Overdrive Question

[shakespearesdad]

'53 Cranbrook--My car has overdrive. I can't drive it yet as there are no brakes! But when it does move, how does the overdrive work? Do I just yank out the handle when I'm driving?

[Young Ed]

and man alive I shoved her down into overdrive

The cable pushes in for overdrive out is to disable it. FYI you need to disable it when parking to keep the car from rolling away

[shakespearesdad]

Boy, that is just the opposite of what I would think. The handle has been in the pushed in position ever since I got the car. So the way it's pictured it is engaged?

[Normspeed]

In is engaged. If you have any trouble getting it to work, the 46-54 Plymouth manual has a real nice simple troubleshooting guide. The fuse holder on the relay (attached to the coil bracket on my 53) has a tendency to get tarnished and break the continuity.

[shakespearesdad]

Is that why the car is so darn hard to push? Is the car "free-wheeling" when the OD is dis-engaged and in neutral?

[Normspeed]

Shouldn't make it hard to push. Maybe the hand brake is dragging.

[Jim Yergin]

Hi,

I have a pdf copy of a Chrysler pamphlet on the operation of the O/D. If you PM me your email address, I would be happy to send it to you.

Jim Yergin

[blueskies]

Go to the downloads section of this site and find the Borg Warner Overdrive manual... it has the best troubleshooting guide for your OD.

If you have your OD wired like the factory did it, there is a bit more to it than pulling the handle in and out...

If the handle is in, the electric AND mechanical systems are ready to engauge. But, the transmission will not be in overdrive until you reach the cut in speed (about 27mph) and release the throttle... It will then automatically shift into OD. If your speed drops below the cut-in speed, the transmission will automatically drop out of OD and back into direct drive.

The kickdown switch mounted to the throttle will shift the transmission out of OD sort of like a modern automatic, under a full throttle press of the gas pedal.

If you have the handle pulled out, the electric and mechanical systems are disabled. You can push the handle in at any time to energize the system.

You can't just pull the handle out at any time however... If you are stopped, you can pull the handle out. If you are moving, you need to have the transmission under power when you pull the handle out. If you are coasting, it won't like it...

Pete

[Jerry Roberts]

That sounds like a good spot for a little dielectric grease .

[shakespearesdad]

So, can I drive around with the OD engaged all the time?

[blueskies]

So, can I drive around with the OD engaged all the time?

If by engauged, you mean having the handle pushed in all the time, yes.

The only time I pull the handle on my OD is when I'm about to descend a steep grade, or when I'm parking on a steep slope. Since the transmission freewheels when the handle is pushed in and is not in OD, the car can roll away when parked. It is a good idea to get into the habbit of using your parking brake and pulling the handle when parked. My parking brake works really well, and I rarely park on anything steep, so I usually rely on the parking brake only.

When you are going down hill with the handle pushed in, and out of OD, the transmission freewheeling prevents engine compression braking and the car will coast down the hill like it is in neutral. In this scenario, you have to rely completely on your brakes to slow the car. This can be a bit scary on long steep grades... If the handle is out, it's like a regular three speed and the engine will slow the car without much use of the brakes at all.

When driving around town, I shift from first into second, and then let the OD engauge over the cut in speed. When I slow down under the cut in speed, it drops back out of OD. It's like having a two speed automatic between 2nd direct and 2nd OD.

Pete