Technical Transmission Question for 235

Hello,

I have a 1948 Fleetmaster with the 216. The 216 is going away, I have a 1955 235 that am rebuilding. My question is:

Does the current transmission on the car work with the newer 235?

I am sure it wont, but I had to ask.

Second question:

Which is the best year of the PG trans to install on the 235?

Also, the car has the three on the tree, is the PG considered a manual?

Thanks in advance,

Jorge

 

216 and 235 have the same bellhousing bolt pattern, so you can use your original trans and bellhousing with the new 235, it will bolt up the same. I think you will need to get different motor mounts, and the water pump is different, but as long as you swap the engine complete it should be just motor mounts.

Three on the tree is a manual trans with a clutch. Powerglide (PG) is an automatic trans without a clutch pedal. If you want to convert to PG from the manual, just need a PG from a 53-54 donor car that has the PG and is set up for the enclosed torquetube driveline, which is what you have.

 

To answer your questions in order;

Yes, the 235 will work with the original transmission if you reuse the flywheel, clutch and bell housing from the 216.

Best year of Powerglide? Only the 1950-54 PGs would bolt to your '48's enclosed driveshaft, and the '53-'54 versions were improved over the PGs used from '50-'52.

No. A Powerglide is an automatic transmission.

 

The stock '55 water pump shaft will be too long and interfere with the radiator. Both special short shaft pumps and adapter plates to mount a '41-'54 pump on a '55-'62 engine are available.

 

works just fine. And no the PG is a slush box.

 

How many pedals are on the floor?
3 pedals( clutch , brake ,gas ) = manual transmission
2 pedals ( brake , gas ) = automatic transmission PG

 

and starter. The starter and flywheel have to match. If you have a flywheel from a 6v car (before 1955), you need to use a 6v starter with it. If you have a flywheel from a 12v car (1955 or later), you need to use a 12v starter with it. Because of how the gear teeth are made, they are coarse teeth on the 6v, and fine teeth on the 12v.

 

Yes, forgot about that. 139 tooth flywheel is 6 volt, 168 is 12 volt.

 

The early powerglides don't have "three on a tree" they are column shift two speed automatics. The same transmissions that we called slush boxes back in the day. Three on the tree only applies to column shift three speed manual transmissions with a clutch pedal.

As Heathen said, the best year for a closed drive powerglide to go behind the 235 is a 53/54.

Davis speed Eauipment sells the adapter to put the 216 pump on the later 235 that is well worth the money.

39 well spent dollars in my book. They also make other brackets for sixes . 10018 235 CHEVY WATER PUMP ADAPTER PLATE - Davis Speed Equipment

 

Weren't the first couple of years of Powerglide actually a semi-automatic trans? I thought that any up- or down-shifting was accomplished only by moving the shift lever. Early 4 cylinder Novas and Vegas were offered with a similar aluminum PG without automatic upshift called a TorqueDrive.

 

Yes, from 1950-52, if you put the shifter in Drive, it started out in high. 0-60 by sundown, hopefully.

 

Back in the day I would use the later 235 water pump and press the flange down so I could use a Ford Falcon water pump pulley and then just shorten the shaft accordingly.

 

^^^^^^^^^^
Exactly right, plus the plate under the timing cover the mounts bolt to can be used from the 216, so no mount problem as long as you don't mind pulling the cam out of the 235.

 

That's what I did when I put a '58 235 in a '53 210 forty years ago. I think that I ended up using a pulley from a 348.

 

I just want to say I ALWAYS dig your input on inline questions!

 

IF you leave right after breakfast!

 

solid answer. at 40 i can make that distinction. definitely missed the question there bud. thanks nonetheless for the reply.

 

thank you all for the input.

 

yeap, I have a 55 donor with the 12v starter.

 

Sheesh, I must have missed the question too.

What response were you hoping for???

 

I read somewhere in here and forgot to print it out, that you can change the torque tube and rear end gears to 3.55.....
If so, what is my target years for those parts?

Thanks

Jorge

 

You can use the 12v starter if you use the flywheel that came with the 55 engine. I think you'll have to use the clutch from the 55 also, and make sure it fits the 216 bellhousing.

The 49-54 rear end you can swap gears from a Powerglide equipped car to get those gears. Might not work on a 48, since the rears are different

 

After searching all over I couldn't find a solid answer on whether the PG was only made automatic or if there was a manual out there. I am in foreign ground here with the chevys and inline 6. I have been a fox body mustang guy forever, but I got the car for free, so i figured Ill try my luck with this project.

 

i see i see.

thanks

 

And here is the project. Time to get busy.

 

The Powerglide is an automatic transmission. The 3 speed manual transmission is not an automatic transmission. The Powerglide started in 1950. It was the first Chevy automatic transmission.

 

that was pretty much what i was looking for..... the PG are only automatic.

 

Any 1950-54 Powerglide car would have come from the factory with 3.55 gears.

 

Yep, as others have said, the Powerglide is an auto transmission.

Sorry to hear you have been a Fox body Mustang guy for so long. I hope you are on the mend and finally getting over it.
It is a horrible infliction, and we all wish you the best with your recovery.......

 

Yep, that is what I did my truck. Have a spare on the shelf, too.