Inspecting a Borg-Warner overdrive 3-speed

In this Fordification article about Borg-Warner overdrives, the author wrote:

How do you check to see if a transmission freewheels when it’s not in the car? I might be going to look at an overdrive from a ‘57 Ranchero, and I’d like to make sure it’s mechanically sound.

Thanks,

Dave

 

Flip the lever on the side one way and the other. One position freewheels, the other locks. That doesn't prove it's any good, there can be other issues.
The 90wt. story isn't exactly right, either. I had nothing but grief with BW's after whale oil was no longer available. Never did find a viable substitute before they all blew up. If you just use them to cruise at normal speeds they might work with 90wt. but hold the throttle down for a few miles and they self-destruct!

 

This site might be of some help. They also have the correct oil to put in them.

http://www.fifthaveinternetgarage.com/

 

Like normal 3-speed issues, or overdrive-specific issues? Can you elaborate?

Think it would be okay behind a 200ci Falcon six? It’s just a commuter, not a real hot rod.

Thanks, but I’m not seeing a link.

-Dave

 

That's funny, I ran the Borg Warner overdrives behind flatheads for years with never a problem BUT years ago I had a Studebaker Lark with a 259 V8 and the Borg Warner o/d trans and I couldn't keep one in it. Never did figure that one out.

 

Shift the trans into a forward gear. Move the overdrive lever toward the tailshaft. Hold the input shaft so it can't rotate and turn the output shaft. It should lock in one direction amd spin in the other direction. That's freewheeling.

Dan

 

I wonder if the same tranny was used in the F-100 pick ups of the early 60's. I had a '63 F-100 that was supposed to have an OD tranny in it originally. I bet it grenaded for the same reasons if it was the same tranny.

 

It was. The T86/R10 combination was used in Ford trucks all the way until 1972. Since I posted this, I bought the overdrive and discovered that I have a ‘67 Ford truck repair manual that covers all the basic service and overhaul procedures. The only difference being that the throttle-kickdown switch was under the pedal in ‘57 but had moved to the accelerator linkage on the firewall by ‘67.

-Dave