Thanks for the replies.  I'll drive it around town with the OD engaged on so I can get a feel for how it works.  When parking, I'll put it in reverse.  OD is kind of cool.  Like having two rear end ratios without the work of swapping the pumpkin all the time.

You can lock the OD out while moving but it must be kicked down to direct and with a load on it while you pull the handle out. Best to wait until you're at a dead stop.

OD in first was never used as I remember with something in the circuit (I believe the governor) keeping it from happening. For us guys who had OD's without all the proper circuits connected could use ours as a 6speed with a toggle switch on the steering wheel. It was fun to go thru 6 gears in the 70's. Anyway I never put any power down in first over. Have fun, I always did.

56 Vic, B'Ville 200 MPH Club Member, So Cal.

You can push it in (engaged) anytime stopped or moving forward. You cannot pull it out without lunching everything. Best bet is to wait till you’re at a complete stop, typically at the stop sign at the end of the ramp. When you slow down and fall below about 25 mph, you should feel the o/d drop out and the rpms fall to idle.

Note the comment above about using reverse to park if the handle is in. There’s also a way to wire a drop out switch, and then you can disengage the o/d when moving, but you really have to understand how they work and I’m not going into it here.

miker
55 bird, 32 cabrio F code
Kent, WA
Tucson, AZ

I took the car out on a straight road and the OD is definitely working at least in high gear.  With the OD handle out my RPM is about 3,000 at 60 mph..  With the handle in, it's 2,000 RPM.  The OD shifts so smoothly and quiet I can't tell when the shift occurs.  This works for me as I will never use OD unless I'm on the highway.   A couple of questions please.  Is it OK to push the handle in and out when the car is moving?   If the car is in OD high and I pull out the handle, what will happen?   Is there any chance the car will start out in 1st gear OD with the handle in?

Letting off the gas in OD at low speeds can feel a bit like freewheeling since there isn't much engine braking in OD.

The thing went in out of o/d ok, but I did have a bad problem of trying to throw a good shift to second gear. It had a good Hurst synchro loc  shifter with the gate adjusted right. I eventually put a regular 3 speed manual t-85 in which would shift ok. Maybe something was wacky.

And apply the parking brake. Belt & suspenders.

If the O/D is working properly it shouldn't freewheel above the governor cut-out speed, about 21 mph. If it freewheels at any speed above that there's something awry.

I drove an overdrive for several years. It was normal for the car to free wheel anytime the o/d handle was pushed in, regardless of the overdrive solenoid being engaged or not. That is why it is important to have it in reverse when parked so the car doesn't roll away. When shifted into reverse an internal mechanical interlock is actuated that locks out the free wheeling so the car won't roll away when parked with the o/d handle pushed in.

Thanks for the replies.  As soon as I have a chance, I'll drive the car in third gear with the OD lever pushed in.  With the handle out, I run about 3,000 rpm at 60 mph.  We'll see what happens.  Something is happening when I drive it. I can feel it freewheel when I decelerate in gear.   Be back soon.