46 Columbia dumb question

[Digger]

....so how do you engage the two speed Columbia on a 46? I see the push button on the dash, but when and how do you engage it?

Happy Holidays Barners! Take your Ford out for a drive this Holiday!

 

[Displayman]

You must be in motion to engage the Columbia rearend.
You push in the clutch all the way down, flip the dash switch
you will hear a clunk, it is in gear.
You use this as an overdrive at higher speeds. You must disengage
prior to stopping.
Go luck.
Bob-Hampshire, Illinois

 

[Bill Steiner]

It's been so long, but I think mine had a pull cable. Not sure what it did but I seem to remember it had some sort of Vac switch. Bill S.

 

[37 Coupe]

You must be in motion to engage the Columbia rearend.
You push in the clutch all the way down, flip the dash switch
you will hear a clunk, it is in gear.
You use this as an overdrive at higher speeds. You must disengage
prior to stopping.
Go luck.
Bob-Hampshire, Illinois

Mayby the Columbia operates differently on the later Fords and Mercurys with the solenoid operated control valve but on the earlier ones like my 37 you can stop with it engaged,taking off is noticeable as you are in a really high gear,but you can leave it in "high" gear all day, you just want to make sure you shift back into low before you shut engine down .

 

[4dFord/SC]

Mayby the Columbia operates differently on the later Fords and Mercurys with the solenoid operated control valve but on the earlier ones like my 37 you can stop with it engaged,taking off is noticeable as you are in a really high gear,but you can leave it in "high" gear all day, you just want to make sure you shift back into low before you shut engine down .

If you forget to shift back into low range before coming to a stop (and who hasn't), you can disengage the Columbia by shifting into reverse and backing up a little.

 

[jimTN]

Let off gas, push clutch in flip toggle switch up, listen for the clunk, let out clutch, step on gas and let off the toggle switch, it will return to center. When you approach a stop an push the clutch in, the Columbia will shift down because there is a switch linted to the clutch that puts it in low range.

 

[G.M.]

I have I have a number of cars with Columbia rears. I didn't like the Columbia controls and made my own controls. The first was 29 years ago on my 39 convertible. I use a dual fuel tank 12 volt motorized valve. Being a DC motor it works just fine on 6 volts. I also use a momentary double pole push button switch and a switch on the clutch pedal. At what ever speed or gear I want to go into Columbia I hold the clutch and the momentary dash switch in, release the clutch first then the dash switch and it's in Columbia which is a 28 1/2 % overdrive. When I come to a stop sign or traffic light I push the ckutch and it drops out of overdrive. I don't have remember to take it out. It's not good to start out with the Columbia engauged this is when they can break. I find the Columbia with a 3:78 rear iis the best combination. I have traveled all over the country and have never had a power problem. You don't come into small mountains at 30 MPH, I get a little speed up before aproaching. If there is a need to drop out of Coilumbia I just push the clutch and release it and it drops out to the 3:78 ratio. I also make my own speedometer changer that screws on the back of the speedometer which is operated by a set of contacts in the fuel valve that was used to switch the fuel sender from one tank to the other. The changer is also 12 volts but wouldn't pull in with 6 so I take them apart and rewind the magnetic coil so it works on 6 volts. I never had had any problems and it shifts smooth and most times you can't hear it shift. One picture shows the shift valve behind the rear seat of the 33 Phaeton and the speedo changer attached to the speedometer. The other changer was one of the first where I mounted it to the frame and used 2 speedometer cables. G.M.

 

[Digger]

The "switch" on this 46 is a push button, not an actual switch, so i guess will try a combination of the "advices" above and report back the first week of jan, which is when i pick up the car.. Thanks Barners

 

[columbiA]

I,ve been using modified Columbias in my model A,s since 1960 and made up my own controls.I used a push-pull cable to operate a valve under the floor board.I used a small valve available at truck shops as they are used on dump trucks to operate tail gate cyls etc.I removed the chrome handle & made a flat iron piece to hook up to the cable.I,ve never bothered with a speedo changer-when the speedo shows 43 mph,I know I,m going 60 mph.One time I made up a mechanical shift for it until I could find the parts to rebuild the shift cyl.I like the 4.11 & 2.94 ratios as it gives you the best of both worlds.

 

[G.M.]

One thing I noticed is when the shift valve is closer to the rear the shifting is faster and smoother. The long vacume lines slow things a little. I have put a few under the floors on 47 coupe and convertibles and they work without even knowing they shifted other than the jiggle of the speedometer needle as it changes. G.M.

 

[cmbrucew]

I had one in my 36 5W coupe. Seems like it had a lever to shift the vacuum switch.
I split all three gears so the glaspacs sounded like a 6 speed, everybody looked up.
Bruce

Works good
Lasts lomg time

 

[G.M.]

The 36 had a manualy operated valve on the firewall with a small lever at the bottom center of the dash. I think everyone that puts a Columbia in shifts into Columbia through the gears as a novelty but after a while it only becomes practical in 3rd. G.M.