69 c-10 with 3 speed manual with OD?

[loony.toon]

I have a chance to pick up a 69 c-10 with an overdrive manual trans. 3 speed on the column with a pull switch under the dashboard for overdrive. I have never seen this. Anyone know anything about it? good or bad? thanks Ron (a new guy)

[Huck]

Not common but not really rare either. These 3spd OD trans have been around wince way back in the 40's. The 69 should have syncro's in 2 and 3rd. They are ok for normal operation but don't handle high HP performance applications. I'd love to find one cheap enough to have rebuilt then stick in a 6 cyl truck.

[qksilver]

same here, they are cool and work but not the best for hevay duty use

[loony.toon]

Thanks for the help.

[special-K]

Most o/d gears don`t like heavy hauling or high power.It`s a good ole 3spd w/a n o/d unit added.You`ll get the same service as a 3spd w/o o/d.They are pretty uncommon.I want one,too.

[loony.toon]

SpecialK, I didn't follow you with all the abbreviations. Will it perform just like a regular 3 speed if it is not engaged? Can it go bad? Does it take the whole trans out or can you just not use it? thanks all for the help.

[WorkinLonghorn]

Here's the page from the '69 Data Book;(Hope you can read it)

[loony.toon]

thanks for the help. This particular one is working well. The truck is for my son who is 18. He is more interested in it as a street rod. If anyone is in need of this tranny, I would be willing to part with it for a 3 or 4 speed. You would have to do all the work including converting it to the floor. It would be an even swap. thank you all for your help.

[berencam]

i also had the 3 speed manual with od.... and honestly all the difference i noticed was when it was engaged(or disengaged...i never figgured it out) the engine would either be locked harder to the clutch or it would act kinda like a auto tranny. To where when you let off the gas, it would let the engine free from the tranny as if you where pressing the clutch in. Furethurmore, if it was engaged when you let off the gas you could shift without pressing the clutch regardless of speed or rpm. i hope that made since....

[Botietruck]

'69 was the last year Chevy put them in the trucks. Most of them used the 3 spd. Saginaw with a Borg-Warner overdrive unit. You can use the trans. without engaging the OD. Parts are hard to come by and they are expensive, they're out there, thanks to Ebay, but expensive. Here's one I just rebuilt. The 7 bolt side cover is the syncro trans.

[WorkinLonghorn]

So that little lever in the back actuates the overdrive? Apparently you could use the OD in any gear and it was a freewheeling type of thing if you let off the gas. I wonder how much torque it was rated for.

[Don Brace]

I put one of these in my one ton 71 Longhorn. It is behind a 350. I love it. I get 14 or 15 MPG on the highway at 65 MPH. It town I average 12.5 MPG. When hauling a heavy load I lock it out of OD so as to not trash the OD unit.

[vrwelker]

sent u a pm. interested in the trans u have.

[Don Brace]

Have not received your PM. The OD in the truck is not for sale. I have several
car ODs. These have a higher 1st gear than the ones for the truck. You also must use a car bell housing. The truck bell housing has two threaded holes and two that are not threaded. The car bell housing has all four holes threaded where the OD attaches to the bell housing.
Don

[67ChevyRedneck]

Wow, final ratio of .7:1. That's equivalent to a 700R4.