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YakkoWarner
Jedi Warrior
Online
Background stuff:
So after 20-something years, the 18V engine that was in a rusted-out 1970 body (now transplanted into a decent 1973 body) has come back to life. It runs pretty well although the carb shaft bushings have seen better days, but overall it starts easy and doesn't seem to be puking fluids all over the floor. It is bolted to a 1970 (probably original to the rusted-out 1970 body) overdrive transmission - all new clutch components including flywheel, new front/rear seals and I disassembled/cleaned the OD solenoid, replaced its O rings, replaced the little screen thing, made VERY sure I didn't lose the little steel balls and properly filled with new 20-50 Castrol oil.
There is no driveshaft installed, so I can run the transmission through all the gears. The shifter feels a little stiff, but that may be because I replaced the nylon bushing at the bottom of the selector lever and it needs to wear in a little, but it goes into all 4 gears plus reverse, doesn't sound like its making any weird noises but it gets uncomfortably warm even when just in neutral which I don't understand.
The problem:
I cannot tell if the overdrive is doing anything or not. This was one of my major concerns because there is no way to test this thing without having it connected to a running engine, which meant I had to put the whole mess into the car to find out. I set up the speedometer on a small stool next to the car with its cable connected to the transmission and it seems to work, but at (for example) 1500 RPM in 4th gear, I see no change on the speedometer whether the OD switch is on or off. I did determine that the switch that only allows the OD to engage in 3rd or 4th is not functional (even though I tested it with a continuity meter before putting the engine/transmission into the car), so I have temporarily bypassed it (and am unsure if can be replaced without pulling the whole drivetrain back out). I am getting proper voltage to the OD solenoid when the column switch is turned on with it bypassed. When the engine is stopped or the transmission is in neutral I hear nothing when turning on and off the OD, but when the engine is running and the transmission is in gear I can hear a click from the solenoid when it is turned on and a substantially more authoritive click when it is turned off. My assumption is that the oil pressure is what actually moves the solenoid back to the valve open position, whish is why nothing is heard when it is turned off without the pump running. Which in turn means that there should BE oil pressure since it does return clearly and quickly when the pump is running.
The questions:
* Short of pulling the whole engine/transmission back out of the car is there anything I can do?
* Does it have to be under load (ie: not just spinning the output flange) to engage/disengage?
* Is it stuck in the engaged position somehow and failing to return (and how would one determine that)?
* And secondary to the OD problem, why does the transmission get so hot?
So after 20-something years, the 18V engine that was in a rusted-out 1970 body (now transplanted into a decent 1973 body) has come back to life. It runs pretty well although the carb shaft bushings have seen better days, but overall it starts easy and doesn't seem to be puking fluids all over the floor. It is bolted to a 1970 (probably original to the rusted-out 1970 body) overdrive transmission - all new clutch components including flywheel, new front/rear seals and I disassembled/cleaned the OD solenoid, replaced its O rings, replaced the little screen thing, made VERY sure I didn't lose the little steel balls and properly filled with new 20-50 Castrol oil.
There is no driveshaft installed, so I can run the transmission through all the gears. The shifter feels a little stiff, but that may be because I replaced the nylon bushing at the bottom of the selector lever and it needs to wear in a little, but it goes into all 4 gears plus reverse, doesn't sound like its making any weird noises but it gets uncomfortably warm even when just in neutral which I don't understand.
The problem:
I cannot tell if the overdrive is doing anything or not. This was one of my major concerns because there is no way to test this thing without having it connected to a running engine, which meant I had to put the whole mess into the car to find out. I set up the speedometer on a small stool next to the car with its cable connected to the transmission and it seems to work, but at (for example) 1500 RPM in 4th gear, I see no change on the speedometer whether the OD switch is on or off. I did determine that the switch that only allows the OD to engage in 3rd or 4th is not functional (even though I tested it with a continuity meter before putting the engine/transmission into the car), so I have temporarily bypassed it (and am unsure if can be replaced without pulling the whole drivetrain back out). I am getting proper voltage to the OD solenoid when the column switch is turned on with it bypassed. When the engine is stopped or the transmission is in neutral I hear nothing when turning on and off the OD, but when the engine is running and the transmission is in gear I can hear a click from the solenoid when it is turned on and a substantially more authoritive click when it is turned off. My assumption is that the oil pressure is what actually moves the solenoid back to the valve open position, whish is why nothing is heard when it is turned off without the pump running. Which in turn means that there should BE oil pressure since it does return clearly and quickly when the pump is running.
The questions:
* Short of pulling the whole engine/transmission back out of the car is there anything I can do?
* Does it have to be under load (ie: not just spinning the output flange) to engage/disengage?
* Is it stuck in the engaged position somehow and failing to return (and how would one determine that)?
* And secondary to the OD problem, why does the transmission get so hot?
