Thread: Condition of Fairey Overdrive

A number of years ago I purchased this overdrive unit for about $300. I have been meaning to have it installed into my series three but am not to sure of the condition of the bearings, teeth etc and concerned that if it is in poor condition than I might do damage to my transfer case/gearbox. I did install one to a previous land rover I owned when I was in my youth and had only driven it for about five kilometres when it failed and caused a great deal of damage. I can't recall what mistakes I may have made in the installation but am reluctant to go through all that again (besides my wife's patience would wear very thin) if it happened again.

Is anyone able to form an opinion of the condition of the gearing etc on this overdrive and tell me if there is too much wear and tear etc from the photos I've attached. I've no idea. I was told by the previous owner that it was pretty noisy but from what I can gather they all seem to be that way. I've got a Holden 186 in the truck and anything that can drop the revs a bit would help. I'm not worried about increasing speed as I'm happy to stick on 80-90km/h as this is comfortable for me.