Launching into Overdrive

Rudy van Daalen Wetters · Mon May 30, 2005 9:17 pm

When I switch into overdrive on my GTE, I have to pull the stalk lever toward me. Is that the correct setup? Seems it should be pushed away, towards the dash. What is correct? I am lucky not to have had any problems with the overdrive system at all, so far.

Rudy van Daalen Wetters
1963 GTE s/n 4001
1966 330 GT s/n 8705

Yale · Post by **Yale** » Mon May 30, 2005 10:15 pm

Down for in up for out. Should say in your manual. Yale

Post by **330GT** » Mon May 30, 2005 11:26 pm

Italian design and logic? Mutually exclusive!

That's why you move the defroster lever down for defrost and up for heat on your feet on the series II 330 GTs.

Rudy van Daalen Wetters · Tue May 31, 2005 12:49 am

Thanks, guys. I will have to reset the control to the proper direction. I was just happy that it works. I hope that when it is in the up-down format, I don't start using it as a turn indicator by mistake.

Regards,

Rudy van Daalen Wetters
1963 GTE s/n 4001
1966 330 GT s/n 8705

Rudy van Daalen Wetters · Tue May 31, 2005 9:28 pm

Yale,

I did as you suggested and checked in an owner's manual on the GTE regarding the overdrive. It says "flick the lever FORWARDS to engage overdrive". I couldn't see the up and down positions for engaing overdrive. Mine is backward where overdrive engages when I pull the lever inward. How is your overdrive switch set up?

Rudy van Daalen Wetters
1963 GTE s/n 4001
1966 330 GT s/n 8705

Jimmyr · Post by **Jimmyr** » Wed Jun 01, 2005 12:02 am

Rudy, to help the OD have a long and painless life I always depress the clutch when switching in or out of it. This is especially true with the higher torque 330's. This is a British product and not intended to have a long rugged life. Treat it well and it will last a lifetime. Jim Riff

Rudy van Daalen Wetters · Wed Jun 01, 2005 12:12 am

Jimmy,

Good point on using the clutch. I try to rev up just a bit when switching down but your idea seems safer. As someone mentioned to me just today, I would enjoy meeting the individual who actually convinced Enzo Ferrari to use this british unit on his cars!

Rudy van Daalen Wetters
1963 GTE s/n 4001
1966 330 GT s/n 8705

jsa330 · Post by **jsa330** » Wed Jun 01, 2005 12:49 am

Jimmyr wrote:Rudy, to help the OD have a long and painless life I always depress the clutch when switching in or out of it. This is especially true with the higher torque 330's. This is a British product and not intended to have a long rugged life. Treat it well and it will last a lifetime. Jim Riff

I do the same thing and am surprised the owner's manual doesn't specify this.

David Booth · Post by **David Booth** » Wed Jun 01, 2005 5:08 am

Jim Riff continues to surprise with nuggets of information. I've always kind of lifted off the gas when engaging the OD with the idea of taking it easy on the OD clutches, the main cluth and the driveshaft, but this is an interesting idea. And I agree the "engage" direction for the OD lever is toward the dash.

Yale · Post by **Yale** » Wed Jun 01, 2005 7:29 am

Well the 330GT's are different then the GTE's then. Hunh.

"Engage top gear and increase car speed to at least 60mph before engageig the overdrive by slightly releaseing the accelerator and PUSHING DOWN THE CONTROL LEVER."

"To disengauge...RAISE the control lever."

And yes I have seen in some articles that it is preferable to use the clutch with the overdrive and as us overdrivers know, you then don't get that clunk on the drive line. Gotta be better for the car.

Best,

Yale

jcwconsult · Post by **jcwconsult** » Wed Jun 01, 2005 11:07 pm

And the worst possible thing for an English overdrive is for it to slip. The friction material is quite narrow, and it will NOT take much slippage without burning it. I used a Laycock overdrive in a rally car, switched to 2nd, 3rd, and 4th. It lived a long time because I raised the engagement pressure with the valving so that it engaged very abruptly for no slippage. That was harder on the rest of the drivetrain when shifted at full throttle at 7000+ rpms, but the overdrive lived forever.

Using the clutch ... or at least briefly releasing the throttle on upshifts ... will make the overdrive friction material last a lot longer by not passing on so much V-12 torque on overdrive engagement.

Post by **tyang** » Tue Jun 07, 2005 9:22 am

Hi Rudy,

My overdrive switch works as the manual describes. Push towards the dash to engage. When you unscrew the chrome collar, check to see if there is a notch in the steering column that indexes the switch to the correct orientation.

Tom

El Wayne · Post by **El Wayne** » Sun Jun 12, 2005 11:24 pm

My overdrive works fine (toward the dash to engage as well) but is noisy as hell! Anyone else experiencing this? At this moment, the motor/trans are out of the car so it would be a good time to address any issues. Should I be concerned with the OD noise level?

jsa330 · Post by **jsa330** » Mon Jun 13, 2005 12:09 am

Wayne wrote:My overdrive works fine (toward the dash to engage as well) but is noisy as hell! Anyone else experiencing this? At this moment, the motor/trans are out of the car so it would be a good time to address any issues. Should I be concerned with the OD noise level?

Probably. What does the OD sound like when engaged?

El Wayne · Post by **El Wayne** » Mon Jun 13, 2005 1:13 am

bluecat49 wrote:
Wayne wrote:My overdrive works fine (toward the dash to engage as well) but is noisy as hell! Anyone else experiencing this? At this moment, the motor/trans are out of the car so it would be a good time to address any issues. Should I be concerned with the OD noise level?
Probably. What does the OD sound like when engaged?

Kinda like a blender on low speed.