BorgWarner Overdrive Questions

[Eagle43]

I finally found a two gallon jug of GL4 #90 gear oil in a local "farm" store. I plan to put this in the R10 overdrive, transmission and differential of my F1. I'll return my jug of GL5 to the store. I'm pretty sure this should be safe and should work. Any opinions?

[Mac VP]

The GL-4 gear oil (non-synthetic) in a 90 wt is what we’ve always recommended for the Borg Warner overdrives. If you are filling up the transmission with it in the car, you’ll have to use the filler plug opening on the side of the main gearbox. Since the two housings have common passages for the oil to flow, allow plenty of time for the oil to move over into the OD housing.......then recheck and top off as needed through the same filler plug. Always keep an eye on your transmission oil level. The overdrive housing has a higher sump than the regular gear box, so if you are running a little low in the front housing, it can be dangerously low in the overdrive housing. It’s a very expensive repair if the planetary gear runs dry. We see the results of this often when opening up core transmissions that come into our shop.

[Talkwrench]

I dont mean to hijack this thread but its timely as Ive been offered one of these units, its is however expensive and on the other side of the country so I need to make up my mind if its actually worth it.
So just to get my head around this the unit is basically "automatic" as it relies on electrics to do the shifting, you cant mechanically shift this unit down/ up gears?
Are they reliable, Parts, anything to look for? I see Mac's warning , Mine does have a drop axle, dont think its bad never had oil come out of the diff, I do have electronic ignition would that be an issue?

Thanks

[tubman]

Just the overdrive or a complete transmission with the overdrive included? What is your application for it? "Expensive" (in the US at least) makes this sound like not the best deal. We need more information.

[Talkwrench]

No just the bolt in torque tube with the overdrive unit.
Application? extra gear...
Guy wants $3K [aud] for it and it would cost me a few hundred to get it here..

Of course its not new , so the risk..

The vast majority of my driving is just too and from work..

[rotorwrench]

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These were fabricated by several people a number of decades ago. They used the Borg Warner components to put an overdrive into the torque tube. The transmission still shifts as always but the overdrive has to have the electric shift components and a lockout control which can be a cable or a lever.

These units were part of the transmission in Ford & Mercury cars after the 1949 model year.

The units have to have their safety component or they can be problematic to operate. Most Folks just get a Mitchel overdrive now days.

[Talkwrench]

I'd hate to think of what it would cost me to get a Mitchell here