I mean after all, anyone can put in a 5 th gear on a transmission, why an overdrive? First of all the British never do anything the way we expect or anyone else does it. Let’s think for a minute why overdrives were put in cars in the first place. You get the fantasy of what it must feel like downshifting at the end of the straight at LeMans.Īnyway, back to the proper way to do it. This is especially true on the Big Healey, as the 6 cylinder really sounds great at speed. It is also way too cool to kick down from overdrive at 50 or 60 and watch the expression on the faces of other people as the engine revs on the downshift. What was that, warp drive? Like, you still have another gear? How many gears does his car have?!!!!
#LAYCOCK OVERDRIVE 75W 90 DRIVERS#
This usually gets very interesting and surprised looks from the other drivers and passengers and really impresses the people who are with you in the car. It is way too cool and impossible to resist the temptation to pull up next to someone at 50 or 60 MPH and, as you shift into overdrive, accelerate away into the great beyond. I would like to express our opinion on the proper method to shift in and out of these overdrive units.įirst let me admit that when I had cars with overdrive, especially Big Healeys, I did not shift the recommended way. We received some spirited responses – use the clutch, don’t use the clutch, etc. We have received some interesting emails over the last few months asking (and telling) us about the proper way to shift in and out of overdrive on the Laycock deNormanville overdrives as used on the British cars (A, J, LH, D and compact A types). The evergreen MGB is, quite simply, the most popular sports car ever made in Britain and as an affordable, practical and fun two-seater, still has tremendous appeal today.Topic of the Month: Proper shifting of a Laycock overdrive Further changes were necessitated by new safety legislation, including a collapsible steering column and padded dashboard. More significant changes took place in October 1967, with the adoption of an all-synchromesh gearbox (plus the option of automatic transmission to broaden the B’s appeal) and improved electrics, with an alternator replacing the dynamo found on earlier cars. In September 1964, MG updated the original B-series motor with a five-bearing crankshaft and added a fixed-head variant, badged the GT, the following year. The rest of the running gear, including the steering, suspension and back axle, was sourced from BMC’s parts bin, albeit to good effect. The MGB employed BMC’s three-bearing B-series four-cylinder engine, running twin SUs and developing 95 horsepower at 5400rpm, combined with a rugged four-speed gearbox and the option of Laycock overdrive on third and top gears.
#LAYCOCK OVERDRIVE 75W 90 WINDOWS#
The MGB’s attractive lines cleverly reinterpreted the traditional British roadster for the 1960s, with refinements like door handles and wind-up windows added for the first time, although a heater was still optional and the soft-top somewhat rudimentary.
Under development since the late 1950s, Abingdon’s long-awaited replacement for the MGA saw a shift away from the traditional construction technique of a separate chassis/body, to an all-new pressed steel monocoque structure, with the chief advantages of strength, lightness and more cockpit space. Launched at the 1962 London Motor Show, the MGB went on to become one of the most successful sports cars ever made, both from a commercial standpoint (with over half a million produced) and for the driving pleasure a good ‘B’ is still capable of delivering.