FlatheadFord
Member
Hello. My dad bought a 1953 Mercury Yesterday. It is a 3 speed with over drive. He forgets how to engage or disengage the overdrive? He said he feels no back pressure while shifting and it may be stuck in over drive.
1953 Mercury Overdrive
- Thread starter FlatheadFord
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flatheadmurre
Well-known member
The handle is wire so might be stuck from sitting a while?
You mean it freewheels ??
You mean it freewheels ??
40cpe
Well-known member
If you mean by "no back pressure" that there is no engine braking when letting off the accelerator in gear, the term is "freewheeling".
If it freewheels above 28 mph, the electrical engagement of the OD is not functioning. That is not all bad, because it means that the OD section is not frozen.
The trans can be made to act like a standard transmission by pulling the OD lever under the dash out. Do this while at a stop until you understand the operation better.
If it freewheels above 28 mph, the electrical engagement of the OD is not functioning. That is not all bad, because it means that the OD section is not frozen.
The trans can be made to act like a standard transmission by pulling the OD lever under the dash out. Do this while at a stop until you understand the operation better.
rotorwrench
Well-known member
The Borg Warner electric overdrive changed from standard gearing to overdrive electrically through the use of an operating relay on the engine side if the firewall, a pull in solenoid on the transmission, a governor switch on the transmission, and a kick down switch under the throttle pedal or in the linkage. Early models had a lock out switch when selected to reverse but it was deleted somewhere in 51 or so. If the wiring is all functioning correctly, (it can be pretty deteriorated since it is in a swampy environment under the car) you just let off the throttle pedal above the speed of 25 mph and it will shift into planetary drive. If it doesn't shift then there is a problem somewhere.
Cars with the electric overdrive have to be shifted into reverse or locked out with the cable pull knob when parked on a hill or they will roll away when the parking brake is not well adjusted and completely engaged. Internal linkage inside the gearbox will lock the car out when reverse is selected. The freewheeling clutch had to be utilized in this design in order for the transmission to function properly.
Cars with the electric overdrive have to be shifted into reverse or locked out with the cable pull knob when parked on a hill or they will roll away when the parking brake is not well adjusted and completely engaged. Internal linkage inside the gearbox will lock the car out when reverse is selected. The freewheeling clutch had to be utilized in this design in order for the transmission to function properly.
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