I like most owners of P&W's and some lesser life forms (TR's) use a four speed gearbox with overdrive.
When rebuilding my box I remember having lengthy talks with all sorts of people in the motoring world about the correct oil to use.
TR 3 workshop manual says SAE 30...hard to find...well round here it is.
Long time drag racer, MG enthusiast, and former head of development at Austin/BLMC/BL/Rover/Rover MG/defunked! Says 20/50 engine oil with no addertives.
Two very well informed members of the TR industry say 75/80 or if can't get it 80/90.
The gentleman who is responsible for research and development at MOSS (yes there is such a man and they do research ....but only the cheapest cost price from the Far East) says use Penrite gear oil.
I have to top my box up and have finished what ever I put in it last time (and subsequently through the bottle away so I don't know what I used) and have come up again with this quandry/misinformation/blackhole.
Oh and it's so long since I’ve been on the TR website it doesn’t recognize me any longer so I have had to re-log in....but it wont recognize my new log-in name and wont let me in what ever I do...how helpful and inviting is that.
At least you feel welcome and can browse our site freely.
I've just rebuilt a TR gearbox and will soon be doing the Peerless' one too.
Having been put in touch with Tony Lindsey-Dean of Kingston Sports Cars (01359 269777) I've bought uprated bushes, bearings etc from him and am very impressed by his encyclopaedic knowledge of these cars.
His advice on oil was to use a good quality plain 30 or EP gearbox oil, but definitely not a Hypoid oil (which is intended for diffs and isn't so good in gearboxes). He also mentioned Castrol Syntrax Universal (semi-synthetic I think), which other TR drivers he knows have used and are happy with.
I've decided to use a straightforwards 80/90 EP to start with and then to change to Syntrax and clean the mag-plugs after a running-in period of something like 1000 miles. Tony's comment was that this isn't really needed, but belt and braces don't do any harm...
Well when I drained the box to put the new oil in...Come to that later...I found a lot of swarf. Brass and steel in the bottom, then I removed the big brass nut from the overdrive…. more crap and a piece of brass 4mm X 8mm X 1.5mm thick.
This was all underneath the filter to the overdrive so I think it's come from the box not the overdrive. I cleaned the filter and refitted.
I then stretched and old pair of stockings...mine of course..Over a clean bucket and poured the new oil in. this was to flush any remaining crap out..None was found and so I poured this oil back in ....with the drain plug in.
So in true peerless ownership style I filled it back up and went on a track day.
After talking to more people I went with the flow and have used halfords 75/80.....seems ok and ever think still working.
After the track day on the way home from the pub the overdrive failed and the smell was horrible.
I couldn’t leave it like that as my son said it smelt electrical. I thought so to so stripped out all the interior and covers etc.
The solenoid had failed.
I think the heat in the tunnel (because of the exhaust) may be the some of the problem.
Its funny how when you go back and look at your work you some times think “what were you thinking you pillock” I had made a heat shield to go round the solenoid but it actually rapped around it to well and stopped air flow, it also was bolted to the solenoid and so probably transmitted the heat into the solenoid.
Anyway new solenoid and no shield see what that does. I did notice the the actuator arm on the overdrive goes through the unit and Appears on the other side i.e. drivers side. I wondered if I could fit it that side but ran out of time/beer……like always
I drove the car for 20 miles with nothing inside but my seat…………..blooody hell.
Hard acceleration in say third gear and after about 3 seconds the heat just hits you.
I have mad a heat shield to go over the first piece of exhaust that comes out of the manifold tube and turns under the gearbox. This deflects the heat down under the car. That seems to work and my side seems cooler
Nigel, have you considered using a J-type (saloon) overdrive, where the solenoid pokes out the back. I might give you a bit more clearance for the zorsts..
Me, I'm still trying to get an LT77 to fit between the seats.
) says use Penrite gear oil.
