Well I've come close (still maybe for a different project) to buying the 5
speed
but ended up staying with an O/D swap in.
As far as the O/D units go, as an original owner of a 1977 back in '77
and (like an idiot) sold it for $500 in 1992 just because the drivers floor
boards were nearing license plate size rust through.
The point of this is we (X2B and I) put 142K miles (hard miles) on that Spit as
a year round daily driver.
The O/D never hickup'ed once.
The only maintainance was checking the oil every 8-12 months.
I never even ever cleaned the filter or ever touched anything on it
except the filler and drain.
As to the 5 Speed, I'm still considering it for a Spit6 project. ... engine
undecided.
The O/D's are nice, but cumbersome in hybrid conversion projects.
If there were any advantage to the 5 speed, I'd have to say it would probably
be in
the manufacturing tolerances and tolerable operating conditions.
I guess a $$ Q or decision should best be based on how well do the gear
ratios match the rpm power range of the engine.
don't forget... Regardless of which you choose, you still need the proper
rear ratio correctly figured into the equation).
.
Paul Tegler wizardz@toad.net http://www.teglerizer.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "John J. Black" <transmancat@bbnow.net>
To: "Chris Attias" <cattias@cats.ucsc.edu>; "MG Listserver" <mgs@autox.team.net>
Sent: Tuesday, August 08, 2000 2:38 PM
Subject: RE: Is 5-speed better than OD?
Hi Guys
The OD or 5 speed question is a difficult one. I am in the business of
providing both, so I kind of have a foot in both camps here. This is not a
commercial, nor is it meant to be, but If you look at the amount of mail
generated by the "my overdrive does..." "my overdrive does not...." you will
soon realize why these units are unloved by many. While we have those who
actually do love them and have little or no trouble with using them over an
extended period of time.
I know Charley Robinson recently fitted a unit supplied by us, and after a
minor initial wiring problem is, or seems to be, very happy with the
conversion. He did the conversion himself and is fairly capable of looking
after any problems that should occur at a later date.
Most of the problems that we see on a regular basis with the Laycock
overdrive either concern electrical problems or can be attributed to poor
maintenance, the lack of oil in the unit for example or just blocked up
filters.
Now the 5 speed conversions are a fit it and forget it job. You might check
the oil level once a year, no electrical connections to worry about, no
filters to clean out and a transmission that will last as long as the engine
does.
They do cost a lot, the initial purchase price being high. Spread this cost
over the length of service however and the costs come down dramatically. The
peace of mind has to be worth something as well. As for reducing the value
of the car due to the car being 'not original' the 5 speed involves not body
cuts or changes apart from bolt in ones, so should you be that concerned
then you could simply put your old transmission back in the hole and you
have your 5 speed for the next LBC and an original car to sell.
You could also sell your car with the 5 speed in it and adjust teh price
accordingly. Can the same can be said of Overdrive cars? do they command a
better price? I know here in Texas for example, a B fitted with AC will
bring more money than a non AC car, but does the same hold for OD, I am not
so sure.
Regards
John J Black
Waterloo Drivetrain Systems
http://www.waterloo-dtr.com
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