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Technical '55 Ply 3spd OD transmission seems stuck!!

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by aguynamedcj, Jun 1, 2016.

  1. aguynamedcj
    Joined: Dec 2, 2010
    Posts: 46

    aguynamedcj
    Member

    '55 Plymouth, i6 3spd OD seems stuck sometimes. The OD has been working fine.

    Column shifter won't shift into reverse, the car won't roll in neutral, and in gears 1 and 2 the motor can push the car, but it is like a the parking brake is still on. Checked it, it's not.

    Rocking the car hard and alot with the clutch in will eventually create a little "thunk" and the car will roll free in neutral, reverse is usable again, and everything works fine.

    Now it is back in my sloped driveway, parked uphill, in the same stuck condition again. Any help out there? I'm stupid on transmissions, except for rewiring my OD and getting it working again.
     
  2. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,934

    squirrel
    Member

    If the roller clutch in the OD is worn, it can hang up like that. requires new internal parts to fix it. But there might be something else wrong, that's just the one thing Iv'e encountered.
     
  3. aguynamedcj
    Joined: Dec 2, 2010
    Posts: 46

    aguynamedcj
    Member

    Thanks for the timely reply.

    Hmmm, makes me wonder then if rolling the car in gear with the starter will free it up. Will that clutch affect shifting into reverse?


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  4. 302GMC
    Joined: Dec 15, 2005
    Posts: 7,856

    302GMC
    Member
    from Idaho

    I've fixed more than one OD that "didn't work" by dumping old gear lube out & filling with fresh.
    Also found many so low on oil they gummed everything together.
    Forget to lock it out on a downhill slope, and away she goes !! Because of that, many people were scared to death of OD cars, & few ever learned to use it right.
     
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  5. aguynamedcj
    Joined: Dec 2, 2010
    Posts: 46

    aguynamedcj
    Member

    Thanks 302!

    Drain and filll is my immediate action plan as soon as I can get her up on ramps. Will knock out the manual transmission also. I realized that it may not have been dropping out of OD, so I guess that's what is locking it up. Praying for no mechanical damage!

    I'll post results. Just a really weird symptom. I'd heard of a transmission sticking and rocking it back would free it up, just never knew what the culprit would be.

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  6. Any chance that the shift linkage is out of whack to the point where the trans is trying to engage two gears at the same time?
     
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  7. Hnstray
    Joined: Aug 23, 2009
    Posts: 12,355

    Hnstray
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Quincy, IL

    I have a '49 Plymouth that I swapped in an OD trans several years ago. The car occasionally sits for months between periods of use and often the OD becomes 'sticky'. In my case, it's not that the car won't move, but that the OD will not engage until several (3 -4 ) attempts are made to do so. After that it works ok until it sits again for awhile. It was a used trans when I installed it, but got fresh gear oil at the time, but not recently.

    I agree with Claymart, above. I would check the operation of your linkage. However, that said, that era Mopar transmssions are "Selector Type" (different shift arm process than commonly found) and do not typically have the linkage wear problems that lead to 'two gear' engagement issues. Nonetheless, I would look at the linkage arms, rods, bushings to eliminate any obvious problems. Also, check the shift linkage at the base of steering column is sufficiently lubed.

    Ray
     
  8. aguynamedcj
    Joined: Dec 2, 2010
    Posts: 46

    aguynamedcj
    Member

    Coming back to this to give an update.

    Drained and filled, no result.

    Began troubleshooting electrical. Went through the procedures in my service manual and had confusing results. During troubleshooting I thumped the "bosch" relay I installed for the OD relay when I rewired the car, and heard the relay release. Replaced the relay. Continued symptoms.

    I've learned that disconnecting the ignition lead to the relay releases the pawl in the OD solenoid and I have reverse again once I roll the car and it can retract. Upon driving, with the OD handle pushed in to allow OD to engage, the OD engages appropriately but doesn't disengage.

    Currently I pop the hood, disconnect the ignition wire from the relay when I stop and park. I run around town without it connected and the handle pulled out to keep the OD disengaged. For highway I run in normal conditions and just manage through until I get where I'm going and in a lot.

    I'm down to replacing the governor and the OD switch. Both are the original 6v parts that had been working correctly on my 12v system. My hunch is the OD switch has gone bad, but I can't isolate it as the sole culprit. The kickdown switch checked out fine.

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  9. Hnstray
    Joined: Aug 23, 2009
    Posts: 12,355

    Hnstray
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Quincy, IL

    Regarding the lube change......you may know this, and if you do, forgive me. But, the O/D unit has a separate oil supply and filler plug in it's housing. Easy to overlook.

    Not saying this is your problem, but good to know when servicing an O/D.

    Ray
     
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  10. petew
    Joined: Jul 21, 2010
    Posts: 221

    petew
    Member
    from Mebane, NC

    Had a similar problem with the od in my 57 Ford, the problem turned out to be a bad governor. When in od if the speed drops below 28 mph the governor will release, the circut is then open and the unit will drop out of od.
    With mine the governor points got stuck and the od wouldn't release . New governor (rebuilt) fixed the problem . I have also installed a toggle switch under the dash between the ign switch and the od relay. This way should I ever have a similar problem again I can shut the power down to the relay and get out of od .
    Pete
     
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  11. aguynamedcj
    Joined: Dec 2, 2010
    Posts: 46

    aguynamedcj
    Member

    Yup, found em both.

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  12. aguynamedcj
    Joined: Dec 2, 2010
    Posts: 46

    aguynamedcj
    Member

    Good to know. I've heard of these switches to be used. I'll try to disassemble and clean and such first. Part of the reason I'm thinking the switch is that the kick down when driving isn't working like it used to, but the kd switch is good. I'll be doing both gov and switch. Thanks for the input. Definitely will try to refurb the governor.

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  13. Flat Six Fix
    Joined: Feb 6, 2010
    Posts: 1,270

    Flat Six Fix
    Member

    Contact hitek on this web forum, he can help you out.....
     

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