50 Mercury OD problem
 

Hi fellas
A good number of years ago my trans developed a chipped 2nd. gear.
So I took it to a old school mechanic here in Atlanta. He took it apart just to tell me "yep" it has a chipped 2nd gear. It sat in pieces in his garage for many many months while he looked for a gear. I got fed up with him and brought it home in a crate in pieces. I can make somebody a deal on it if anyone is interested?
Anyways...I got another trans and put it in. last weekend I finally got around to wiring up the OD. To just to see how the OD works I wired it up with a fused switch with heavy wire from the power on the starter solenoid to the OD solenoid. When in the driveway I flip the switch and can hear the solenoid kick in and out. So I went for a drive to give it a try? I can hear it click in and out and kinda buck and a clunk but wont engage the OD? I'm afraid that I might do damage so I quit.
Freewheel handle/cable works fine. Could the solenoid be put in wrong? I'm sure hoping that its not something internal? Thoughts?
Thanks Randy

Re: 50 Mercury OD problem
 

Running without safety features can be hazardous. You would have to flip the switch a lot. You really need the governor in the circuit to insure no shifting below 23 MPH. What are you doing with the other terminal on the solenoid? It's not that hard to get them wired up as OEM and you will have all the automatic features. It's hard to diagnose one that may not be properly connected. The solenoid normally loads against the gear ring when activated. It doesn't shift in till you let off the throttle. After it engages the solenoid goes into a holding phase so that is doesn't use so much amperage but both coils have to work in there as well as the internal switches.

If you need hard parts just call VanPelt Sales. Mac will fix you up with what you need. That 2nd gear was same as the one in the earlier post war transmissions. The gears didn't change to the new diamond types till Feb 1951 on the Mercury cars.

The cable pull is for lock out when you don't want OD such as pulling up & down steep grades and trailering. The freewheeling action is only when the unit it locked in for OD.

Re: 50 Mercury OD problem
 

If you have the solenoid rod correctly engaged into the pawl (as in you put the solenoid on and gave it aquarter turn) and you are hearing it "click" then I might suspect you have internal problems. The solenoid is supposed to push the pawl in towards the balk ring and when the ring spins around the pawl locks in thereby engaging the OD. There's more to it but if the trans is otherwise not noisy, I would suspect the balk ring...

Re: 50 Mercury OD problem
 

Rand, one wire hooked up will only kick it in you need the other terminal on o.d. to keep it engauged.Sent you a P.M.Cliff.

Re: 50 Mercury OD problem
 

I respectfully disagree, to keep from spreading incorrect information. The other wire from the solenoid goes to an isolated terminal on the kickdown switch. It is only connected to the coil wire when the kickdown is actuated.

Re: 50 Mercury OD problem
 

40cpe is correct. A fused hot wire to a toggle switch to the solenoid can is all that is necessary to operate the O.D. all of the other factory stuff is nice and not that difficult to do but one switched hot wire will get her going.

Re: 50 Mercury OD problem
 

40cpe is correct. The second wire on the solenoid is the engine-killer wire. It goes to the kickdown switch and then to the distributor side of the ignition coil.

Re: 50 Mercury OD problem
 

What voltage are you running? G.M.

Re: 50 Mercury OD problem
 

I have one 6 volt solenoid fused wire to hot side of the starter solenoid, the other terminal of the solenoid to a ground. Messing with it today I broke the OD cable where it mounts to the lever. so maybe the lever wasn't fully moving as it should? Also I grounded the toggle switch today.
I'm on the hunt for another pull/push OD cable. (anybody have one?)
When I find one I'll report back. Also..When I get it going I will also wire it all up as Henry intended Thank you everybody!

Re: 50 Mercury OD problem
 

Shoe Box Central has them for Fords. Would that work??

Re: 50 Mercury OD problem
 

C&G Ford Parts has a O/D Cable that you can cut to fit. https://cgfordparts.com/ufolder/ford...r=A9AZ-7A650-A
When I put the 49 Merc O/D transmission in the tonner I used this cable.

Re: 50 Mercury OD problem
 

Thanks guys... Shoe box central. Macs. C&G cables will probably work.? Put the T handle is way to small.
I'm on the hunt for a good used OEM unit. If no luck ill probably have to go with the after market one. But that small T handle with the word
"overdrive" on it would drive me crazy!

Re: 50 Mercury OD problem
 

The kick down system actually kills the engine ignition momentarily while the overdrive shifts. That's where the wire to the coil comes in. There is more to it than just a wire to the solenoid. The shop manual shows the whole schematic at least for the Ford unit.

Re: 50 Mercury OD problem
 

If the look of the OEM handle is important have you given any thought to fabricating a new O/D cable using your OEM pull handle and mounting a universal push/pull cable to your handle?

Re: 50 Mercury OD problem
 

philipswanson...Yes your right! I am only wanting to hook it up momentary to check out the OD part of the Trans. Once I know everything is good? I plan to hook everything as Henry intended.

expavr... Yes I want to keep the OEM big T handle. Today I stopped by a Lawn mover shop and found the stiff wire I need. Pulling the old wire out on the handle was a booger.
I hope to re drill the end of the T handle and crimp the new wire in the handle