HEAVY DUTY OIL STABILIZER

[whitehillbilly64]

Any one tried this in a Fairey Overdrive.
Was chatting to a guy who uses it in his older machinery, and swears by it.
Suggest I use it in my overdrive.

Heavy Duty Oil Stabilizer (http://www.lucasoil.com.au/products/engine-oil-additives/lucas-heavy-duty-oil-stabilizer)

Thanks for the comments.

whitehillbilly

[JDNSW]

No, but my assessment (after reading the data sheet) is it is very unlikely to hurt, and may help.

[whitehillbilly64]

Thanks John.

[rick130]

I wouldn't, i hate the stuff.

Lucas Oil Stabiliser? (https://www.aulro.com/afvb/technical-chatter/56590-lucas-oil-stabiliser.html)

[DiscoClax]

IIRC the Fairey ODs run ATF and have a shaft-driven pump and a cone clutch (at least that's true in the old Volvo's). Given that I'd be wary of using something that thickens the oil or changes the frictional characteristics. May stress the pump and/or cause the clutch to slip under load.
I'm not opposed to additives at all, but they have to be targetted for the right application. A high quality synthetic ATF would be more suitable in that case IMHO.
What issue are you trying to fix?

[JDNSW]

Fairey overdrives run EP-90, and have no slipping clutch. They are a two speed manual gearbox, with direct and overdrive gears, selected by a conventional synchromesh assembly. I suspect you are thinking of something else.

The major problems with the Fairey are that they are rather weak (definitely do not use except in 3 and 4), have barely adequate oil supply for cooling, and the input coupling is not adequately lubricated (same sort of issue as the spud shaft on later Defenders). Also, the small oil reservoir means that a small leak can rapidly see them running low on oil. Oil level should be checked every service if not more often, but because it means removing the seat and seat box panel or tool tray, is often forgotten.

[rick130]

The problem is that often with inadequate lubrication problems, going up in viscosity creates problems, the oil can't flow fast enough into starving bearings to maintain a hydrodynamic wedge of oil, particularly when cold.

Lucas and Moreys have bugger all EP and AW additives too, they are just thick bright stock

[JDNSW]

There are no EP requirements in the Fairey overdrive - the EP-90 is simply for commonality with the diffs and gearbox. I tried running mine on synthetic gearbox oil, was unable to see any difference. With this gearbox, when properly maintained, there is no "inadequate lubrication" issue unless you let the oil level get low. (except for the drive dog, and what you put in the overdrive has nothing to do with that!)

[PhilipA]

Is it possible to modify the older Faireys so that they oil share with the transfer?

Like in an LT95 where you have a catcher on top and a drain in the middle?

Regards Philip A

[rick130]

John, you miss what I'm saying, there are basically no EP or AW additives in it, and you'd want either an ATF type additive package or at least a GL4 level of additives for basic gear protection.
Even a 15W-40 engine oil would probably work ok (they are planetary greats, aren't they?) But those oil 'stabilisers' have bugger all in them.
I've seen an analysis, admittedly from 10-15 years ago, and there was nothing useful in either other than thick oil.

[Edit] and thicker isn't what you want or need in a gearbox that is already suffering from an inadequate oil supply.
It takes longer to climb and feed critical parts, I remember seeing data, again from about 15 years ago on the time it takes an SAE 140 oil to reach the front pinion bearing in a diff vs a 75W-90 oil.
It was in the order of minutes from cold but not sub zero start.

[JDNSW]

There are no planetary gears. The Fairey overdrive is a simple, conventional two speed gearbox with an input shaft, a layshaft and an output shaft, the only thing out of ordinary with it is that the output shaft is a quill shaft coaxial with the input shaft.

The oil level for the Fairey is well above the oil level for the transfer case, so that having a common oil system would mean either a higher oil level in the T/C, with the probability of leaks, or an oil pump. I have read of suggestions for enlarging the sump on the overdrive to simply get more oil in the system, but it is not simple to do so.

[goingbush]

Moreys is brilliant for steering boxes and swivel housings.
Oops still leaking, now I'm using Moreys grease in my steering box.

The best fix for a Fairly Overdrive is to replace it with a Global Roamerdrive. $2000 well spent.

[PhilipA]

The oil level for the Fairey is well above the oil level for the transfer case, so that having a common oil system would mean either a higher oil level in the T/C, with the probability of leaks, or an oil pump

Well AFAIR the LT95 Fairey had a scoop at the top and a drain into the LT95 at the correct level.

The splashes from the spinning shafts would be collected by the scoop and excess drain out back into the LT95.
This is also the way the LT95 intermediate shaft was lubricated.

To fill them you would fill the transfer box and leave the filler plug open, then fill the Fairey until more oil came out of the LT95 filler plug. The oil splash from the spinning shafts would then feed the Fairey and the excess would drain back into the LT95.
So no higher oil level was required. I still have my hose with a 0.5MM restrictor to equalize the gearbox and Transfer. I cannot remember now accurately but I think the transfer oil used to migrate to the gearbox and the drain would let it run back down when the gearbox became over full. Further proof that there was lots of oil splashing around in there.
Regards Philip A

[JDNSW]

That would be rather difficult to arrange for the series - the quill shaft where it goes into the casing is almost the full diameter of the hole in the T/C - not much room for a scoop and drain. Should work if there is room for them, but from memory the hole in the back of the LT95 is much bigger than the one in the Series T/C.

[goingbush]

the Roamer drive has a spiral on the outside of the output shaft behind the output gear that sucks the TC oil into the overdrive unit , it drains out holes back into the TC , very simple really. I think you could do similar on the fairey.