Hi gang,

  Sorry, I've been away for awhile.  During the layoff, I sold my 55 Fairlane so I could concentrate on my 55 Ranch Wagon.  Life's a little easier when you can focus your time, energy and $$ on a single project!!     I'm currently running a 3 spd OD behind the original Y-Block but the electrical circuit was so buggered up I decided to disable it.  While the T-Handle under the dash does look cool, I really have no desire to get the OD operating again.  Mechanically the tranny is fine.  I'd almost leave it as is except that I'm turning about 2800 RPM in 3rd gear at 50 mph.  I don't want to run the old 272 any harder than necessary.  Are there any 3 or 4 speed non OD trannys that would swap right in or is there some wizardy required?  I have no problem with cutting a hole in the floor for a shifter if necessary. 

As always, thanks for your time.

Best,

A.J.

South Jersey

SMSgt USAF Retired 
1955 Ford Ranch Wagon & a couple of old guitars...Life's Good!

Your current gear box is like all manual gearboxes - it is a 1.00:1 final gear ratio. An overdrive transmission is basically the same as a standard three speed except for the transmission case. The overdrive is couple to the output of the three speed transmission.

The best way to overcome your problem is to repair your overdrive but there are other options - you can put a different differential in your car.

The standard diff's with overdrive are 3.89:11 or 4.11:1.

The standard (non overdrive) diff is 3.78:1 but there are 3.30 and 3.56:1 diffs for you to choose from. The latter ratios are fitted to cars with automatic transmission.

These may load your engine up too much but will be great cruising diffs.

I am sure there members of this forum who have done diff swaps and will be able to advise which one they consider to be the best.

These options may prove easier and cheaper than trying to install a different gear box. All non overdrive boxes are 1.00:1.

Hope this helps.

Regards


Rick - West Australia
Do Y Blocks Downunder run upside down? Gravity Sucks!!

If your OD is functional you could just wire a switch for it and remove all the other stuff. then you just click it in and out as you want.

55 Vicky & customline

58 Rack Dump, 55 F350 yard truck, 57 F100

59 & 61 P 400's, 58 F100 custom cab, 69 F100, 79 F150, 82 F600 ramp truck, 90 mustang conv 7 up, 94 Mustang, Should I continue?

Most of the system is gone or unusable.   The kickdown switch is toast, the wires to the centrifugal switch are cut off at the switch, and the old relay on the firewall is long gone.  However, the OD solenoid on the tranny does work.  The PO had a switch going to it using lamp cord and of course no fuse!   I think I can live without the kickdown or centrifugal switches.  It's not like I'll need to floor the accelerator to pass anybody on I-95!  

  If it is cost prohibitive or a major undertaking to replace the transmission, I was considering using a modern heavy duty relay on the fire wall to operate the solenoid and simply running the ground circuit thru a switch under the dash.  That would keep the high current out of the passenger compartment. 

A.J.

South Jersey

SMSgt USAF Retired 
1955 Ford Ranch Wagon & a couple of old guitars...Life's Good!

If it has the original rear end in a wagon with od it would be a 4.27 Spicer which really needs an overdrive. In order to change, you would have to swap the whole rear end. The usual rear end for a non overdrive was an 8.8" @3.78. Non overdrive rears are pretty plentiful. I have several in old parts cars. You can just run the transmission you have and keep it locked out of overdrive. Or you can find a 3 speed without overdrive. I have a couple of them too. Its a shame you are not closer. We would work out a trade. I think the cheapest route would be to try to fix the overdrive. Here is a pretty simple wiring diagram for the od.

Kenneth

Fredricksburg, Texas

One hot wire to the solenoid from a switch under the dash is all you need working separate with the pull handle. Yblock billy is right, That's the way I drove my tbird for years and I would never trade an overdrive out for just a 3speed, and that's just me personaly, I really like that extra gear when crusing the highway

-Gary Burnette-

Frank Rice uses a later fully synchronized three speed.  It seems to work well for him.  But, if you go on long trips, the OD would be nice.

Paul J. - '57 E Code

I think that's what Dennis is doing. It gives him a 6 speed.


Lawrenceville, GA

If you are going to run the OD with only a push pull switch there are a few things you must do or not do when driving it as the safety features and the automatically done features have been bypassed.



1.Take your foot off the accelerator when up shifting into OD and take your foot off the accelerator when shifting back to std drive.



2. DO NOT back up with the unit in OD as it will pile up your OD planetary



marv

I agree with those that say keep the OD and just power the solenoid.  It is very easy and  you can't keep the high amperage current out of the pass compartment, it is already there at the ignition switch.  Remember the ignition switch sees full generator output. 

So run a new 14Ga wire from the aux terminal on the ignition through a 30 amp fuse to an on/off switch under the dash.  A small pilot light to show that the solenoid is energized is very handy and then to the solenoid. Connect this power to the solenoid as shown on the schemetic above. The second wire is just a ground for the kickdown and you do not need to connect that to anything.  You still need the T handle also.

When you have the car running down the road at about 30 mph in 3rd,  push  the T handle in and then flip the switch.  Nothing will happen until you lift your foot off the gas then it will shift into OD. Your motor will love you. The important thing to remember with this set up  is that the OD is engaged until you turn the switch off. So as you slow down the OD stays engaged even if you come to a stop.  Starting in OD-first gear feels like starting in second,  so turn the switch off. Another thing is you probably can not reverse the car without first turning off the switch and pulling the T handle out.  The regular OD tranys have a link between reverse and the OD that should disengage the OD but if the link doesn't work you will break the OD.

Doug T

The Highlands, Louisville, Ky.