[Healeys] Overdrive Conundrum

Mike Sinclair phoenix722 at comcast.net
Sun Oct 26 16:40:15 MDT 2025 

Interesting, the comment on Redline.  I have used it in my ancient Honda 
and the gearbox noises went away.

Mike

On 10/26/25 5:53 AM, Simon Lachlan via Healeys wrote:
>
> Just to keep the pot boiling……………when I was up at OD Spares talking to 
> Dave Twigger, I asked him which oil to use in my OD. “20-50”, he 
> replied very firmly. Over here, UK, OD Spares is somewhat regarded in 
> the same light as AH Spares. Dave’s father-in-law worked for Laycock 
> and, when they stopped manufacturing ODs, he bought all the remaining 
> stock and started up on his own. (Or something similar…..Dave did tell 
> me but ages ago). Anyhow, I’d say that Dave and son are our leading OD 
> experts. His workshop is surprisingly small and slightly scruffy but 
> is stuffed with all the right spares, test beds and spares. Michael, I 
> recall you saying the same.
>
> I have to say that I use 30 or 40 non-detergent, which he says is 
> fine. After fixing my OD, he put my 30 wt back in perfectly happily. 
> He was absolutely against Redline and similar products…..
>
> Simon
>
> *From:*Healeys <healeys-bounces at autox.team.net> *On Behalf Of *Michael 
> Salter
> *Sent:* 25 October 2025 18:42
> *To:* gradea1 at charter.net; Bob Spidell <bspidell at comcast.net>; Healey 
> team <healeys at autox.team.net>
> *Subject:* Re: [Healeys] Overdrive Conundrum
>
> Hank, I have never be able to find any recommendation from Laycock De 
> Normanville which recommend any particular oil for one of their 
> overdrive units.
>
> I wrote to the company (back in the day when one sent letters through 
> the mail, many decades ago) and asked what lubricant they recommended 
> and they replied that the lubricant was specified by the gearbox 
> manufacturer.
>
> This 30 weight non-detergent thing is nothing more than an "old wives 
> tale".
>
> M
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> *From:*Hank Leach <gradea1 at charter.net>
> *Sent:* Saturday, October 25, 2025 12:52:20 PM
> *To:* Michael Salter <michael.salter at gmail.com>; Bob Spidell 
> <bspidell at comcast.net>; Healey team <healeys at autox.team.net>
> *Subject:* RE: Re: [Healeys] Overdrive Conundrum
>
> The required clearance for the sunwheel is 016-.020" If you swapped 
> out the bearing there could be a difference from original. Moss and AH 
> Spares sell the various sized steel washers depending on the reading 
> you get. Typically, after many miles, that rear bronze washer is 
> cracked or worn and should be replaced.
>
> The factory(when there was one) recommended to only use _30W Non 
> Detergent_ oil as others tended to foam and cause pressure issues. 
> Also to be sure it is properly topped up- #1-key reason to not work.
>
> Before you tear it down, why not just change the oil as recommended 
> and see if there is a difference-easiest fix at this point. If not the 
> problem then it needs to come out and repair. Hank
>
>
> --------------------
>
> From: "Bob Spidell via Healeys" <healeys at autox.team.net>
> Reply-To: "Bob Spidell" <bspidell at comcast.net>
> To: "Michael Salter" <michael.salter at gmail.com>, "Healeys" 
> <healeys at autox.team.net>
> Sent: October 24, 2025 at 9:38 PM PDT
> Subject: Re: [Healeys] Overdrive Conundrum
> Hi Michael,
>
> I rebuilt the gearbox and O/D probably about 7-8 years or so ago. I've 
> probably put close to 10K miles on it since, but not too many since I 
> moved to the Central Valley. For the last few years it's been mostly 
> short and day trips every month or two so, it's been mostly sedentary. 
> A few months ago I took it out for a spin and noticed the O/D wouldn't 
> engage at first but would start working normally after maybe 20 
> minutes of driving. In subsequent runs it's more not engaging, until a 
> few days ago I'd decided I would likely have to pull the gearbox and 
> O/D, but had to pull it out to get it off the QuickJack underneath it 
> and, to my surprise it started to work OK again after 15-20 miles.
