Tom's Overdrive kit

rustystud · Aug 30, 2018

Hello all.
Well I finally pulled the trigger and bought "Tom's Overdrive Kit". It came the other day and all I have to say is WOW !!!
This is one nice kit!
I spent most of my 40 plus years working on trucks as a "gear man" . Transmissions, differentials, transfer-cases and auxiliary drives. In that amount of time you see all kinds of things and the quality of parts from the best to the worst.
This kit is in the "best" category ! The quality of machining work is excellent !
My machinist couldn't figure out how Tom could sell it for this low of a price, considering the quality of work.
I talked with Tom for a while and found out he is getting ready to "pack it in" . He is now 72 years old and ready to enjoy life ! So that means no more quality overdrive kits for a good price kids !
I'm planning on buying another one as soon as funds come in.
Here's some pictures of my new kit.

Hopefully this winter I will have the time to rebuild a spare transmission in my new shop !
I forgot to mention, that' not rust but cosmolene on the parts.

gringeltaube · Aug 30, 2018

rustystud said:
.................This kit is in the "best" category ! The quality of machining work is excellent !.......

I can attest that Tom is a perfectionist; he wouldn't accept anything less...!
It took several years (and lots of money) to get these gears and parts from "barely satisfactory" to the "very good" category, at least.

For the new readers who want to know a bit more about the history of this kit, here is Tom's thread...

G.

cattlerepairman · Sep 8, 2018

I installed Tom's kit and could not be happier. Yes, it costs money but you get what you pay for.

rustystud · Sep 9, 2018

cattlerepairman said:
I installed Tom's kit and could not be happier. Yes, it costs money but you get what you pay for.

I talked with Tom again and no one has ordered any kits since mine. You guys do realize once he retires there will never be any more right ?
I'm buying one more just to have on hand. I don't want to be the guy a few years from now that says "boy I wished I had bought one of those kits, now it's to late" . I really kick myself for not buying more Hydra-Matic rebuild kits. I could buy complete master rebuild kits for $50.00. Now you pay almost $400.00 for an "almost half" rebuild kit. Bands where only $20.00 each. Now there over $100.00 and slightly rusty. Those that prepared are reaping the benefits.
Just saying something to think about.

cattlerepairman · Sep 9, 2018

It would be great if someone with Tom's skill set could take over and continue the product line, rather than seeing it all retired and disappearing. Maybe there is a business opportunity for someone.

Floridianson · Sep 9, 2018

Yea sad that Tom is slowing down and looks like a great product. Think most are stepping up to 5 tons and all the newer stuff 939 series and FMTV's plus seems like Deuce owners are ok with using the Deuce for local stuff and not worried about higher highway speeds. I still have two Deuces but don't drive them much and when I do I am on back roads doing 45/50.

rustystud · Sep 10, 2018

Floridianson said:
Yea sad that Tom is slowing down and looks like a great product. Think most are stepping up to 5 tons and all the newer stuff 939 series and FMTV's plus seems like Deuce owners are ok with using the Deuce for local stuff and not worried about higher highway speeds. I still have two Deuces but don't drive them much and when I do I am on back roads doing 45/50.

Maybe your right. I guess people aren't as interested in the deuce as they where before.

SCM35A2 · Sep 10, 2018

rustystud said:
Hello all.
Well I finally pulled the trigger and bought "Tom's Overdrive Kit". It came the other day and all I have to say is WOW !!!
This is one nice kit!
I spent most of my 40 plus years working on trucks as a "gear man" . Transmissions, differentials, transfer-cases and auxiliary drives. In that amount of time you see all kinds of things and the quality of parts from the best to the worst.
This kit is in the "best" category ! The quality of machining work is excellent !
My machinist couldn't figure out how Tom could sell it for this low of a price, considering the quality of work.
I talked with Tom for a while and found out he is getting ready to "pack it in" . He is now 72 years old and ready to enjoy life ! So that means no more quality overdrive kits for a good price kids !
I'm planning on buying another one as soon as funds come in.
Here's some pictures of my new kit.

