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laycock overdrivers

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Old Apr 30, 2006 | 06:50 AM
  #1  
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From: australia
laycock overdrivers

hi guys,
has anyone anywhere in the world adapted a laycock overdrive unit to one of our old trucks?, they came standard in the crash dummy shaped volvo's and many other pomy and euro cars ( so they tell me ), if my memory serves me correct the gearvendor product is based on this unit, and appears very similar in looks.
last year i had to get a gearvendor u/o for a project and by the time all the dust settled and exchange rates r taken into account, it owed around 8k, i would like to give my bone stock 52 a highway gear and was to fit a t5 that was lying around but after seeing this u/o unit in the old volvo i can't see why i could'nt use one behind the original box.
anyone have any thoughts?
cya...gary
 
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Old Apr 30, 2006 | 09:25 AM
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I'm familiar (more than I'd like) with the Laycock units from my Healey period, and have often wondered the same thing. They are a slick piece and I like the hydraulic actuation much more than the B-W mechanical lock-up. The problem adapting them to a Ford 3-sp would be the tailshaft. If someone makes a replacement tailshaft with the proper mods to drive the sun of the Laycock, and with provisions for the hydraulic pump drive, it would seem the unit would fit my 52 F-1 without hacking the crossmember.

I hadn't heard the Gear Vendors unit was based on the Laycock, if so I would bet they are tapping the main A/T's hydraulic system for actuation. From what I know of the GV units you can shift them at almost any speed, which is not the case with a manual-trans Laycock. They need 30+ mph speed to work.

Are you thinking of adapting an old British car Laycock, or the GV product?
 
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Old May 1, 2006 | 07:15 AM
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From: australia
i was thinking of a laycock this time, in volvo's ,overdrive is locked out by a thermal switch ( or so i'm told )only, i'll have to get out the fitting instructions for the gearvendor box, but i was of the impression that the main gearbox output shaft drove the gv unit by the means of a simple coupling and is infact self contained.
the unit i fitted is playing up and i was concidering doing away with all the crap supplied with it and just utilizing a splitter switch similar to that used in f600's and larger that have a two speed ****.. the black box and associated wires r for the auto function i beleive, so they r only something else that can fail( and most likely have) besides if u can use 3 pedals how much trouble can a simple button cause?
cya...gary
 
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