mitchell over drive

O

ora masters

Well-known member
has any one in ford barn installed one of these if so how do you like it snyder has a 4 month waiting time to order one so they must be very poplar thanks ora
 
did you install most of my driveing is 50 miles round trip i do not take any long tours would it still be worth while
 
Do you go up and down hills on your trip? If so, it is a good thing to have. Or if you want to save your engine, I understand they help in that area also.
 
For about the last 15 years I have been told by many people I needed to install a Mitchell. Considering the mileage I put on the "A" every year and planned to do more driving I finally installed one in 2012 in my 29 Tudor, I absolutely love it. Since installing it I have driven the 29 about 13,000 miles. My only regret is that I did not listen and install it 15 years ago.

To answer your question above. If that is all the driving you do and no long trips you probably do not get up to speed to even use the Mitchell. If that is all you intend to drive - save your money it is NOT for you.

Why don't you drive more? Driving is where the real fun/pleasure is in this hobby. We returned last week fron the MARC National Tour in Cary, NC logged about 1600 miles in 6 days, great time saw some beautiful countryside and met many people along the way. I do not drive the interstates - generally the back roads.
 
We have installed a bunch here in Southern California. They are very well made and the Mitchell people are a pleasure to do business with. I would order direct from them. It would be drop shipped from their location regardless of whoever you order it from.

Three months lead time is pretty standard with them. Give Sue Mitchell a call at 540-458-4500. They are located in Colusa, CA.

Tom Endy
 
Would a stock Model A pull the O/D OK in high? Or would the Mitchell trans be a better choice if you just drive around town with an occasional jaunt farther.
 
Sounds to me you don't need one. Fifty mile trips once in a blue moon would hardly justify the outlay in cash. Time to install is about a day if you don't have help, If you do it can take longer, but a few of us have put several in our club members cars and from the time we show up until they are out test driving is usually four working hours, or less. If the reason you are not driving more is because you dread going up hills, maybe the OD is for you. I think you will find your a is much more driver friendly with the OD. It gives you six speeds formats to choose from and though most don't use it to gain top speed increases, the majority are finding more comfort as the engine is not revving so high. I found a slight difference in mileage, but no one buys a Model A for the mileage numbers.
 
I run two of them & just ordered another 4 , you will never regret having one & it adds too the value of your vehicle.
 
thanks every one to answer some questions i drive one of my cars every day if weather is not too bad any hills i drive on i can gain speed up hill and 35 to 40 is the way we drive on out of the way back roads my driveing buddy just completed a 31 pick up it took first place today at a local show beat my 30 huckster he is the one that is getting the mitchell by the way i am 86 and still goeing strong i have ben blessed with good health thanks ora
 
Ora, I have one in the 29 coupe and love it. It makes driving it a pleasure, great encountering long hills when you can shift from high into low range thus keeping the rpms up. Mine also has a Snyders 5.5 head and takes most hills with ease. The overdrive has syncros in it so shifting in and out of hi/low range is easy, no need to double clutch. Gas mileage is much improved also with a 3-4 mpg improvement. Well worth the expense in my opinion.
 
We have one in our sedan and love it. Several years ago we wrote an article comparing the various overdrives. The Mitchell, while being the only all new unit, also was the only one that was all mechanical. This means no concern about voltage, wiring or any other electrical problems and failures. They are pretty straight forward to install.
 
Get one! They are great.
With the help of Tom Endy, my club did a seminar on the installation. Took about 5 hours and drove it home.
Since then, I have added the Mitchell ****** with the higher first and second gears to the mix. It is a dream to drive.

The car is absolutely stock and it does very well in the hills as well as on the open road.

Dick Wyckoff
 
If a person only puts in a Mitchell overdrive, is it still effective even without all the other increase power equipment (heads, etc.) that a person can use?
 
Yes, you do not have to add other improvements. A well- running, stock Model A will work with the Mitchell just fine. As others have said, the HC heads will give you a little better pulling power on grades, slightly better acceleration. The big difference with the OD is you can cruise at a faster speed if you want, or you can cruise at lower speeds without the noise and other issues a lot of Model A's have. It only takes one 5 minute in one to be impressed!
 
Hey Dick,
'Stock engine'...good tribute as to benefits of adding Mitchell !
Does your club have KRWilson tool for pulling pinion or what do you use for this particular task ?
 
hardtimes said:
...Does your club have KRWilson tool for pulling pinion or what do you use for this particular task ?
Click to expand...
I purchased and used the pinion puller that Mitchell has. Cost was $85, and has been used by a couple other members of our club. Well worth the cost.
 
Another benefit is that the Mitchell is actually a gear-splitter, so it makes driving through town easier when normal 3rd gear would be too fast and normal 2nd would be too slow. With the Mitchell, one can put the ****** in 2nd high and attain a speed that keeps pace with traffic.

We found the Mitchell family a delight. I took a road trip to Colusa with my buddy last fall to pick up a unit for his Vicky, and Steve Mitchell spent a couple of hours with us showing us his shop. I learned lots!

The installation is straight forward and gave us the opportunity to replace a few other components (u-joint, throw-out bearing, pressure plate, etc) at the same time.


Mike
 
HardTimes

Tom Endy had all the proper tooling to pull the pinion. His garage is equipped with all the items necessary for the changeover.

One interesting issue is getting the completed assembly back in the car. With the OD installed in the drivetrain, it is much heavier and requires some extra help to get everything lined up. I still highly recommend the installation.

Dick
 
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