Started Work on my OD

[Joe Flanagan]

I was in a parts store today looking for alternatives to the stock kickdown switch. I found something called a momentary interrupter switch that seemed like it might be what I need. As I understand it, this would interrupt power to the solenoid and the pawl would retract when I let up off the gas. I believe that this switch opens points that are normally closed. So if I chose to get a device like this and mount it on the dash (or elswhere), would I just wire it to the solenoid? I understand that under this arrangement, I would not have to interrupt the ignition circuit because I would be letting up off the gas momentarily to let the pawl retract from the blocking plate.

[Jim Yergin]

Joe,

The kick-down switch breaks the ground circuit to the relay, not the power line to the solenoid. By cutting the relay ground, it cuts off the power to the solenoid. The solenoid however will not retract unless either the ignition is interrupted or you let up the gas. A normally closed momentary switch should do the trick.

Jim Yergin

Edited June 11, 2011 by Jim Yergin

[DJ194950]

sorry joe but i don't think the switch mentioned will work. to drop out of overdrive electrically, two things have to happen.1-cut power to solenoid 2-engine rpms need to drop momentarily so that there is no longer pressure on engagement prawl so that it can retract.

the switch you described only accomplishes 1 of the 2.

on ebay search- kickdown switch. you'll find a guy selling some described as FURD od switch. this is for under the throttle pedal type. about $32 shipped. should work fine. does not say FURD on it. nobody will know.

cole hersee was making these, but could not find a part # for you.

back when i did have a #, still could not find any cheaper that parts places could order.

happy garage motoring

doug

sorry to say but my 50's back in the garage for major rear body work.bent frame.

[Jim Yergin]

sorry joe but i don't think the switch mentioned will work. to drop out of overdrive electrically, two things have to happen.1-cut power to solenoid 2-engine rpms need to drop momentarily so that there is no longer pressure on engagement prawl so that it can retract.

the switch you described only accomplishes 1 of the 2.

on ebay search- kickdown switch. you'll find a guy selling some described as FURD od switch. this is for under the throttle pedal type. about $32 shipped. should work fine. does not say FURD on it. nobody will know.

cole hersee was making these, but could not find a part # for you.

back when i did have a #, still could not find any cheaper that parts places could order.

happy garage motoring

doug

sorry to say but my 50's back in the garage for major rear body work.bent frame.

If you check Blueskies' web site, he set up his with just a momentary interrupt switch and just let off the gas to disengage the OD. He could not interrupt his electronic ignition. So you can accomplish it with just one of the two interruptions.

Jim Yergin

[DJ194950]

jim your totally correct. but my understanding(misunderstanding?) was that joe was going to put it under the throttle.i think? i got that from a earlier post of joes.

my point was that you could not floor the pedal to kickdown and slow the motor at the same time with the switch he described.

doug

[Joe Flanagan]

My plans have been changing a bit since I started the OD business, so I might have had the kickdown-under-the-throttle idea in mind at one point. Now, though, I like the idea of not having to stomp the gas pedal to cut out the overdrive. Jim, I got to typing a bit too fast in my last message. I should have said, "wire it to the relay." So in this case, a momentary switch wired from the dash to the relay should do the trick?

DJ194950: Thanks for the tip on the switch. Found one for about the same price for a Studebaker that should work but if I can make a momentary switch work and it's in a place that's not visible, I'll likely go with that.

[Joe Flanagan]

This afternoon after work I pulled the gearshift housing on my transmission and took a look inside. There is no damage and no debris. Everything looks good. So I made a new gasket and put the cover back. Just to be absolutely sure, I wanted to ask if the lever device shown here:

Is supposed to go into the space indicated by the screwdriver here:

Like such:

I'm pretty sure this is right, but I won't rest easy until I hear it from you guys.

[Niel Hoback]

YES, thats how it works. Go for it.

[Joe Flanagan]

Thanks, Niel. When I moved the selector (I guess that's what it's called), it felt strange because there was no clicking or any noise I would have expected it to make. After looking at it for a while I realized that all it does is align itself to a different shift rail. It's just a smooth motion. I guess that's the way it's supposed to work. I take it that lever is what moves when you pull the gear shift in toward you for first or reverse.

[Niel Hoback]

See how simple it is? Thats why these cars are so solid dependible.

Nothing like on the job training, is there?

[Joe Flanagan]

That's right. And after looking at the pictures I just posted, I see how close a few stray nuts and bolts are to the opening in the transmission. That's the kind of on-the-job training I've had a lot of, but I can see it never hurts to have a refresher course.

[Jim Yergin]

"Been there done that" with the lock bolt for one of the shifter forks.

Jim Yergin

[Niel Hoback]

Those two detent balls have nothing to keep them in place, so Keep your eye on them, they can jump of you're pushing those forks around.

[Joe Flanagan]

Thanks. I made sure they were there when I put in the springs and the bolts.

