overdrive questions?

[Normspeed]

Maybe it has to do with the offset on the different drums. Also I seem to recall that there was a substantial thick washer under the big nut that attaches the drum to the output shaft. If the washer is missing that could be a problem.

[blueskies]

Maybe it has to do with the offset on the different drums. Also I seem to recall that there was a substantial thick washer under the big nut that attaches the drum to the output shaft. If the washer is missing that could be a problem.

I'm just going to have to take it apart I think... my exploded parts diagram shows the nut and lockwasher, but not the drum or hub.

From this pic, and from my memory (which isn't as good...) it looks like the drum fits to the backside of the hub, and that the four driveline bolts go through the drum, hub, and then driveline. Not sure how it could still rattle, but it does. If I apply the brake every so slightly, it doesn't make the noise.

Pete

[Niel Hoback]

Possibly the rattling is the brake and/or its mounts and not the drum?

[Flatie46]

Guys I appreciate the info, I'd be totally lost in such matters without the braintrust we have here. I'll keep you posted on it. I wanted to go get it today but my son went for his drivers test...and passed:D LOOK OUT WORLD! My daughter has a swim lesson tomorow, these things come first. Well like I said thanks.

[Normspeed]

Let us know Pete. My money is on a loose nut, or missing washer, that holds the drum to the end of the output shaft. But I'm going by memory too and mine is not very good. I may have one of those big washers somewhere out in the shed if you find yours is missing.

[blueskies]

Guys I appreciate the info, I'd be totally lost in such matters without the braintrust we have here. I'll keep you posted on it. I wanted to go get it today but my son went for his drivers test...and passed:D LOOK OUT WORLD! My daughter has a swim lesson tomorow, these things come first. Well like I said thanks.

Happy to help... and sorry for hijacking your thread...

Let us know Pete. My money is on a loose nut, or missing washer, that holds the drum to the end of the output shaft. But I'm going by memory too and mine is not very good. I may have one of those big washers somewhere out in the shed if you find yours is missing.

Norm... It will be a while before I pull it apart again. When I put the new driveline on I tightened the big nut with an impact wrench, so I'm sure that is tight... But the drum isn't tight to the hub for some reason.

Pete

[Dodgeb4ya]

The one on the right looks like mine. If I remember right, I used the ebrake assembly from my '50 three speed because it was in better shape than the one on the '55 Dodge OD transmission.

Another question about these drums... is the drum through-bolted on to the hub with the driveline bolts, or is is it pressed on? Reason I ask, is my drum rattles when I take off in first gear, even though my driveline bolts are very tight, as is the nut that holds the hub to the output shaft on the OD. Drives me nuts...

Pete

The reason the brake drums rattle on the short wheel base wagons/and OD cars is that the drum is assembled to the rear of the hub and the 4 special splined bolts are at the factory tightly pressed from the backside of the drum -thru the drum and through the hub. The stepped splined bolts press fit tightly on both the drum and the hub. Later on when someone does not tighten the front driveshaft 9/16" nuts tight enough the 4 studs lossen and the drum starts to get loose on the bolt splines that use to be swedged tight. The 4 factory sized drum holes are slightly dished out and enlarged enough so that no matter how tight you tighten the driveline nuts/ and the 1-1/4" yoke nut , the drum still rattles. You can't weld the drum to the yoke. You need to find new bigger special splined bolts. Standard long 3 speeds don't have this problem because of a slightly better assembly design.

Some pic's of all of this info. The splined bolt is not the actual bolt used.

Bob

[Howard Tarnoff]

I have my kickdown switch mounted on the end of my gear shift lever. I like it much better this way than on the throttle. I can downshift any time I like without full throttle. And as mentioned above, it allows split shifting up through the gears, like a five speed. More on this here.

I too have the 3.9:1 rear end, and think it works great. I live in the mountains of Idaho, and

and maintain speed at the same time.

Pete

Pete, my kick down is mounted under the peddle and a bear to engage. Once I solve the starter problem I am going to move to the micro switch in the shift column as well.

[blueskies]

The reason the brake drums rattle...

This is what I figured was happening... One more thing to resolve.

Pete, my kick down is mounted under the peddle and a bear to engage. Once I solve the starter problem I am going to move to the micro switch in the shift column as well.

Howard-

I think you will be much happier with the switch on the shift column in the long run. It gives you much better control of the OD.

Pete

[Captain Neon]

If one were to send out an R-10 OD for rebuilding? Who do you recommend to have this sort of work done?

[Captain Neon]

I have my kickdown switch mounted on the end of my gear shift lever. I like it much better this way than on the throttle. I can downshift any time I like without full throttle. And as mentioned above, it allows split shifting up through the gears, like a five speed. More on this here.

I too have the 3.9:1 rear end, and think it works great. I live in the mountains of Idaho, and

and maintain speed at the same time.

Pete

Pete, JW, if you were to do it again, would you use some sort of indicator (lighted switch, etc.) to let you know that the OD is engaged? Do you happen to know if those microswitches come with an LED illumination?

[blueskies]

Pete, JW, if you were to do it again, would you use some sort of indicator (lighted switch, etc.) to let you know that the OD is engaged? Do you happen to know if those microswitches come with an LED illumination?

I don't think I'd bother with an indicator light, if the unit is wired like the factory so that it works automatically as it should.

It's pretty obvious what is happening with the od as it does it's thing.

If it were wired with a simple switch to the solenoid, like some have done, then I think a light would have some use so that you know if you've left it in one position or the other.

