Fairey Overdrive or H55? or both?

[ChicagoFJ60]

Which would you do first, second or only? I have only seen the Overdrive on one cruiser, but how common was this? I know that H55 is the best way to go, but what about doing both? What would that be like!


Who else has the overdrive? Where can I find one?
Nicholas

 

[FJTOYMAN]

For what its worth. I have the Ranger OD in my 40. For the most part its a great unit. The only complaint I have is, it is a little noisy (but 40s are) and the extra shifter is PITA. I'm going to put a H55 in the 60 once I get the motor running again.
HTH
Andy

 

[NocalFJ60]

Never heard of this overdrive. Where does it mount? Doubt it bolts right up like other ones.

 

[DaveWest5150]

Fairey overdrives when .."in good condition" work great. However... they are not all that durable. I had one in my 55 and loved it , untill I pulled a trailer bout 100 miles... then it started making noises that I knew were not good.
also parts are getting really hard to find.
Dave.

 

[Mark W]

Fairey parts are just about impossible to find. hey are obsolete and out of production for years. The input spline interfeace is the most common serious wear point and they all have some degree of wear there by now.

All the power passes though the OD input spline interface, even when it is not engaged. For a pretty much street bound Cruiser with a stock powerplant a Fairey in good shape is a great addition. But for a modified rig or one that will be used hard I would pass on the Fairey. I've got a couple myself, stashed away for when I get around to building a rig such as this (I've got an FJ45 shorty and and FJ45 wagon that will eventually be built for funkiness with little emphasis on off road performance.

Mark...

 

[ChicagoFJ60]

Was there another overdrive made by a different company?

It sounds like the Fairey idea isnt as good as I thought. Plus if you cant readily get new parts for it, it could strand me/anyone somewhere,,,,,something we are all working against happening.

I was told that fairey had a model which specifically mounted up to an fj60.


Nicholas

 

[Mark W]

Fairey had on for the split case (this was not FJ60 specific).

The Ranger OD mentioned above is available for Cruisers. It goes ahead of the tranny, unlike the Fairey which attaches to the back of the T/C 9in line with the tranny output shaft).

The Ranger lengthens the drivetrain, which is bad in a '40 but actually good in a '60. It's a stout and dependable unit.


Mark...

 

[Mike S]

For the cost of the 'foreign' overdrive, you could have an H55F. That is basically a drop in swap, supported by Toyota parts and works very well. Plus, you get a lower first for trails... if you need it.

The Fairy is obsolete gear. If it breaks out in Goatshead, Idaho - you are screwed. In fact, if it breaks anywhere you are screwed. Stay Toyota unless you're building an all out rock crawler, then look at the current aftermarket exotic stuff.

M

 

[Riley]

I used to have a Fairey OD in my BJ60. They have been out of biz for many years now. All tooling was destroyed. I liked my unit but it was noisy.

Also shimming the output shaft/bearing for preload is a bit goofy IMHO.

I wouldn't go that route due to parts availabilty.