>
> I rebuilt the O/D myself, and I think I did OK except I may not have 
> gotten the planetary gears depth exactly right; I didn't have a 
> selection of thrust washers to try so I just put the existing one back 
> in. The only thing I changed out was the thrust ring bearing, which 
> might have been a different width. The unit did have a very slight 
> vibration, barely noticeable through the floorboards but otherwise 
> operated perfectly. Now, when it works, it seems fine. When I rebuilt 
> the gearbox the rearmost thrust washer was whacked (see pic), but of 
> course I replaced it (how that could happen and why the O/D worked is 
> another mystery). I couldn't get the GB and O/D to mate up so I took 
> them to BCS where David Nock got them together and set the operating 
> shaft lift. Besides trying a new relay at Tom Monaco's suggestion I 
> haven't done anything else to it.
>
> Only thing I can guess is maybe the lever that the solenoid lifts to 
> turn the valve operating cam maybe slips sometimes and not others.
>
> Bob
>
> On 10/24/2025 8:00 PM, Michael Salter wrote:
>
>     That does defy logic Bob.
>
>     Can you give a little history, has it always been this way or did
>     you change something? Did the problem develop slowly or over time?
>
>     Anything else that may be relevant?
>
>     M
>
>     ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>     *From:* Healeys <healeys-bounces at autox.team.net>
>     <mailto:healeys-bounces at autox.team.net> on behalf of Bob Spidell
>     via Healeys <healeys at autox.team.net> <mailto:healeys at autox.team.net>
>     *Sent:* Friday, October 24, 2025 8:41:36 PM
>     *To:* Healeys <healeys at autox.team.net> <mailto:healeys at autox.team.net>
>     *Subject:* [Healeys] Overdrive Conundrum
>
>     Listers,
>
>     I have a problem with my BJ8's overdrive that defies conventional
>     logic:
>     The O/D will not engage when the drivetrain is cold, but begins to
>     function more-or-less normally as the drivetrain gets fully heated-up
>     (15-20m on a warm day). I've checked the functioning of the
>     electricals;
>     i.e. when not running I can a) disconnect the coil ground so as
>     not to
>     fry the Pertonix Ignitor, b) place the gearbox in 3rd or 4th and c)
>     close either, or both, the dash switch and/or the switch on the shift
>     knob --they're wired in parallel so either one will engage the
>     O/D, but
>     both need to be in off/open condition to disengage--and I can hear
>     the
>     solenoid click firmly (this pretty much rules out the switches). I
>     have
>     already replaced the scuttle relay to no effect (I have had them get
>     flaky). AFAIK, the throttle/'kickdown' switch only comes into play
>     when
>     disengaging, and seems to work when the O/D does engage.
>
>     My thinking is, if the pump is failed or failing the O/D might
>     work when
>     the fluid is cold but cease to function as the fluid heats up and
>     thins
>     out (I've used Redline MT-90 successfully for over 100K miles or
>     more;
>     it's equivalent to 50wt engine oil). But, the O/D not engaging
>     when cold
>     (somewhat) refutes this theory. If the outlet check valve on the pump
>     was somehow boogered I would expect either a) cold function only,
>     or b)
>     no function at all. Ditto the solenoid; I'd expect it to get
>     flakey when
>     hot and it does 'click' reliably (when cold). I can imagine the
>     lever on
>     the operating cam slipping, but wouldn't expect that to vary with
>     temperature (or to work at all, actually). Actuating shaft lift was
>     correctly set at rebuild. I do have a DWM 'uprated' accumulator
>     installed, and the O/D engages within 2 seconds when it functions.
>
>     Anyone had this condition, or have a theory as to why it behaves this
>     way? Next step would be to remove the console and confirm I have good
>     oil pressure (but if I do, then what?).
>
>     TIA,
>     Bob
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