Pete

[builtfercomfort]

Does the older R-7 OD need the transmission shaft changed too? That was the non-electric version used in some pre-war cars and I know a few members here have one. I'm wondering about the interchange for those onto later cars/trucks.

Thanks

[Powerhouse]

I put a 37 chrysler OD in my 39 ply Roadking(floorshift) with a 53/4 218 dodge truck motor and a stock 3.9 rear...all I needed was to get a shorter driveshaft...and make a lever to engage/disengage the OD. A push pull cable was used originally. I also need to get a longer e brake cable as it doesn't reach as is.

[martybose]

I don't think I'd bother with an indicator light, if the unit is wired like the factory so that it works automatically as it should.

It's pretty obvious what is happening with the od as it does it's thing.

If it were wired with a simple switch to the solenoid, like some have done, then I think a light would have some use so that you know if you've left it in one position or the other.

Pete

Mine is set up with a push-pull switch on the shifter arm, and I have to admit that there have been a number of times where I found that the reason the car wouldn't shift into overdrive was that I had flipped the switch and forgotten to turn it back to the normal position! I'm debating whether there is someplace to put a light to remind me of what state the switch is in ..........

Marty

[hkestes41]

OK, this thread seems to have gone to a general OD thread so I am going to ask a totally different question.

I have mine currently wired with a toggle switch directly to the solenoid and none of the other connections wired. Will be doing a full wiring job at some point in the future but this has been working great up to now. This is a 6 volt solenoid running on a 12 volt system but others have said they have done the same for years with no problems.

Now when I flip the switch i hear a rapid clicking noise kind of like if you were to hold onto a socket and spin a ratchet handle around rapidly. Sometimes it will go into OD sometimes not.

So far I have replaced the toggle switch, replaced the wire, verified all good connections, removed the solenoid cleaned the plunger and the cavity it fits in with emory cloth, filed the two sets of points and cleaned it in general. Still getting the clicking. What now?

[Normspeed]

When you hear that, if you let off the accelerator and step back on it, does the sound stop and the trans goes into OD?

[hkestes41]

When you hear that, if you let off the accelerator and step back on it, does the sound stop and the trans goes into OD?

Sometimes. Other times I can let off multiple times without it going into OD.

[Normspeed]

I get that noise. Shouldn't be there but it is. Mine begins above governor speed with the OD handle pushed in. Goes away as soon as it upshifts. I suspect it's in that pesky part of the OD that I did not completely disassemble, where the pawl and balk ring and all that stuff resides.

I've gotten so used to using the toggle switch that now I just flip the switch and let off simultaneously, no ratcheting noise and no missed shifts.

[47dodgepu211]

I've been reading the threads about OD. I know nothing about how the OD looks. Does it bolt after the trans or is it part of the trans. I saw one post saying the OD was same length as trans. Where does OD mount? I have a 47 dodge pickup and would like to either install an OD or change diff gears from 4.11 to 3:50 or so. Or, maybe I should consider a T5 trans and shorten the drive shaft. T5 trans would be my last choice because of the yoke interface with the drive shaft ends. Any pic of the OD unit?

Thanks:

[martybose]

The OD unit essentially replaces the tailshaft housing, so the assembled unit is the same length as the original tranny plus tailshaft. That said, it is not strictly a bolt-on unit, as it requires a modified transmission housing with a different shaft, so that putting the transmission in reverse also locks out the OD unit.

Marty

[Normspeed]

This car went unsold this week on ebay. Seller says the reserve was well below the buy it now price. Has overdrive. Sort of far away up in the northwest though.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200310834215&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT&viewitem=

[blueskies]

....i hear a rapid clicking noise

Is your lockout cable asjusted correctly? The only time I've heard this kind of noise with my OD is when I tried to pull the cable out while coasting. To pull the cable out when in motion, the OD should be disengauged, with torque on the transmission via the throttle. I'm wondering if your cable might not be pushed in all the way? Maybe the clamp has slipped on the cable, easy to check.

Does it bolt after the trans or is it part of the trans. Any pic of the OD unit?

Thanks:

As Marty has said, the OD replaces the tail shaft section of the regular three speed, so that the overall length of the transmission and overdrive is the same as the overall length of the stock three speed and tailshaft.

There are internal differences between the transmission on the overdrive type and the stock three speed however. The reverse shift rail extends frm the back of the transmission into the ovedrive case, so that when the transmission is put into reverse, the overdrive will lock out, preventing freewheeling. Without this feature, the freewheeling clutch would spin and there would be no reverse.

I suppose if you were creative, you could adapt the overdrive to your stock three speed, but it would be much simpler to swap the whole thing. Not sure where you'd find the overdrive half without the transmission half anyway...

I rebuild my OD transmission, and did a write up with lots of pictures on my site, www.50plymouth.com

Pete

[martybose]

Is your lockout cable asjusted correctly? The only time I've heard this kind of noise with my OD is when I tried to pull the cable out while coasting. To pull the cable out when in motion, the OD should be disengauged, with torque on the transmission via the throttle. I'm wondering if your cable might not be pushed in all the way? Maybe the clamp has slipped on the cable, easy to check.

(snip)

Pete

I wondered about this as well, as my OD is completely silent in operation. When I first put my OD tranny in I didn't have the lockout cable adjusted correctly, and it only pushed the lever about half way. Even then, it was still silent, it just wouldn't shift into overdrive.

Marty

[kevinanderson]

Hey, I put the OD from a '54 into my '48. My only trouble was getting the pilot bushing switched. Other than that it was a drop in(was kinda a b$^%#! gettin the tranny to pull in to the bellhousing) I had to use the '54 drive shaft.