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By Tazx100 - Last Year
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Coming home yesterday my 55 farilane town sedan quit shigting into od, I put the od handle in non od and it had back pressure when I let off moved it back into od and it freewheeled when I let off. The car dosent have to have a new clutch installed but since the od quit shifting I figured it would be best to go ahead and replace the clutch and it would be a lot easier to replace the soelnoids, wiring and kick down switch. If anyone has any advice on issues I might run into or where to get parts would be great. Thanks.
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By peeeot - Last Year
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Did you check the fuse mounted on the overdrive relay?
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By Tazx100 - Last Year
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yes I have power on both sides of the fuse
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By Dobie - Last Year
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For a quick check of the solenoid run a heavy gage wire direct from the solenoid connection at the relay to the battery. Touch the the wire to the battery; the solenoid should click. If it does click check the governor. They rarely give trouble but it's not unheard of.
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By FORD DEARBORN - Last Year
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A shop manual can be very helpful and informative when dealing with these overdrive transmissions. There is an excellent wiring diagram and the text and illustrations will cover testing of all the components with out removing them from the vehicle. All good advise above but if you study the wiring diagram in the shop manual it will really simplify how it all works. As always, there is lots of good advise here - good luck................
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By Tazx100 - Last Year
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Ive got a shop manual and Ive been studying it but I cant get comfy with shorting stuff out as I cant fully comprehend what is what.
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By Dobie - Last Year
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You may find this helpful:
https://www.amazon.com/Borg-Warner-Overdrive-Transmission-Manual/dp/B07B8WX2YN
This is the official Borg-Warner manual and goes into more depth than most auto manufacturer service manuals. It used to be available online for free but I can't find the website now.
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By miker - Last Year
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On line manual for free. Maybe more in the electrical trouble shooting section than your factory manual.
http://www.oldwillysforum.com/forum/TechData/BWOverdriveManual.pdf
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By DANIEL TINDER - Last Year
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Does the ‘kick-down’ switch ever fail in the OD ‘off’ situation? I know I once had to replace mine, but can’t remember what happened then.
P.S. I think the ‘56 shop manual has more OD data than the ‘55.
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By Tazx100 - Last Year
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Thanks guys I appreciate the help, Ive never used the kick down switch so I dont know what you are describing, I always keep the rpm below 2k and mainly just puut around, I will read the manual and hopefully I can ask better questions.
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By FORD DEARBORN - Last Year
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Something to think about when looking at the wiring diagram. The kickdown switch is on the floor just behind the accelerator pedal. When the pedal is floored, that switch is operated causing the overdrive to drop out leaving the transmission in 3rd gear until the pedal is released, then allowing the overdrive to re-engage. There are 2 contacts in that switch. One contact opens the governor circuit causing the relay on the firewall to drop out thus removing power from the solenoid. The other contact very briefly shorts out the ignition long enough to allow the solenoid and pawl to be pulled out of engagement. The instant that happens, the ignition is then restored. This happens so fast it's almost unnoticeable. Do you have a volt meter?
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By Tazx100 - Last Year
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Yes I have a voltmeter and thankfully a lift. I would rate my self as a decent shadetree mechanic on scrubys, used to race dirt cars back in the day. ANd when it comes to electrical I wont do anything untill I know what I am doing. I think I have figured out the order of operations for the od system.
Please correct me if I am wrong.
1 THe govenor does its job at 28 mph by going to ground.
2 I think this is sent to the kickdown switch which then goes to the points on the firewal.
3 The points send power to the solenoid which shifts into od.
If those operations are correct and I am not hearing the points on the firewall tick at shift time, then my issue is in the govenor or the kickdown switch???
Ive been spending time under the car pondering ,looking at the manual just tryuing to get a very basic understanding of whats happening its a simple system but it all has to work togther like it has for almost 70 years. Thanks for telling me how the kickdown swithch works I appreciate your time.
