Hi Bill,
Been there, done that. It's not a simple process and there are lots
of choices to make.
I once had a late non-OD tranny in my '67 B and I used the early starter
and flywheel, and a late engine backing plate with a modification that enabled
the starter to bolt up to it. I don't remember the exact mod, but it
involved tapping out a hole for a bolt and putting a helicoil in it. One
of the starter bolts screwed into the helicoil--I believe the top one. If
you hold the late backing plate up to the early engine, it becomes obvious
which
bolt hole needs this treatment.
For my other '67 B, I decided to use the late starter and flywheel, so I
used the late backing plate without modification. The problem with this is
that the bigger late starter then gets in the way of the hanging-down canister
filter. Which is why MG went to the upside-down filter. I have
the upside-down filter on the car now, but I plan to try one of the
improved starters from Moss because it looks like they're shorter and then
I can put the original filter back on. I didn't do this at the time
because a guy at Moss said that the starters weren't very good, but they were
working on improvements. The car has since been in storage so I haven't
looked into it again. I was being a half-assed purist (yeah yeah) , so I
didn't try converting to a spin-on filter, which is smaller, but that might
work
too.
For neither car did I have to do the body modification that everyone
insists is necessary and the tranny never bashed up against the body.
Years ago, one guy even said that he didn't make the modification, but the
tranny bashed in that corner of the tunnel for him the first time he drove
it. I wonder what I'm doing right? ;-)
So the bottom line is: The starter and flywheel have to be the same kind,
i.e., both early or late (pre '67 or post). You need a late engine backing
plate (has the rear main seal in it) either way, but if you use the early
starter, you have to modify the plate. If you use the late starter, you
have to figure out what to do about the oil filter.
Just in case anyone's wondering, the non-OD late tranny I used to have in
my '67 B had had its shift arm shortened so the shifter would come out the
hole in the tunnel. Other people cut up their tunnel and moved the tunnel
cover forward to put in a stock late tranny. But the late OD tranny
doesn't have this problem at all. Without modification, the shifter comes
out where it needs to, the rubber boot just needs to be turned around.
Keep in mind that the late OD tranny has a different shifter from
the non-OD late tranny. Oh yeah, you'll need to wire up the OD switch
and solenoid. Stock up on yellow wire. And then you need to change
the gearing in the speedo. And the crossmember is different, but I just
used the one from a late car. It's not mounted to the body in the same
spot, but my car had additional captive nuts that happened to be in
the correct spot. I suspect that as they were using up '67 parts
and changing to '68 parts, they weren't really sure which part would go on a
particular car, so they covered all bases.
That's everything I know! If my faulty memory has not served, someone
will be sure to correct me.
Denise
----- Original Message -----
From: Mike Winney
To: mgs@autox.team.net
Sent: 7/11/01 6:48:10 PM
Subject: Fw: '67B, '68 O/D
----- Original Message -----
From: WCAMEYER
To: Winney, Mike Liz
Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2001 2:46 PM
Subject: Fw: '67B, '68 O/D
Mike,
Could you please forward this to the MG list? I cannot seem to
get anything
through when I send it.
Does anybody know why I cannot get through? I am registered and
do get
messages regularly.
----- Original Message -----
From: WCAMEYER
To: The MG List
Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2001 11:42 AM
Subject: '67B, '68 O/D
Am contemplating installing a late ('68) overdrive tranny in my '67
roadster.
I know somebody out there has done that and would appreciate any and all
info
on parts needed, transmission tunnel alteration, etc.
I am also contemplating installing the shift knob 0- mounted switch.
I sent a similar request a week ago and it never hit the list, so I'm
trying
again.
Bill Meyer
--- Denise Thorpe
--- xyzabcde@earthlink.net
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