truck721 Posted July 18, 2012 Report Posted July 18, 2012 I have a 1950 plymouth and I want to update the transmission and driveline to run at higher speed while maintaining the flathead motor which I have completely rebuilt and runs like a champ. I need advice on placing an overdrive transmission or after market transmission and how much work will be required to make that happen. What are my economical options to get better speed from the car without having to do a signifigant amount of changes/fabrication to make things fit. If any advice please provide manufactures addresses for materials I will need to make the update. Thank you for any help at all. Quote
plyroadking Posted July 18, 2012 Report Posted July 18, 2012 In my opinion swapping your standard 3 speed trans for an overdrive trans is the way to go. The change over only requires the placing of a relay, a kick down switch and a cable. Everything else stays the same. I have had great luck with the R10 units. Georg asche builds them or I have a couple units I will be rebuilding and selling in a month. Quote
truck721 Posted July 18, 2012 Author Report Posted July 18, 2012 if you have an overdrive unit available can you give me your location or a contact number and what other transmissions can be adapted to fit the flathead motor. I would be interested in getting that transmission. Quote
greg g Posted July 18, 2012 Report Posted July 18, 2012 or you can swap in a new rear end with a lower numerical gear ratio. Like a jeep cherokee ,mopar b body, ranger pickup. There has been lots of discussions on 5 speeds, OD's and differential swaps. Use the search function using those keywords, you'll lind a lot of germain information. But I drive my 46 coupe withits 4.11 rear end all over the place, several long 200+ mile trips, with no ill efffects driving at an indicated 55 to 65 mph. Quote
truck721 Posted July 19, 2012 Author Report Posted July 19, 2012 If I end up with a newer designed rear end I assume I will need to change the driveshaft and universal joints from trunions. How difficult will this be to manage Quote
plyroadking Posted July 21, 2012 Report Posted July 21, 2012 I have one overdrive transmission left and will be rebuilding it soon, while at a wreaking yard today I tripped over a mid 50's dodge truck overdrive if anybody needs one I can go back and see what the guy wants for it. Quote
Tony_Urwin Posted July 21, 2012 Report Posted July 21, 2012 Pardon my ignorance, but I was not aware that overdrive transmissions were an option for our trucks! I would be interested. I have a friend in Iowa City and make that trip regularly. Quote
Robert Horne Posted July 21, 2012 Report Posted July 21, 2012 I have a 1950 plymouth and I want to update the transmission and driveline to run at higher speed while maintaining the flathead motor which I have completely rebuilt and runs like a champ.I need advice on placing an overdrive transmission or after market transmission and how much work will be required to make that happen. What are my economical options to get better speed from the car without having to do a signifigant amount of changes/fabrication to make things fit. If any advice please provide manufactures addresses for materials I will need to make the update. Thank you for any help at all. I recently installed a Ford Ranger 5 speed TK5 1983 to 1985, in my 38 Coupe. Not a lot of modification necessary. I am very happy with the results of the install. Car has a better take off, and the 5th gear does great at higher speeds. The tread on here is, "5 speed, not T5".... Quote
plyroadking Posted July 21, 2012 Report Posted July 21, 2012 I actually was unaware of it also till the yard owner told me that it came out of a truck. He is kind of a rainman type of guy and I believe him, it looks like a car overdrive transmission but has like a standard 3 speed trans tail shaft behind the od unit, it makes it a lot longer than the car overdrive transmission. I know its an overdrive transmission because it has a governor and solenoid Quote
Tony_Urwin Posted July 21, 2012 Report Posted July 21, 2012 I would definitely be interested if you can get some info on the transmission, thanks! Quote
Young Ed Posted July 23, 2012 Report Posted July 23, 2012 Are you sure thats not a truck-o-matic? Quote
Tony_Urwin Posted July 23, 2012 Report Posted July 23, 2012 I know that overdrive transmissions were available for Dodge trucks in 1955, but the only trucks that I can find online with the overdrive had the 270 V8. How about it, truck gurus? Is there a truck overdrive for flatheads? Quote
Young Ed Posted July 23, 2012 Report Posted July 23, 2012 The only overdrive I'm aware of for trucks was the 5spd with overdrive in 5th that some of the really big trucks had. Quote
Adam H P15 D30 Posted July 24, 2012 Report Posted July 24, 2012 Would it look like this, Just picked this up but I think it's Ford??? Quote
Tony_Urwin Posted July 24, 2012 Report Posted July 24, 2012 From www.pickuptrucks.com The dependable 218 CI L-6 engine which had powered half- and 3/4-ton trucks since 1942 was dropped in favor of the slightly larger 110 horsepower 230 cubic L-6. The 241 CI V-8, Dodge's first OHV V-8. These engines continued through the 1956 model year. Wheelbases and cargo box lengths for half-, 3/4- and one-ton pickups remained unchanged from 1954 through 1956. Dodge engineers broadened the light-duty truck's transmission offerings in 1955 to include a fully automatic PowerFlite transmission and a gas-saving overdrive unit mated to the normal-duty 3-speed transmission. PowerFlite was an option on all light-duty pickups, overdrive was limited to the half-ton. Quote
plyroadking Posted July 25, 2012 Report Posted July 25, 2012 It looks very similar to the ford one pictured, except it has the parking brake drum on it and the typical mopar side shifter linkage. Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.