New Guy - 3 Speed manual with OD

[Vortech]

OK, just picked this up and I have a question with regards to the 3 speed on the tree. This truck has a t-handle beneath the ignition switch with overdrive label on it. I tried to pull it, very hard. Looks like it goes to a solenoid on the trans. What does this actually do? Will this get me a 4th gear? Please help, happy with the truck, unhappy with the 3 speed trans.

[luvbowties]

Originally Posted by Vortech

OK, just picked this up and I have a question with regards to the 3 speed on the tree. This truck has a t-handle beneath the ignition switch with overdrive label on it. I tried to pull it, very hard. Looks like it goes to a solenoid on the trans. What does this actually do? Will this get me a 4th gear? Please help, happy with the truck, unhappy with the 3 speed trans.

That cable "engages and disengages that od-gear positioned behind your 3-sp. tranny": this is laymen's terms.

Pulled out, it is supposed to make the tranny a simple 3-speed tranny. Pushed in, it allows tranny to go into overdrive at speeds above approx. 28 mph--regardless of gear you are in--just let up on accel. when you get to about say 30mph & feel it 'shift' into its 70% RPM-reduction, or overdrive. Then speed up, if gearing/eng feel up to more speed in that gear, and if in 2nd-with-od, theeen shift into 3rd-with-od. Probably, best to shift into 3rd at speed below 28, accelerate up to about 30 or better, let off accel & feel it shift into od--at which time just give it the gas and drive on!

You can also shift 1-2 and then 2-3 w/out depressing clutch, as it free-wheels when you let off the accel. at speeds below that approx. 28 mph. Be careful when parking with lever pushed in, as car will roll. Iirc, park in First? Reverse? Or pull out lever? By all means, engage handbrake. One more thing: when you begin to to pass a car, if you press accel. to floor, it jumps outta od to give you a passing gear. After passing, let off accel. & feel it go back into od, dropping RPM's about 30%.

Assuming lever is not 'frozen' up, start engine and move car a few inches as you steadily pull cable out gently. Enjoy that 'best of both worlds...it pulls when you need it, and cruises when you want it' by moving to od. Good mpg on the hwy too!
Sam

[slorio]

Vortech:
Original 3 speed overdrive tranny is a crown jewel. Read all about it here:

http://www.speedprint.com/deves50/overdriveindex.php

Regards,
Steve
New Orleans

[Ta2Don]

Originally Posted by luvbowties

That cable "engages and disengages that od-gear positioned behind your 3-sp. tranny": this is laymen's terms.

Pulled out, it is supposed to make the tranny a simple 3-speed tranny. Pushed in, it allows tranny to go into overdrive at speeds above approx. 28 mph--regardless of gear you are in--just let up on accel. when you get to about say 30mph & feel it 'shift' into its 70% RPM-reduction, or overdrive. Then speed up, if gearing/eng feel up to more speed in that gear, and if in 2nd-with-od, theeen shift into 3rd-with-od. Probably, best to shift into 3rd at speed below 28, accelerate up to about 30 or better, let off accel & feel it shift into od--at which time just give it the gas and drive on!

You can also shift 1-2 and then 2-3 w/out depressing clutch, as it free-wheels when you let off the accel. at speeds below that approx. 28 mph. Be careful when parking with lever pushed in, as car will roll. Iirc, park in First? Reverse? Or pull out lever? By all means, engage handbrake. One more thing: when you begin to to pass a car, if you press accel. to floor, it jumps outta od to give you a passing gear. After passing, let off accel. & feel it go back into od, dropping RPM's about 30%.

Assuming lever is not 'frozen' up, start engine and move car a few inches as you steadily pull cable out gently. Enjoy that 'best of both worlds...it pulls when you need it, and cruises when you want it' by moving to od. Good mpg on the hwy too!
Sam

Had one of these trannys behind a 283 in a 66 Impala many, many moons ago... Wish I still had the car. Enjoy your truck and Welcome aboard, Merry CHRISTmas!!!

