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By Big6ft6 - 13 Years Ago
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The only information I have access to is the repair manual and I feel like I'm reading the old testiment of the Bible! This sun-gear begot that ring gear, and the balk ring gear is internal the output pawl....blah blah blah. I just want to know how I'm supposed to operate it! I'm looking more for the information that would in the owner's manual. Something along the lines of "pull the lever on the dash when you want xyz to happen". I figured out enough from the repair manual to realize that the overdrive happens automatically? (contrary to my assumption that I had to pull out the dash lever to engage the overdrive). So how is it suppose to work and how to I know if it is working?
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By paul2748 - 13 Years Ago
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Do they have repro owners manual??
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By Big6ft6 - 13 Years Ago
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I'm sure there is, but I'm hoping someone else can just tell me. Isn't the three-speed manual trans with the overdrive a pretty common transmission? This is what I gathered from reading the repair manual. 1) just leave the lever on the dash pushed in for normal overdrive operation 2) when you go over 27 mph, the "governor" (I assume in the transmission?) weights pull out and make contact with a ground and complete the circuit that causes the overdrive solenoid to push the pawl against the balk ring, which causes the overdrive to be operational. 3) if you pull the dash lever out you are "locking out" the overdrive (overdrive will not engage) Can any confirm this operation?
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By slumlord444 - 13 Years Ago
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That prety much covers it. You probably want to engage or disingage it with the car stoped. You can disingage it with the car moving if you hit the kickdown and shift it out of OD and then pull the handle out. Not sure about engagin OD when it is moving. Memory fails me at the moment.
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By Big6ft6 - 13 Years Ago
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Thanks Slumlord! I was looking at the wiring tonight and it looks a little suspect to me. I don't believe mine is working. At least the kickdown button doesn't do anything when I floor the throttle at cruising speed. I think a re-wire is in order on that whole system, anyone know of a good source for the components of the parts for this system?
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By PWH42 - 13 Years Ago
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Nate..........To engage the OD,at any speed above 27 MPH,simply lift your foot from the accelerator and it engages.Pushing the pedal all the way to the floor disengages it,into what known as passing gear.After coasting down to below 27 MPH,the car freewheels.The handle on the dash is used to lock out the OD.If you pull it out,no OD and the car doesn't freewheel at low speeds.
Most of the vendors that handle mid-50s Ford parts have at least some of the OD electrical components.
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By Jimz Bird - 13 Years Ago
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Nate,
Here is a link to the entire owners manual in pdf:
http://www.tocmp.com/manuals/Ford/1956/Owners/index.htm
Attached is pg 12 with OD info.
HTH
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By Oldmics - 13 Years Ago
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Big6 I had the same sort of not knowing issues when I finally got my O.D. If you know how your cars engine RPM feels when running in 3rd gear now (O.D. not engauged), thusly when the O.D. is engauged and is functioning the engine RPM will be considerably lower when crusing in 3rd gear. With the O.D. engauged starting off in 1st gear and shifting into second (above 27MPH) the car should feel at a normal engine RPM range/once you are in 2nd gear-simply let off of the accelerator pedal and the car will then automatically put itself into O.D. in 2nd gear. This is when you will feel the engine RPM drop due to the O.D. kicking in. Shift into 3rd normally and you will be in 3rd gear O.D. for hiway crusing. Mashing the accelerator pedal to the floor when the car in in 3rd gear O.D. (or 2nd) causes the trans to momentarilly drop out of O.D.It feels like you are kicking into passing gear with an automatic trans. If the O.D. is not functioning your RPM will not drop down and you will have to troubleshoot the system. Check all of your wiring.My problem was I did not have a full 12 volts at the coil when running (I ran the O.D. circuit thru the ballast resistor). Once I had 12 volts at the coil all was well. The wiring schemetic is simple.Just check all of the required locations for wiring continuity and voltages. You could have a stuck solonoid which is easy to clean. Hope this helps,Oldmics
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By Big6ft6 - 13 Years Ago
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Thanks Old Mics, that is great info. I did pull up a wiring schematic and it looked pretty simple. The wiring looks old and and in not good shape. There was an underhood fire (float stuck) when my grandpa had it, they caught the fire quickly, but they had to replace some wires so it likely needs to be cleaned up. You started to answer my next question which is what are the likely culprits? There aren't many components, the kick-down switch, the solenoid, a relay, and the wires themselves right? Can I apply 12 Volts to the solenoid and see if I hear a click to check it? Is there a way to test the relay?
