MG-Cars.net

Welcome to our resource for MG Car Information.

Recommendations

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG TD TF 1500 - Rivergate Conversion

If I have a 210 transmission with the proper numbers, how much is the Rivergate conversion kit for a T series and are they available as just a kit? PJ
Paul S Jennings

PJ,

I checked their web site and the only conversions they have listed is for B's, A's and Sprite/midget.

http://www.rivergate5speed.com/


Jim
James Neel

Thanks Jim, I'm thinking of calling them. I think they used to make a conversion for a T series in the past, maybe they still will, or have parts for their older conversions. We'll see. PJ
Paul S Jennings

wHERE DID YOU FIND THE TRANNIE????

sTEVE
Steve Wincze

Steve Baker used to do the conversion, but he has cut back after his stroke, and has sold most of his machines. I believe there was someone who was hoping to buy the process from him, but I don't know if it worked out or not. Steve has an awful lot of experience in that head of his...

I have hopes of introducing a NEW TREMEC transmission option by the end of 2015, but I understand that's little help with your 210.

The 210 transmissions are certainly out there, just expensive ($1,000 or so). In the old days, when a trans was a $50 proposition, it was a great conversion. The days of "They are dirt cheap in Mexico" are over - or never existed!

Tom Lange
MGT Repair

t lange

Steve their out there, but the prices are from $900 up! PJ
Paul S Jennings

Tom, if you could come up with some sort of simple to install overdrive for our TD's and sell it for $1,000 or less you would make a fortune! What's a TREMEC?

I emailed Rivergate long ago and they don't do T's
Ed
efh Haskell

There is an overdrive that sets in middle of the drive shaft area. The drive shaft is made into two short shafts and the od is mounted on a cross brace bolted to the chassis. Now saying that, I only saw one on a Model A Ford, They had a torque tube that had to be shortened. Will one fit our cars, I have no idea, but they did make them. Only one I know of now is made by Gear Venders, which might be too big. PJ
Paul S Jennings

Tom, Any details on your new type transmission? Email? PJ
Paul S Jennings

Sorry, not Steve Baker, but Steve Neal. For once, I caught my own error!

I am in the process of getting specs and measurements for all the new transmissions I can, to see what will fit and what has the best ratios available. I will have to cast new bell housings, so it will be no small project. One of the T-5 transmissions will probably be adaptable. and Tremec is an excellent company with all sorts of possibilities.

The speedo is the problem right not. I'm looking into having reproduction speedos made, with built-in GPS and a digital read-out of MPH. Not perfectly original, but it would nicely solve the speedo cable problem, and would be more accurate.

Tom Lange
MGT Repair
t lange

Tom, speaking for me only, I could care less about the speedo accuracy! I can just measure it with a gps and make some tick marks on the glass with tape once installed. The 5 speed is the main attraction for me!

I just checked Gear Venders web site. They do support classic cars! Jay Leno has several in use. No MG's listed but maybe you could work with them for an overdrive instead of a 5 speed? Worth a try?

Ed
efh Haskell

I will say this, a Gear Venders unit, one for RVs and trucks are about the same price as a Moss 5 speed! Don't know if they make a smaller unit, as the RV ones are the only ones I've seen in the real and they are very strong. Will take mucho horse power. PJ
Paul S Jennings

Paul, I watched their shop tour videos. They manufacture everything in house it looks like. All kinds of expensive machines. I'll bet they could figure it out.
Ed
efh Haskell

I don't believe Rivergate ever did a T transmission. They use the 210 for their Spridget conversions.
Steve did a great job with them but I doubt anyone is going to come along and take up the torch due to the super low demand and the lack of core supplies. The kit from the UK seems to fill the demand at the present. I don't know what Temtec has off the shelf that would come close to our needs. Brother inlaw has one in his 427 Cobra and they are used in a lot of high HP applications. I doubt the T has enough torque to turn one over. I also have doubts a new unit on the market would be less money than what you are looking at now.
MG LaVerne