[Joe Flanagan]

Today I got my rebuilt emergency brake back from Tennessee Clutch and Supply. As always, a great job and it cost all of $23:

[Don Coatney]

I will never forget my visit to Tennessee Clutch. I walked in and found dirt/grease lumps on the floor and 3-4 guys sitting around a pot bellied heater drinking coffee although the stale grease burnt clutch stench out weighed the coffee smell. One fat guy sitting on a stool with a cigar stub and drool hanging out of his mouth asked me what I wanted. I thought I was had! The front office was not an office but looked more like something that you would find in the deliverance movie with no banjo playing. I once again thought I was had! I told the fat guy I wanted my pressure plate re-worked and I plopped it down on the counter. Again I thought I was had and this fat guy would rape my old fat punk a$$. The fat guy hollered to the back of the shop and some young kid appeared, grabbed my pressure plate, and disappeared. The fat guy told me it would be an hour so I disappeared out the door before something dreadful happened.

An hour later I returned. The kid plopped my rebuilt pressure plate down and he once again diappeared to the back of the shop. There was a girl behind the counter this time although the drolling fat cigar smooking guy was still there and very much in charge. I told the girl I needed a clutch disc just like the one I plopped down on the counter. She disappeared into the rack of shelves and I once again thought I was had by the drooling fat cigar smoking guy. She plopped the required disk on the counter and I shook as I asked the dredded question "how much"?

She told me something less that one hundred dollars for the whole deal. I about fell off my stool but I know that if I had done so the fat drooling cigar smoking guy would have had his way with me. I then got brave and said I needed a pilot bushing even though I did not need one. She produced the bushing for me and I asked "how much"? She said no charge. Then I really got really balsy. I told her I want two bushings knowing the fat cigar smoking droller was still there.

This is a true story and I am glad so many forum members got satisfaction from what has proven to be a great vendor.

[thrashingcows]

Don that's a great story...wish we could have seen it in person.

[blueskies]

I can make a momentary switch work and it's in a place that's not visible, I'll likely go with that.

Joe-

The trick is finding a momentary switch that is normally closed. Most switches are normally open. As mentioned, the switch breaks the ground circuit.

The only switch I could find that was small enough to fit in my shifter was normally open, so I used a relay to reverse the function of the switch.

Pete

[Joe Flanagan]

Pete, in my searching around I have found a few momentary switches that are normally closed. I would never have known the difference if I hadn't read your account of your OD rebuild. I'm involved in electrical stuff right now and might finish that before I get back to the transmission.

[steveplym]

I found my switch in a box of different push button switches at a swap meet. I think I spent maybe $2 on it. They are out there.

[Joe Flanagan]

I tried installing the transmission today. At the moment I'm whipped. It's about two inches short of being in all the way. When I get someone who can depress the clutch pedal for me, I'll see if it will go the rest of the way. I decided to follow Jim Yergin's advice and get Harbor Freight's transmission jack. I had already tried this with a cradle made of 2X4s and my floor jack but it didn't quite work out:

First I ran a tap through the threads on the bell housing:

Installation in progress:

My problem is that I can't seem to get the transmission to sit level on the jack. The bottom has an irregular shape and I need to find a better way of padding it up so that it sits level. I have hit some kind of obstacle in the bell housing and have stopped for the day. I don't want to force anything. Another odd thing is that this shift lever shown below is very close to the underside of the floor. I don't see how I'm going to get the rod attached since it will be so tight up against the sheet metal:

Anyway, I'll go at it again soon. Most likely on the weekend unless I get the urge for masochism at some point during the week.

[Jim Yergin]

Joe,

I think that lever is on upside down. Flip it over and it should work.

I find that if I prop up the back end of the transmission until the face of the bell housing and the face of the transmission are parallel, the transmission will go in.

Just pulled mine out for the upteenth time. Boy am I getting good at that. Have decided to take it to George Asche to have him see why I can't get it to work.

Sorry, if I had known you were doing this today I would have come down and given you a hand.

Jim Yergin

[Don Coatney]

You may have the shift lever on the wrong way. I believe it will go on two ways.

Do not use bolts to drive your transmission home. If you do damage will occur. Try this. Lower the jack an inch or so with the transmission sticking in as far as it will go. Make sure the splines are lined up in the disc. Then lay on your back with the differential above your face and place your feet on the tailstock of the transmission. Use the leverage in your legs (no offence but your wimpy legs must be stronger than your wimpy arms:D) to push and wiggle the transmission forward. Helps if the transmission is "in" gear so the input shaft will rock and wiggle with the transmission. If this fails to drive it home then loosen the bolts holding your pressure plate to the flywheel a half turn or so then do the leg thing again. This process has worked for me for several years.

[DJ194950]

joe,

the shifter arms are not correct for 49-50.

maybe for 46-48? or wait, didn't you say the trans was out of a later model?

any way, the arms off a standard 3 sp. are the same as the od trans. swap them off the original 3 sp..

if you don't have them, let me know as i have a set.

i had the same problem installing my trans. turned out the throwout bearing was turning slightly and i had not put any lube on the imput shaft. a little lube and reaching up through flywheel cover to hold bearing straight as trans is pushed forward should get er done. working alone? my opinion -damn near impossible. but somehow i think you'll do it.

[Dodgeb4ya]

Did you lube the throwout bearing sleeve with some Moly grease? The retainer sleeve needs just a slight smear as does the input shaft splines-just the slightest bit.