Here's another reason:
A 5-speed is a 5-speed. Nothing noteworthy there. A Healey gearbox
isn't exactly
a marvel of engineering, but the Laycock deNormanville is an extremely
elegant,
effective, rugged and (generally) reliable piece of engineering. I've
been driving my
BJ8 for over 23 years and 90K miles, and I'm still learning things about
driving it (I learned the other day, for instance, that when the o/d
relay starts to get
flakey, you can pull it out, file the points, reassemble and probably
get another
20-30K miles out of it).
I have to work hard at shifting properly. Maybe one out of three times
I feel I've
aced a shift sequence. Makes the most mundane drive into an adventure
(that's
what these cars are all about). Shifting into and out of overdrive
makes me feel
like I'm dropping in and out of warp.
Stick with the original gearbox and overdrive.
bs
Bob Spidell wrote:
> I feel like nitpicking today (the government won't listen to me so I
> have to take
> it out on somebody):
>
> It's Laycock deNormanville.
>
> re:
> "1. Why if any reason should I not put a Smitty's conversion in my BN1?"
>
> Because you won't be able to tell people you have a Laycock
> deNormanville overdrive (I just
> think "Laycock deNormanville" sounds way cool; so does "overdrive,"
> for that matter ;)
>
>
> bs
>
>
> Tracy Drummond wrote:
>
>> Taylor,
>>
>> I'll try to answer your questions.
>>
>> 1. Why if any reason should I not put a Smitty's conversion in my BN1?
>>
>> a)Reduced originality / correctness. Pressure from nitpickers :-)
>>
>> b)You have loads of cash for rebuilds and enjoy tracking down elusive
>> laygears.
>> c)You enjoy the challenge of no 1st gear synchro and the novelty of the
>> Normanville Laylock overdrives.
>>
>> 2. How will it affect acceleration and top speed?
>>
>> a) Faster run through gears with less effort and noise.
>>
>> b) Slight weight (33% reduction) advantage.
>>
>> 3. Is it possible to change the conversion back to original without
>> much notice that it was there?
>>
>> a) Yes. Keep all your old transmission parts including relays,
>> solenoids,
>> kick-down resistor and mounting hardware.
>>
>> b) Caveat - You will need to cut a hole in your transmission tunnel and
>> cover the old shifter opening, this can be reversed but is the only
>> modification that requires altering "cutting".
>>
>> 4. What toyota trannies are most recomended for this?
>>
>> a) Any 5 speed from a circa 1980-1990 2 wheel drive pick-up or some
>> Supras.
>> Very common. Look for one with shifter location towards front.
>>
>> 5. Is there any additional feedback from List regarding the conversion?
>>
>> a) Quieter, Lighter, Cheaper than rebuilds, easier to operate, gear
>> ratios
>> nearly identical to 1st through 4th with 5th gear acting as overdrive
>> equivalent.
>>
>> b) Designed for BJ8, minor easy modifications required for 100-6 and
>> early
>> 3000. More involved for early cars (BN1s and 2s).
>>
>> c) Test operation of clutch, throw-out, slave cylinder and pressure
>> plate
>> (bell-housing mounted only) BEFORE installing transmission.
>>
>> d) Consider rear engine seal fitment and clutch/pressure plate
>> upgrade now
>> while it is all apart.
>>
>> e) Use Pete Delaney's (took over from Smitty) improved bearing
>> version of
>> the pilot bearing, NOT Smitty's older brass bushing version.
>>
>> f) A highly recommended upgrade when you are facing major
>> transmission woes.
>>
>> Tracy
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