedo drive gear.
As the speedo drive gear (lower shaft) rotates clockwise when looking at the back of the gearbox.
What is strange is the speedo pinion gear gears are angled differently from the diagram in workshop manual and this was supplied by Bank.

[jbcollier]

According to this photo, that's the wrong gear:

https://jbcollier.smugmug.com/Lotus-Europa/i-XZdsKjq/A

[buzzer]

Yep the wrong gear. Interesting I got this from Banks.
So my options are:-

1) live with it and get a 90 degree converter than also changes the direction of the drive
2) change both gears
3) electronic speedo conversion

[buzzer]

Well actually just checked the uk SJ sportscars website and they have this pic
which is the same orientation that I have.
Confused totally now!!

[4129R]

Yep the wrong gear. Interesting I got this from Banks.
So my options are:-

1) live with it and get a 90 degree converter than also changes the direction of the drive
2) change both gears
3) electronic speedo conversion

4) Buy a big rear view mirror and learn to drive in reverse.
5) Change the cams and starter motor and get the engine to go around the other way.

Presumably Lotus gearboxes have different gears to Renault gearboxes, as they must rotate in different directions.

[Gmg31]

Now I realise this may be heracy but......I broke my speedo when I “ gently coaxed it to zero” during my restoration. Replacement is very expensive and recon takes 6 weeks. So I installed a GPS speedo. It took 5 minutes and is superb. I will replace the Smiths speedo one day but this was a very quick and easy temp solution.

[BDA]

Smiths also makes an electronic speedo that you can drive with a GPS antenna. The fonts and styles have changed a bit so it's not an exact match for your other Smiths gauges, but it's not too far off.

[buzzer]

I might be driven down the GPS route, but spent time and money sorting out the standard stuff

[Roger]

The worm gear would have to be wrong to drive backwards.

[jbcollier]

Unfortunately, 90° speedo adapters rotate in the same direction in and out.

Let's go back to basic questions.

Is this a 365 gearbox from Lotus, or from a Renault?

Has the gearbox had any major work in the past?

[buzzer]

The gearbox is somewhat unknown, but the casings i.e. the rear casing is the correct Lotus casing (I believe the Renault casings are slightly different) and I understand that the 5th gear addition was a Lotus specific addition.

[jbcollier]

so you have never had the speedo working on it before?