Tom,
The designs are similar. I suspect that Gear Venders didnt buy
a product license, but rather bought their patents.
The gear vender overdrives have much larger planetaries, which
in conjunction with the clutch sizes, determine the overall capacity
of the the overdrive.
>From time to time a Laycock turns up on Ebay, with the seller
reporting that its the same thing that Gear Venders sells, and they
were going to put it on a small block chevy or something.
Id pay a dollar to have been there when they let the clutch out
for the first time...
Jarrid Gross
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-alpines@autox.team.net
[mailto:owner-alpines@autox.team.net]On Behalf Of Tom Hill
Sent: Tuesday, June 18, 2002 6:44 AM
To: Robert J.Jaarsma; 'John Slade'; 'List, Alpine'
Subject: RE: Transmission oil - overdrive
According to their website, Gear Vendors purchased the Laycock design and
are still selling a version of it. I think it is interesting because they
list applications for all sorts of high torque, heavy-duty applications such
as tow trucks and motorhomes. They claim a 30,000 gross combined weigh
rating for their O/D. Cost is anywhere from $2,400 to $3,500!! I wonder if
any of the parts interchange?
Tom Hill
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-alpines@autox.team.net
[mailto:owner-alpines@autox.team.net]On Behalf Of Robert J.Jaarsma
Sent: Thursday, June 13, 2002 9:19 PM
To: 'John Slade'; 'List, Alpine'
Subject: RE: Transmission oil - overdrive
Is this "OD Spares" of Wolston near Coventry? Tel.0044 24-76543686 Fax
004-24-76544973 or ODSPARES@aol.com .They specialized in OD conversion
for any type of rear wheel drive car.
Robert
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-alpines@autox.team.net [mailto:owner-alpines@autox.team.net]
On Behalf Of John Slade
Sent: Thursday, June 13, 2002 17:22
To: List, Alpine
Subject: Re: Transmission oil - overdrive
I went through this last year, while fitting a Laycock overdrive to my
non-overdrive S IV, and to a Bristol. It turns out that the gearbox
likes hypoid (gear) oil, while the overdrive likes ATF. If you have a
car in which the oil is separate for the gearbox and the overdrive, then
you use these two lubricants. If, on the other hand, you have a set-up
like that in the Alpine, where a common fluid services both gearbox and
overdrive, then a compromise must be reached. The manufacturers,
certainly in the fifties and the early sixties, decided that
non-detergent single weight engine oil was the best compromise, and made
that recommendation. I have stuck to that recommendation over the years,
and have never had on overdrive problem.
Laycock is no longer in business. Their repair and overhaul business was
taken over by a company called Overdrive Repair Services in Sheffield,
UK, which I think is owned by former employees. They have a web site
(ORS) and an e-mail address, neither of whose URLs I can lay my hands on
right now, but I have found them to be difficult to communicate with.
For what it's worth
John Slade
Manotick, ON
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