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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 24
D
'Bolter
'Bolter
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 24
Has anyone successfully bolted the BW overdrive to the ol 4 speed SM420?

Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,424
C
ODSS President
ODSS President
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,424


~ Cosmo
1949 Chevy Half Ton
Rocinante, like Don Quixote, he is awkward, past his prime, and engaged in a task beyond his capacities.
"...my good horse Rocinante, mine eternal and inseparable companion in all my journeys and courses." ...Don Quixote, Cervantes
"If you come to a fork in the road, take it."...Yogi Berra
"Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength." ...Eric Hoffer


Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 24
D
'Bolter
'Bolter
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 24
I did and have used the search function which is not very useful for this forum, it could use an update. I know there has been discussion about overdrives for the sm420 but maybe one specifically has asked about the BW Overdrive being used with an SM420 which no one replied to.

Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 4,962
C
'Bolter
'Bolter
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 4,962
I have been playing with BW overdrives for 50 years and have R10 and R11 back sections in my store room. I also have some SM420s. I have toyed with the idea, but I see no way of doing it without a lot of machine work. I think if I were to try to do it, I would start with a 4 speed with an open drive shaft and fabricate a nose section with with an input bearing on a shaft with a seal that would accept a companion flange. The nose section would have to include means to securely mount it to a cross member. I think making the OD unit into an divorced unit would be more doable than trying to attach the OD to a SM420. And then it would work behind any transmission with an open drive shaft.

Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 29,846
H
Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer)
Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer)
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Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 29,846
There's a much simpler way to adapt a divorced OD than using the BW unit. Look at the Laycock De Normanville unit that was used on Jag, Austin-Healey, Triumph, MGB, and other Brit sports cars. It is identical to the Gear Vendors unit that's being sold for 5 or 6 times the price of a used Laycock. It would be very simple to either adapt the Laycock as a bolt-on extension to the SM 420, or fabricate an input flange to make it a divorced unit mounted on crossmembers. The Laycock is hydraulically-operated, and has its own onboard pump. A simple toggle switch is used to engage/disengage it.
Jerry


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Joined: Aug 2010
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'Bolter
'Bolter
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 24
Guys Thank you for the great info!


Moderated by  Dusty53, SWEET 

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