Transmission / Overdrive: Overdrive not kicking in - 1950 Commander

[chlenz62]

I've bypassed all of the interlocks and connected a toggle switch directly to the coil of the overdrive relay. I did this after determining my governor switch is not operating correctly. After achieving 30+ mph, I flip the switch and have an indicator lamp that shows the relay has energized and closed the normal open contacts. I can also hear the solenoid activating on the transmission, I think. What I mean is I hear the solenoid doing something. It makes a noise. Unfortunately, the transmission will not switch to overdrive when I let off the throttle and coast. I've also tried coasting and pushing in the clutch. Still nothing. Any thoughts?

[Jerry Forrester]

I've bypassed all of the interlocks and connected a toggle switch directly to the coil of the overdrive relay. I did this after determining my governor switch is not operating correctly. After achieving 30+ mph, I flip the switch and have an indicator lamp that shows the relay has energized and closed the normal open contacts. I can also hear the solenoid activating on the transmission, I think. What I mean is I hear the solenoid doing something. It makes a noise. Unfortunately, the transmission will not switch to overdrive when I let off the throttle and coast. I've also tried coasting and pushing in the clutch. Still nothing. Any thoughts?

On a '55 I bought several years ago, the OD wouldn't kick in. I found that the control cable had broken off where it connects to the lever on the transmission and the previous owner had reconnected the cable and it wouldn't move the lever into the overdrive position.

[TWChamp]

I assume you have the cable pushed in and it's adjusted to move the arm all the way to the overdrive position?
If so, and it still won't engage, it must be an internal problem with the overdrive.
The only problem I ever had with any overdrive was the first Studebaker I bought in 1968, which I purchased from the little old lady as she came out of church and got in the car. True story. Anyway the overdrive didn't work, and when I questioned the little old lady about it, she said she had no idea what overdrive was. She said she only drove it once a week to church and once a week to the grocery store, and never went over 30 MPH. When I got back to base I cleaned the relay contacts, and it was good to go.

[52-fan]

When you have the handle pushed in and let off on the accelerator does the car feel like it is coasting? If you still have engine braking just like with the handle pulled out you probably have an internal problem. I had this with the first transmission in my 52. I confirmed my suspicions on the bench after checking the other things.
I would first check to be sure that the cable is working properly as others have said before going deeper.

[gordr]

Must reiterate: the overdrive lockout lever must be all the way back against it's stop on the housing casting in order for overdrive to engage. "Close" does not cut it. I like to adjust the lockout control so that the lever hits the stop with the control knob about 1/4" short of hitting its bezel. With the lockout lever "close to" but not on the stop, you might get free wheeling, but the notch on the OD shift rail will not be aligned with the pawl properly, and prevent the solenoid from moving that pawl, and OD cannot engage.

[chlenz62]

Electrical power is definitely reaching the solenoid and I will again check to ensure it is firing but from my observations, the solenoid is definitely firing. I did need to adjust the lockout lever a lot from when i received the car. I pushed it to the hard stop, swinging it towards the rear of the car. But I will crawl underneath and triple-check this item. If all of these checks prove to be correct, do I need to pull the transmission again or can I pull the solenoid and somehow "unjam" the mechanical piece of this system? The car sat for about 10 years after rebuild. I'm guessing it's sticky like everything else I have found on the car. When I coast, the transmission is definitely still engaged with the transmission.

[chlenz62]

I just read an article someone wrote on the OD system and it raised a couple more questions for me. The article explained that the transmission free-wheels/disengages at all speeds when the engine is not pulling the car? In other words, similar to a coast brake on a bicycle? And this is true at any speed? My transmission definitely is fully engaged at all speeds? The article also stipulated motor oil for the transmission and not gear oil?! "Another thing: The shop manual recommends using 40-weight, non-detergent motor oil or 90-weight GL1 mineral oil. If you use EP oil (oil with Extreme Pressure additives), the sprag and synchronizers will slip or will not shift as smoothly."

[TWChamp]

The overdrive will freewheel only at car speed less than when the governor sends the signal to kick in. Once it get above that speed of about 32 (on my cars) then the overdrive will lock in when you lift your foot off the throttle for a couple seconds to give it time to lock in. Then it will be the same as a 4th gear. When you floor the throttle, the kick down switch will send the signal to disengage the overdrive, and you'll be back to regular third. For a second or two, yes it will freewheel at all speeds with the lever pushed in, but right away the overdrive should engage at speeds over about 30, so I wouldn't call that freewheeling.

[StudeRich]

Maybe you just did not "Wind it up" enough, 30 is sometimes not quite enough, take it to 35-40 and lift the Go pedal abruptly, the engine also needs to have a low idle under 700 RPM.

Also, if you have the wrong Speedometer Pinion for your Axle Ratio, or wrong Tire Size, the Speedometer MAY be way off.

But with no Relay, no Governor, No Kickdown Switch and No reverse Lockout, maybe nothing will work!

[Ross]

The article you mention in post #7 is wrong if that is what it said. An overdrive trans with the handle pushed in will coast only until the solenoid is activated and the pawl is shoved in. Then it is in overdrive and there is no more coasting until that pawl is drawn out again when the solenoid is turned off. Does your car ever coast free? If not, then the lockout mechanism is stuck or improperly assembled. Does you car back up OK? If it doesn't then your pawl is stuck in and you are always in overdrive. Let us know.

I do agree that 90 GL1 rated gear oil is a good choice for the trans and that is what I run in all my cars. It doesn't seem to make such a big difference in Studes, compared to GL4, but on Packards for ex. it make a whale of a difference in how they shift. The 40W works good too.

[chlenz62]

The car never coasts freely. It is always engaged and the engine slows the car when I let off the throttle regardless of speed. It drives as if the OD does not exist.

The car has no issues backing up or shifting into any gear. It does not down shift into 1st unless I'm at a full stop. And I need to count to about 3 seconds if I'm at a stop light and I've had the car in neutral with the clutch pedal released. When I depress the clutch pedal, I need to count to about 3 seconds before attempting to put the car into 1st gear or the gears will grind. I can shift back and forth between 2nd and 3rd without issue with no grinding. But first gear requires me to be at a full stop. Not sure if this is normal or not so I thought I'd throw it out there for all to comment.

[TWChamp]

Since first gear is not synchronized, your shifting is normal.

Have you had a chance to check the overdrive lever position on the tranny?

[Ross]

OK, if it never coasts, then you are going to have to take the OD apart and have a look. If you are a little adventurous, the overdrive housing and then all of the OD mechanism can be removed with the trans still in the car. That is usually what I do when the rest of the trans is OK and I need to get the car turned around in a hurry. Of course, if you are working on the ground, that is not so fun.

Your clutch might be dragging a very little bit. 1st is not synchronized so what you are reporting is completely normal. I usually bounce the shift lever into 3d to stop the gears if I need to shift into 1st very quickly at a light. Once you get your OD working properly you will find that the freewheeling will enable you to shift to 1st even while the car is rolling. Anyway, none of that is affecting your main issue with the OD.

[gordr]

Make sure the jacket of the lockout cable is securely clamped at the transmission end.

[chlenz62]

Pulling the whole transmission is not much more effort than the OD section and I don't know what to expect pulling just the OD section of the transmission. But before I pull the tranny, I wonder if someone can tell me what the solenoid actuates. It's supposed to pull something when energized and I'm wondering if that something is stuck from sitting for 10 years. If I remove the solenoid, am I able to grab that "something" and try to move it?