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Some interesting info on Laycock de Normanville OD

Funny,
I was just thinking about the OD on my TR3. I had the car out two weeks ago for the first time in over three months. When it was cold, the OD came on, but had trouble disengaging.

As soon as the tranny oil warmed, the OD stopped engaging all-together.

So, all I can assume is that either the pump is gummed-up, or more likely, it's just tired. When I get motivated, I'll remove the lower plunger mechanism and see if there's junk blocking the pump. If it's clean, I suppose I'll just move up to some heavier tranny oil. (I'm using 30ND right now, per specs.)
 
My Standard Vanguard had a manual Laycock de Normanville that operated only in 3rd gear (It was 3 on a tree).

After putting it into 3rd, you pulled the gearshift toward you to engage the overdrive.

It was pretty cool, another of the weird or odd things on that car.
 
sammyb said:
Funny,
I was just thinking about the OD on my TR3. I had the car out two weeks ago for the first time in over three months. When it was cold, the OD came on, but had trouble disengaging.

As soon as the tranny oil warmed, the OD stopped engaging all-together.

So, all I can assume is that either the pump is gummed-up, or more likely, it's just tired. When I get motivated, I'll remove the lower plunger mechanism and see if there's junk blocking the pump. If it's clean, I suppose I'll just move up to some heavier tranny oil. (I'm using 30ND right now, per specs.)

It's probably a good idea to clean the filter...and I've heard good things about using Gm Syncromesh fluid and it's available from many different suppliers.
 
I've been thinking about mine, too, Sammy. I'm new to LBC's, and OD's in particular. According to the Heritage Trust and commission number, mine shipped w/o OD, but it has an OD knob and some wires coming out under the dash that I've not gotten around to tracing. PO said it didn't have OD. I haven't had the car that long, and am afraid to engage the OD to see what happens when driving. What could I go looking for that would be obvious that the OD is actually installed and/or working properly? Or should I just pull the knob out and see what happens?

58 TR3A per commission number and 66 TR4A engine per engine nunber, but who knows? Haven't been able to find the history on this car yet.

Fred
 
Re: Some interesting info on Laycock de Normanvill

Good article. I have read that one before. When I first got my J-type from Quantum (I sent my rebuilt 4-speed to Connecticut to have it installed in his shop) it worked...once.
Nothing I could do would make it work again. The only way it would go out of overdrive was to turn off the engine and wait about 15 minutes for the pressure to drop in the overdrive. (I, unknowingly, accidentally, put the car in reverse not realizing that the car was stuck in overdrive. That is not a good thing! Thank goodness the tranny was a fresh rebuild and was able to withstand that trauma.) Both John and I were totally without answers. He sent me a new solenoid. No luck. I purchased the tool to remove the dumaflatchies under the cover. Cleaned, blew out, probed, pulled out hair....nothing would make it work. All the people mentioned in the article were contacted, most not around. Finally pulled the dang tranny again, reshipped to John Esposito for another one, everything is fine now. The real cruncher is John maintains, bless his soul, that that offending overdrive worked on his bench. I remember having to go to our annual New Orleans car show that year sporting my fresh, new overdrive, unplugged. Like Nirvana, unplugged. Yeah. I have enjoyed have my J-type for two years now. Wouldn't trade it for any 5-speed. But, it is a long way from Louisiana to Connecticut. And yes, John is a good man, recommend him highly. And as far as oil, John will only honor his 12 month warranty if you use 30wt NON-detergent motor oil.

I now have an idiot light installed on my dash to tell me when the overdrive is engaged. Recommend this highly. Just a small, bright LED orange light that is visible day and night that lights up when the solenoid is engaged.
 
Re: Some interesting info on Laycock de Normanvill

TR6BILL said:
I have enjoyed have my J-type for two years now. Wouldn't trade it for any 5-speed. But, it is a long way from Louisiana to Connecticut.

I think the longest trip I've taken in the GT6 was from Mobile, AL to Portland, OR w/about a 5 hour stop there & then returned to Mobile. I've done a few Mobile to Jersey City, NJ trips.

But that was a GT6. Maybe a TR6 wouldn't hold up as well.
 
Re: Some interesting info on Laycock de Normanvill

rotoflex said:
TR6BILL said:
I have enjoyed have my J-type for two years now. Wouldn't trade it for any 5-speed. But, it is a long way from Louisiana to Connecticut.



But that was a GT6. Maybe a TR6 wouldn't hold up as well.


You are probably right.

But, I didn't drive the car to Quantum. "What can Brown do for you" I shipped it (tranny) in a crate via UPS.
 
Hi Fred:
Don't know if you got your info or not but if you get down on your belly(tough for some of us)with a flashlight take a look at the back end of the tranny. If you see a roundish AL gadget on the aft end of the tranny then you have an overdrive. its about 14 in long and about 8 in in diameter at the fat middle.
If you want I will take a picture of mine and email it to you.
Tinkerman
 
Yeah, I'd appreciate a picture, Tinkerman. Don't know why the PO would have gone to all the trouble to install what's there if it's not all there. How did the non OD models ship? Just with a knob there in that position that could later be hooked up along with the parts in the tranny if desired?

Fred
 
If you have an overdrive unit you will see a rather large circular flat brass cap (plug) with notches in it at the base of the Overdrive unit. The only knob located on the dash of a non-overdive car to the left side of the steering wheel would have been the rheostat switch for a heater if so equipped. There should also be a relay for the overdrive mounted under the battery box inside the car under the dash that the OD solenoid and dash OD switch hooks up to.
 
Fred , my understanding is that if was not equipped with an OD there was nothing on the dash for one. Course I'm sure not the final source for info on all things for the side screen cars.
Will take a picture of both options and send them to you today.

Tinkerman
 
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