OK guys I have my T-85 overdrive all back together. I made one out of two plus put in a new input shaft. Things are working fine, it shifts, it turns & does all the stuff it's suppose to do EXCEPT sometimes it won't go into reverse & the overdrive lever (that the cable hooks to) won't move forward (towards the engine which I think would be overdrive). I can unbolt the solenoid & pull the unit up, without disengaging it and everything will operate normally. If I bolt the solenoid back down everything may work for a bit then back to the same thing. If I just activate the solenoid electrically it makes no difference to being able to move the levers.

Doing Fords for 45 years. '56 Customline Victoria

E.J. in Havana FL

E.J.:

It sounds like something is amiss or binding in the solenoid or the pawl that it actuates.

John - "The Hoosier Hurricane"

I don't think anything is binding John, these damned things are a complicated mess inside. I can hear the solenoid click when I put power to it. There is no adjustment unless you put washers between the solenoid & the case & you shouldn't have to do that. And one shouldn't have to actuate the solenoid to go from overdrive to non-overdrive. One of these transmissions had a reverse lever lockout on it but I took that off. The other one didn't have one to begin with. I figured as much old time knowledge as there is on this board someone would eventually know what the problem was and I expect in time someone will.

Doing Fords for 45 years. '56 Customline Victoria

E.J. in Havana FL

There should be an internal rod to positively disengage o.d. when shifting into reverse.  Locking in o.d. actually creates a hillholder and if you backup it can distroy the sun gears.

Goodluck,

Ron.

There is a rod Ron, and it seems to operate normally. The thing is, I can pull the solenoid up & everything works normal for awhile then it may revert to the above condition for no apparent reason.

Doing Fords for 45 years. '56 Customline Victoria

E.J. in Havana FL

I am interested in finding an expert on T-85 overdrive transmissions in the southeast. I have been messing with one for about 3 years and I have it all back together but something just doesn't seem right to me. The main box is fine but it just seems like something isn't quite right with the overdrive unit. It may be fine. I just do not have enough experience with overdrives to know. I would like to bring it to someone who really knows these units & have them take the rear housing off & check it out before I go to all the trouble of putting in the car and then finding out something is wrong. Any ideas will be appreciated.

Doing Fords for 45 years. '56 Customline Victoria

E.J. in Havana FL

E.J I sent you a pm about your overdrive Carl

Thanks Carl. I'll take care of it Monday...

Doing Fords for 45 years. '56 Customline Victoria

E.J. in Havana FL

What's necessary to install a T-85/R-11 in a '55 S/D? It appears the trans mount would be on the back side of the trans support instead of the front, like the 3-sp manual.

I also have a O/D trans out of a '55 T-Bird with 272. Would a T-86/R-10 be correct for a '55 S/D? Thanks for any help or tips.

"The way that you wander is the way that you choose..."



1955 Ford 70B-223/FoM, 1955 Ford 78A-272/3sp

Well Y8er, I've been messing with this for the better part of 3 years. First I had to change the input shaft but mine was a T-89 which is the truck version of the T-85. I put two bad ones together to make one good one. I hassled with various problems for years. I finally have it ready to go. On mine the trans mount is going to work I think. If you had a T-85 out of a '57 or '58 ford it should be a plug & play. If I was going to do it all over I'd have just got a T-86 R10 out of a '56 Ford. My 272 doesn't need anything as heavy duty as a T-85. I am just going to run a hot wire to the solenoid to activate it with a switch. I hope to have everything in & running within the next month or so. If yours is a '55 and still 6V then you'll have to deal with that. The good part of that is 6V solenoids are a lot cheaper than 12V ones...

Doing Fords for 45 years. '56 Customline Victoria

E.J. in Havana FL