electrical questions on overdrive

[austinsailor]

Now that I have this overdrive installed I need to figure out all the hookups.

3 electrical, one mechanical.

I Assume the selenoid takes it in and out of overdrive. if I wanted, could I just run 6 volts to it and bypass everything else?

what does the plugin called shift rail lockout do?

what does the governer do?

the freewheeling lever would appear to be freewheeling

when the cable is pushed in, which would be backwards from what I would expect. I would have thought pushed in would be the default without freewheeling. this would be sort of like pulling the choke out to not be choking.

[Young Ed]

Haven't you heard the song with "and mine alive I shoved her down into overdrive"? Yes the cable goes in to engage it. solenoid kicks it in and out and the governor keeps it from engaging at too low a speed and kicks it out when you slow down. Supposed to be like 27MPH but sometimes they're off.

Edited January 28, 2011 by Young Ed

[austinsailor]

so does it need both the cable and selenoid to go into overdrive? the cable operated lever lets it freewheel but without overdrive.

It seems a bit more complicated than it would need to be.

The only thing better than the "man alive, put her in overdrive" was the little Nash Rambler trying to get it out of second gear.

[Young Ed]

Beep Beep Beep Beep

Yes the cable is a lockout function. Without you dont have engine braking and your car would be like a fluid drive you'd have to use the parking brake all the times you aren't driving.

[hkestes41]

Here is an Overdrive Operation Manual http://www.imperialclub.com/Repair/Lit/Master/053/Cover.htm

Also here is the wiring diagram

[suntennis]

If the OD is a R-10, it has a govenor and will not go in OD gear until a set speed is reached and you let up on the gas pedal. If the OD is a R-7, it does not have a govenor and will go into OD gear at any speed when you let up on the gas pedal. When OD is selected by pushing in the OD handle, the car will be in a free wheeling mode until the OD gear has be activated via the above. This is important, If OD is selected,the free wheeling fuction also works while the car is parked. The point being that if you have select OD and park, putting the car in any forward gear will not give you any aid in braking. If the car is put in reverse, it causes the lockout device to deactivate so that the car can move backwards in addition to using compression to backup the hand brake.

[Dodgeb4ya]

If the OD is a R-10, it has a govenor and will not go in OD gear until a set speed is reached and you let up on the gas pedal. If the OD is a R-7, it does not have a govenor and will go into OD gear at any speed when you let up on the gas pedal. When OD is selected by pushing in the OD handle, the car will be in a free wheeling mode until the OD gear has be activated via the above. This is important, If OD is selected,the free wheeling fuction also works while the car is parked. The point being that if you have select OD and park, putting the car in any forward gear will not give you any aid in braking. If the car is put in reverse, it causes the lockout device to deactivate so that the car can move backwards in addition to using compression to backup the hand brake.

The R7 OD's are controlled mechanically as to when they go into OD-cut in speed at 25 MPH. There is a screw accessed through the case and by adjusting the clutch pawl springs you can change the OD cut in set speed. These adjustments normally never need to be done.

Bob

[1941Rick]

You can bypass the electrical functions but you will run into trouble as has already been said.....Hook it up like the schematic says and you will be much happier.....you can put the car in 2nd gear, select OD and it will shift automatically. you willl also find you can shift into 1st gear without the clutch when it shifts down....great for turning off the main road into a parking lot...

A question I have not seen asked is "What gear ratio is your rear diff?" Will have an effect on how everything works......3:9 and 4:10 work very well....anything higher will cause the engine to struggle.....

[steveplym]

Beep Beep Beep Beep

Yes the cable is a lockout function. Without you dont have engine braking and your car would be like a fluid drive you'd have to use the parking brake all the times you aren't driving.

Or do what I do and put it up in reverse. Do use the parking brake as an added measure though. Better to be safe than sorry.

[austinsailor]

>You can bypass the electrical functions but you will run into

>trouble as has already been said.

I'm just trying to make sure it works. I put it in my 40 Dodge sedan, pretty much stock, to make sure it was functional. Except for kicking into overdrive, one trip down the road a mile says it is in great shape. I'd ike to make a test run with that working.

I will put it into my 42 Plymouth when I get the 251 finished. It's now in the machine shop, pistons will be here next week, cam went to Edgy this morning. I'm pretty sure the 42 Plymouth has a 4:10.

I'll set it up with all the proper stuff when it goes into it's final home.

By the way, thanks for the pointer to the manual on it. It makes it much easier to understand what is going on. Still leaves some questions about the details of the wiring, but I've got time to figure that out.

[blueskies]

There is a great Borg Warner overdrive manual in the downloads section of this site. It has the best troubleshooting guide and wiring diagrams too.

Here's what I did with mine:

http://www.50plymouth.com/05-tra/tra.html

[Alshere59]

Haven't you heard the song with "and mine alive I shoved her down into overdrive"? Yes the cable goes in to engage it. solenoid kicks it in and out and the governor keeps it from engaging at too low a speed and kicks it out when you slow down. Supposed to be like 27MPH but sometimes they're off.

Many versions of that song. Hot Rod Lincoln has that in it. You forgot the part that lets the overdrive engage.

. Now the fellas ribbed me for bein' behind,

so I thought I'd make the Lincoln unwind.

Took my foot off the gas'n'man alive, I shoved it on down into overdrive.

[austinsailor]

It looks like what I'm missing is the kickdown switch. Anyone have a part number on a replacement?

What is the switch function, or does anyone have a drawing showing the functioning inside?

[1941Rick]

It is a 4 pole push button switch. Two poles are normally open and the other 2 are normally closed. The switch is placed on the throttle linkage. It is wired into the solinoid and the relay. When you push the throttle to wide open it cuts out the solinoid and drops you out fo OD. Sorta like passing gear. |The solinoid also interupts the ignition monentarily and allows the O)D to kick out. A side note...you can use a bosch relay for the OD relay. It is smaller and works up to 30 amps, with a voltage range up to 32 volts

Your NAPA dealer should be able to help you.....I will look for the number on mine.

[steveplym]

It looks like what I'm missing is the kickdown switch. Anyone have a part number on a replacement?

What is the switch function, or does anyone have a drawing showing the functioning inside?

Check out blueskies site above for info on the kickdown switch. I just use a push button switch under the dash, it works much better for me. When I need to kick it out of od, I just let off the accelerator and push the button. Kicks it right out without a problem. Like Blueskies I also only used one pole on the switch. With the electronic ignition it doesn't like the ignition cut out so I just left that be. I wired mine up just like his and I have not had any problems.

[austinsailor]

That's excellent info. I can deal with that.

I'll most likely be the only one who drives it, so no big deal. My wife, in her 50's, has no idea how to drive a column shift, if you can believe that, and she's the only other one who would have driven it.

I like this much better than trying to fit a T5 into it.

[james curl]

I use a toggle switch in the bottom edge of the dash in my 55 Chevy pick up with BW OD. When I want to shift into overdrive I flip the switch to power the solenoid and lift off of the gas and it goes into overdrive, just have to remember to turn it off before trying to put it in reverse.