Overdrive Swith

[ReggieFoote]

Where can I find a new Overdrive Solenoid Switch??? Help!!!

Reggie

[ReggieFoote]

O.K., It's not a Swith, but a Switch...Old man, loose fingers here!!

Reggie

[Corsairdeluxe]

This is the overdrive kickdown switch.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-STUDEBAKER-OVERDRIVE-KICKDOWN-SWITCH-1941-60-529479-/181343029918?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item2a38e30a9e&vxp=mtr

This is the solenoid.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/6V-OVERDRIVE-SOLENOID-DODGE-PACKARD-PLYMOUTH-NASH-STUDEBAKER-WILLYS-KAISER-DELCO-/400686849933?pt=Vintage_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item5d4acc1f8d&vxp=mtr

There is also a rail switch and a governer switch.

[Terry T]

there is also a relay---that is the one shown mounted to the "firewall"

[kaiserfrazerlibrary]

The overdrive rail switch was intended to keep the OD from kicking in if the car got going fast enough IN REVERSE.  Tests by the Engineering Department showed that with the gearing of the transmission (outside of the OD) you should not be able to get enough speed in reverse so the unit will try to engage.  There was a 1955 vintage Willys Motors service bulletin that the switch would no longer be used on production vehicles & that a metal plate would be used to cover the switch's hole on the casing.

[Terry T]

Reggie,

with all that has been stated...which part do you need?

[ReggieFoote]

Thanks to all for the input.

I may have used the wrong nomenclature, as I wanted to reference the small unit mounted on the firewall. Mine has a white plastic part on the bottom and a glass fuse on the lower front.

This is the one I am looking for but the others are useful information to keep.

Reggie

[Fid]

What you're referring to is the relay. I think the shop manual may call it out as a 'switch' but it's the relay.  You can usually repair them.  Make sure the two contact points on the ends of the fuse holder are clean as they often corrode and this prevents current flow through the fuse.  I usually use a wire brush or a small knife to get down inside the fuse holder contacts and scrape them clean - often times that will do the trick. Otherwise you can open it up and examine it inside an see if the inside contacts are corroded. Before doing so you can do a 'click test' on it.  Carefully remove the plug - slowly and gently wiggle it off. Clean the four contacts (they're brass and likely corroded or oxidized) and then touch a 9 volt radio battery to the rear most and left side terminals (polarity doesn't matter) and you should hear a click.


If it clicks, likely your fuse holder or contact pins that plug into the white plug are/were just corroded.  If it clicks but still does no work, you may need to open it up and clean the inside contacts.
Good luck.

[ReggieFoote]

Thanks FID...Appreciate all the info and the photo...Big help!!

Reggie

[pnw_oldmags]

FYI - Your Overdrive unit can fail mechanically if you let it run out of oil and put it under an uphill load.  I know for a fact.
Can you say HEAT KILLS?  All the good wiring and good electrical components in the world don't fix this.
 

[Corsairdeluxe]

This is the relay with ceramic plug.They are seldom found but the relay will cost between $100-$200 and the ceramic plug ,which is almost never found,who knows?

[ReggieFoote]

Thanks to all. A great Forum especially for we older beginners/Newbies.

I've tried to add a photo, but I must be doing something wrong.  I BROWSE, find the photo and then when I hit POST, it doesn't go???

I previously had a 1980 Shay Reproduction and the Forum (www.shayhistory) was extremely simple to navigate but there was a limit on the size of the photo.

Reggie

[84RabbitGTI]

reggiefoote: To add photos, you have to first upload them to a site like Photobucket and the like.  Then you 'link' to them to post them here.  In my case, I have a free Photobucket account.  I upload the photos to the site.  Then I can to to the photo in photobucket and copy the location, then past it into the text here and it appears in your text, like so:



This is how I do it and it's the only way it has worked for me.

[Vagabond Russ]

Pictures...let's see if this works.  Probably won't.  If not, I'll try my Photobucket.  That would be a PIA.