glenn in camino
Well-known member
On a Laycock/Volvo overdrive should I pack the coupler with grease or RTV silicone?
Laycock/Volvo overdrive coupler
- Thread starter glenn in camino
- Start date
Mike V. Florida
Well-known member
Is it just me or is RTV silicone an adhesive?
glenn in camino
Well-known member
I think the idea is is to create a cushion so the splines don't move and wear. It has a hole in the tourque tube and the collar to force grease into the splines but I've heard that silicone works better
Boston Bruce
Senior Member
Glenn: Is this an adaptation that you did yourself? I have a couple of Volvo OD conversions that were done by Rich Little and I have never greased anything. I just top of the oil in the unit from time to time.
Tom Endy
Well-known member
Glenn:
There are two schools of thought on the subject. The Mitchell overdive folks think the spline should be greased. They have in recent years modified their overdrives so that there is a plug on the outer tube to access a grease fitting located on the coupler.
The other thought is that silicone should be applied. Bert Hiller, who was the fellow who for a number of years had a cottage industry building Borg Warner overdives, was an advocate of this thought. He believed that the silicone kept moisture and rust out of the spline coupler.
I have seen a number of failures with the splines torn up on Volvo overdrives in the past. All that I saw were due to missalingment of the drive elements in the modification. I have not seen or heard of a failure with the overdrives produced by Mick and Rich in Bakersfield.
My personal opinion is that either will work fine if the drive elements are lined up properly and not causing a bind.
Tom Endy
There are two schools of thought on the subject. The Mitchell overdive folks think the spline should be greased. They have in recent years modified their overdrives so that there is a plug on the outer tube to access a grease fitting located on the coupler.
The other thought is that silicone should be applied. Bert Hiller, who was the fellow who for a number of years had a cottage industry building Borg Warner overdives, was an advocate of this thought. He believed that the silicone kept moisture and rust out of the spline coupler.
I have seen a number of failures with the splines torn up on Volvo overdrives in the past. All that I saw were due to missalingment of the drive elements in the modification. I have not seen or heard of a failure with the overdrives produced by Mick and Rich in Bakersfield.
My personal opinion is that either will work fine if the drive elements are lined up properly and not causing a bind.
Tom Endy
glenn in camino
Well-known member
Thanks Tom. I think I'll do grease.
Herb Concord Ca
Well-known member
Hi Glenn, I've been running a Volvo overdrive for about 7 years, built by Rich Little in Bakersfield CA. He makes the best conversion.
Did you check with who did your conversion? What does it recommend?
Like Tom says, the most important factor is to have the flanges at right angles to the shafts.
Rich has the fixtures to make them correctly.
Regards,
herb
Concord CA
Did you check with who did your conversion? What does it recommend?
Like Tom says, the most important factor is to have the flanges at right angles to the shafts.
Rich has the fixtures to make them correctly.
Regards,
herb
Concord CA