I’ve made several comments in the past about how I drive my ’66 F100 240 six without using a clutch, thanks to its overdrive, which provides for free-wheeling that makes this effortless (this is not forced clutch-less “speed’ shifting). This is how I drive my truck all the time.
Today my son Will and I were headed to the lumber yard, and when we hit NW Expressway, I pulled over, handed him my iPhone, and said: here, take a video of me going through the gears. The result is hardly professional, and I debated whether we should do it again a few times to get it down a bit better. But this is Niedermeyer reality tv; no rehearsing, no re-takes.
On the way back, driving through the neighborhood, I told him to shoot again, as I hadn’t really explained why I could shift without the clutch. Also, I downshifted into first without the clutch, which is non-synchronized, and which does require that the road speed be matched to the engine speed. Will missed it, but it was a smooth and silent shift, without any clashing. Oddly, the focus in this second video is not quite right.
BTW, my truck had its overdrive transmission added later in life, so I had it set up with manual activation, which gives me more immediate control. The “lever” that activates the OD unit is on the floor, a re-purposed Ford choke cable and knob.
To engage/disengage OD, I wired a little toggle switch on the dash. The unit needs to be activated, of course, and clutch-less shifts need to be in direct drive, as the free-wheeling only works in direct.
That squeaking you hear while I’m in second gear is me closing my window, which is a bit worse for wear, having no channel material; the glass rides on bare steel.
So what do you think? Should the Niedermeyers brush up on their video skills, and make more? Some CC-hunting drives through our most CC-rich neighborhoods? Or just call it (not-so)good?
Related: Automotive History: The Joys of (Planetary) Overdrive
That would take me a while to get used to!
This video helps explain the 3/OD process better than anything.
Your having the switch in the cab is a terrific idea. Mine is still the original cable actuated, so my shifting typically jumps from 2/OD to 3/OD. I will usually upshift from 2/OD at about 40 to 45 mph or so (especially if merging onto the highway). I also suspect the electrical connections on mine are in dire need of cleaning as it doesn’t always downshift like it should.
I am a creature of habit on using the clutch. It’s pointless, but I do!
I liked the video. It’s funny that you posted about this transmission today, because one featured on an episode of Overhaulin I saw this morning. The car being restomodded was a 1955 Thunderbird. The ‘insider’ was the owner’s wife. Chip Foose asked her about the 3 speed + overdrive transmission, and she said she wanted it replaced with an automatic so she could drive the car, right to the divorce lawyer had it been my car.
Fun!
I used to do pretty much the same with a ’70 Saab. Plain free-wheeling, not overdrive.
Makes you wonder why FW disappeared. Supposedly the lack of compression braking was dangerous, but FW disappeared at the same time when brakes improved. A few years later Hydra-Matic came along, which should have caused the same “problem”, but nobody complained.
Because of the rather modest drum brakes on my truck, I make a point to either be in an OD gear, like 2/OD, or pull up on the OD pull cable to disable it when going down hills and grades. I like to baby my brakes, and use engine braking whenever possible. Disabling OD eliminates the free-wheeling, but that’s not possible on a Saab (or DKW and some other two-strokes). They did put on relatively bigger brakes for that reason, but still, I would not want to drive a freewheel car through a lot of mountains. It’s one of the big reasons two-strokes were less common in the Alps; their lack of effective engine braking.
The DKW had an under-dash lever to disable the free-wheeling system. Not sure about the SAAB. Without freewheel, a two stroke engine will not work smoothly.
I learned to drive in the SAAB that replaced our DKW so I never drove that. On the SAAB it was a “T” handle on the firewall next to gas pedal. You could engage or disengage it by pushing or pulling it with your toe. I would drive it without the clutch, a handy skill because the remanufactured clutch discs then available were just a hair too thick so the clutch couldn’t fully dis-engage. I would start it in first gear while I waited for the Disc to wear down or the OEM part to arrive. Over 5 96s and Sonnetts we learned the teeth would wear out on the lockout (that massive V4 power) and would just weld it to a solid shaft rather then replace expensive parts. The 2 strokes needed it because on non oil injected engines they didn’t get enough oil and tended to seize when compression braking.
Cool vid, I often drive both my cars sans the clutch force of habit probably from clutchless driving truck transmissions, as long as theres no torque present shifting is smooth and silent.
My Dad bought a couple of 65 Ford F100 shortbed stepsides from Gov’t surplus back in the early 1970’s 240 six with 3 speed manual on the column. 3.70 rear axle ratio so the engines spun fast at highway speed. Overdrive would have been useful for them. Ford offered the overdrive as a factory option on them. He also owned a 65 Chevy Impala 4 door hardtop with the 283 V8 and 3 speed manual. Chevy offered overdrive from the factory with those as well.
