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Mod | | | Forums66 Topics126,781 Posts1,039,297 Members48,100 | | Most Online2,175
Jul 21st, 2025 | | | | Joined: May 2001 Posts: 7,440 Extreme Gabster | | Extreme Gabster Joined: May 2001 Posts: 7,440 | I have acquired a 3 speed OD like this one. I'd like to know the drive ratio in OD. I tried to find the info in the '58 truck service manual and it appears these weren't offered in trucks. Any info appreciated. Thanks. | | | | | Joined: Jul 2001 Posts: 3,887 Cruising in the Passing Lane | | Cruising in the Passing Lane Joined: Jul 2001 Posts: 3,887 | 57 truck manual lists it as 0.70:1 - not sure why it wouldn't be in the 58 manual, they used that trans in trucks up to about 67 - maybe look for the 58 glove box operators book, might be in that .... in 58 they came out with some 'economy rear ratios' [when the 3.38 started I think] and maybe pushed those instead of the OD which usually came with the 4.11
Bill | | | | | Joined: Jan 2008 Posts: 4,903 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jan 2008 Posts: 4,903 | The picture looks like a T89 which is very rare. The common one is the SM318 front section with a BW T10 overdrive. Both are .70 overdrive. BW published an overdrive manual in the 50's. I am in Germany at the moment. I can scan it and send it to you when I get home. If you pull the shift cover off and it looks like a Chev transmission, it will be the the SM318 front section and the book for the SM 318 will work. If it has brass synchros on second and third gear, it will be the T89 which was also used by Ford. I have the Ford books. Overdrives have always been my favorite. You can lock out the overdrive and have the fun of a 3.90 and let it drop into overdrive on the highway and have the benefit of 2.73. | | | | | Joined: May 2001 Posts: 7,440 Extreme Gabster | | Extreme Gabster Joined: May 2001 Posts: 7,440 | OK, I did find in the resto-pac the OD was offered with the 4.11. No info on the ratio, though. Thanks, Bill. | | | | | Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,262 Bubba - Curmudgeon | | Bubba - Curmudgeon Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,262 |
The 0.70 overdrive 3-speed transmission first became available as an RPO for the 1955 2nd series 3100 and 3200 trucks. In that year, in its "standard" RPO configuration (RPO315), it was mated to a 4.11 rear end.
| | | | | Joined: Jan 2002 Posts: 2,254 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jan 2002 Posts: 2,254 | That is the transmission that I had on my 55 2nd.
Dennis
-there is nothing stronger than the heart of a volunteer-
| | | | | Joined: May 2001 Posts: 7,440 Extreme Gabster | | Extreme Gabster Joined: May 2001 Posts: 7,440 | If I can scrounge up a shifter it's going in my '54 Suburban. | | | | | Joined: Jan 2008 Posts: 4,903 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jan 2008 Posts: 4,903 | A Hurst shifter will work, but it takes a special mounting bracket to clear the OD solenoid. They appear on eBay ever so often and are listed as Ford. I can shoot a picture of what the bracket looks like. It wouldn't take a rocket scientist to build one. | | | | | Joined: May 2001 Posts: 7,440 Extreme Gabster | | Extreme Gabster Joined: May 2001 Posts: 7,440 | I plan to use a column shifter. I'm sure I have enough parts around here to put one together. | | | | | Joined: Jan 2008 Posts: 4,903 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jan 2008 Posts: 4,903 | A column shifter is much easier than a floor shifter because you don't have the seat to deal with. If the arms aren't clocked right, but a circle around the oblong hole and weld them back where they need to be. I'm sure you have some shift levers in your junk pile inventory. | | | | | Joined: Jan 2007 Posts: 93 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Jan 2007 Posts: 93 | Cletis: Here is a site with a scan of all the manuals on the 3 speed overdrive. I have one with synchro first using a floor shifter in my 1966 GMC with 305E v6. The tranny is a great addition. My rear end is a 3.56. I normally let the transmission shift to overdrive in second at 26 mph. Around town it acts like an auto shifting at this speed and downshifting when the speed drops off. When I get over 40 mph I shift from second with overdrive to 3rd with overdrive. Gives a nice gear for the highway where my V6 is not screaming to keep up. I haven't seen Fred reply yet, but he frequents this site and has a great deal of experience with these transmissions. He was very helpful when I set mine up. You can do a search and find his replies. Regards, Steve New Orleans http://www.speedprint.com/deves50/overdriveindex.php | | | | | Joined: May 2001 Posts: 7,440 Extreme Gabster | | Extreme Gabster Joined: May 2001 Posts: 7,440 | Thanks Steve. That is some very helpful info. I was wondering how it works and how to wire it.
| | | | | Joined: May 2005 Posts: 487 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: May 2005 Posts: 487 | When I hooked mine up, I swapped the side cover from the original 3-sp. That made it easier to deal with the shift arm positioning issue on the AD trucks. Here's a drawing that shows how the linkage is done. regards, Leon | | | | | Joined: Jan 2002 Posts: 2,254 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jan 2002 Posts: 2,254 | Hey Cletis.
Let me know if you need any of the parts to hook up the shifter. I believe I have everything you need to make it a colum mount shifter. I also did what Leon said about switching out the side cover when I put in my 3 speed OD.
I also have a couple of the 3 speed saginaw transmissions you can have. One has the aftermarket floor shifter on it.
Let me know
Dennis
-there is nothing stronger than the heart of a volunteer-
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