The Ford Barn

kingskid · 03-16-2022, 04:03 PM

have a chance to pick up Borg-Warner overdrive tranny for my 47 business coupe. Mine is just standard 3 speed with enclosed drive shaft. Will need kickdown sw. od cable and relay. Will this work as a swap without too much modification ? Thanks in advance, kingskid.

supereal · 03-16-2022, 04:18 PM

I put a Ryan overdrive in my '47 convertible. It mounts on the front of the rear axle. It gives me a 30% reduction when engaged. I don't believe Ryan is still in business, but Mitchell is. Like my unit, it is controlled by a knob or lever and a cable. The Borg-Warner unit will require extensive modification to the driveline, together with wiring for the kick down, relay, and solenoid. My car has a 3:78 axle, and most B-W units use different ratios for different applications. I really enjoy being able to run with traffic on the highways. I suggest you sell your B-W unit and go for the Mitchell, which will bolt in your car.

kingskid · 04-11-2022, 06:10 PM

thanks for the info. where would I find a Mitchel?

tubman · 03-16-2022, 05:33 PM

I would guess that the "Borg-Warner overdrive tranny for my 47 business coupe" that the O/P "picked up" is in actuality a '49-early '51 Mercury transmission. Since these transmissions were originally intended for use in vehicles with open drive trains, fitting one in a '47 is not trivial. I have seen one in a '34 so it can be done, but it will be an advanced project including converting to an open drive rear and modifying the frame "X" member. Both are side-shift transmissions, so the shift linkage may work without too many problems, but I wouldn't bet on it.

There is a slight chance he has a unit from a late-'40's Lincoln, but that's no walk in the park either.

Automotive Stud · 03-17-2022, 07:36 AM

All of the BW overdrives are significantly longer than the '47 three speed. Even if it's a lincoln torque tube trans, the torque tube would have to be shortened and the x member modified. I'd pass on the trans if you are looking for anything close to a bolt in swap.

Ken/Alabama · 03-18-2022, 07:28 AM

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Quote:

Originally Posted by kingskid

have a chance to pick up Borg-Warner overdrive tranny for my 47 business coupe. Mine is just standard 3 speed with enclosed drive shaft. Will need kickdown sw. od cable and relay. Will this work as a swap without too much modification ? Thanks in advance, kingskid.

Find a Columbia Two speed rear axle. Bolt in no modifications to your car. Not the cheapest route but probably the easiest.

Frank Miller · 03-18-2022, 07:49 AM

Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't Lincoln use a closed drive overdrive transmission?
You need to tell us exactly what you are buying. There was no stock OD trans for 47 and even the 50 and 51 do not interchange with each other.

jimTN · 03-18-2022, 08:12 AM

Lincoln did make a OD trans with a closed DS.

V8COOPMAN · 03-18-2022, 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimTN

Lincoln did make a OD trans with a closed DS.

And what a beast it was! DD

FlatTopFreddie · 04-11-2022, 06:21 PM

Here is the Mitchell site:

https://mitchelloverdrives.com

They are about 6 months out on delivery .... Columbia may be a less expensive option

Additionally, it may require so floor modification for clearance of the case. Had to modify my buddy's 36 Coupe to install his Mitchell.

rotorwrench · 04-12-2022, 09:15 AM

There were several fabricators that used the Borg Warner electric and Laycock/Volvo type overdrives mounted in the torque tubes. Model A guys used them some and there are still units out there functioning but no one fabricates these set ups that I'm currently aware of. They were decent units if operated normally.

That big Lincoln set up was the only OEM one available for closed drive back in the day. All the units used in the 8BA era and later were OD transmission units that worked with open drive shafts.

blucar · 04-13-2022, 01:21 PM

Many of the EFV8 lovers do not care for the Columbia two speed OD rear ends, not to sure why, I would think because of poor maintenance or abuse. The '46-48 Columbia under my '36 has performed great during the 94 K miles I have driven the car. The car had a '36 Columbia under the car when I bought the car in 1952. It worked well but I did not like the early mechanical controls, the '46-48 electric over vacuum work much better, very user friendly. My wife drove the car on a regular basis, she had a '46 Studebaker Champion with OD when I meet her.

She also did not mind the left hand column shift that the coupe has.
I figure that if the Columbia OD's were good enough for the Lincoln Zephyr's and the Auburn's of the '30's, they were good enough for my lowly Ford.

supereal · 04-14-2022, 11:45 AM

If the OD comes with a floor lever shifter that requires a floorboard modification, as mine did, I substituted a cable with a knob under the dash. It was designed to be used by trucks for the PTO, and available at parts stores. I made a bracket at the unit to hold the lower end in place. The knob is pushed inward to engage the OD, and pulled back to disengage.

