• The Roadster Factory Recovery Fund - Friends, as you may have heard, The Roadster Factory, a respected British Car Parts business in PA, suffered a total loss in a fire on Christmas Day. Read about it, discuss or ask questions >> HERE. The Triumph Register of America is sponsoring a fund raiser to help TRF get back on their feet. If you can help, vist >> their GoFundMe page.
  • Hey there Guest!
    If you enjoy BCF and find our forum a useful resource, if you appreciate not having ads pop up all over the place and you want to ensure we can stay online - Please consider supporting with an "optional" low-cost annual subscription.
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this UGLY banner)
Tips
Tips

Coincidence or What?

bdcvg

Jedi Trainee
Country flag
Offline
So my bizarre tale starts as simple as waxing the car. I have a lift so I raise the car 2 feet or so and sit on a creeper seat to wax the sides. Rolling around the front of the car with hubs at eye level I notice it looks like the toe-in is out of whack. I break out the jack stands and fishing line and line everything up. Sure enough it's off....way off. Not sure how, but easy enough to fix. Get it back to 1/16-1/8" and go for test drive. It's obvious the rolling resistance is greatly reduced and maybe some steering resistance too. Yay Me. Now for the weird part. My O/D hasn't worked for 3 years. I live in mountainous terrain so don't really need it. My restorer suggested the oil pump in the O/D was likely the problem and I figured I would get to it this year. Almost every time I drive the car, however, I throw the O/D switch just because. Today it works. Four times perfect engagement. So am I just lucky?
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Keoke

Great Pumpkin
Country flag
Offline

roscoe

Jedi Knight
Silver
Country flag
Offline
Oil pumps don't generally fix themselves if they are not pressurizing properly. It is possible that there has been a bit of debris holding the small spring loaded pressure relief ball bearing off its seat for all that time and it got cleared. This is unlikely. More likely is that you have a wiring or switch problem and something that wasn't making contact is now functioning. My guess is that your OD system will disappoint you again at some point, but you never know. You may have a self-healing Healey. Boosts the selling price in my book.
 

pkmh

Jedi Warrior
Country flag
Offline
For years, my OD wasn't working properly whereby if switch was on, and you are in 5th gear, then accelerate hard, it would down shift to 4th (dangerous to engine if at high rpm's).

Then, I detailed engine last year including OD switch in engine compartment. Now works flawlessly to this day. Still don't know what I did to fix that. Frustrating, but "somewhat" relieved.
 
Country flag
Offline
Think I’ll go wash the car!
 

glemon

Yoda
Country flag
Offline
Scientific explanation--you are just at the edge of required oil pressure needed to accentuate the overdrive, the decreased rolling resistance from the straightened out tires was just enough to move you from the bad side of the margin, to the good side.

Real Explanation--Shrugs shoulders, "British Cars"
 

Healey Nut

Luke Skywalker
Country flag
Offline
I wonder if I go in the shop and clean wax and buff while talking to my in pieces 62 Tri carb it will miraculously assemble itself by tomorrow morning and be ready for the road by the weekend?
 

roscoe

Jedi Knight
Silver
Country flag
Offline
Careful what you wish for. I'm sure you remember that didn't end well. I wonder if Stephen King would have ever written Christine if he had had his near death experience at the hands of an out of control Dodge minivan before he wrote it.
 
OP
B

bdcvg

Jedi Trainee
Country flag
Offline
Update, driven the car probably 10-12 times and O/D still works plus gas mileage went from 18 mpg to 20 mpg. The toe-in was WAY off.
 

roscoe

Jedi Knight
Silver
Country flag
Offline
Your engine/transmission/overdrive has no idea how your front wheels are aligned or misaligned. The OD only knows how fast everything is turning and it doesn't care how much fuel the engine demands to get there, just that it sees the rpm it needs to build pressure and activate. As long as you can get to 3rd or 4th gear and not be lugging the engine, a working OD would engage. Shouldn't make a difference if your car is severely pigeon toed. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth...enjoy it while you got it :encouragement:.
 

twas_brillig

Jedi Knight
Country flag
Offline
I think it all boils down to bein' good lookin'...
Me - we've got a Toyota 5 speed.
Doug
 
Similar threads
Thread starter Title Forum Replies Date
D BJ8 hub coincidence or not? Austin Healey 14

Similar threads

Top