[TR] [Spits] Over Drive Question ????

[Nolan]

>> This forces the O/D to
>> drop out in 1st/2nd gears as the torque/drive can wreck the o/d in the 
>> lower
>> and reverse gears.
>>
> Humm, The way things ended up with my GT6+ OD I have overdrive in 1st & 
> 2nd,
> reverse is locked out. I did not ask for it that way for it is for sure 
> not
> normal. We had trouble finding the bracket that goes up front on the early 
> OD's.
> I don't use OD in those gears but I thought about trying it out during
> autocrossing.  I guess that would be a bad thing Huh? I have accidentally 
> gone in a
> few times. torque/drive ????

Not really.  The petite Spitfire engine will not overstress the Laycock 
overdrive.  Laycock designed it to sit behind much more powerful engines 
than even the most heavily modified Spitfire engine.  In a number of other 
applications the unit is engaged at much lower speeds and gears than the 
very simple and effective Spitfire lockout uses.

The unit engages hydraulically.  When the input shaft isn't spinning, there 
is no hydraulic pressure.  So it can't engage.  Attempting to engage it as 
the shaft spins up, building pressure, results in the clutch face slipping 
quite a bit, and that will wear out the clutch in record time.  This is 
where a first gear lockout is rather useful, particularly for forgetful 
drivers.  2nd gear is much less important, and in some other vehicles the 
unit is allowed to engage in 2nd gear.  A number of autocrossers and such 
with a laycock overdrive have a momentary contact button that lets the 
driver engage the unit at any time they desire, in order to gain gearing 
advantage.

Reverse lockout on the other hand is important, as the unit can self 
destruct when spun backwards, regardless of the engines power.