How to make overdrive work?

My father has a 48' Lincoln with a 57' Oldsmobile V8.

Can anyone tell me if there is any way to make the overdrive work with just

one toggle switch. Thank you, Chip

Chip, You can operate the OD with a toggle switch, but then you don't have the kickdown feature and if you forget to switch it off when you back up you can destroy the freewheeling works and maybe something else. Get an old Motors Repair Manuel and see if you can repair the system. All of the electrical relays and switches can be taken apart and cleaned. The system is not too complicated and can be repaired with some common sense thinking.

Bill

Great answer, Bill. The rest of us should learn from your approach.

And just a note to all our many viewers, or "lurkers" as they are called on some other sites, that might be misled, 1940 did not offer the Borg Warner electric overdrive transmission, the only OD available that year was the venerable Columbia 2 speed axle, so someone changed this '40's trans and driveshaft somewhere along the way, I am always curious in such modifications how they handled the transmission rear motor mount. Also, I hope it is clear that the push/pull OD control is still necessary, even with the toggle switch which will by pass the relay and kick down switch, had that setup in a '41 Ford pickup once, worked slick

I have the set up with the push/pull in my 57 Ranchero. Works very well.

I have a Borg Warner R10 Overdrive sectioned in a stock 1040 Ford Tropedo shaft.

The unit was done by a guy in Vancover, I long since lost his card. I got it in the mid 80's and the guy was no spring chicken then. I had to pull my whole rear end out because I tossed a clutch spring, and while the read end was out I realized that the R10 was never hooked up right (the centrifical clutch wasn't

hooked up or the ignition cutout installed). I trying to find someone who

knows how to wire this thing and how I can check it out out of the car.

Spuds, I'm trying to understand your problem. As I read your quest, I believe you have a BW OD mounted in the drive shaft of your 1940 Ford. Is the OD from a Lincoln or some other car? Do you have a relay box mounted some where on the car? The Lincolns had them mounted on the engine side of the firewall. Do you have the push-pull cable mounted somewhere on the dash? When your speak of the centrifical clutch, do you mean the freewheeling clutch? Does the OD work a little or not at all? Is it in direct drive forward and reverse or do you have freewheeling when you let up on the accelerator?

Give us some clues as to what doesn't work so we can help you. It would also help to pick up an old Motors or Chilton Manual to go over so you have a basic understanding of how the OD is supposed to work.Usually the manuals show a wiring diagram.

Bill