[Healeys] overdrive problem - won't shift out of OD

[TERRY COLL]

>From what you describe it sure sounds like the OD throttle switch.  Its not
that difficult to remove and disassemble the switch.  I did so on my BJ8 while
chasing down an OD problem.  Just be careful when bending back the metal tabs
that holds the brown piece in.

Terr Coll  '64 BJ8

----- Original Message -----
From: Philip S. Anson
Sent: Sunday, July 22, 2007 10:20 PM
To: healeys at autox.team.net
Subject: [Healeys] overdrive problem - won't shift out of OD

This started on the way to Conclave in Burlington, but didn't really turn
out to be a readily reproducible problem until we headed back home.  Our
BT-7, which has always behaved well, will now go into OD easily, but won't
drop out of OD as it is supposed to - i.e. when slowing down, lifting my
foot off the accelerator, flipping the switch to the off position - in the
past, when I did this, all I had to do was touch the accelerator & it would
come out of OD.  Now, it just stays in OD.  Except when I turn the car off,
following which the OD is then off the next time I start up - that is, it
will go into OD normally with the flip of the switch - and then it's stuck
there.  Even if I slow down with it stuck in OD, and downshift into 2nd or
even come to a stop & downshift to 1st, it stays in OD.  But if I shut it
off, the OD also is turned off, & I start out anew with the OD off.  This
hasn't been just a "one-trip" experience, but continued for several days,
following which I parked it & only today had time to try & trouble-shoot the
problem.



Following all of the available advice I could find in print (factory manual,
Norman Nock's notebook, the recent article in the magazine), the solenoid is
OK (I can sit in the car with the ignition & OD on, with the accelerator
pedal to the floor, & move the gear shift lever right & left and hear the
solenoid go on & off).  The switch on the firewall, however, doesn't seem to
be behaving correctly - there is power through the switch (that is, I can
illuminate a test light following the instructions in the manual, with the
ignition & OD on, with the shift lever in 3rd or 4th gear), BUT the test
light will NOT go out as I depress the accelerator pedal, nor with manually
moving the carburetor linkage, NOR with releasing the connecting rod and
turning the switch shaft by hand with a screwdriver.



Could my problem be a faulty firewall switch?  And can the switch be
re-built?  Any suggestions as to what might be the problem otherwise?



Thanks in advance.



Phil Anson

Portland, Maine



P.S. I assume that the OD is working OK otherwise, as every time I start up
& flip the switch for OD (4th gear, over 50mph) it goes into OD just fine
And the car has also been in & out of reverse multiple times during this
problem, without any obvious OD problem.
_______________________________________________
coll44 at msn.com

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