a quick overdrive question

[nolan in blaine]

Just looking for some clarification. In my 37 royal, when i get up to speed and ready to settle in for a drive, I push the OD handle "in" let off the gas and get back on again to cruise in OD. But when i need to shift down for hill or to pass i cant... It wont come out of overdrive until i slow down enough for it to freewheel back to 3rd. Ive been reading on this a little bit but it seems there is some conflicting info. Are people just letting off the gas and pulling the od handle back out? I tried once and it sounded like it was going to tear something up. I cant disengage the od handle unless the car is stopped.
The last car i had with the od option was my 58 rambler super. It had a cable like the chrysler but also had a switch That would let you shift out of od on demand.
Am id doing something wrong?
 

[kencombs]

I've never used  the cable at all when the vehicle is in motion.  The electric solenoid, governor and kickdown switch control in in motion shifts.  Just put in overdrive when starting a drive and let the electric controls work.

 

  Taking it a step further, I'd recommend wiring in a toggle switch to control the shifting instead of relying on the kickdown function. Wired that way, they almost become a semi-auto five speed.

[Young Ed]

what version of overdrive do you have? the earlier ones didn't have a kickdown

[dpollo]

your overdrive does not have a kick down, that was introduced in '39.  You have to slow down to disengage the overdrive since the control is entirely centrifugal

I believe yours is designated R6.   Later overdrive, R10 as used in many cars of the 50s has electrical controls and is quite different.  These can be locked out while in motion PROVIDED the car is not actually in overdrive. Kick down to direct drive and pull the handle.

It should be possible to lock yours out while the car is in motion provided that you are accelerating but not actually in overdrive ( below normal overdrive engagement speeds)

[nolan in blaine]

Ok so i guess i have the early R4 od  unit.. from what im reading the r4 was updated and there was a kickdown solenoid added and then it went to the r10 unit.

Can i add the solenoid to the unit i have or do i need to find a later one?
And Dpollo, you're right up the street!

Edited November 23, 2018 by nolan in blaine

[dpollo]

The solenoid for kick down  is amidships.  I recently gave a 39 unit to a friend in Oregon who will be making good use of it.

I wish I had studied it to see how the solenoid actually kicked it down.  I suspect it somehow defeated the centrifugal motion by pushing against

the rotating part.  I may get another look at it in January but I do have pages copied from a Motors manual which shows the unit and its internals.

Send me a PM with your  full name and mailing address and I will mail you a copy...... right up the street and across the strait.  Once, while traveling north, I saw the snow line as it went right across Peace Arch Park.  Snow on the North side, of course.