'46 M5 Overdrive Wiring

[Donald]

I need to know if the 16awg white and black wire from the trans solenoid goes to the positive or negitive on the ignition coil.
Any help would be great.
Thanks,
Don

[Tom Bredehoft]

That would be the wire that allows the OD to downshift when the throttle is floored. It would be on the side of the coil that gets the electricity, not the side that goes to the points. So itwould be on the Negative side, (assuming you have 6 volt Positive ground.)

When the kickdown switch is activated, it momentarily grounds the wire to the coil. This allows the engine to coast for an instant. While the engine is coasting, the solenoid, (which has just been grounded, too) pulls the dog out of the planetary gear, dropping the car out of Overdrive. As soon as this happens, a circuit is made inside the coil, returning power to the coil thru another wire. The engine resumes, and you don't even notice its' been shut down.

[Edit] Subject to Dwaine's revision, of course.

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Tom Bredehoft
'53 Commander Coupe (since 1959)
'55 President (6H Y6) State Sedan
....On the road, again....
'05 Legacy Ltd Wagon
All Indiana built cars

[Donald]

Thanks a lot! That helps me get the wire to the correct spot and helped me better understand the workings of the OD system.

[Dwain G.]

Actually that wire goes to the distributor side of the ignition coil. Otherwise, it works just as Tom said. If your truck had the original type armored cable coil, the distributor terminal would be the only place you could connect the solenoid wire.