Most of the responses on The List make it sound like a daunting task to
convert from non-overdrive to overdrive. I converted mine and do not
recall that it was that difficult even considering that at the time I had
never dismantled an Austin Healey transmission. I had worked on an MG
Midget tranny so I wasn't completely in the dark.
My BJ8 did not have an overdrive when I acquired it. One long drive down
Interstate 5 convinced me that an overdrive was a desireable item. This
was back in the early '70s. A visit to a dismantler (they were called junk
yards back then) and a used OD was obtained. My local BMC dealer provided
a transmission output shaft designed for overdrives (paid $60.43. Now, if
you can find one, they are about $800). The gearbox extension on the
transmission was removed and standard output shaft was replaced with the OD
output shaft. The OD was bolted to the trany and the drive shaft
reconnected. Done. I later converted the overdrive from 22 % to 28% by
swapping the planetary gear assembly (something someone on the list said
couldn't be done, either).
I guess I am like the bee. I've heard that a bee isn't supposed to be able
to fly. No one ever told the bee - so he flies. No one ever told me that
the conversions couldn't be done. So I did them and have accumulated about
100,000 miles on this arrangement. Sometimes ignorance is bliss!
The Other) Len
Vacaville, CA
1967 3000 MKIII HBJ8L39031
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