Electric Oil pump for gearbox overdrive

[Gazzar]

@Dan John inspired.

I'm looking for recommendations for an electric oil pump to force oil into the overdrive going into the LT95. Parts are NLA, and so, until my inventing head starts working again, I've got to preserve what I've got. Lubrication is the enemy of wear and I've NEVER had confidence in any Fairey overdrive oiling solution.

 

@Dan John is going with an Aussie oil scavenge pump for his install and I was thinking it would be easy obtain singing similar in the Northern hemisphere, but I'm struggling. 

Not looking in the right place obvs.

I need 24v, gear, electric, ideally with a filter option, and capable of pushing transfer box oil continuously. 

Any ideas?

 

[Snagger]

Following - I’d like to do something similar, recirculating transfer box oil through the back end of the Roverdrive.

[Gazzar]

Aussie version

[Gazzar]

Being able to cope with cold oil would be a serious advantage, fit and forget and all that.....

[JohnnoK]

What about a power steering pump, either engine driven or off a pulley on a propshaft?

Engine driven will need pressure relief for stationary times, but shaft driven will oil when moving.

[garrycol]

But there is nothing wrong with the designed setup for an LT95 transfer case to get oil into the Superwinch overdrive as long as the tfr case has enough oil.  The overdrive has its own sump and a scoop that catches tfr case oil to top up its sump.  (different to the fairy overdrive in series vehicles which is problematic )

Dont overthink this stuff - it works fine as it is as long as tfr case oil level is maintained.

My O/D has been the least of my issues after 16 years - and it was second hand when I got it.

Garry

 

[Gazzar]

The wear I've seen on five overdrives suggests to me that it's an issue. Either layshaft or input gear or both exhibiting significant wear. 

[pat_pending]

I've also seen a fair few worn out overdrives, I wonder if it's a material quality issue rather than a lack of lubrication.

You can throw as much oil as like at it, it wont make up for poor quality steel/hardening/machining.

The mainshaft in a series O/D is particularly rubbish. 

[Gazzar]

Agreed, but if it shows down the wear enough..... 

[FridgeFreezer]

I've looked at this for my Roamerdrive but came to a similar conclusion to Garry - it's very easy to complicate this stuff.

The standard Roamerdrive solution is they supply a bung for the LT230 filler and you fill through the top of the overdrive until you're half way up the bung - so maybe a pint or so more oil than you'd usually put into an LT230 (more with the extended sump, natch) - I fitted a sight plug in the LT230 filler hole and just fill till it starts coming up that, usually by the time it's all trickled down from the OD it's 1/2 to 3/4 of the way up it.

I guess more oil = more splashing and more makes its way into the unit, there was some discussion of this on a thread I started about it - a small geared electric motor and a small hydraulic pump or similar is one idea, a "catcher" plate or scoop inside to direct oil back into the OD as it splashes up is another. It also depends where the oil is needed - no point dousing the front in oil if the rear bearing is what runs dry, etc...

 

Sight plug visible above handbrake cable:

[Snagger]

What I’d like to do, John, is run a feed to the rear end of the Roverdrive to ensure copious oiling of the sun shaft rear bearing - that is what failed on mine before, subsequently causing damage to the sun gear and planet gears and needing a full rebuild.

[Gazzar]

I am finding that most electric oil pumps are not rated for continuous use. The exceptions are differential cooler pumps. 

 

One company that makes these is Tilton, better known to me as aftermarket race pedal and hydraulic manufacturers. They make a 12v diff coolant pump rated for continuous use. And available in the UK.

[FridgeFreezer]

4 hours ago, Gazzar said:

I am finding that most electric oil pumps are not rated for continuous use. The exceptions are differential cooler pumps. 

I suspect most pro electric oil pumps are designed for pumping engine oil at pressure & volume, a very different job to dribbling a bit up to the top of an overdrive.

[Gazzar]

I'm happy to blast the overdrive with a torrent of oil if it stops it from wearing!!!!

But seriously, I wonder if I can run one of these pumps undervolted, and achieve a decent jet of oil onto the mesh between the input and the layshaft.

[FridgeFreezer]

54 minutes ago, Gazzar said:

But seriously, I wonder if I can run one of these pumps undervolted, and achieve a decent jet of oil onto the mesh between the input and the layshaft.

Running it under-voltage just risks overheating the motor I would think.

[Gazzar]

I don't know enough about these things. 

I'll ask the makers.

 

[AlWorms]

Haldex units (for "on demand" 4wd), used in VW, Volvos, Audis Fords etc, have an oil pump that is designed to run continuously. And the Freelander 2, apparently (althouhg those are probably less reliable, just because Land Rover 🤣) They do pump a relatively "light" viscous fluid though.

Especially those around the early 2000's are generally pretty reliable as far as VW/Audi go, at least. They are a brushed motor though, so have a limited life, I guess. I have one retrofitted with the 4wd in my 2006 Touran and it has about 250,000kms of pumping time on it. They suck direct from the haldex oil reservoir and would require a machined mounting to pump oil into though. Not hose barbs 🤣

My mates BMW E61 M5 Touring has oil pumps for the diff and trans, plus engine (it scavenging oil from the heads and pumps it to the sump... 8500RPM from the 5.0 V10 spreads oil EVERYWHERE, apparently!), I'm not familiar with which ones are electric on that though... But there are probably other cars with pumps, sitting in wreckers yards.

I don't think you need a huge volume.