Another overdrive problem

W

whatdoyouwant

Senior Member
I am in Custer SD.
My 55 fairlane is all stock. 6 volt positive ground and everything. I was driving and everything Ok but the I slowed for a stop sign and my overdrive would not shift back up. I checked the fuse and it had blown. I put another fuse in and OK. A few days later I went to drive and again the overdrive would not shift up.
The fuse and all looked Ok. I have done a lot of testing since then, and I have it all laying on the bench now. I can make the relay click by grounding the governor terminal but it will not engage the solenoid. I can touch the correct post on the solenoid with a wire to the batt and it will snap right out like it should. I connect the wires correctly on the relay and find out that I have 6 volts into the relay, ground the gov terminal and have 6 volts going to the solenoid side of the relay. I now hook all the wires up including from the relay to the to the solenoid. I now have 6 volts into the relay but when I ground the gov terminal I only have 3 volts going to the solenoid. I have another used relay that does the same thing. I have another new solenoid and it acts the same way.

any thoughts al
 
Had a similar issue with my o/d and the problem turned out to be corrosion on the two fuse holders on the relay. Cleaned them up and problem went away. On my situation when I would look at the fuse holder with a fuse in it you couldn’t see the corrosion on the bottom of the fuse. Didn’t discover the issue until I removed the fuse and cleaned the ends of the fuse and holders.
 
The kickdown switch is between the relay and the solenoid and it contains contacts, too. Along with cleaning all the connections, maybe bypass the kickdown switch as a troubleshooting step.
 
Isn't the kick down switch between the relay and the gov? I thought by grounding the terminal on the relay was the same as the gov reaching speed. Would this then bypass the kick down switch?
 
kickdown switch is between the relay and the solenoid. Power passes through two contacts in the switch.
 
Here is my last chapter on the overdrive problem. After following the good advice offered here, this is what I did. After a lot of testing on the bench, I found the the relay was working to click in. However it would only send 3.4 volts to the solenoid. I found out that by energizing the relay and holding my finger on the contacts, I could make it shift the solenoid. I figure the pull down coil in the relay must be getting weak ( you would think it would last more than 70 years). Anyway I took and bent the contacts closer together and after a road test, it works great.

I did order a new relay which I will install when it arrives.

Thanks for the thoughts and advice al
 
Glad it looks solved. But for the future, it could also be the pivot point sticking, or corrosion on the points. Doesn’t take much at 6 or 12 volts to go from a good voltage reading with no load, to low voltage under load. But glad you found it.
 
Over time points can get oxidized. I still use my little flat points file to dress distributor and voltage regulator points/contacts.
 
it sounds like you are getting inconsistent readings from the solenoid side of the relay. In your original post you said "I connect the wires correctly on the relay and find out that I have 6 volts into the relay, ground the gov terminal and have 6 volts going to the solenoid side of the relay." Hopefully the new relay will cure it, but I would put it through several cycles to check voltage at the solenoid while you have all out on the workbench.
 
This same thing just happened to me on Saturday. Driving along at highway speed (53 Mercury), when I heard a short screech from the transmission area, but everything remained working as it should. There was no further noise, and driving was not affected. But after coming to a stop noticed that the OD did not disengage. Driving on home car shifted as it should but remained in overdrive. Not sure where to start looking but this thread is a great help. Jim
 
engine103 said:
This same thing just happened to me on Saturday. Driving along at highway speed (53 Mercury), when I heard a short screech from the transmission area, but everything remained working as it should. There was no further noise, and driving was not affected. But after coming to a stop noticed that the OD did not disengage. Driving on home car shifted as it should but remained in overdrive. Not sure where to start looking but this thread is a great help. Jim
Click to expand...

If your transmission gives engine braking (not freewheeling) at all times, I suspect the screech you heard was the planetary and sun gears fusing together, probably from lack of lubricant.
 
Thanks for the reply. I'll take it for a short hop tomorrow afternoon after checking the fluid, as I'm not sure if it did or not.
 
The gear oil in the overdrive type transmissions should be checked and topped off from the side filler plug on the three speed gearbox part of the transmission. Be aware that the three speed case has a lower sump than the overdrive housing. The oil is a common supply between both sections. So if you’re running an inch or more low in the front case, the overdrive section is probably almost empty…..the planetary gears will now be running dry and will self destruct. Topping off the gear oil now will be comparable to closing the barn gate after the horse has escaped.

I would try to confirm that the solenoid is not receiving voltage when you are below 28 mph. If it’s still getting power, the electric system is not functioning correctly, keeping the solenoid actuated. However, I’m also suspicious of the “screeching” sound. The final confirmation would be to pull the transmission and remove the extension housing for an inspection of the planetary gear set.
 
Well, as you say, I think the horses have escaped and it's too late now to close the gate. It's my fault for not checking oil levels. The car is new to me, and I just didn't get that far in the checkout. So now in search of a rebuilt unit, unless I can find someone in the Oklahoma City area to do a repair or replace. I have found a completely rebuilt transmission with overdrive for $600.00, so that might be the way to go.
 
wellcraft17 said:
Had a similar issue with my o/d and the problem turned out to be corrosion on the two fuse holders on the relay. Cleaned them up and problem went away. On my situation when I would look at the fuse holder with a fuse in it you couldn’t see the corrosion on the bottom of the fuse. Didn’t discover the issue until I removed the fuse and cleaned the ends of the fuse and holders.
Click to expand...

Also check when fuse blows that the fuse holder is not touching metal cover as sometimes happens when fuse holder rivets get worn.
 
A question. Is there a difference between a 1953 Ford and a 1953 Mercury 3 speed with overdrive transmission? I would think not, but I just want to check. Thanks, Jim
 
The 53 Ford and 53 Mercury transmissions (both Standard and Overdrive) are identical….also the same as the 1952 types.

The $600 price for a “rebuilt” overdrive transmission would be the bargain of the century. I’m not saying that it would not be possible to find such a deal, but I know the hours needed to go through one and the labor/shop costs would well exceed the $600 price….. that doesn’t even include the cost of the parts. Would that rebuilt transmission come with a guarantee?
 
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