Re: Series Transmission: Overdrive Etc
Posted by Silvio on September 06, 2001 at 09:37:55:
In Reply to: Series Transmission: Overdrive Etc posted by Matt on September 04, 2001 at 23:05:27:
Hi Matt,
it's true that 2286 engines are not very powerful, but the overdrive is definitely useful on the road. I speak from experience, having a series III 109 SW diesel, that is the heaviest possible one. If you have a 88 with a petro engine the benefit will be greater, of course. Consider that you can shift in and out of overdrive while driving and that it acts as a half-gear, so to say: I mean that in 3rd gear, for ex., you could choose to shift either into 4th or, in a mild uphill, in 3rd with overdrive, which is intermediate between 3rd and 4th. So you'll have 8 forward gears in high transfer and reverses, and 8 forward gears in low transfer and 2 reverses. In the end you'll add not only some more km/h on highway use but also a greater choice in selecting gears.
Drawbacks: Fairey overdrive (the most common, fitted as standard at a certain point by L.R. on some export models) is quite delicate and needs careful maintenance (check oil level WEEKLY as they say, though it might seem excessive).
Cheers
Silvio