It seemed that overdrives fell out of favor after the late 60’s on domestic cars until overdrive became available in the late 70’s and early 1980’s.
I have always had trouble wrapping my head around how these overdrive units work. I haven’t driven a manual transmission vehicle in about 15 years and never a vehicle with one of these setups. The actual operation of it makes a lot more sense now, thanks.
I could have used that back in 2002 when I bought a 65 F250 off of this old farmboy in southern Illinois. It was supposed to be in Springfield Il and I could have got it home from there on RT66. But.. I found out after the auction ended it was actually in Marion Il and that just wasn’t going to work.
Anyway..
More videos! You have a great voice.
so THAT’S how overdrive works. I’ve been trying to wrap my head around the concept for ages. Thanks for sharing!
That’s pretty neat, I don’t think I ever truly wrapped my head around this concept until I saw it in action like this as well. Nice shifter too, I’ve got the 5 speed version of the same Hurst ball in my Cougar.
Although only having recently adopted driving a manual transmission, using the clutch shift is cake, it’s the starts from stops I find stressful at times lol
So, in addition to the dimensions of the chassis members, the FW is another thing your truck has in common with the P4 Rovers.
“So what do you think? Should the Niedermeyers brush up on their video skills, and make more?”
Thanks for the glimpse of summer! I think video is a great idea for the site. Skills displayed are fine, shows just what’s intended. As for making more, I vote for Will and a push button Torqueflite Imperial. C’mon Will, get that classic.
A friend of mine seems to be divesting himself of most of his car collection amongst his parts are two Hillman overdrive gearboxes one for his Superminx wagon and another for his Singer Vogue with any luck I can convince him to sell me one giving me a 6 speed for my minx,
I discovered CC about 3 years ago and come back every day to look at the pics, read the posts, and often learn and/or see something new. Great video Paul, first time I’ve heard your voice. I worked for the City of Russell Springs as a summer job during my teenage years in the early/mid 90s. One of the regular employees had an early 60s Ford truck with the overdrive. Watching your video reminds me of him showing me how to clutchlessly shift his truck in the same manner you did in the video. Kinda turns back the hands of time and got me thinking about other parts of those summer jobs: driving the dump truck, learning to operate the backhoe and driving it on city streets (in our rural town) when I was 16 and 17, along with all the mowing & weedeating! It would be nice to see more “how to” videos posted by CC contributors.
Cool, but I got to watch once (live) one drivers going smoothly through 10 speeds of EatonFuller glory. Clutch only to start, never touched again until we stopped.
He did the switch thing, he had to, but he was an artist using the throttle for rev matching.
He explained me how he did it, and showed me that it works like you used a clutch. There’s no tension in the lever when properly done.
If you practise a bit, you may pull the trick with your truck. That six must run pretty relaxed and there shouldn’t be major risks.
If you have a drive of an auto shift eaton trans that exactly how it does it itself clutch to take off then the trans shifts automaticly without the clutch even blipping the throttle on down shifts to rev match with road speed, manual eatons just glide through the gears shifted clutchless IF you know what your doing.
From watching that bloke, you actually have to know what you’re doing. He showed me what happened if you stuffed up, the gear grind was epic.
Since I worked at the shop back then, I saw the results of wear and abuse on the equipment. Fixing one of those babies is expensive. Just removing it from the truck is a pain.
I want to un-like this post just so I can LIKE it again!!
I have done this for many years, though not on a truck with a selectable ‘overdrive’ transmission.
I once worked for a construction company, and was telling one of the young kids about how you could shift a manual shift transmission vehicle without using the clutch. Obviously, he didn’t believe me, until he went along on one of my errands. I was driving the “Yard Truck”, a 10 year old GMC 3/4 ton, with a 300hp 6.0l and a 5 speed manual trans.
It was actually pretty funny (to me) to see this kid’s eyes pop out of his head when I calmly pushed the shifter into the next gear, with no clutch. He was gobsmacked!!
Later on the trip, I was talking about how syncros work, and was gently accelerating. As we were cruising along, I needed to shift from third to fourth gear. I showed him how sliding the truck out of third gear into neutral let you ‘feel’ when the gear was ready to select. While I was gesturing with my right hand, the shifter fell from neutral to fourth gear, without my hand even on the shifter. He nearly had an aneurism!! I laughed SO hard as he went on about how that is NOT supposed to happen!
It’s my favourite “Manual Transmission” story.
Thanks for shooting and posting this one!
Later, I downshifted with a quick light blip of the throttle! He nearly lost his gourde! Haha!!
