Fariey Overdrive question

[tmckeon88]

I have a 69 IIA 88" which has a Fairey overdrive unit. Recently it has developed a problem with dropping out of gear spontaneously at highway speeds. It stays put when it's shifted off and I'm driving around town, but on the highway it only stays in gear for 30 seconds or so then pops out. I've held the lever on with some pressure and I've felt the level gradually beginning to push against my hand prior to popping out. I can hold it in place and in will eventually snap back into the proper position, then 30 seconds later it starts creeping out again.

I've had the unit for 15 years or so and it's got probably 100,000 miles on it total, and I had it rebuilt about 7 years ago when it failed another time. At this point I'm wondering if I should just eat the cost of a new one or go to the trouble of having RDS rebuild it.

Any thoughts about what it might be and whether it's a lost cause?

Thanks,
Tom, going' slow.

[Mercedesrover]

Send it to George.

[Bertha]

No new ones currently available, I have been waiting for 6 months now. If you got 100k miles out of it that is 50k more than most.

[superstator]

Same here - I put my name in the hat back in December.

Which is almost a blessing, since I really don't need to drop $1500 on an overdrive right at the moment... But I'm glad I'm not the only one waiting.

[I Leak Oil]

These aren't all that complicated. First thing to check would be the detent for the shift rod. If that isn't stuck then you'll have to remove it and take it apart for evaluation.
Jason T.

[LH Drive]

I'm with Jason and also check that metal clip on the shifting shaft just before it slides into the overdrive. Mine had flipped and caused the same problem you are having. It wasn't going into the gear all the way and would pop out.

[Jeff Aronson]

Tom, the same thing happened to mine when I had about the same mileage on it. The problem was with the synchro ring. My problem emerged long enough ago so I could swap it out for another one at Rovers North.

While I enjoy having the overdrive for highway trips of a few hours duration, my other II-A does not have an overdrive and truthfully, it doesn't feel like it's running that much faster at the same highway speed.

The only real driveability advantage to me is that 3rd overdrive gives some speed entering an interstate, and of course, during the long drive itself.

Jeff