03-16-2022, 04:03 PM	#1
kingskid Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Denver, NC Posts: 44	overdrive? have a chance to pick up Borg-Warner overdrive tranny for my 47 business coupe. Mine is just standard 3 speed with enclosed drive shaft. Will need kickdown sw. od cable and relay. Will this work as a swap without too much modification ? Thanks in advance, kingskid.

03-16-2022, 04:18 PM	#2
supereal Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Iowa Posts: 1,634	Re: overdrive? I put a Ryan overdrive in my '47 convertible. It mounts on the front of the rear axle. It gives me a 30% reduction when engaged. I don't believe Ryan is still in business, but Mitchell is. Like my unit, it is controlled by a knob or lever and a cable. The Borg-Warner unit will require extensive modification to the driveline, together with wiring for the kick down, relay, and solenoid. My car has a 3:78 axle, and most B-W units use different ratios for different applications. I really enjoy being able to run with traffic on the highways. I suggest you sell your B-W unit and go for the Mitchell, which will bolt in your car.

04-11-2022, 06:10 PM	#3
kingskid Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Denver, NC Posts: 44	Re: overdrive? thanks for the info. where would I find a Mitchel?

03-16-2022, 05:33 PM	#4
tubman Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Minnesota, Florida Keys Posts: 11,633	Re: overdrive? I would guess that the "Borg-Warner overdrive tranny for my 47 business coupe" that the O/P "picked up" is in actuality a '49-early '51 Mercury transmission. Since these transmissions were originally intended for use in vehicles with open drive trains, fitting one in a '47 is not trivial. I have seen one in a '34 so it can be done, but it will be an advanced project including converting to an open drive rear and modifying the frame "X" member. Both are side-shift transmissions, so the shift linkage may work without too many problems, but I wouldn't bet on it. There is a slight chance he has a unit from a late-'40's Lincoln, but that's no walk in the park either.

03-17-2022, 07:36 AM	#5
Automotive Stud Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: New Jersey Posts: 893	Re: overdrive? All of the BW overdrives are significantly longer than the '47 three speed. Even if it's a lincoln torque tube trans, the torque tube would have to be shortened and the x member modified. I'd pass on the trans if you are looking for anything close to a bolt in swap.

03-18-2022, 07:49 AM	#7
Frank Miller Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Auburn, MA Posts: 2,106	Re: overdrive? Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't Lincoln use a closed drive overdrive transmission? You need to tell us exactly what you are buying. There was no stock OD trans for 47 and even the 50 and 51 do not interchange with each other. __________________ “The technique of infamy is to start two lies at once and get people arguing heatedly over which is true.” ~ Ezra Pound

03-18-2022, 08:12 AM	#8
jimTN Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Powell, TN Posts: 2,617	Re: overdrive? Lincoln did make a OD trans with a closed DS.

04-11-2022, 06:21 PM	#10
FlatTopFreddie Member Join Date: Mar 2022 Location: Lake Travis, TX Posts: 64	Re: overdrive? Here is the Mitchell site: https://mitchelloverdrives.com They are about 6 months out on delivery .... Columbia may be a less expensive option Additionally, it may require so floor modification for clearance of the case. Had to modify my buddy's 36 Coupe to install his Mitchell.

04-12-2022, 09:15 AM	#11
rotorwrench Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 17,410	Re: overdrive? There were several fabricators that used the Borg Warner electric and Laycock/Volvo type overdrives mounted in the torque tubes. Model A guys used them some and there are still units out there functioning but no one fabricates these set ups that I'm currently aware of. They were decent units if operated normally. That big Lincoln set up was the only OEM one available for closed drive back in the day. All the units used in the 8BA era and later were OD transmission units that worked with open drive shafts.

04-13-2022, 01:21 PM	#12
blucar Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Ventura, CA Posts: 2,466	Re: overdrive? Many of the EFV8 lovers do not care for the Columbia two speed OD rear ends, not to sure why, I would think because of poor maintenance or abuse. The '46-48 Columbia under my '36 has performed great during the 94 K miles I have driven the car. The car had a '36 Columbia under the car when I bought the car in 1952. It worked well but I did not like the early mechanical controls, the '46-48 electric over vacuum work much better, very user friendly. My wife drove the car on a regular basis, she had a '46 Studebaker Champion with OD when I meet her. She also did not mind the left hand column shift that the coupe has. I figure that if the Columbia OD's were good enough for the Lincoln Zephyr's and the Auburn's of the '30's, they were good enough for my lowly Ford. __________________ Bill.... 36 5 win cpe

04-14-2022, 11:45 AM	#13
supereal Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Iowa Posts: 1,634	Re: overdrive? If the OD comes with a floor lever shifter that requires a floorboard modification, as mine did, I substituted a cable with a knob under the dash. It was designed to be used by trucks for the PTO, and available at parts stores. I made a bracket at the unit to hold the lower end in place. The knob is pushed inward to engage the OD, and pulled back to disengage.