<html><body>Bob-good point. I just got a set of springs from Moss (from OD Spares in UK, I imagine). The cost was $99 or about $12/spring which in the scope of things is really not relevant. Holding that clutch in tight contact to the brake ring is paramount and just imagine the number of miles in direct drive that the car has experienced...many at high RPM. The other side of the brake for overdrive position is the "lazy side" as the operating pistons under hydraulic pressure have plenty of clout driving mostly steady RPMs. Yes, springs wear out.<div><br></div><div>I place them on the bench and line up the lengths. They should measure 4-1/2" for the long springs and 4-1/4" for the short ones but invariably there is differences in the resting length. After 50+ years of pushing you would tend to get tired. When in overdrive, the springs are greatly depressed. That is asking a lot for spiral metal to accomplish. So, yes they may look good, but have poor stamina-oops, I just describe all of us. Hank<br><br><div class="reply-new-signature"></div><p>-----------------------------------------</p>From: "Bob Spidell" <bspidell@comcast.net><br>To: healeys@autox.team.net<br>Cc: <br>Sent: Friday August 11 2023 9:19:34PM<br>Subject: Re: [Healeys] Laycock overdrive<br><br>
re: "... The health of the 8 springs that keep the unit in direct
drive<br>
is important to keep the clutch from slipping...."<br><br>
I believe the shop manual admonishes owners to replace these
when<br>
overhauling the unit, even if the old ones look and feel fine (some
say<br>
not so). I think my old ones are in a box on a shelf somewhere
if<br>
anybody wants them.<br><br>
Note the O/D pump is a positive displacement pump that will
continue to<br>
produce pressure--driven by the full power of the engine--unless
there<br>
is a pressure relief mechanism.<br><br><br>
On 8/11/2023 10:34 AM, Hank Leach via Healeys wrote:<br>
> Guys-this is a very lively topic and one of sometimes great
mystery<br>
> and confusion. The unit is complex but the end result is
working well<br>
> or not functioning at all.<br>
><br>
> On the subject of pressure required to operate the shift
into<br>
> overdrive there are many schools of thought. Some people
replace or<br>
> stretch springs or add washers to increase the pressure
needed. The<br>
> health of the 8 springs that keep the unit in direct drive
is<br>
> important to keep the clutch from slipping. The pressure
supplied to<br>
> overcome the strength of these 8 spring , and effect
overdrive, relies<br>
> on adequate hydraulic pressure. The change from direct to
overdrive<br>
> needs to be smooth, not harsh, and if pressures are high the
unit will<br>
> snap into and out of OD rather than the smooth interchange we
are used<br>
> to while driving.<br>
><br>
> When applied to the Austin Healey 100, the Laycock overdrive
was<br>
> initially a 32% reduction unit. It was soon found out in these
early<br>
> Warwick cars that 32% was too much reduction. DHMC
swapped units<br>
> three times in the original DMH tour car until they finally
found a<br>
> combination that produced the smooth shift and complimentary
gearing<br>
> desired.<br>
><br>
> It is difficult, today, to find any information on this
original 32%<br>
> gearbox, however if you examine the booklet (attached)
supplied by<br>
> Laycock for the early cars, you will notice that the casting
allowed<br>
> for a large accumulator piston (seen on p6 in brochure). After
some<br>
> research and modified engineering, the company came up with
this alloy<br>
> "sleeve" called the piston housing (photo) which partially
filled the<br>
> chamber of the original large accumulator casting and allowed
for a<br>
> smaller accumulator piston that we see in all the later 28%
reduction<br>
> units. That size piston, in proper condition, produced from
350-450<br>
> lbs of needed hydraulic pressure to overcome the springs
influence.<br>
><br>
> I'm confident that the remark made by Geoff Healey in his
writings<br>
> about the early transmissions "harsh shifting" revolved around
this<br>
> huge accumulator piston producing too much pressure.
Additionally,<br>
> there were three various accumulator springs supplied which
adjusted<br>
> the pressure. The early boxes produced about 350lbs and the
later<br>
> about 450.<br>
><br>
> Today, Overdrive Spares supplies that sleeve housing with only
one<br>
> rubber O-ring as it is basically a filler part and not under
extreme<br>
> pressure. The accumulator piston within is under that
pressure. They<br>
> supply a modified piston using O-ring technology. So, it is
not<br>
> unusual to get good pressures over the normal 450 lbs
required. If it<br>
> works well don't fix it. The only concern is if the
pressure does not<br>
> release when overdrive is not called for. A clean unit, with
proper<br>
> 30W oil, will allow that to happen. All this some old theory
and<br>
> history to ponder. Hank<br>
><br><br>
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