Roger K Posted October 7, 2020 Report Share Posted October 7, 2020 Could somebody confirm GT6 overdrive types for me, please? My newly-purchased '73 does not have overdrive, and I'd like to fit a replacement 'box with overdrive that is correct for the car. I've seen comments that seem to imply the late GT6s had the option of a J-type Laycock, yet others state that the GT6 only ever had the D-type. Could someone clarify for me? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted October 7, 2020 Report Share Posted October 7, 2020 Dtype was fitted to GT6.The J type was used on very early dolomite 1850 with essentially a GT6 gearbox.(later 1850's went to the single rail box) The J type is stronger, which is why people think they are a better option. But I have yet to see a serious issue with a D type. If you are after a rebuilt box (it would be box/od only) I know of one that is for sale. (in all honesty, I would hesitate to use a secondhand prop, they an cause untold misery and a new one is only about £40-50 more than having new UJ's and balanced.) Lots of other bits required too, but mostly available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger K Posted October 7, 2020 Author Report Share Posted October 7, 2020 Thanks Clive. I'd be interested to know about the one for sale, could you pm me? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NonMember Posted October 8, 2020 Report Share Posted October 8, 2020 8 hours ago, clive said: The J type is stronger, which is why people think they are a better option. But I have yet to see a serious issue with a D type. I've seen two dead D-types - one of them just completely worn out - in the past. The simply broken one was a faulty refurb, which suggests it, too, had got worn out. The other, which was on a Vitesse box in a GT6, had received some electrical abuse but the wear to the casting around the operating valve was not practical to repair. That's out of a total of three that I've owned. I've now had eight cars with J-types fitted and the only problem I've had with any of them was a misaligned inhibitor switch. That's why I think they're a better option 😛 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted October 8, 2020 Report Share Posted October 8, 2020 I don't think wearing out is a fault? I have had a worn-out J type, but thats life. Interested what the "electrical abuse"was?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NonMember Posted October 8, 2020 Report Share Posted October 8, 2020 15 minutes ago, clive said: Interested what the "electrical abuse"was?? The wire from the gear lever switch to the relay had cracked insulation. It was routed close to the gearbox casing and tapped against it when driving. This led to the solenoid being "rattled" at a couple of Hertz. The previous owner of the car (my brother) had noticed a "machine gun noise" but not done anything about it. The one before him had either not even heard it or similarly dismissed it. The solenoid and operating valve had thus been subjected to several lifetimes' worth of use in a couple of years. Obviously I fixed the wiring but the valve mechanism had worn to the point where a new casing was needed, and the unit would only work when completely cold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger K Posted October 8, 2020 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2020 Ouch! I like the idea of 'noticing a machine gun noise', but ignoring it... not a member of the armed forces, I'd guess! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Lindsay Posted October 8, 2020 Report Share Posted October 8, 2020 I fitted a J-type 1850 Dolomite box back in the early 2000s; it ran for almost twenty years before I had to do a bit of electrical work and change the solenoid earlier this year. Most of the work I carried out was unnecessary but it's prepared it for the next twenty years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger K Posted October 8, 2020 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2020 Thanks for the advice chaps, and if I were restoring a car for regular use I'd certainly have a look at the J-type. I know it quite well - a Stag was my daily driver from '79-82 and I didn't have any o/d problems. A few others, maybe... I've had A-types in TRs and Healey 3000s, and a D-type (I now know!) in my daily driver GT6 from '87-92 with no issues. My 'new' car is an incredibly original 2-owner late '73, which I intend to keep as stock as possible so the D-type is the obvious choice for this car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Clark Posted October 8, 2020 Report Share Posted October 8, 2020 I was under the impression late GT6s were fitted wth J type OD, from commission number KE 20,000 if memory serves. If you're determined to keep your car totally original this would be worth checking. Nigel PS: Perhaps I'm wrong, has been known! Rimmers only list D type for GT6s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted October 8, 2020 Report Share Posted October 8, 2020 I don't think so. I have never seen any literature to that effect, and wonder if it is because he last of the MK IV spitfire had J type boxes. And the fact the early Dolly 1850 had a 3 rail OD box with J type, which is what the J type conversions used. Canleys have a bit about it here https://www.canleyclassics.com/?archive=the-j-type-overdrive, which I think is the same as the old Kipping catalogue info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger K Posted October 8, 2020 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2020 Just found an interesting thread on a forum from 2012 discussing this - the outcome is that although the J-type box was promised, it never got into the GT6. http://sideways-technologies.co.uk/forums/index.php?/topic/6247-late-gt6-3-rail-box-with-j-type-overdrive-rebuilt/ It wanders a bit, but I'd say the guy is pretty convincing. Roger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted October 8, 2020 Report Share Posted October 8, 2020 Ah, good old GT. Yes, he did regularly "go off on one" 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Flinn Posted October 8, 2020 Report Share Posted October 8, 2020 1 hour ago, clive said: Ah, good old GT. Yes, he did regularly "go off on one" Yes GT He's certainly had plenty to say, but always seemed to upset people, there was no doubt he knew his stuff with Triumph Engines and Gearboxes though? I met him around 10 years or so ago at Stafford when he was selling stuff, he was into racing Jaguar's back then. My first memories of him are at one of the TSSC Meets in the Mid-80's, it may have been at Motec near Telford or possibly Donington? He was doing a race demo and was in his Sienna Brown Mk2 Vitesse Saloon burning rubber, it went like stink and sounded awesome. I believe it was 2 Litre with Lucas PI, the car's probably long gone. I think he lives in France now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted October 8, 2020 Report Share Posted October 8, 2020 33 minutes ago, Gary Flinn said: Yes GT I think he lives in France now. Estonia was the last I heard, several years ago. But he seems to have totally disappeared. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Clark Posted October 8, 2020 Report Share Posted October 8, 2020 3 minutes ago, clive said: Estonia was the last I heard, several years ago. But he seems to have totally disappeared. I last heard from GT about 10 years ago and he was living in Estonia then. Nigel 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Lindsay Posted October 8, 2020 Report Share Posted October 8, 2020 3 hours ago, clive said: Ah, good old GT. Yes, he did regularly "go off on one" That's an understatement. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted October 8, 2020 Report Share Posted October 8, 2020 2 hours ago, Colin Lindsay said: That's an understatement. I upset him once. I had posted a link to somebody selling his "tuning manual" on ebay.He went ballisticastic. He threw all sorts of wild accusations about what I had done to his wife and children. I can't imagine how his mind works. Nor do I want to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Clark Posted October 8, 2020 Report Share Posted October 8, 2020 7 minutes ago, clive said: I upset him once. I had posted a link to somebody selling his "tuning manual" on ebay.He went ballisticastic. He threw all sorts of wild accusations about what I had done to his wife and children. I can't imagine how his mind works. Nor do I want to. Sounds about right! Nigel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrapman Posted October 8, 2020 Report Share Posted October 8, 2020 9 minutes ago, clive said: I upset him once. I had posted a link to somebody selling his "tuning manual" on ebay.He went ballisticastic. He threw all sorts of wild accusations about what I had done to his wife and children. I can't imagine how his mind works. Nor do I want to. Was that someone selling a box full of his tuning manuals for peanuts on EBay? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted October 8, 2020 Report Share Posted October 8, 2020 21 minutes ago, thescrapman said: Was that someone selling a box full of his tuning manuals for peanuts on EBay? Yep. All I did was post a link. You would have thought I had genuinely caused his family harm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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