What is the speedo problem? I have a Skyhook 5-speed in my TD and the small speedo gearbox made by A.C.I Engineering is dead on accurate. After I installed it, I checked it against a GPS and it was accurate to within 1 MPH even at 60 MPH. Has something changed?
L Karpman

I suspect the Temtec has no provision for a cable drive for the speedo.
MG LaVerne

The Gear Vendor (note spelling)overdrive unit is an excellent product. I have had one in my GMC car hauler truck for almost 10 years, and have never regretted having it. It will take over 1,000 HP. Much more than my 350 V-8 will ever generate. As such I would not consider using one in a vehicle as small and light as a T series. The Gear Vendor is a compact, planetary, auxillary gearset controlled by an electric solenoid and is mounted directly to the back of the transmission. It can be shifted manually or automatically. The driveshaft must be shortened. It uses GM speedometer gears at the output so the vehicle speedometer stays correct. The speed sensor is mounted in the speedo cable. It is essentially an auxillary automatic transmission. The US Gear unit, also known as a Doug Nash overdrive, uses a solenoid controlled sliding gear shifting. If my truck had a manual transmission instead of an automatic, I might have used one of these instead. As I understand, the US Gear might not still be in production.
John Masters

All,

Here's one from a while back,,,
From Denis Bagi in Switzerland,, He posted it here many years ago,, Then was writen up in Totally T Type in 2004, I'm not sure where it is now,,,
As you will read in the next posting, Denis was willing to have any one come over to Lugano and help carry out the mod,,


Steve Wincze

Here is the article,,
i know two people over here who have done this type of mod,,, one in an old 50's? Dodge truck, and another in a 40's Caddie.

SPW


Steve Wincze

One more thing,,
This type of mod would turn an original 4 speed into an 8 speed !!!!!!

SPW
Steve Wincze

Interesting, John... that Gear Vendor overdrive is, in fact, a Laycock De Normanville overdrive, as fitted to countless British cars... it's simply been adapted for use as an independent intermediate gearbox. Very cool. I'm guessing they are re-manufacturing based on the original LDN design, since actual manufacture of LDN overdrives stopped many moons ago. I do wonder if they'd make a good source of parts for existing LDN overdrives, though!
Kevin McLemore

If it isn't the actual LDN overdrive, it's a dead-on copy!




Kevin McLemore

Only problem with those, their bigger than they look and the modified tunnel would look out of place. JMHO. PJ
Paul S Jennings

I just sent a message to Gear Vendors to get their comment on making a T series overdrive. I'll post if/when I hear something.
Ed
efh Haskell

Hi everybody
Another idea for fitting an OD to a TD/TF.
Don't you think that the casing at the rear end of the gearbox was made for it.
You know this empty box with the long output shaft from the gearbox. Where the gear lever extension is bolted on.

And maybe the mecanism to fit inside already exists from another overdrive from this era. Just have to dismantle it, throw away the original casing and fit everything into the TD box.

Am I dreaming ?


Laurent.



LC Laurent31

Laurent,
That would be an ideal place for the OD,,, but no one has found one yet,,,,

SPW
Steve Wincze

Finding an existing OD unit and doing the modifications would be a challenge, but do able by someone with the machining talent. Otherwise I doubt it would be cost effective compared to installing the available 5 speed. An overdrive brings it's own set of problems to the table as well. I have one in my B and it's great, but If I didn't and I was looking for an OD gear I would opt for the 5 speed.
MG LaVerne

I have a LdN OD in my MGTD, but then it has a Volvo engine, and I once looked in to adapting a Volvo OD tranny to an XPAG . As cool as these ODs were back in their day, I don't think I would spend much time or money on one today (even though an XPAG OR XPEG fitted with one would be a pleasure to drive) because their day seems to have passed, and parts and service are drying up quickly, and you will pay dearly for either.

On the other hand, as many old Volvos so equipped are heading to the scrapyard, if you can find a $50 OD tranny, why not?
kylemorley

This thread was discussed between 21/11/2014 and 13/02/2015

MG TD TF 1500 index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG TD TF 1500 BBS is active now.