bwanapete Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 The Borg Warner overdrive on my 1941 Continental is stuck in the off position. I mean that the knob is pulled out, and can not be pushed in, not even a little bit. The cable route from the knob through the firewall and down to the overdrive looks like a simple pathway not likely to cause trouble. From underneath there seems to be no way to reach or even see where the cable attaches so I guess I need to take the floor inspection plate off. But is there some procedure (I'm thinking of how it is possible to unfreeze a clutch by popping it) that would be a shortcut? I don't think rust or lack of lubrication is going to be the problem anyway, and don't think I have the skill to disassemble, reassemble, and reinstall the unit, if the gears inside it are jammed plus I suppose that would not happen except if parts are worn. Looking for advice and suggestions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Harwood Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 I bet it's the cable. The free-wheeling lever on top of the transmission always moves with so little effort that I think it's little more than a tiny pin. Double check the cable routing and see if you can reach on top of the transmission with your hand and move the lever it is connected to manually. It should move easily. You can probably disconnect the cable and see if it moves, although being on top of the unit can sometimes make access a little tricky. You might need to do a lot of it by feel or with a mirror, or if there's an access panel in the floor, that would be ideal. I would double-check that it's not the cable--I'm 80% sure it is. With it disconnected, you might be able to lubricate it and free it up, but reproductions are readily available if you just want to replace it and not worry about it anymore. Feel around on top of the transmission where the cable is attached. You'll easily find the little lever. It should move quite easily. Hope this helps and please keep us posted so we can help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimy Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 As Matt says... Common problem when OD or Free Wheeling has not been used in quite some time. My technique is to spray PB Blaster on the spiral wound sheath, a few inches at a time, backed up with frequently-changed paper towels to minimize overspray. This will require jacking up the front end. Try to avoid doing the cable portion inside the car at first, but if you have to, protect the carpet and upholstery. Test by working the cable in and out, expecting just a little movement at first. Repeat as necessary until the wire is free within the sheath. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bwanapete Posted June 8, 2019 Author Share Posted June 8, 2019 Thanks both of you. I removed the access panel from the inside floor of the car. The lever of the overdrive does move, easily. The knob now moves the lever too. In the off position, it now pulls out maybe 2 inches. Question: how far does this lever need to move? Is horizontal back to vertical good enough? And when overdrive is off, how far out does the knob protrude out? Mine was out maybe 5 or 6 inches. I don't want to put things back together until I know that things are right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimy Posted June 8, 2019 Share Posted June 8, 2019 Disconnect the cable from the lever. Manually work the lever to its two extremes (in & out of OD) and mark each such location to its surroundings with chalk or tape or whatever. The cable must be adjusted so that each extreme of the lever can be reached with the knob from inside the car. You probably should lube the sliding portion of the shaft just behind the knob, if you have not already done so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bwanapete Posted June 9, 2019 Author Share Posted June 9, 2019 Well, I disconnected the cable from the overdrive, and the cable does indeed bind. For 2 days I have been spraying, and I used lithium grease on the shaft at the knob. There is no improvement. I can pull the knob out maybe 2 inches. I don't know why the knob hasn't come off. I'm thinking of trying to pull the cable completely out of the sheath, but will I be able to get it back in, or should I be more patient, or should I try to buy a new cable and sheath? I wonder how much Blaster can get through the spiral sheath to where it will do some good. I certainly hope for more advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
38ShortopConv. Posted June 9, 2019 Share Posted June 9, 2019 You probably have a broken strand on the inner cable, catching on the outer sheath or a break in the sheath causing a snag. I would take complete cable /sheath assembly out and take it to a old speedo repair shop or similar place and get a complete new inner and outer cable assembly built possibly using your old end fittings. Then see what happens! The problem may be inside the OD. unit, oh dear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Harwood Posted June 9, 2019 Share Posted June 9, 2019 New cables are readily available but if you lubricate that one and move it eventually it should break free. I seem to recall I bought a brand new cable with an "OVERDRIVE" handle attached for like $25 from one of the Ford suppliers not too long ago. I still have it on the shelf, I haven't installed it yet, but they're easy to find. Might be more worthwhile to see what you can find if you can't get yours to loosen up. This is easy, no big deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimy Posted June 10, 2019 Share Posted June 10, 2019 What Matt said! Make a 50/50 mixture of acetone and ATF in a shallow pan and immerse the cable for a couple of days, then dry it off and apply PB Blaster or similar, but keep that acetone mix away from the plastic knob. Once the cable BEGINS to move within the sheath, you're more than half-way home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bwanapete Posted June 10, 2019 Author Share Posted June 10, 2019 Because the cable will move relatively freely but only for an inch or so, and then there is immense resistance, the broken strand theory suggested by 38ShortopConv makes sense to me. I am surprised though because there are no short-radius curves between knob and overdrive unit. Tomorrow is another day. In the end, I will report back telling of the fix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray500 Posted June 10, 2019 Share Posted June 10, 2019 It it's rusty and corroded internally loosening it up with penetrating oil like Blast will get it going, but it will continue to give trouble. Better to find a new one. There are suppliers listed on the club website, and they might have a replacement and less of a problem messing with old corrosion and such that is almost impossible to really fix reliably. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
19tom40 Posted June 10, 2019 Share Posted June 10, 2019 A lot of times the reason that the cable is stuck is due to hardened grease. The cable is usually lubricated with white lithium grease. This grease hardens over time and prevents the cable from moving. I would remove the cable from the car, coil it up in a shallow pan and fill the pan with Marvel Mystery Oil, automatic transmission fluid or Mineral Spirits and let it soak for a couple of days to soften the grease. If you can pull the cable out of the sheath, wipe the cable clean and lubricate it with Super Lube Synthetic grease. This stuff works great for sliding surfaces and does not harden. https://www.harborfreight.com/85-gram-super-lube-grease-cartridge-93744.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bwanapete Posted June 16, 2019 Author Share Posted June 16, 2019 The PB Blaster didn't take care of the sticking cable. So I bought the lube from Harbor Freight and tried to remove the cable. I unfastened the turnbuckle from the cable at the overdrive unit and the handle bracket from the dashboard. Nothing moves. Am I supposed to undo the bracket on the overdrive unit, and is there anything else to unattach. Unfortunately although I have a little mechanical aptitude, I have little experience with old cars and don't want to screw mine up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Harwood Posted June 16, 2019 Share Posted June 16, 2019 There might be at least one anchor loop along the path of the cable that anchors it in place. I'm pretty sure there's one on the transmission itself holding the cable in place. It sounds like you'll need a new cable assembly, which you should be able to find pretty easily. It's not expensive and it'll be a solution that won't cost you any extra time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bwanapete Posted June 23, 2019 Author Share Posted June 23, 2019 Update: I installed the new overdrive cable, and it slides very nicely. A real PITA dealing with that bracket on the transmission. Hard to get the old clip off and hard to tighten the two nuts on the threaded stock for the new cable, but if I didn't get it tight enough, at least nothing will fall off. Now I need to put the cover plate over the overdrive unit back in place. Question: is there a preferred way to seal around the edges? It looks as if tar or pine tar or something had been used before. I guess this cover has to come off for other things too, so I would only want water and dust resistance. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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