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By FORD DEARBORN - Last Year
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You got it all right. If you suspect the governor is at fault, you can easily prove it out. You are right in that the governor simply brings the coil in the relay on the firewall to ground thus completing that circuit energizing the relay. If you disconnect the one and only single wire leading to the governor and touch it to ground with the ignition on, you should hear and be able to feel the solenoid picking up. You should also be able to hear the relay on the firewall pick up. The first order of business is the relay on the firewall. Nothing can happen until it is energized. I believe you already determined there is power to the relay by reading battery voltage on goth sides of the fuse while the ignition is on, right?
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By Tazx100 - Last Year
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When the car quit shifting I couldnt hear the clicking on the firewall I am used too.
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By Dobie - Last Year
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Bypass the relay with a jumper wire from the battery to the relay terminal that goes to the solenoid to see if the solenoid clicks.
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By Tazx100 - Last Year
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I grounded out the govenor at the back of the trans and I could hear it clicking, I could not hear the relay on the firewall or the solenoid clicking. The trouble shooting guide recommended the following:
Power comes from the fuse through the relay, which is then activated whenever it is grounded.
Power from the relay to the governor does pass through the kick down switch. If there is no relay click when grounding the governor, check for 6 volts at the wire and trace it back to the kick down switch and then back to the relay to find the open circuit. Which wire am I checking for 6 volts?
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By Tazx100 - Last Year
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Supercharged Im headed that way but at this point I am stuck at the kcikdown switch
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By DANIEL TINDER - Last Year
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FYI: Just as an aside (when you get the OD working again), there are a couple points of interest:
1. Using the kick down switch eliminates the need to downshift for turns.
2. The OD relay (on the firewall) often becomes corroded in time, and internal electrical resistance can reduce available juice (especially with lights/radio/heater fan/etc. on) enough to prevent the OD solenoid from engaging/holding (low resistance solid state rebuilds have been available).
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By FORD DEARBORN - Last Year
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The procedure is to ground the one and only wire that goes to the governor, not the governor wire itself. The governor is nothing more than a single contact that closes when the flyweights inside reach a certain speed, usually at around 25mph. By separating the connection at the governor and grounding the wire that comes from above, that simulates the governor closing. With the ignition on, the relay on the firewall and the solenoid should then pick up. Yes, the wire leading to the governor does come from the kickdown switch, then from the kickdown switch to the relay coil on the firewall. Indeed, if that contact in the kickdown switch is open, then that will be your problem. Referring to that single wire going to the governor, you should show somewhat close to battery voltage with the ignition turned on, if everything in that circuit is healthy. The governor should not make any noise at all as there is nothing that electrically operates in side. I would say if you heard something click back there it had to be the solenoid. It sounds like you grounded the governor wire and heard the solenoid pick up?
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By Tazx100 - Last Year
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I would say if you heard something click back there it had to be the solenoid. It sounds like you grounded the governor wire and heard the solenoid pick up? Thats right I grounded the wire from the govenor and If the govenor dosent make any sounds in that state it definately was the solenoid. I got a recommendation from a owner of a 4x4 shop that Ive known forever and I called the shop he recommended. Talked to a guy that said he hasnt worked on a 3 sp od car in a long time but says he can prob diagonose it and said he could handle it as long as I could get the parts. I havent talked to Vanpelt yet but they have the od parts listed. After spending quite a bit of time under the car and trying to get the wiring diagrahm mapped out I just havent got there yet.
I get confused on checking the govenor " The procedure is to ground the one and only wire that goes to the governor, not the governor wire itself ' I cant identify or get in my head the difference between the govenor wire that I grounded and the one and only wire that goes to the govenor. Its tight where the kickdown swith is and I cant make anything out there
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By Tazx100 - Last Year
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I took the car for a late evening spin and now its shifting in and out of od and everything is working. I did the following,
1. Grounded the wire coming out of the govenor
2. Pressed the kick down switch several times with the ign off
3. I just put my fingers on all the connections I could find, didnt find anything loose.
I didnt think much off it but at the time the od wouldnt shift the gen light was on. The car is 6 volt and it is kept on a battery maintainer, WIth the car running and the headlights on it has 7.05 volts at the battery with the lights off its has 7.6 to7.8 I have noticed the gen light glowing dim before but it dosent stay on so I havent worried with it. I am glad its working again but I still want to figure out this system,hope you guys dont mind more questions. It could also be in the charging system, I am going to run a voltmeter off the battery and put the voltmeter where I can see it.
