tgilbert@husc.harvard.edu wrote:
>One tech question while I'm here. My "B" has the original crash-first
>tranny, which is a little unsuitable for the long distances on the open
>prairies of Alberta. I'd love to put an overdrive unit in, but
>discussions to date have provided me with no clear answer as to whether
>it's possible.
Greetings fellow "Canadian living in the US"!
Your '64 B has the early transmission without a synchromesh on first
gear. Later transmissions, '68 onwards, had synchro on first but
were differently arranged.
You can get an overdrive unit for the early 'B transmisson, although
its usually easier to get one already attached to an early 'B
transmisson since some transmisson innerds change when adding the
overdrive. Don't forget to get the appropriate driveshaft at the
same time as the driveshaft length changes between non O/D and O/D.
Later transmissons & their accompanying overdrives are more plentiful
in the wonderful world of used parts, but DO require the transmisson
tunnel modifications you were told about if you try to install one
into an early MGB. I think you'd also have to get a custom build
driveshaft for that combination.
MGB's had several driveshafts in their history:
early trans -> banjo type rear axel ('63-'67 B)
early trans & O/D -> banjo type rear axel ('63-'67 B)
early trans -> tube type rear axel ('65-'67 BGT)
early trans & O/D -> tube type rear axel ('65-'67 BGT)
later trans -> tube type rear axel ('68-death B/BGT)
later trans & O/D -> tube type rear axel ('68-death B/BGT)
The later transmisson/banjo type rear axel was the only combo
they missed. Of course, little documentation exists regarding
the length of these driveshafts. And when you find documentation,
it appears deliberately vague about from where to where the measurements
were read. The only reliable way I've found to buy a drive shaft
is to go to the junk yard with one like the one you want and start
comparing until you find a match.
If you didn't guess, I'm considering adding/getting an overdrive
for my '64 MGB too,
...robert "my '68 BGT originally came from Edmonton, Alberta"
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