overdrive cable

[55dude]

guys, in my new project a 56' chevy 3100 panel i have a 3spd o.d. behind a sbc and noticed the cable assembly was missing, i'm not familiar with these setups and need info on cable type and where i can purchase one. pictures would be great (actual pictures) as i have looked in the factory online manual already. anything about the o.d. would be helpful. this vehicle has been in "drydock" since 1980 inside a building so as far as i know the transmission could be junk just like the engine is and if that is the case my T5 will be going in but i'm hoping to keep the stock column shifter if possible. thanks

[raycow]

Unless you need the correct type handle for a stock resto, just get a heavy duty choke, throttle or PTO cable from a heavy truck supply outfit. It will cost a lot less. I have used a car type universal choke cable and it actually does work, but it is a bit on the light side.

Ray

[55dude]

doesn't need to be O.E.M. just needs to operate correctly and without any b.s. thanks for the tip and that confirms what it looked like in the factory service manual. my left knee thinks i'm nutz for not going with 700r4 and the auto sounds better everytime i ask somebody about this 3spd O.D setup.

[raycow]

Over the years, I have installed about a dozen Borg Warner overdrives in cars and trucks which didn't originally have them and I have been very happy with the results. The B-W would always be my first choice for any vehicle where I wanted to keep the column shift. If my present truck (60 C-10) had come with a column shift I would have put a B-W into that too, but it had a 4 speed so I went with a T-5 instead.

It sounds like you have been getting bad reviews about the B-W from other people and I would appeciate hearing about what they are telling you. In my experience, these units have been extremely reliable and trouble-free, or else I wouldn't be recommending them.

Ray

[northerngmc]

How hard are these 3 spd OD units to find? I have always wanted to put one in my 59 GMC to help with highway speeds.

[solidaxel]

Originally Posted by raycow

Unless you need the correct type handle for a stock resto, just get a heavy duty choke, throttle or PTO cable from a heavy truck supply outfit. It will cost a lot less. I have used a car type universal choke cable and it actually does work, but it is a bit on the light side.

Ray

You may want to add to the list of less expensive cables,
Lawn mower throttle or choke cables, just try and keep them as straight as possible, it will be easier to pull - push

[raycow]

Originally Posted by northerngmc

How hard are these 3 spd OD units to find? I have always wanted to put one in my 59 GMC to help with highway speeds.

Overdrive transmissions aren't particularly scarce. They turn up on ebay and craigslist all the time. If your truck is 72 or older you can use any of the car or truck overdrive transmissions back to 55. If it is 73 or newer and needs a rear mount, use a car OD from 58 or later.

Ray

[northerngmc]

Originally Posted by raycow

Overdrive transmissions aren't particularly scarce. They turn up on ebay and craigslist all the time. If your truck is 72 or older you can use any of the car or truck overdrive transmissions back to 55. If it is 73 or newer and needs a rear mount, use a car OD from 58 or later.

Ray

Thanks I will do a little eBay searching.

I am in a small town in northern Canada and parts can be hard to come by.

[sweet70beast]

Does anyone happen to have a wiring diagram for these overdrives? I got one out of a 65 Biscaine for my Dad's 51 Deluxe 2door and I want to make sure I hook it up right.

[raycow]

Originally Posted by sweet70beast

Does anyone happen to have a wiring diagram for these overdrives?

If you have all the stock electrical parts, this diagram will show you how the factory wired it.
http://www.classictruckshop.com/club.../od-diagrm.jpg

If you don't have, and don't want to buy, the somewhat scarce and expensive relay and throttle switch, this page will show you how to get by without them.
http://www.smokstak.com/forum/showthread.php?t=68118

Ray

[murdoc]

chevy early 3 speed muncie transmission with BW overdrive. this is in my 65 chevy pickup. only thing i would want different is a fully syncronized first gear.

[murdoc]

this is the later 3 speed version of the BW overdrive. i believe that they were only available for 3 to four years. it uses the base saginaw fully synchronized transmission with the BW overdrive.







im waiting to restore this one now and put it in another of my projects. these are much harder to come by then the older model i posted earlier...la creme de la creme...

[faribran]

i have one of these that i may be pulling out shortly in favor of an LS and 4l60e.

[55dude]

murdoc those pic's are great! years ago i met a guy that put those later OD. units on the back of saginaw 4spds and all he added was oil line between the 2 units to lube OD. unit. pretty slick swap. raycow the only negative that i have been getting is from my left knee telling me it don't wanna work while i drive! so these transmissions are non syncro 1st gear? can your say 700R4?

[raycow]

The transmission with the 4 bolt side cover is non-synchro 1st. The 7 bolt is synchro. With OD you don't really need the synchro 1st because it freewheels below the OD cut-in speed (about 25-30 mph). You can shift into 1st while you are moving and it doesn't grind.

Ray