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I had the same problem with my 49 22nd series when I bought it 28 years ago. I found that the relay coil wire was broken at the contact point. I simply removed one revolution of the winding and re soldered it to the contact point. It has been working like that ever since.

Take a look at yours, if you're lucky, you might find the same thing. At least it's worth the time to look.

Good luck.

(Just got back from the fireworks show)

I picked at the coil with a knife tip before we left for the park, and sure enough the annealed wire came loose where the break was. I pulled about a half inch of it away from the coil and checked it with the ohm meter. Good as gold!

I'm going to try and c-a-r-e-f-u-l-l-y solder it up tomorrow and hope for the best.

49Packard, I hope I can say I will have had the same experience as you!

Thanks, and I'll post tomorrow with the results.

Sad to say, my overdrive relay is toast. I guess I'm a motivated buyer now.

Sorry to hear it didn't work.
However, you might look for one for a Studebaker, or Hudson as they use the same system.

There is a Hudson overdrive 2 terminal (R-11?) relay on E-bay now. It does look used but maybe what you need? There is also an NOS 6 terminal one for an R-9 now bid to $155!

This relay ought to work: It's a Bosch 0332204001, used as a headlamp relay on older (pre-1968) VWs. Cost is less than $17.

We'll see how the rest of the overdrive troubleshooting goes.

Thanks to all for the input. I got the relay installed and it appears to be working correctly.

The previous owner had cut the two wires from the O/D governor. I removed the governor, cleaned it up, and put new wires on it, then spliced them (best guess) into the two wires that had been cut.

Here's the current situation:

I turn on the ignition key and

(1) I can hear the overdrive relay and solenoid click in.
(2) I have 6 v on both the BATT and SOL sides of the relay contacts.
(3) I have 6 v on both sides of the relay coil (THSW and IGN).
(4) I have 1.1 volts on the kickdown switch, both sides. My kickdown switch has only two connectors, contrary to the switch in the schematic (which has four). That voltage seems a little strange.
(5) When driving the overdrive does not engage.

I'm ready to rewire the whole thing at this point, but am not exactly sure how because of the kickdown switch difference. It seems like it must be mechanically OK or the car wouldn't freewheel. I must be "close" at least electrically since I can hear the solenoid.

Should the solenoid click on as soon as the key is turned on? If not, I am curious why mine now does. Would mixing up the two governor wires cause this? It looks like the governor is no more than a speed-actuated switch, so I'm thinking that wouldn't make any difference.

I am completely lost on this right now. All help APPRECIATED!

Jay

Solenoid should not kick in when key turned on. Think the wires at governor reversed and the one for EC which breaks at speed is connected instead of the one that makes to bring in solenoid. One is on a rivet on the flat bottom and other comes out of the protrusion. I believe you want the flat one for OD. The 6V at SOL should only be there above 17-20 mph. Am a little confused about kickdown sw at it looks like 4 wires going to it--if not to switch, where are they going?

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OK, I'll reverse the wires on the governor. I've got to quit assuming things. I figured one connector on the governor was ground and the other was the o/d hot side. Sure didn't know one was for the electromatic clutch.

You have certainly cleared up one other thing - THAT is the kickdown switch? I thought the kickdown switch was that switch in my picture close to the temperature sensor (it is a kickdown switch of some sort, and has two connectors). Probably that was part of the electromatic clutch. I made a bad assumption there that it was the O/D kickdown.

This will have to wait till I get off work tomorrow evening.

Thanks SO much for helping me out. Perhaps I'm close to seeing this work now.

Easy enough mistake. That switch is called the "accelerator switch" (catchy name) and is adjusted to open as soon as acc pressed to keep the electromatic clutch from coming in.