Ryan Overdrive

wavey1us

Junior Member
Does anyone know if you are able to make adjustments to a Ryan Overdrive? I read something in some old posts about a detent plunger. Just wondering how to make adjustments to that and what is this purpose?

Bill
 
Shifts into neutral pretty easy. Brush of the leg will goes the shifter to bump from out on non-engaged to netural.
 
I didn't know if you were having a problem,or if somebody on the intertube was telling you to adjust things just for the fun of it.I did work on one car with a Ryan,but never touched the unit.I did look at the unit,and seems like there was an adjustment on the side by the shifter plunger.It kind of looks like a steering box adjusting screw.I don't know if it has anything to do with the shift rail,or something completely unrelated.
 
The detent being a plunger or ball and a spring may or may not have a way to adjust tension of the spring. That would likely be the only adjustment other than shimming or replacing the spring for more tension. The Ryan OD is pretty basic and should be easy to work on but I don't know how much information or parts are available for them since they were discontinued around the year 2000. Support may be non existent.

This link is to the Santa Anita As site and shows the detent adjuster on the side.
https://www.santaanitaas.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Ryan-Overdrive.pdf

A person can add tension to make the shift more stiff or at least a bit more reasonable. I'm sure adjustment is limited but at least it has one.
 
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Thanks, Rotorwrench, This is the first time I have heard of the Ryan Overdrive but the PDF text with photos was very detailed, so I learned a lot. All things mechanical are interesting to me.

I have often wondered if stock drive tubes could be used with the Mitchell overdrive to produce a "stretched" Model A. The purpose being to make more room for the passengers and maybe lengthen the hood a bit for cosmetic reasons. Of course the body, frame, and many other components would also have to be modified. Reading the PDF on the Ryan brought this to my mind again.
 
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