The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline Borg Warner OD guys get in here

I was able to obtain the old 3 speed with the Borg Warner OD on it. I've been able to find all the info on how to wire it. I want to set it up so it works automatically like it's supposed to, but also have the override switches so I can make it shift when I want to. So, the question is, where/how is the best way to make the control panel? The switches need to be right on/near the shifter and I have the original column shift. I've seen controls mounted on floor shifters, but I don't know how well that works with a 3 on the tree. Anyone have any suggestions or some pics of your setup? Thanks in advance!

I mounted a DPDT toggle switch through the bottom lip of my dash in lieu of the kickdown switch. For passing gear, I flip the switch.

I don't understand what you mean by "...so I can make it shift when I want to."


I can also take it out of OD for in town use with that switch but the transmission freewheels in that mode. In other words, if you let off the gas at 20 mph, you must rev the engine to where it would be at 20 mph before the trans kicks back in. It is best to take it out of OD with the cable driven lever when in town.

I mounted my override switch in the same position as Cletis. Seems to work OK.

Why not just wire it the way it was intended, with a kickdown switch? It's necessary to kill the ignition momentarily to allow the solenoid to retract the lock pawl properly and engage direct drive. The kickdown does that by shorting out the circuit from the coil to the distributor for a fraction of a second while the spring-loaded solenoid plunger retracts. A simple toggle switch engagement/disengagement does not do that, and could result in damage to the overdrive unless the driver disengages the clutch while shifting out of overdrive with the toggle switch.
Jerry

I agree with Jerry. Wire it up as the factory intended. Once you get used to driving it you will find that it will meet all your needs.
Fred

Check out this link: http://www.speedprint.com/deves50/doc/bwwiring.pdf
This guy seems to have it set up pretty well. The unit works like it's supposed to, but he has the option to make the OD shift up and down whenever he wants it to. I was thinking of doing the same thing. The way he has it set up is that he needs 3 switches in order to control it and he has them mounted in a box on the floor shifter. That's going to be a bit challenging to mount on/near the column shift. I know it seems a bit needlessly complicated to do, but it seems cool. I don't know...what do you all think?

The overdrive governor on the transmission prevents o/d from working below 28 mph. Once above 28 mph, the governor allows overdrive to engage if the T handle cable is pushed in to disengage the manual lock out function. Above 28 mph the kick down switch allows you to have o/d when you want it. Another way to have o/d when you want it is to keep a slight amount of pressure on the gas pedal. The o/d will not engage when you keep a little pressure on the gas pedal, even when above 28 mph and the T handle is pushed in. Just keep that little pressure on the pedal until you reach the speed you want o/d and then let off the gas pedal to shift into o/d. With a little practice, you can even shift from 2nd to 3rd gear with a little pedal pressure and not engage o/d until you want it. I use gas pedal pressure all the time to have o/d when I want it. Make sure your kick down switch is adjusted just right to allow easy kick down. With a little practice using the T handle, it becomes easy to use the lock out cable to engage and disengage o/d. Keep pressure off the drive line (not accelerating or decelerating)and it is easy to push the handle in and engage o/d. Press the gas pedal to the floor to have accelerating pressure and it is easy to pull the handle out to prevent o/d from engaging. I know some people who never practice using the various methods described above and never get the full control and benefits of the o/d. One time, I did put a small on/off button on my column shift where I could reach it with my thumb, when my hand was on the plastic knob. I wired it to the governor so I could ground the circuit at anytime and engage o/d. I even had o/d in 1st gear - wow - fun! But there is a big downside. The o/d will not rotate in reverse. If you forget to push the button before you park (leaving the o/d engaged)you will back up a little way and then boom! the o/d locks up and stops you immediately. Doesn't take much of that to ruin the o/d. It was tons of fun for a couple of years but I switched back to the factory controls after that o/d was ruined.

I looked at that once, way overly complicated. Why change it when the factory got it right in the first place?

My truck is wired the way the factory intended with the exception of the DPDT switch instead of the kickdown switch, which I could not obtain. The kick down switch has one circuit normally open and a separate circuit normally closed. I wired the DPDT switch for the same effect. It is not a "simple toggle switch engagement/disengagement".

kickdown switches are available that can be adapted to any carb - mounting brackets could be found at a wreckers from auto trans cars [prolly switches as well]

Bill

That switch does not have enough wires to work in the situation we are discussing. It is a simple on/off switch. As stated above, the proper switch has two circuits.

One circuit is normally closed. This supplies power to engage the solenoid.

The other circuit is normally open. This circuit runs from the coil to a ground inside the solenoid. This ground is only grounded when the solenoid is engaged.

To "go into passing gear" the kick down switch is depressed by flooring the accelerator pedal, or in my case by flipping the toggle to the opposite side. This opens the circuit to the solenoid engagement and closes the circuit to the coil ground. This causes the engine to stall for a split second enabling the solenoid to disengage. As soon as it does so the ground connection inside is broken and the engine runs as usual.

When the pedal is released the kickdown switch returns to it's normal position powering the solenoid and the vehicle goes into overdrive. In my case I must toggle the switch back to the normal position. This can be done while still accelerating in "passing gear" and it slips back into OD when I release the accelerator.

Napa lists a kickdown switch on their website that is suitable but at the time I installed mine none were available.

Back before the kickdown switches became available again, I used a MicroSwitch that was available through any industrial electrical supplier with normally-open and normally-closed contacts. The one I was using had a spring arm and a roller that could be bracketed to contact the throttle linkage at the proper throttle opening. The same switch could be used as a combination neutral safety/backup light switch for custom automatic transmission installations.
Jerry

A 90's GM cruise control switch works well also. About $10 at Napa. Lots of them available at Pick Your Part.
If you use the factory set up anyone can drive it. Less chance of damaging internal components.
Fred

I think everyone but Chev used a kick down switch under the gas pedal. They are available NOS as well as reproductions. One of them could either be mounted under the gas pedal or installed somewhere on the throttle linkage. But there nothing wrong with a toggle switch. I had toggle switches on most of my overdrives.

Thanks for the suggestions so far. What I've gotten out of this so far is that the factory kickdown switch is commonly replaced with a toggle. So, when I want the OD to kick out, I flip the switch? Then when I want OD again flip the switch back?

A factory kickdown switch kicks it out of overdrive and it stays out of overdrive until you let off the gas. It is like a push button switch. A toggle switch will have to manually be switched back and forth.

To clarify that, as long as you are accelerating the trans will remain in passing gear. You can flip the toggle back to normal as soon as you hit passing gear. When you let up on the gas the trans slips back into OD.

Ok, got it now. Maybe I will try to track down some kind of kickdown switch. It might be kinda cool to have it do it on its own.

I built my own OD control circuit. I can "split" the gears and get six speeds. For the kick-down switch I used a spring loaded toggle that only makes contact when the toggle is engaged (up or down). As soon as you let go it returns to a normal open position. The momentary closed position mimics the stock distributor kick-down switch action. As someone mentioned you can also mimic this with "kicking" the gas and letting off quickly. FYI: what I did was read the manual regarding the operation of the circuitry and design my own circuit because I didn't think the one that I saw on-line ("Burbs" website), would fit what I wanted. I used three Bosch relays, two switches (one for kick-down and one for power) and two indicator lights that display normal mode and momentary kick-down mode. Not difficult, just takes a little time.

Here is the NAPA switch but like I posted earlier, they couldn't deliver one when I needed it. They may be back in stock by now.

I used a Radio Shack imitation Bosch relay.