TR2/3/3A overdrive trans

[sp53]

Does the overdrive trans take the same fluid as the non-overdrive?

 

[TR3driver]

Pretty much; tho there's little consensus on what to use in either of them.

 

[sp53]

Thanks Randall I appreciate your honesty and help.

 

[Geo Hahn]

Thanks Randall I appreciate your honesty and help.

Not to mention his tact.

Questions like this are how wars get started.

 

[smdichter]

I was told to use the fluid that is specified for Jaguars. I was told it makes the shifts smoother. I did and never have had a spec of trouble with the Type A overdrive.

 

[CJD]

Well...if the moon's in the 2nd waxing stage in the first thursday in an odd numbered year, I swear by Caterpillar Tractor power steering fluid sifted athrough panty hose and with an ounce of PDF additive and just a drop of Jack Daniels to take the shifting edge off. I find this essential for the longevity of the box, and anybody who says otherwise is just flat and unarguably wrong.

Otherwise, I use straight 30W.

 

[Marvin Gruber]

Now that's a TX answer. Might try it! Also just use straight 30w

Marv

 

[doc50]

Just to throw in my 2cents (fully refundable in the case of bad advice):
Ken Gillanders spent some time regaling me with stories of different theories about which is the best oil to use. He's very analytical and he talked about the brass deteriorating with most fluids. He raced his TR3 with much success and after much testing, they finally settled on Valvoline Racing Oil, 20/50wt as the best choice. Seems odd to use motor oil in a standard trans... but he was and in my opinion, still is "the TR3 guy" and I go with what he said.

Thom
1959 TR3
TS34909L(O)

 

[CJD]

Whale oil is better. Hard to find these days.

 

[TR3driver]

If you ask Ken, he'll also tell you why the factory switched from recommending motor oil to recommending gear oil.

But obviously those factory engineers didn't know anything about cars

 

[GTP1960]

Here is a link to quantum mechanics with a very interesting article on overdrive oil.
https://www.quantumechanics.com/qm-htm/topic1.htm
In a nutshell, John says go with 30w non-detergent.

( you will find it under "topic of the month, June 2005)

i found it informative, though I probably need to pay closer attention to the phases of the moon too.

Best regards!

guy pierce

 

[TR3driver]

Here is a link to quantum mechanics with a very interesting article on overdrive oil.
https://www.quantumechanics.com/qm-htm/topic1.htm
In a nutshell, John says go with 30w non-detergent.

If you poke around a bit on his site, you can also find where he talks about the thrust washers being a particular weak spot in the TR2-6 gearbox; and if you pay him enough money he will upgrade them to roller bearings. Oddly enough, the thrust washers were also mentioned in the factory's reason why they switched to specifying gear oil.

Triumph sold hundreds of thousands of overdrives over a roughly 15 year period after specifically changing their earlier recommendation to gear oil. If gear oil would make the OD fail instantly, as John said, you'd think someone would have noticed when the units were new.

Another point, the web article does not specify which type of OD he was working on, or what car it came out of. They aren't all the same!

We could also talk about how 90 weight gear oil at room temperature (presumably where John did that test, although he didn't say that either) is actually thinner (less viscous) than cold 30 weight. The test results make no sense, unless cold weather also makes the OD malfunction.