Chuck’s Borg-Warner Rancho Overdrive thread

[chuckyb]

I'd urge you to save both 'no go' and 'go' prts (if having the capacity). Every 3rd town around here hasa machine shop. The prts that seemed to have failed can B used for measurement and reproduction.
Today we have other ways to achieve what your system seeks to accomplish (OD) BUT we don't have many ways to do it as you have (museums?). Hang onto it as it is rare in my experience. If so to me, probably equally so for certain others. Lubta C it back in service...

Plez continue to check in as I (if the only one) have interest in how you do...

Thank you, Chad, I believe that you are correct. I will definitely hang on to all of the parts for the reasons you mention.

 

[chrlsful]

glad U have da space dude. I lost mine
(40 yrs of bronk part-for-restoration collection)
as now the stuff is in open coverage under a trailer
storage body.

 

[chuckyb]

Herm rebuilt my unit and sent it back to me. He changed out a few planetary gears but said it was in pretty nice shape to start with. It looked great too all clean and repainted.

Herm also helped provide a better theory about why the first unit failed. Turns out the threaded hole on top of the alloy adapter does not get plugged. Rather, it needs a vent fabricated for it. It seems having the vent plugged could have reduced ability to have the oil circulate. In the included picture of my second unit, the threaded hole receiving the vent can be seen. Hopefully this helps someone!

 

[Sporto]

That’s awesome Chuck! So now you have two working units or just one?

I’ll check mine when I get it back out in the spring!

Won’t have it ready for my drive to Super celebration in April, but maybe next year.

Rich

 

[chuckyb]

That’s awesome Chuck! So now you have two working units or just one?

I’ll check mine when I get it back out in the spring!

Won’t have it ready for my drive to Super celebration in April, but maybe next year.

Rich

Hi Rich, my first unit is in pretty bad shape with a bent shaft fused into the bearings on the alloy adapter. I’m boxing everything up for now - you know how hard to find it is.

The Bronco and the second unit are with a transmission guy who has worked on the BW ODs. I am taking no chances this time around - he is fabricating a little vent and will mate it back to the D20 for me.

I’m looking forward to seeing your progress - feel free to post up here!

 

[Grego]

I can attest to several things in this thread. ChuckyB is the real deal, we've exchanged emails about these units, and the Rancho OD for the Jeep D20 does not work with the Bronco D20. I have one in my garage...Thought I was outsmarting the field by getting one for a Jeep, at half the cost of the Bronco model, only to find out that the main input shaft is not hollowed out for the needle bearings as on the Bronco D20. I suspect since it is basically a solid shaft with the exact same spline pattern, and everything else fits, that if I took it apart, I could have it machined to match the Bronco version, but it may be easier to just get an AX-15 and call it a day. Great thread Chuck...I cannot wait to hear how it all goes for you. I know you have put a lot of time and effort into this part of your build.

Rich

Do you still have that Jeep D20 OD? I have a 1964 J-200 with a D20 that I would love to get an OD for.
I looked at the patent on the Rancho overdrive, and spoke with the inventor's son, who confirmed that they basically only made an adapter ring and the shaft to couple the D20 to a Studebaker R10 overdrive from Borg Warner. He said you could buy the R10 from his dad, but most guys just found one on their own. I wondered what it would cost if drawings were made to have a machine shop make the adapter ring and coupling shaft for whichever truck you want overdrive on.

 

[chrlsful]

if simple U may B able to think it thru ur self. Hardest part of machining for me was ‘the sequence of operations’. U may know some ‘tool cutting' machines (lathe, planer, shaper, bridgeport, etc). Think of 1st step to 2nd, etc. Amount of time on each machine is about how charged. Like mechanic’s rate books (“This job takes X hrs. 1st remove X, etc. Replace part, etc. Reassemble in reverse direction.”). Not sure that helps but I want to be encouraging rather than ’defeatist’. We have so many machine shops round here (foundation area of industrial revolution) that it may B inexpensive to have done around here (CT River Valley from Spfld, VT to New Haven, CT). HTH~

 

[Grego]

if simple U may B able to think it thru ur self. Hardest part of machining for me was ‘the sequence of operations’. U may know some ‘tool cutting' machines (lathe, planer, shaper, bridgeport, etc). Think of 1st step to 2nd, etc. Amount of time on each machine is about how charged. Like mechanic’s rate books (“This job takes X hrs. 1st remove X, etc. Replace part, etc. Reassemble in reverse direction.”). Not sure that helps but I want to be encouraging rather than ’defeatist’. We have so many machine shops round here (foundation area of industrial revolution) that it may B inexpensive to have done around here (CT River Valley from Spfld, VT to New Haven, CT). HTH~

I just need to get my hands on one of these so I can take a look up close.

 

[chrlsful]

“... get my hands on one... so I can...."
take measurements’n make sketches, begin 2 create~

 

[m_m70]

“... get my hands on one... so I can...."
take measurements’n make sketches, begin 2 create~

They're out there. I given away two that worked fine over the years. Never liked the free-wheelin part and the fact you don't have much of a drive shaft with the added length. Guess I should have saved them.....

 

[jaimalade]

Hi Rich, my first unit is in pretty bad shape with a bent shaft fused into the bearings on the alloy adapter. I’m boxing everything up for now - you know how hard to find it is.

The Bronco and the second unit are with a transmission guy who has worked on the BW ODs. I am taking no chances this time around - he is fabricating a little vent and will mate it back to the D20 for me.

I’m looking forward to seeing your progress - feel free to post up here!

ChuckyB: I joined Classic Broncos to connect with you and see how things worked out with your R-10 on the Dana 20 in your Bronco. Please do give an update now that it's been a few years. Also, if you'd sell the messed up unit, I'd be interested. I've been playing with the BW Overdrives (in other applications) since the 1990's, and now I'm looking for that Rancho Adapter - lest I make my own for an R-11... Please, respond.