Hudson 1948 - 1952, Service Manual

Page: 214 / 333

9 - 6 OVERDRIVE
times when it is desirable to return to direct drive for more power
without reducing the car speed to the point where the overdrive
would normally release.
Under such circumstances, the driver merely presses the acceler-
ator pedal beyond the wide-open position. Through suitable electri-
cal controls, this releases the :solenoid, urging the pawl toward
release from the control plate. However, due to the driving torque
reaction, the pawl is held, and cannot move to release until the
torque is momentarily relieved. This is accomplished by interrupt-
ing the ignition, whereupon the pawl snaps to release, which imme-
diately restores the ignition. When the overdrive has been thus
disengaged the roller clutch carries the direct drive, and the driver
may hold it in this condition at his pleasure, until he chooses to
reengage overdrive by merely lifting his foot from the accelerator
momentarily. Thereupon the overdrive is resumed, unless the car
speed has in the meantime fallen below the overdrive release point.
FIGURE 9
CONVENTIONAL DRIVE:
Although the normal procedure is to operate that unit as
above, taking advantage of
the free-wheeling and the overdrive, there are times as
when descending long steep grades, where it may be
desirable to use the frictional drag of the engine as a
brake.
Under such circumstances, the overdrive dash control
may be pulled out, swinging the control lever, Figure 9,
forward, thus moving the shift rail and shift fork back-
wards, shifting the sun gear so that the lockup teeth will
engage the corresponding teeth of the pinion cage. This
causes the entire group of working parts to revolve as a
unit, duplicating in all respects the action of the conven-
tional transmission.
In order to thus lock up the unit, if the car is in
motion, it is necessary to open the throttle, to assure
that all parts revolve together, or to release the over-
drive, if engaged, by pressing the accelerator pedal to
the floor, pulling out the overdrive dash control at the
same time. Thereafter, the car will have the usual
conventional drive until the driver chooses to push the
overdrive dash control in, which may be easily done at
any time.
Since the roller clutch will not transmit a reverse
drive, it is necessary for the lockup mechanism to be
used whenever it is desired to reverse shift mechanism,
which pushes the shift rail to the rear, independently of
the overdrive control lever, whenever the transmission
is shifted into reverse.
ELECTRICAL
While the mechanical structure of the overdrive unit
just described, may be considered the working portion
of the combination, its automatic action is controlled
entirely by the external electrical control system. This
system consists of certain units, connected by a wiring
circuit. Figure 10.
SPEED-CONTROLLED OPERATION:
At low car speeds, the electrical control system is
completely inactive. Whenever the car speed reaches the
predetermined cut-in point, (18 to 21 miles per hour)
centrifugal force, acting upon the revolving governor
weights, is sufficient to cause the governor contacts to
close.