Tranny O/D

[Griz]

I'm about to install the engine & transmission in my BJ7. This is a car I bought disassembled so don't know how things were working before it was taken off the road. I've gone completely through the engine, and the info I got from the PO is that he "went through the transmission." However, I've lost contact with him, his old email does not work anymore. I want to know, is there an easy way to check to see if the overdrive unit is functioning properly before installation? Want to avoid putting it all back together just to have to remove it later.

Griz

 

[Healey 100]

I did check out a tranny/od setup on a bench before shipping it to a friend. I put the transmission in high gear and drove the drive shaft flange with my bench grinder. I had a rubber wheel on the grinder that I could push against the flange to drive the tranny.

I could shift the OD and there was a distinct change in sound I could hear when it shifted. Otherwise, it is hard to tell it shifts, only the main shaft slows down when it engages.

I did learn something from my test: the OD engaged fine but actually wouldn't disengage like it should. The little bleed port in the actuating rod was plugged so it took several minutes for the OD to disengage. Cleaning that little port solved that problem.

Not sure it is worth the effort to bench test if you have a car to install it in. I would probably just install the tranny and test it immediately before hooking up the drive shaft, tranny cover, etc.

Good luck!
Bill.
ps if you do this make sure you are turning the driveshaft in the right direction, i.e anti-clockwise as you face the drive shaft flange! Otherwise, the OD may self-distruct if you engage it in reverse.

 

[healeymanjim]

remove your speedo and cable from your car and hook it up to the trans. when turning at a set speed once you engage the overdrive on the bench test the speed should increase for the same input rpm.