OD governor at fault?

J

jackson

Member
OD on my 1950 Mercury.... converted to 12 V Neg. ground. I've replaced the regulator and the solenoid with new, 12 volt models, and rewired the entire OD wiring using larger-than spec wires.

Now it works, but not exactly as it should. It refuses to "shift" into overdrive below about 40 mph. Figuring it has to be the governor, I removed the governor, and found I would have to remove a pressed-in pin to completely disassemble to clean it. I'm not confident in my ability to properly do that, so instead cleaned the insides as best I could by drowning it in WD-40, draining it and blowing it dry with air. It was no help. Still won't shift where it should. (high 20s)

Its the original governor, so I know it once worked properly. Is there any other reason for the OD to shift, but not until higher than normal speed?
 
It's probably the governor, but you could test this with a jumper wire hooked up to the wire running to the governor. The connection could be made at either end. Ground the jumper wire while driving along at any speed you want, and it should engage the overdrive. If it works this way, that would indicate that the governor is cutting in at the incorrect speed. There is a set of points inside the governor that possibly could be adjusted to change the cut-in speed, but I've never done it.
 
The governor shifts at 26 mph on my 1951 Mercury cars. It drops out at about 23 mph when slowing down. The governor is a set of flyweights that pushes against a relatively simple on/off switch all mounted in a bakelite & metal body. It's threaded into the transmission tail housing.

Many of the older 49 & 50 Mercury cars and some early 51 cars have a lock out switch. When they start giving trouble a lot of mechanics just bypass them straight to the governor instead of replacing the switch. These switches are harder to find now days and later cars didn't have them.
 
ROTORWRENCH, my 1950 had the rail switch. I have already removed it. The 1951s didn’t have this switch, makes you wonder why it was there in the first place.

From your name and pic.....were you a radial engine mechanic? I was a engine mechanic in the AF. R-4360’s. On KC-97’s.
 
jackson said:
The 1951s didn’t have this switch, makes you wonder why it was there in the first place.

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With the switch in the circuit, the relay and solenoid weren't energized with the OD locked out. Makes perfect sense to me. I suppose the problems created if the switch failed overrode the benefits. Plus it saved a few cents to delete it.
 
When I had BW overdrive cars, I installed a 3-way switch in the governor wire. Off (center) disabled the electrical system of the overdrive, up engaged the solenoid all the time, and down enabled the governor to work as intended.
 
You can spin the governor with a drill motor to check it's operation. The lockout switch was 49-50 only and Ford called for removing it from the circuit if there was a problem with it. They did not make replacements.
 
On my 1950 cpe if i remember it also locked in @ 38 mph upon removal i cleaned it like you with penetrating oil so it would spin free then upon reinstalling it i noticed a little hole in the floor right above where it mounted to the trans it had a make shift cover on it on that particular gov was a adj. screw i believe i removed the cover over the hole took it on the road with a screwdriver and adj.it to engage at 23-25 mph good luck
 
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