R10 overdrive will not engage
 

The OD in my '54 Ford will not engage. All of the OD electricals check out as good. I directly wired the solenoid to a toggle switch on the dash (as a one time test only) and still no engagement. After struggling with this problem for weeks and reading another long series of posts on on this site from 2014-2015, I am convinced that my problem is mechanical and not electrical and caused by misalignment of the blocker ring with the pawl. The blocker ring must have rotated out of alignment with the pawl when I had the solenoid removed in the past. This problem is described on page 10 of the Borg Warner manual. I tried the remedy for this condition with the solenoid loosened but it didn't work. I made a tool to grab the pawl and push it inward with the solenoid removed while rotating the driveshaft by hand but I only feel about 1/8" movement of the pawl and I don't feel it dropping into the blocker ring no matter how many times I turn the driveshaft. Can someone give me a detailed description of how to realign the blocker ring without pulling the transmission and taking it apart? Should I have the OD dash handle in or out? Should I have the car in a forward gear or in neutral? I assume that the rear wheels should be off of the ground. Thanks

Re: R10 overdrive will not engage
 

The cable on the dash should be in whichever position to give you freewheeling. I'd imagine that means pull the handle out, but not necessarily.

Can you take the car for a spin and verify that? When you let off the gas you will have no "engine breaking". The car will coast, as if you have the car in neutral.

FYI; did you check the lube in the O/D unit? You just pull that upper plug out with a small crescent wrench, and a slight stream of oil/lube should come out.

Ya know, a lot of us usually do not even reply to people posting without a location. A state of province is a big place ya know... Sometimes a local car club can come over and help a person. Often times a problem is something simple.

Re: R10 overdrive will not engage
 

The car normally has to coast by letting off the throttle to get it to kick into a notch in the sun gear plate. The pawl initially extends against the balk ring as soon as the governor switches into on speed around 25 mph. When a person lets off the throttle it allows the balk ring to move till the pawl will pop on up into one of the gear plate notches. The sun gear rotates the opposite direction of normal rotation when the car is in coast mode so that's what allows the pawl to engage into the slot on the balk ring and on into one of the sun gear ring notches.

The balk ring can get out of place but it's not allowed to have much movement inside there. The important thing is that the balk ring has the required amount of friction to allow it to function properly. The friction of the ring can only be checked while the overdrive unit is disassembled. A spring scale is used to check it's resistance to movement.

Most problems are electrical but I have to assume you have checked all the components you have there. The operating solenoid has to get full extension if bench tested. The electrical control function has to be able to take the current needed for loaded extension of the solenoid. Once it fully extends then the holding coil kicks in and it needs less current to hold it. Your switch needs to be rated for that amount of current. Normally that is performed by the dash relay which can take the full current load.

There can also be problems with the shift rail or it may have a problem with the pawl. There again, it would have to be disassembled to thoroughly check all that stuff to be sure.

Re: R10 overdrive will not engage
 

Yes, I have ruled out an electrical cause for my problem by hotwiring the solenoid directly from the dash and although I can hear the solenoid click when I switch it on the OD will not engage while driving 50 +MPH. I also realigned the pawl with the tool that I made so misalignment is not the problem. At this point I am looking for either a good R10 in California or someone here that can fix the internal problem with my OD.

Re: R10 overdrive will not engage
 

Hello L like info Rotorwrench has to say. Balk ring must have tension, Fords cook book explains it. Have taken many T-85 OD apart and several had balk rings that were blue from heat, worn out.

Re: R10 overdrive will not engage
 

Oil has to be thin. My 50 Ford I had to drive it for 5 miles or less for it to work.If oil is too thick won't work

Re: R10 overdrive will not engage
 

So you want to take the car to a shop, and let them deal with it, right?

Re: R10 overdrive will not engage
 

This may sound like a stupid question, but are you sure the lever on the tail of the transmission is all the way back when the OD handle under the dash is pushed in ?

Sal

Re: R10 overdrive will not engage
 

I have a 55 Customline with O/drive. Had fitted a new cable which was slightly too long.
Have to ensure handle under dash is pushed firmly all the way in to ensure engagement. Have had a few times not working and alls good when double checked and give handle a little further push which then engages it.
Phil NZ

Re: R10 overdrive will not engage
 

I have a '55 Ranch Wagon, and my OD was working fine. I pulled the OD handle out just to make sure it disengaged. The OD doesn't engage with the cable handle all the way in now. The fuse on the OD relay is good and there is battery power there. I think I need to crawl under the car and see if the lever on the trans is all the way back.

Sal

Re: R10 overdrive will not engage
 

what I did on my '59 was wire the lever on the trans in the engaged position and take it for a ride. you will know immediately if it is in O/D. will be very sluggish, that will rule out mechanicales in the trans

Re: R10 overdrive will not engage
 

There is no lever on the side to wire open that will lock it in overdrive.