[Vortech]

Thanks, need to check to make sure I have the kick down switch and relay. I do not recall a kick down switch on the carburetor. I'll let you know if I get this working. Thanks for all the help. Really good info,

[luvbowties]

Originally Posted by Vortech

Thanks, need to check to make sure I have the kick down switch and relay. I do not recall a kick down switch on the carburetor. I'll let you know if I get this working. Thanks for all the help. Really good info,

Vortech, lemme know if you need like a wiring diagram. Feel sure I still have some of that info in my file cabinet & will try to find it if you get to a place where you need it. It actually reaches onto the coil to momentarily cause engine to skip as it falls outta od and into regular(passing gear) drive. So quick, smoothe, you never realize it has suffered that momentary misfire--it's all to cause engine to transition as the rpm's adjust, all happening when engine is really not under a load due to coil-grounding. Sounds kinda oxymoronic I know, and always did to me too.

What worked nice for me: I disconnected the governor that dictated that approx 28 mph, ran wires to a 2nd dimmer switch I mounted in floor, and I could click into od at any speed and in any gear--giving od to each of 1st, 2nd, & 3rd--which gave me 6 forward gears. I could accelerate from 0 to 55 and never exceed much over idle-rpm levels.
That 55 hardtop with a 250-horse 327, would go almost 22 mpg on largely-hwy trips. And with its factory 4.11 would light-to-light with some of the best.

[kieth]

Momentarily killing the engine takes the loading off the gears and allows the od to shift without using the clutch. Kieth

[Vortech]

Wire diagram would be great. I'd like to get the OD working. I did not find a kick down switch. The diagram will help me map this out. Any idea where I could find parts if I need them?

[luvbowties]

Originally Posted by Vortech

Wire diagram would be great. I'd like to get the OD working. I did not find a kick down switch. The diagram will help me map this out. Any idea where I could find parts if I need them?

Here you go from Borg Warner? Sorry, but dunno where, other than maybe on our forum here, to find parts. Solenoids are like hen's teeth to locate--and they merely engage-and-disengage that "pawl" you see protruding from end of solenoid. The kickdown sw grounds coil to make engine momentarily quit pulling(takes load off gears, as Kieth mentioned)as you depress accelerator and 'reach' for passing gear. With the extra dimmer s I mentioned, you can just let off gas as you switch with left foot--and then it is in normal 3rd gear/passing gear. After passing, switch w/left foot again, let off gas a second, and it falls back into od. Dimmer sw overrides, and replaces what the governor had been doing, as you use sw now to make that #18 white wire complete to ground:governor gets taken out of circuit. A toggle sw under dash would do the same, BUT why take a hand off the st. wheel, or shifter when your left foot just sits idle not joining in the fun?
Normally, at speeds under approx 28mph, and lever-cable pushed in, there is no "gearing down" available in ANY gear--but there IS driving force anytime you depress accelerator--that pawl is neither manually engaged by cable nor electrically engaged by solenoid, pawl, & system. When you let off the gas at these speeds, it's as if you have pushed clutch pedal in; hence the ability to shift w/o using clutch.

[Vortech]

great, keith Luvbowties, thanks for the help

[Vortech]

Still trying to trouble shoot this Borg Warner with OD. Any idea what the kick down switch looks like and how it connects. I do not see anything bolted on the firewall and connected to the accelerator linkage

[luvbowties]

Originally Posted by Vortech

Still trying to trouble shoot this Borg Warner with OD. Any idea what the kick down switch looks like and how it connects. I do not see anything bolted on the firewall and connected to the accelerator linkage

This looks very similar to one I had on my '55 2dht many years ago, picture compliments of "nwtrifive, on the H.A.M.B.". Was attached to simple thin steel bracket held by rear carb hold-down bolts (this on a 327 w/cast iron manifold and Rochester 4gc[?]); positioned just behind & in-line with throttle linkage, whose rod had a 1/2-inch flat plate welded on to 'catch' the push button to actuate when pedal was to the metal; sw. extended thru hole in brkt., & jamb nuts both adjusted and held switch in that hole.
HTH,
Sam
*pic in 2nd response is identical to one I had...

[luvbowties]

*pic in 2nd response is identical to one I had...
Sam

[luvbowties]

...a 6-volt Plymouth cct, but basics more nearly plain to see...

[Vortech]

thanks, truck came with some extra parts. I'll check to see If I can find this