Fairey overdrive still noisy (but not as much)

[adkrover]

I recently was trying to decide if I should rebuild my old Fairey overdrive or wait for the Roverdrive to get back into production. I purchased the truck from someone who claimed it was a rebuilt overdrive but it was pretty noisy. It had a very high pitch whine under load and absolutely screamed when coasting (neither pulling nor pushing). The story was that the Roverdrive was out of production for an undetermined amount of time. If you want to read up on the history, here's the link.

http://www.roversnorth.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3886

After so many people suggested that if properly rebuilt, it would run nice and quiet, I finally decided that since I had a lot of driving to do this summer that I would get the overdrive rebuilt. I sent it to George at RDS and he tore into to find that it had been rebuilt but not properly and the case was shot. He managed to find a replacement case and with a few other parts, got my overdrive back to me for about half the price of a new unit.

Now that it is installed, it is definitely quieter but in no way is it quiet. The worst of the noise comes when the gears are idling? costing? whatever it's called when you still have your foot on the gas but the gears are neither pulling the truck nor are they holding it back. At that point, it sounds like a coffee grinder. When under load, it is only slightly loader than without it engaged but at the top end, it does get pretty load when under load. that top end noise ma be coming more from the transfer case since it isn't used to going that fast under standard gearing.

The good news for me is that it does lower my cruising rpms to a very reasonable and quiet 2000 rpms at 55 mph and at 3000 rpms it feels damn dangerous unless there is no one else on the road. So, in the short term, mission accomplished. long term, I need to find a better solution.

My gearbox is a fresh rebuild and appears to be well done but I only have my old box to compare it to so I doubt the sound is coming from that. maybe once you've driven an old Rover for 20 years, you learn a new definition of the word quiet. or you just go deaf in that sound range?

I did have occasion last week to speajk to Rocky Mountain and they have taken production of the Roverdrive inhouse and hope to have them coming out this fall. I figure on putting my 4:11 TLC axles under me truck this winter and if the higher ratio diffs aren't enough then maybe I'll order a Roverdrive. No offense to George at RDS, he helped me out with this one but I guess our definitions of silent are not the same.

If anyone has any thoughts or suggestions, I'd love to hear it. Do others have increased noise when the gears are idling? What am i missing here?


Thanks

[pvkd]

I think the sounds you describe are completly normal. I have read many posts with the same complaint. Mine certainly sounds the same as yours.

[scott]

my fairey o/d drive is a loud whiny thing. i used it exstensively. about 700 miles in one run. my problem is that i've nothing to compare it to, so i just trust in the gear gods and hope for the best.

[I Leak Oil]

Mine was loud when I bought it brand spankn' new in 1995. Still loud to this day.
Jason T.

[JimCT]

Try running Red Line Heavy shock proof gear oil. Using it now in the gearbox and transfer case and it quieted things down a bit, and made shifting a bit smoother too.

[Tim Smith]

Try running Red Line Heavy shock proof gear oil. Using it now in the gearbox and transfer case and it quieted things down a bit, and made shifting a bit smoother too.
Hey Jim have you compared it to Lucas oil stabilizer? Or have you tried Redline in the winter?

I've used Lucas oil in my truck and it indeed quiets things down nicely. Although, in the deep cold of winter, it slows down shifting pretty bad. It seems to gum up the syncros but I'm not really sure.

Just curious if one is better than the other although I kind of doubt we'd ever notice other than cold weather shifting.

---

As for the Fairey, yes mine was noisy and toward the end started making slightly worrying sounds. The truck is off the road now so I can't be sure how scary those sounds were. :o

The Roverdrive in my other truck feels bullet proof in comparison although you do hear it too. The shifting action is much slower also. You have to kind of commit yourself to the shift instead of just tossing the lever as it was with the Fairey. No biggy but it's caught me out more than once.

[Paul Rossmann]

Hey Jim have you compared it to Lucas oil stabilizer? Or have you tried Redline in the winter?

I have just switched to Lucas Gear Oil (80W-90), and indeed, things seem quieter. No worry about really cold running down here, but I would swear that the truck shifts a bit smoother too. Of course that could be my imagination (like thinking your car—not your Rover— goes faster after you wash it).

[Tim Smith]

...(like thinking your car—not your Rover— goes faster after you wash it)... Hold on a minute. You mean to say that doesn't work??? :p

[JimCT]

the red line acts in the dead of winter like it was summer. I think the lucas acts more like molasses. The shock proof has some particulate matter that cushions the gear to gear shocks, my guess is that it would certainly help the overdrive.

[CliftonRover]

if the oil is too thick will it not get up to the bearings on the back of the main shaft on the transmission, the one that has the gear attached to it, that is specific to the overdrive?

[Tim Smith]

if the oil is too thick will it not get up to the bearings on the back of the main shaft on the transmission, the one that has the gear attached to it, that is specific to the overdrive? Good question but if memory serves me correctly, when you fill up the Fairey you practically submerse all of the gears. I don't know though and could be wrong.

---
Thanks Jim. I'll give red line a try next. We'll see which one acts better under my less than scientific conditions.

[adkrover]

Where do you get red line?

[KevinNY]

You need to buy it online, no one seems to stock it.

[JimCT]

Try Summit Racing

[siii8873]

Wow reading all these post makes me feel a little better. My fairy OD also wines a little. The biggest thing that bugs me with it (at least I think its the OD) is when in a non loaded condition, between shifts usually in the lower gears I hear a little gear clunking sound. This is not all the time only seems to happen with a lazy shift.

[scott]

with all this o/d whining talk i got to thinking having the parts to remove an o/d unit while on the road might be smart to keep in my truck. what do you need to put in place of a bad o/d so that you can keep moving?

[Tim Smith]

You need the intermediate gear that the OD replaces, the original blanking plate to cover the hole that the OD uses, a tube of "gasket in a tube", a 9/16 or 5/8 wrench and some zip ties for the OD linkage so it won't fall loose and bind on the drive shaft. Then you are off to the races again.

At least I think thats it.

[scott]

You need the intermediate gear that the OD replaces, the original blanking plate to cover the hole that the OD uses, a tube of "gasket in a tube", a 9/16 or 5/8 wrench and some zip ties for the OD linkage so it won't fall loose and bind on the drive shaft. Then you are off to the races again.

At least I think thats it.

thanks but w/o an o/d there's not much use in getting back to the race.

[scott]

You need the intermediate gear that the OD replaces, the original blanking plate to cover the hole that the OD uses, a tube of "gasket in a tube", a 9/16 or 5/8 wrench and some zip ties for the OD linkage so it won't fall loose and bind on the drive shaft. Then you are off to the races again.

At least I think thats it.

thanks but w/o an o/d there's not much use in getting back to the race. will there be an issue with the intermediate gear not having matched wear?

[Tim Smith]

...will there be an issue with the intermediate gear not having matched wear?Welllll, maybe you'll notice a little gear noise but that is so rare that I couldn't quite image what would be like. :p



thanks but w/o an o/d there's not much use in getting back to the race...What kind of race? :D

[adkrover]

between shifts usually in the lower gears I hear a little gear clunking sound. This is not all the time only seems to happen with a lazy shift.


Siii,

From what I understand, you shouldn't have the OD engaged in lower gears. Too much engine torque or something.

Scott

[sven]

The biggest thing that bugs me with it (at least I think its the OD) is when in a non loaded condition, between shifts usually in the lower gears I hear a little gear clunking sound. This is not all the time only seems to happen with a lazy shift.

That could be worn out splines between the OD clutch sleeve and the input shaft. If the splines break, you will lose all power to the wheels. Its worth removing the OD and checking the splines for wear.