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By Big6ft6 - 13 Years Ago
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Cool! Thanks Jim
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By Jimz Bird - 13 Years Ago
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Your welcome Nate!
Looks like ours are the same color.
Is yours F (Pine Ridge Green)?
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By Big6ft6 - 13 Years Ago
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Yes, I think they are (were) the same color, but your seems to have a lot less of the optional rusty-brown perforated sheet metal than mine does.
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By Hoosier Hurricane - 13 Years Ago
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Jim: Interesting, I had a Pine Ridge green '56 in '61, and a friend of mine dubbed it "Mean Green". I had a dual quad Y in it and drag raced in a stock class.
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By Jimz Bird - 13 Years Ago
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Nate:
That's OK - Your a young guy so you have plenty of time to get it back to original. You are doing a good job already. I enjoy reading of your progress and your movie was cool.
We are in good company since John had one the same color as ours.
John:
Ahhh, That was a Real Mean Green - I am kind of a "Poser" now. But one of my projects when I get back is to put on a set of trips.
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By Doug T - 13 Years Ago
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One thing that may be difficult to diagnose is the governor. I have seen a few with the bronze contact corroded through which makes them not function at all. This means nothing will happen at 27 mph because the ground to the relay isn't made. You can put a switched grounded jumper the relay ground terminal and then turn the relay on manually at a speed above 27mph.
Another thing to look for is the cable slipping on the trany lever so that full engagement is not made.
The gearset is likely to be OK, most OD problems are outside the trany.
Overdrive is one of life's good things, running down the highway and dropping into OD just feels good.
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By DualQuad312 - 13 Years Ago
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Hi, Saw the posting on O.D troublshooting and thought I'd comment....The gentleman who mentioned letting off the acc, pedal at above 27 mph is correct...you can get o.d. in all three gears if you wanted to....In actuality you have a 6 speed manuel transmission.... I had my 57 out the other day and I, was able to get O.D. in first gear with no trouble.....Letting off the pedal when your above 27-28 mph is key....assuming your speedo is reading correctly...Lol...You should be able to hear the solenoide click in and at around the 28mph. point..... Your not alone when I first put an O.D. trans. in my Ranchero I didn't know how it worked either....Nor did I know how to get it to work.... Happy motoring Jeff
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By Big6ft6 - 13 Years Ago
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Doug, what do you mean by the "cable slipping" at the tranny lever? Do you mean the dash pull out cable that locks out the overdrive? I have to look back at the wiring diagram to see where the ground wire comes from the governor to the relay, the switch is an inruiging idea.
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By Frankenstein57 - 13 Years Ago
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Nate, my 58 ranchero came with a fresh 292 and a 3-speed OD. This car never came with that trans in it, so I had no wiring or kick down switch. After some advice I got on this forum, I wired the OD solenoid to a lighted switch on the dash. It works well, after the car is warmed up I just leave it on, (3.89 gear) I need to adjust my lockout cable linkage, doesn't pull out enough.
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By ejstith - 13 Years Ago
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When I ever get my T-85 in mine I'm going to bypass the governor & put a switch to the solenoid & just operate the overdrive with that. I had a '57 back in the day & did it that way.
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By aussiebill - 13 Years Ago
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Big6ft6 (9/27/2011)
Cool! Thanks JimNate, did you resolve hard brake pedal problem and if so, how? regards bill. 
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By ejstith - 12 Years Ago
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ejstith (11/8/2011)
When I ever get my T-85 in mine I'm going to bypass the governor & put a switch to the solenoid & just operate the overdrive with that. I had a '57 back in the day & did it that way.
And that's exactly what I did. 12V battery to relay, switch on the shift lever to the relay & 12V to the solenoid & solenoid grounded to the solenoid mounting bolt. Flip the switch OD on. Flip it the other way OD off.
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By DANIEL TINDER - 12 Years Ago
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ejstith (11/8/2011)
When I ever get my T-85 in mine I'm going to bypass the governor & put a switch to the solenoid & just operate the overdrive with that. I had a '57 back in the day & did it that way.
One advantage to using a switch instead of the governor is slick-shift freewheeling around the city at higher speeds. Also saves wear & tear since the OD isn't constantly kicking in & out. But, wouldn't want to drive in Frisco without compression braking.
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By ejstith - 12 Years Ago
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One thing I didn't see mentioned here is when parking make sure it's either in reverse or the parking brake is on or the overdrive is disengaged (lever out). Otherwise it will roll away if on a hill.... Also if the governor is bypassed and the solenoid is operated with a switch if one stops in overdrive the car won't go into reverse until the solenoid is disengaged.
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