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[oletrucks] 3 Speed Standard Overdrive

To: <oletrucks@autox.team.net>, <old-chevy-truck@egroups.com>
Subject: [oletrucks] 3 Speed Standard Overdrive
From: "Deve Krehbiel" <dkrehbiel@kscable.com>
Date: Mon, 11 Dec 2000 18:40:10 -0600
I am hoping someone here can help me with a problem I am anticipating. I
have just installed a 3 speed standard transmission with overdrive in my 50
deluxe cab. Its not the one I am doing the frame up resto on. Anyhow, from
what I understand, it amounts to 6 speeds. 1st gear and then 1st gear in
overdrive, etc. To engage the overdrive, there is two ways to do it. The way
it was done originally, you had a kickdown switch on the carb base that when
putting the gas pedal to the floor, disengaged the overdrive. (from what I
understand). There is also a governor that takes it out of overdrive below
about 30 mph.

Since I don't have all the switch, cable and associated hardware nor do I
have a clue how to wire all this, an old friend of mine who has lots of
experience with these overdrives suggest I just put a toggle switch on the
shifter and then do the switching into overdrive manually and not bother
using the governor. Its not very elegant but it would work. The toggle
switch engages the solenoid and puts it in overdrive on demand. Thats fine
and all, but there is a problem with that.

I have two other friends with this very setup that have ruined their
overdrive tranny because they forgot to flip the switch out of overdrive
before putting the truck into reverse. Apparently reverse is a very bad
thing for these transmissions if left in overdrive.

I am hoping someone here can help me with an electrical solution. I had in
mind a system where any attempt to put it in reverse disengages the
solenoid. I have noticed that when I put the tranny in reverse, there is a
mechanical that moves it out of overdrive anyway, but for some reason, this
system fails. Anyone can shed any light on this, please respond. A wiring
diagram on how this trans was originally set up would be nice.

Thanks!

Deve Krehbiel
Hesston, Kansas
1950 3100 * 1949 3600 * 1948 4400 * 50 3100
www.speedprint.com/Deves50/index.html
oletrucks is devoted to Chevy and GM trucks built between 1941 and 1959

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