[Healeys] Overdrive Conundrum

Sun Oct 26 18:12:08 MDT 2025

OK have resisted commenting on this controversial topic for a few years.
Yes agree that OD Spares are a great resource and Dave is super helpful and
responsive.

Long story about OD oil to add to the oil confusion.
I have made up a VS test rig for running a GB plus OD at different speeds.
Very useful for functional and OD oil leak hunting
Several years ago, after a rebuild I filled with Castrol 30WT ND oil - no
issues OD engaged fine.
On same GB after a few days after running for 2-3 mins from cold, drained
the oil (to fix a leak) and noted very significant foaming with the classic
fish eye bubbles.
The GB oil seemed foamier than the OD
Repeated this test and same story.
Also 2 others observed the same foaming, and on one was so bad that OD
would not engage.
We all changed to MT90.

Out of curiosity wrote to Castrol about this.
See reply below.

*"Thank you for contacting Castrol NorthAmerica.*

*Castrol does not recommend our Non-Detergent for manual transmission
applications, and we believe the foaming was likely causedby some type of
contamination, perhaps water in thetransmission.*

*Unfortunately Castrol does not offer a manual transmissionfluid product in
Canada or the US.*

*Castrol Consumer Relations"*

There certainly was no moisture in the tranny.

Not sure if foaming is a bad thing ? What is disturbing is that if I hadn't
drained the oil I would have been none the wiser about the foaming. Maybe
this is normal. I suspect that it disappears after some use and only
evident soon after starting ?

To hopefully reduce pesky weeping leaks now use regular engine oil 20-50
VR1

rg

On Sun, Oct 26, 2025 at 3:56 PM Mike Sinclair via Healeys <
healeys at autox.team.net> wrote:

> 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>
> <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>
> <bspidell at comcast.net>; Healey team <healeys at autox.team.net>
> <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>
> <healeys-bounces at autox.team.net> on behalf of Bob Spidell via Healeys
> <healeys at autox.team.net> <healeys at autox.team.net>
> *Sent:* Friday, October 24, 2025 8:41:36 PM
> *To:* Healeys <healeys at autox.team.net> <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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