MG MGB and MGB GT Tech Talk
Okay, still too much snow on the ground to crawl under the cars and look...
But if Volvo used a Laycock OD... and MG used a Laycock OD... and there are LOTS of Volvo OD's in the wreckyards. What sort of work would be needed to put a Volvo donor OD on an MG tranny?
Just thinking aloud...
Matt
Have thought about that myself. I do know that there are various models of Laycock de Normanville OD. Triumphs had a version , Austin Healys had a different version and I would suppose that the Volvos had their own version. Could they be modified? I dunno. But there are a lot of them in salvage yards. Volvos tend to bite the dust and get expensive to repair. They also have a serious problem with the wiring crumbling which ends their economic lfe and send them to the big salvage yard in the sky.
Call or post to John Esposito. He will be able to answer your questin in a flash...
http://quantumechanics.com/
Jack
Jack
I just found that website. Looks like they swap volvo units onto TR6 trannys, but there may be a bit of work to put a J unit on a MGB. However it seems the "240 Volvo" unit get used for a fair number of applications including old Fords, quick web search ;)
Perhaps I will e-mail John with the question.
Matt
I've got a feeling that if it was a practical project, it would have been done by someone, somewhere. But I've never heard of anyone doing it. I've heard the question asked often, never with a positive answer.
are you thinking about putting an od on the back of a standard tranny? that won't work. an od tranny uses a different output shaft and a different rear casing. plus a few other parts on the output shaft. you would have to swap entire transmission and deal with hooking it up to your block. now that i've said that maybe someone has come up with a workaround.
You CAN email John but if he doesn't answer in a reasonable period of time you should call him. His is a very small, personal operation and he gets awfully busy. ON the other hand when you call he will take the time to discuss your questions and give you a straight up answer.
The Laycock de Normanville units all operate under the same principles and general designs, but the valving, spring pressures and most importantly the input shaft configuration differ.
I expect that Jon Appleby among others will jump in here and offer their impressions of QM.
Jack
i'll second what jack said. they are very good at answering the telephone.
Probably cannot be done. Volvos, at least the 240s, used a J type overdrive, MG used only the type D and the type LH. Triumphs, after 73 used a J type overdrive, that is why the Triumph guys can use the Volvo unit.
I gave one to someone in colorado(?) who had more time than me for experimenting. So far no word. I think it was out of a 700 series car though. One possibility would be to form a new backplate and use the clutch disc from the Volvo. Hmmm.
Yes, you can put an OD unit on a standard gearbox. It's a complete rebuild though. I just did this last year for a '65 B.
No, the J-type won't fit on any MG gearbox without a significant amount of work. It isn't worth the effort.
Dig around on THIS web site and you will find a lot of the answers. Volvo used a J-type O/D, newer MGBs used an LH type - but if you can find a Reliant Scimitar in a scrap yard...
Actually, you can just bolt an overdrive unit on to the output flange of a transmission. Laycock (now ORS) have been doing this for years, notably on Land Rovers! The problem is you need the space to do it - and on an MGB the space isn't there!
Too bad. I think the OD was on just about every stick shift model they sold in the 80's at least. Must be thousands available for cheap!
Steve S Wrote:
Details? You had to get the tail shaft housing and mainshaft for an od trans correct?