Life is Good Posted November 10, 2020 Report Share Posted November 10, 2020 Hello, i have been wantjng to get an overdrive for my 47 dodge with a 218 engine. Does anyone know if there are selfcontsined add on gearbox that i csn add snd not need to replace out my whole transmition? What is the best overdrive transmission from the 40’s or early 50’s if thats the only way to go. kevin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Young Ed Posted November 10, 2020 Report Share Posted November 10, 2020 You need something along the lines of a gear vendor overdrive unit. I believe volvo also has some stand alone od units. Otherwise nothing just bolts in that I'm aware of Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kencombs Posted November 10, 2020 Report Share Posted November 10, 2020 IMO, replacing the transmission with one with an attached OD will be simpler than the fabrication needed for standalone unit. Most Mopar ODs from the 50s can be adapted fairly easily. My favorite retrofit would be a Hone unit that mounts on a 9" Ford differential but they are rare, expensive and really require some fab work. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Elder Posted November 10, 2020 Report Share Posted November 10, 2020 Put a 251 from a desoto/Windsor in there with the car overdrive already on it.......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knuckleharley Posted November 10, 2020 Report Share Posted November 10, 2020 I am guessing it would be helpful to know if your 47 Dodge is a car,a pickup,or a big truck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Elder Posted November 11, 2020 Report Share Posted November 11, 2020 41 minutes ago, knuckleharley said: I am guessing it would be helpful to know if your 47 Dodge is a car,a pickup,or a big truck. Under his name it says 47 1/2 ton truck................... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knuckleharley Posted November 11, 2020 Report Share Posted November 11, 2020 50 minutes ago, Frank Elder said: Under his name it says 47 1/2 ton truck................... OOPS! Sorry bout dat. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry Roberts Posted November 11, 2020 Report Share Posted November 11, 2020 There is an error someplace as a WD 15 is a 3/4 ton truck . Anyway there was write up on this forum about someone who installed a Volvo ( as Ed mentioned ) overdrive unit aft of his transmission on his truck . Perhaps it can be found with a search . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Life is Good Posted November 11, 2020 Author Report Share Posted November 11, 2020 Correct, its a 1/2 ton WC 10 i beleive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Life is Good Posted November 11, 2020 Author Report Share Posted November 11, 2020 Thank you for the replies! Correct, its a 1/2 ton WC 10 i believe. Ken - yes that is exactly what im looking for. It looks like the Hone unit is its own stand alone unit which i would gladly custom make an adaptor to bolt it to my original differential. Any idea what model Hone i shoukd look for....or any model if i can find. Frank - if i cant find my self contained unit, what year transmission woukd you recommend tgat has a built in overdrive and bolts up to my original 218 bell housing? 1947 1/2 ton wc truck 23in engine & three speed Thanks for the help! kevin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Life is Good Posted November 11, 2020 Author Report Share Posted November 11, 2020 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Life is Good Posted November 11, 2020 Author Report Share Posted November 11, 2020 Found this: "In the late 1960's, Fred Hone marketed and sold the Hone-O-Drive, an overdrive unit he had been developing for four years. Opening the Hone Manufacturing Company in Santa Fe Springs, California, Fred designed and built this self-contained, fully lubricated, 2-speed synchromesh planetary transmission that is manually shifted from 1:1 Direct Drive to a 1.43:1 (or 1.47:1, depending on which article you read) Overdrive. This effectively changed a car with a 4.11 rear axle ratio into one with a 2.87 ratio. Engagement/disengagement is supposed to be available at any time with no neutral or freewheeling. You just ease off the throttle for a moment, to lighten the drivetrain load, and then move the shift lever." The web site has these pictures (and others): Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Young Ed Posted November 11, 2020 Report Share Posted November 11, 2020 21 minutes ago, Life is Good said: Thank you for the replies! Correct, its a 1/2 ton WC 10 i believe. Ken - yes that is exactly what im looking for. It looks like the Hone unit is its own stand alone unit which i would gladly custom make an adaptor to bolt it to my original differential. Any idea what model Hone i shoukd look for....or any model if i can find. Frank - if i cant find my self contained unit, what year transmission woukd you recommend tgat has a built in overdrive and bolts up to my original 218 bell housing? 1947 1/2 ton wc truck 23in engine & three speed Thanks for the help! kevin I don't believe such an animal exists. You can bolt a car trans and bell housing to your current engine but then you lose all the stuff mounted to the truck bell. Which is your rear motor mounts pedals throttle linkage and brake master cylinder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kencombs Posted November 11, 2020 Report Share Posted November 11, 2020 (edited) Hone was back in production a couple of years ago, but I just tried the web site (hone-o-drive) and it is dead. So new ones or parts are apparently not available. There was a version that Yenko Chevy used on there 'special' cars. It is/was a standalone unit with and driveshaft in and out. That would work, and they are sometimes on that auction site. But, and it's a big but, the prices are high. One on there now with a buy it now price of $4K! One sold recently for 1800. Like I said earlier, great solution if one has the budget. An original Mopar OD trans from a car would be better. I have adapted an A833 overdrive 4spd from a '79 Dodge van to my 230. Not running yet but the trans connection is done. Another way to go. Edited November 11, 2020 by kencombs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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