View attachment 739841 View attachment 739842 View attachment 739843
View attachment 739844 View attachment 739845

Hopefully this winter I will have the time to rebuild a spare transmission in my new shop !
I forgot to mention, that' not rust but cosmolene on the parts.

How do I go about possibly ordering one these kits??

cattlerepairman · Sep 10, 2018

http://www.waterloospecialties.com/overdrive/index.html

Gunnermac · Sep 13, 2018

I installed one of Tom's overdrive transmissions and one of his power steering units on my M109a3 Airforce deuce and it is a different truck. Great guy, I pestered him almost daily when we were installing both, and he walked us through the process. Now I am thinking about buying another while they are available.

Valence · Sep 19, 2018

Rusty, due to your words here I decided it was time I buy one of Tom's overdrive kits (I had been wanting one for years). But it looks like I took two weeks too many to decide to invest in it. His overdrive webpage worked a few days ago, but not now. So I called a spoke to Tom personally and he told me the transmission overdrive kits are discontinued (too expensive of an investment, not enough interest and never profitable).

Dang, I'm pretty bummed out for missing (and for Tom).

kubotaman · Sep 19, 2018

Too bad. Price on these kits just went up big time I bet for someone who wants them.

Valence · Sep 19, 2018

kubotaman said:
Too bad. Price on these kits just went up big time I bet for someone who wants them.

Not really for me. I’d have to know the seller REALLY WELL to be COMPLETELY assured that the kit wasn’t missing any pieces. A kit this custom, if you’re missing one single piece the whole kit would be useless (IMO: it would cost way too much to try and have the unknown missing piece made).

rustystud · Sep 20, 2018

Valence said:
Rusty, due to your words here I decided it was time I buy one of Tom's overdrive kits (I had been wanting one for years). But it looks like I took two weeks too many to decide to invest in it. His overdrive webpage worked a few days ago, but not now. So I called a spoke to Tom personally and he told me the transmission overdrive kits are discontinued (too expensive of an investment, not enough interest and never profitable).

Dang, I'm pretty bummed out for missing (and for Tom).

Rats ! I was hoping to buy one more for me ! I should have keep my mouth shut until I had bought both of them.
It is sad too. This is a great kit and even if you could have a friendly machine shop do the work it would cost way over what he was selling them for. I did warn you guys though. I should have warned myself first though !

rustystud · Sep 21, 2018

Talked with Tom today. Yep their all gone ! He told me he lost over $100.00 on each kit he sold. Now if anyone wants to make up more kits they will cost well over $2000.00 each ! Minimum order at the gear shop was 30 units. That is going to be hard to come up with that kind of money and then try and sell them. Not many people can come up with $2000.00 for just a transmission "upgrade" !
Another era has passed us by.

yolner · Sep 21, 2018

Well that's disappointing. I was just trying to figure out how to fit one into the budget.

EDIT: I guess it's part of a pattern. The way the traffic on this forum has dropped off it's making me worried that in a few years there won't be much of a community left and these trucks will end up scrapped

Well at least my stash of parts keeps on going up in price.

rustystud · Sep 22, 2018

Hey Tom.
You took your website down so fast I was unable to download the instructions for the second gear modification. Can you or someone else post that picture ?
Thanks.

gringeltaube · Sep 22, 2018

Here you go...

Menaces Nemesis · Sep 22, 2018

gringeltaube said:
Here you go...

View attachment 742295

Hey Gerhard, What effect does drilling the holes have?

NDT · Sep 22, 2018

It would be nice if Tom "bundled" the design drawings, suppliers, web page design, etc, and offered it for sale to some of the established vendors (hint hint)?????

Tom's Overdrive kit

Well-known member

Staff Member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Chief

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Active member

Well-known member

Staff Member

"Little Black Truck" Conservator

Well-known member