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By FORD DEARBORN - Last Year
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Explaining things in text is not one of my strong points and I truly apologize. There is only one wire going to the governor. I believe there is a connector there that pulls apart giving you 2 ends, 1 comes from the kickdown switch that mates with the wire permanently attached to the governor. I stated "one and only" because I didn't want the governor to be confused with the solenoid which has 2 attached wires. Anyways, If you grounded the governor wire coming from the kickdown switch and the solenoid picked up giving a distinct click, then electrically it's working. Also, the relay on the firewall is working too or the solenoid would not have picked up.. Even though you found someone that can help with your o/d trans, let us know how it goes...............
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By miker - Last Year
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I suspect that manually actuating the kick down switch “wiped” the contacts enough to clean them up a bit. Enough to compensate for slightly low voltage. Or pulling the terminals was enough. Doesn’t take much to cause just enough voltage drop on either 6 or 12 volts to bring out the gremlins in an old system.
Having the Gen light glow at idle isn’t uncommon, but it might be time to check the brushes and connections at the Gen set and then check the voltage regulator for points and adjustment. Really just maintenance given the age of our rides.
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By Tazx100 - Last Year
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I sure appreciate you guys help Im not much on chat either trying to diagnose somenting and I appreciate you help ford deaborn, I dont think the guy at the trans shop is going to be any help since its working again. So at this point all i know to do is rig up the volt meter so I can see what its doing going down the road.
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By FORD DEARBORN - Last Year
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At least you know it was an electrical problem and I tend to agree with miker in that something was disturbed/wiggled enough to once again make contact, for now. At least it appears all the components are good. Should it happen again, you are now armed and ready to deal with everything and as always, lots of help here.
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By Tazx100 - Last Year
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Thanks, I did learn more about the od system and t bird products has everything but the govenor for the od system, hvent taked to vanpelt yet but they also show od parts and also some one that knows about this system if it breaks again.
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By DANIEL TINDER - Last Year
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miker (8/23/2023)
I suspect that manually actuating the kick down switch “wiped” the contacts enough to clean them up a bit. Enough to compensate for slightly low voltage. Or pulling the terminals was enough. Doesn’t take much to cause just enough voltage drop on either 6 or 12 volts to bring out the gremlins in an old system. Having the Gen light glow at idle isn’t uncommon, but it might be time to check the brushes and connections at the Gen set and then check the voltage regulator for points and adjustment. Really just maintenance given the age of our rides.
Don't see how wiping the KD switch contacts could be relevant? Although, the multiple connectors might be indicative of something more complicated than its single pole/momentary function would tend to indicate (?).
BTW: Splicing into the wire that connects it to the coil makes for a simple theft-prevention device (hidden under-dash switch). Someone trying to ‘hot wire’ the car would have to be REALLY knowledgeable to figure why it wouldn’t start (especially in the dark).
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By miker - Last Year
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Re kick down switch.
I don’t know that actuating it would matter since I’ve never seen a schematic of the switch itself. But it does interrupt the relay. In any event it was one of the things the OP mentioned. Just wiggling the terminals shouldn’t help either, but something electrical got it working. Old connections build up resistance, and even if all are kind of ok they can add up to enough to cause a failure.
I would have done the same thing he did. But in retrospect a little cleaning with a wire brush and contact cleaner might have solved the problem and gone a way towards preventing a recurrence.
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By Tazx100 - Last Year
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I have been monitoring my voltage with a rigged up voltmeter going down the road and it was varying quite a bit, I put a wrench on the connections at the generator and found the negative was loose cleaned and tightened both connections and now the voltage is steady going down the road so hopefully that was my issue. THanks again for everyone's advice.
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