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MG MGB Technical - Overdrive problem

My 71 GT has made it back on the road after its new shell and upgrades, the problem is the overdrive only works in fourth, nothing in third any ideas???
K Harris

That is how some of the later cars were designed to be, making o/d into not much more than 5th gear. It sounds like you have an gearbox with one of the later interlocks.
Stan Best

Is it a US gearbox, or one built with US parts? the US version (and the UK V8) only have OD in 4th.
Otherwise, it is likely a switch adjustment problem, but I suspect that the switch is cleverly placed where you can't get at it.
Martin Layton

To expand on what others have said US cars from about 78 onwards and all but the earliest V8s only had OD on 4th. Other than that it could be switch wear/adjustment, they had one or two fibre washers under the switch as spacers, but in my experience it is 4th gear which loses OD first. The switch *is* tricky to get at, but is is possible by disconnecting the rear crossmember from the chassis rails and lowering the tail of the gearbox on a jack, and removing the centre console, pulling back the tunnel carpet, and taking off the removable panel that is revealed.
Paul Hunt 2

This thread was discussed on 30/05/2007

MG MGB Technical index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG MGB Technical BBS is active now.