After getting back to work on the truck I got it all ready to try out the Overdrive transmission that I swapped for the old heavy duty one. I have NOT connected any wiring for the overdrive solenoid, governer, switch, relay, etc. I don't recall whether the solenoid was in the engaged or disengaged position when I installed it, but I do know that I have the OD cable pulled all the way out which should be disengaged.
The problem:
When I'm sitting at a dead stop I can engage all gears and the truck moves when I let out the clutch. Then I start to drive in 1st, and when I shift to 2nd I can feel it go into 2nd, but it acts like its in neutral. I go to 3rd with the same result. I come to a dead stop, and now I get the same result in all gears . Now I have to go in reverse for a short distance before I can get any of the forward gears to move the truck again. I repeated this process about 3 times. If all I do is drive in 1st all day long I will be fine, otherwise its not looking to good. I would REALLY appreciate any help that anyone can offer. I didnt think that leaving the OD circuit disconnected would have any negative effect like this, but I don't know where to start. I'm just hoping that I wont have to pull that transmission again. Thanks,
Mike

 

It's freewheeling. Once you have the shaft spinning and take your foot off the gas (above a certain speed) for example, to shift, the overdrive freewheels in anticipation of the engagement of the speed pawl. In other words, it's engaged but the OD isn't operating.

Now, that's based on you appearing to have a '56 Effie and on the assumption your OD is a Borg-Warner.

edit: This is a Good Thing, sounds like the OD is functional. Now, you just need to get the electricals connected up.

 

Nuthin, thanks a ton for replying. It is a 56 longbed like yours (you sent me pictures of yours a few months back for reference when I was installing it). So you think that this is normal? If I make all electrical connections should it work properly and not freewheel when I'm trying to get 2nd or 3rd? I really hope this is the case. This situation has really got me down today and I've been racking my brain about every step of my rebuild and what I did wrong. Thanks,
Mike

 

Sorry but I don't think he's describing freewheel operation, since it doesn't apparently have ANY drive in 2nd and 3rd. If it were working properly it would coast without any engine drag, but when he steps on it it should go forward. Or am I misunderstanding?

 

When I am sitting in the driveway I can shift into all gears and let out the clutch and they will move the truck. However, when I start to drive in 1st, then shift to 2nd or 3rd I get no movement in the driveshaft no matter how much gas I give it. Then if I stop completely and go in reverse for a few feet and stop again, I can engage 1st again and drive. I can drive all day long in 1st I think, but when I shift to another gear while rolling I get nothing.
Mike
Keep in mind that I have no electrical connected yet to include the solenoid and governer

 

There are three manuals on this site for the BW Overdrive unit.
Until you find out just what is going on block the wheels when parking it.
http://www.speedprint.com/Deves50/overdriveindex.php

 

Thanks for the link 4TL8Ford. I have a couple of those manuals already printed and have read through them plus many other resources I have found including the shop manual. I did learn alot of interesting info, but still can't find anything that refers to the problem that I'm having. It is obviously in direct drive since I can drive in reverse and the handle is pulled all the way out, but something is definately not transferring rotation to the driveshaft when I shift into forward gears while rolling.
Mike

 

It is transferring since you get into first gear. Then, it's dis-engaging.

 

The solinoid is springloaded to the off position. If it is engaged it is jammed, loosen the bolts.
The lever/handle in the Truck moves the lever that allows the solinoid to work.
Without electrical energy to any of the components nothing can engauge/disengage.

OD-E*me=Karnaffel

Either the Solinoid is jammed or the OD has internal injuries to the Karnaffel valve.

 

When you inserted the solenoid, did you give it a turn as you are supposed to, to engage it?

 

I will double check the solenoid installation very fast, but as I recall I did turn it to install it. I was up very late after I got off of swingshift last night reading a large e-copy of a ford overdrive service manual from 1956 (Thank you very much Nuthin!). If the OD section is in "Locked out drive" as it should be with the cable pulled out, there is no way that the driveshaft would not be turning. With the lever pulled into lockout position, the sungear is moved backwards into the planetary cage, locking the movement of the planetary gears. With the trans output shaft turning (hopefully) and the planetary cage being spline-mounted on the output shaft, and the planetary gears frozen in position, the planetary gears will force the OD mainshaft internal gear to spin at the exact speed of the trans output shaft. If its nothing wrong with the solenoid stem, pawl, or lever/OD shift rail, then either I must be looking at something in the transmission itself, or the clutch (Which I doubt but who knows). Has anyone heard of a problem like this with the 3 speed transmission (no overdrive) or can anyone hypothesize about how this could even happen within the trans? I'm still leaning toward overdrive malfunction and will to check everything over now.
Thanks for all the help everyone,
Mike

 

i know very little about auto trans, and dont mean any offense, but have you checked the fluid levels?

 

Shes driving!!!
Thanks Nuthin and 4TL8Ford and hours of reading until 330am I isolated the problem. First I checked the solenoid. I took out the bolts and tried to pull. I got spring compression which told me that the solenoid was hooked into the pawl and also that the spring was already retracted (OD disengaged). I then disconnected the OD cable from my homemade bracket and discovered that the OD lever could move another 1/8" or so in the disengaged direction. I adjusted the OD cable bracket and cable accordingly to allow for the extra movement, and not expecting much I did a 1st to 2nd shift while driving up the driveway into the garage. It worked, so I just took it out for about 30 minutes and everything seems to work great in all gears. I guess that extra little bit of movement in the shift rail and thus sungear was enough to engage it into the planetary gear and engage in locked out drive. This really made my day to find a simple fix like this. And theres an extra bonus, I am able to shift from 1st to 2nd unlike my old trans where I could never get it to go into 2nd after 1st. I just always started in 2nd.
Thanks to everyone here for the help. FTE is great!
Mike

 

Houston, we have EFFIE!

Good job, Mike!

 

Thanks,
Now I need to make all the electrical connections test out the overdrive.
Mike