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I have a custom 8 1948 that the overdrive doesn't work. I have had a mechanic look at it and he said that the fork was broken. I am wondering if I can pull that off and have it all rebuild while I still have the car to drive around with. Summer is so short in NE that I just cannot bear to be without it.

Is it just the overdrive that doesn't work or all of the gears? I'm having trouble figuring what "fork" your mechanic could be talking about.

Well to be honest I don't know either. The car only has 27K on it and that is one thing that isn't hooked up. But he said there were broken parts. I just want to know can I just take it off and send it to the specialized guy without having to not run the car. There are so many shows that I want to do and I just want to get this one last thing fixed.

The overdrive is part and parcel of the transmission and for really major work they come out together. That said, most everything that ever needs to be done mechanically to an overdrive can be done with the transmission still in the car by removing the overdrive case and having at it.

Its not time consuming and there is no need to think that the car will be down for the summer for the sake of a one afternoon job.

I'd really like to hear in some detail what is broken as the story is not making sense up to now. Somehow I'm not clear--is the car drivable? Goes forward and reverse?

Sorry I have been away. The car drives like a dream. I have never had a problem with it. I just want the overdrive to work. I think it would really float down the road. OK not float but would move with more ease.

I think you are going to have to ask your mechanic to show you what is broken and maybe even a picture of it before someone here can help you. I can't think of anything external on the OD I would call a fork other than possibly the cable end or clevis which connects to the lockout lever.

Anything internal, the OD would have to come off and being a 48, would need to know if you have an R9 or R11 OD. If the mechanic can be specific and point it out in the parts manual, you could find the part, have it on hand and then he could fix it in a day or two rather than have it tied up and inoperative waiting for parts.