I used to do this all the time on my manual cars. If you are just puttering around town, it’s possible, but hard acceleration requires clutching. I finally bought an auto car in ’07, and I’m on my second now. No more shifting for me.
Overdrive units back then were add on units that attached to the rear of the transmission therefore allowing the ability to split gears. Modern overdrives involve an overdrive gear ratio within the transmission itself.
Actually modern automatic overdrives are at the back of the standard gear set and that is how the 5sp and then the now pretty common 6sp automatics work.
For example Fords 5Rxx family is the 4Rxx trans with a little computer magic. 3rd is actually 2nd gear with the overdrive applied. 4th is direct and what was 3rd in the 4sp and 5th is OD and what used to be called 4th. The trick is the proper timing to ensure that the shift out of OD occurs simultaneously with the shift from 2nd to old 3rd.
The same concept is applied to create the 6 sp trans they just shift 1st, 1st over, 2nd, 2nd over, ect.
i think that overdrive transmissions were phased out has more to do with marketing than utility.
my mom used to have a a volvo 240 with an automatic with a litlle button on the shifter that turned the overdrive off. never really understood it but i liked to use it the same way i would down shift my father’s fiat manual transmission from fifth to fourth. one day the overdrive wouldn’t re-engage for several minutes and then it shifted with a clunk. i never touched that button again.
Great tutorial, Paul. As for the professionalism, if I’m comparing it to 95% of what’s on YouTube, your video is an epic!
I worked on and drove my brother’s recently acquired ’50 GMC pickup yesterday. After driving it, he asked me what I thought it needed in the upgrade department. My reply? Overdrive! That puppy was screaming at 55 MPH.
I loved the Laycock electric overdrive on my MGB GT; it gave me a great 6 speed- OD was available on 3rd and 4th. It was not a freewheeler.
Back then..the interstate highway system was in its infancy….pickup trucks were designed for hauling loads around town…and were geared accordingly….
I had the worst summer job ever, in the early 80s, loading ice trucks from 2am until noon…and the International trucks had 5 speed gearboxes with 2 speed axles. One of the drivers told me to NEVER use the clutch except from a stop, because it was bad for the system, and to when you did use the clutch, never push it all the way to the floor, just push enough to disengage it. I was too young to do anything but drive the trucks around the lot to the dock, so I never had the chance to try it.
My old VW Beetle could readily be shifted without the clutch…it made me feel like a professional. So much of this has to do with developing a feel for what the vehicle is telling you…it has to be tough to convey to someone who is not mechanically inclined. Shoot, I had a brake line pop on the beetle, and I drove that thing with just the parking brake for several days until the shop could get the car in for repair. Probably unwise, but I was 17 and it seemed like an OK idea.
You should have taught the father in the movie, “Little Miss Sunshine” how to drive without a clutch. He had his family push the VW van to get it started in 2nd.. All he had to do is stick it in gear with the engine off, and use his starter to get him going.
This reminds me of the fun I had when I discovered how to work the two-speed rear end on our ’76 L-700 grain truck. You mean I can go 65 down a 1-1/2 lane gravel road with nothing but undersized drums to suggest the notion of stopping power?
God bless the sprag clutch in the over drive .
-Nate
Paul, loved the video. The OD procedure reminded me of my Austin Healey with the OD toggle switch on the dash.
Nice video. So much easier to understand the process with a demonstration than with words. Overdrive would have been great to have on my old 70 C10. The 4 from 3 speed upgrade was a big help with towing, but was still direct in 4th and combined with the 3:73 rear still wound out on the freeway even with wider and taller rear tires. I got pretty good at up shifting and double clutching to downshift only using the clutch to start off. Saved a friend a long tow in his El Camino 4 speed when his clutch would not disengage and had to use the starter to take off from a stop. Around town in the C10 I would often bypass 2nd and just use 3 gears unless starting off uphill, the time it took shifting was about as long as just bogging a little in third. Overdrive would have helped improve the 12 MPG highway quite a bit.
So what do you think? Should the Niedermeyers brush up on their video skills, and make more?
I love ride along videos. Seeing pix of a car isn’t the same as being inside while it’s running. Seeing a J Duesenberg sitting in a museum doesn’t communicate the sounds and sensations of having one on the road. I wouldn’t expect a ride in a Duesy, but even riding in most of the cars featured in CC would be interesting.
Great video! There is nothing like seeing and hearing a vehicle in motion.
Sure could have used an OD in my 72 F100 300cid 3speed 3.70 rear when I was in school at Auburn and my folks lived in Louisiana. I swapped the 3.70 for a 3.00 which helped with the rpms on the interstate. OD would have been suhweet!!!