Gear Vendor OD troubleshooting

[alldoom65]

never mind, question was answered in the previous post

 

[RLDSL]

You can take the pan off and replace the orings on teh pistons and reseal the thing, take the solenoid out replace the orings on the solenoid and the internal shaft in the solenoid and clean the filter, inspect the cone clutch see if its intact and change out the fluid and put it back together and give it a shot. Most of teh time its hydraulic failure, then the rest its been engaged at an improper time in which case the unit will be complete toast ( the GV aut controlls are *supposed* to prevent this but its' now always the case. On vehicles with stock Laycock OD units it was common for them to self destruct due to driver error from being engaged in reverse or too low speed etc.

If you just want to replace teh main unit and save a few bucks, find a late model 740 VOlvo ( '89+ )in a boneyard with an M46 4speed +od and scavange the OD unit ( bring a picture of yours and look for one identical, the early ones look different, and have a much lower GVWR ) Personally I wouldnt use any laycock OD in a truck, but lots of folks do ) one advantage to a salvage volvo unit is the cone clutch is stronger., THey are getting harder to find these days though.

 

[not2old]

I found this site by fumbling through the internet. I'm thankful this information is still posted and will be using it as well as other information I've seen on here. Thanks to everybody who has participated.

 

[roy]

So guys: I;ve been running a gear vendor in my 62 Ford for about 6 years, I changed fluids yesterday but, when I first start engine, it takes a while for the GV to go into OD, (in auto mode) Do you think I should order O rings for solenoid & I know I should have pulled the pan & cleaned filters too. I will do this soon as I get O rings, Is it best to order from GV? or you guys know a better(cheaper) source for GV stuff?
I;m near Toronto, Ontario, Canada & haven't found any suppliers here yet
thanks for any info
Roy

 

[GeorgeHirvela]

Maybe someone is still around on this post to answer a question. My GV is auto shifting almost right away, it used to wait till around 55 mph to shift. Any ideas? By the way great resource, glad I joined...

 

[genscripter]

Maybe someone is still around on this post to answer a question. My GV is auto shifting almost right away, it used to wait till around 55 mph to shift. Any ideas? By the way great resource, glad I joined...

You are in Riverside and Gearvendor is headquartered near San Diego. They have decent customer service and will answer your questions. Since you are close, they could even take a look at it.

If you are deadset on solving this on your own (for $ reasons), then your controller is having an issue. My GV and controller was used (from a junkyard) and after a few hundred miles, it burned out. Aside from resoldering components in the old controller, there wasn't much I could do.

But if yours is shifting early, maybe the speedocable sensors are worn or damaged. Check all your wiring for anything suspicious or any connectors that are loose. If everything looks good, then take all the connectors apart and check for corrosion. I apply dipole grease on all my connectors after I clean them out with electrical connector cleaner spray. This prevents further corrosion as well as lubricate the delicate connectors after decades of use and brittle plastic.

If after all that, you'll need to ask GV HQ for more info. I ended up scrapping my controller and put an OD switch on the dash. Whenever I wanted an Overdrive (like around 55mph), I just manually turn on the switch. It's just a 12v connection to the solenoid on the drivers side of the OD unit, and an inline fuse.

You must be registered for see images attach

You can see the red wires (with the blue connectors) i used to bypass the controller at the solenoid. Works ok for me. Aside from stop and go traffic in Los Angeles, the manual switch is not a problem.

Also, as you can see in the image above, I highly recommend the "Maximum Overdrive" brand deep sump for that OD. Much much much bigger oil capacity and ports for a temp sensor. Never had an overheating problem on my IDI GVOD once I put in the Max Overdrive deep sump. Here's my write-up on the M.O. install.: http://www.nickpisca.com/diesel/engine/gearvender-deep-sump-installation-tutorial-maximum-overdrive/

 

[GeorgeHirvela]

My speedo cable broke so may have something to do with it.

 

[silexis]

I took my solenoid apart to clean it and something popped out and vanished.
In the photo on pg 2 of the solenoid, I have the part marked "valve end" but am missing the spring and anything else between the valve end and the end of the valve stem.
Are there any other parts beside the spring in that space? Maybe a check ball as well?

I called Gear Vendors and they didn't know, they don't sell individual solenoid parts and a rebuilt solenoid is $160.
GV also said they don't have any drawing of the solenoid internals.
It would be really helpful to know what parts I will be crawling around looking for and how they go back together.
Is there a source for the solenoid that is less than $160. Mine works, but if I can't find those parts I will be looking for a replacement.

 

[genscripter]

If something popped out, you probably should invest in a new replacement solenoid from GV. I bought a new one last year from them and it works fine. I think my solenoid was original from 1991, so it likely needed an upgrade anyway. Don't know how old your solenoid is, but it might be time.

Also, whatever you do, do NOT remove that bolt under the solenoid. It's in there for hydraulic pressure testing at GVHQ. I took mine out, and it stripped the aluminum threads out of the GV housing. I had to tap the threads and redo my plug. Now I installed a flush allen-style plug instead of a bolt that was begging to get undone. IIRC, GV said that plug held 600psi, so ruining the threads could mean a catastrophic failure for the whole unit. Luckily for me, my tap job is still holding after 10,000 miles.