My friend is changing the driveline in his drag car and offered me his POWERGLIDE setup for basically nothing (got to do some welding for him and slip him $200 bucks!). Tranny is a 1.76 with Turbo spline input, Manual shift w/Transbrake. 3500 STall Convertor, Quarter stick shifer and cable. Question, Would this be a streetable combo behind a Big Block Chevy in a 2500LB street car?? I currently have 3.55 gears was thinking this would need something a bit deeper. What do you guys think??
Going to need a big trans cooler, but it will work fine. Personally, I prefer 3-speed automatics over Glides for the street; but for a drag car that's not a real heavyweight, it's Glide all the way. The wavy cushions will be removed in order to make the trans brake work, so gear changes will be harsh ( forward to reverse and back, and the 1-2 shift also). In building my nephews 51 Chevrolet Bus Coupe with/for him, using my parts, he wanted one of my built Glides, but I was pushing for a TH350; we went the Glide he wanted; now he's eyeballing one of my TH350's. Butch/56sedandelivery.
It's one of those things where Its a great deal having the whole setup (less cooler)...I'm just not sure what type of rear gears to run. Engine is a bbc that make peak HP at 5600. Not planning a lot of highway use will be mostly pounding local town roads.
I would never go back to a 2 speed again, especialy if I had to cough up $200 plus do some work. I would put that money towards a solid 400TH or even a 700R4. But that's just me.
the gearing and stall speed is all dependent on the torque curve of your motor because 1st in the powerglide is high almost like taking off in second . what you have will work need a good cooler the trans-brake is a trans killer have run as for gearing it also depends on tire size an type.
for a short trip, street ponder i love the pg!!im runninone in my wifes ot 67 impala.wish i had one for a few other cars i have..
I have one in my highboy and its been great. Close to 700hp, 3K stall and similar car weight and 4.56's. It's a lot of fun on short drives and on the track. If your doing long trips on the freeway i'd get an extra gear tho. It's up to you and make it best fit your needs or you'll quickly get the shits. Cheers Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad
How anyone can make any assumptions or suggestions here without a whole lot more information, ESPECIALLY the cam specs- is totally beyond comprehension.
well i gotta agree with you on that one.when i posted i should have been alot more forthcoming on my engines and r.end info. and asked him about his. for that im sorry. i just said i liked them for what type of cars i build.
That's a race trans. best in a drag car or if a drag strip is close to home and you don't trailer. There's a multitude of parts needed to make a glide live behind a BBC's TQ, ESPECIALLY with a brake. Fun? Almost the most fun you can have with your clothes on. If it's just a "whipped up" race trans with a short life expectancy, count on the short life. If it goes under load you'll learn quickly what it's like to repair floors and drive through trans fluid. A full shield is mandatory as well as a flywheel shield. Forget about the track rules, consider your feet and legs should the worst happen. I've seen it happen, it's ugly, dangerous, and not for "kids". if you're prepared for the risk, go for it. Nuthin like a launch from a brake, especially with a 2-step worked into the mix. 3.55 gears will hasten the inevitable by overloading the trans, even at 2500lbs. 3500 stall might be OK in a light car but 4.56 gears and all the safety measures shouldn't be taken lightly. With stock internals, a braked 'glide won't last a full season in a typical bracket car. Wit hardened inputs, proper bearings and pump mods, also regular inspections and maintainence, you can get a few seasons out of em in a light car. DO NOT USE A TRANS BLANKET ON THE STREET. Go for a shield to allow some air aound it. That's all I got...
Thanks man I wasn't trying to be a dick here, just make a point. Too many threads here on the HAMB w/ little or no pertinent info and it is almost impossible to give a logical and precise answer to them To the O/P, the first thing that should be included in the P/G build is also the most important, even more than the upgraded input shaft. This is the Clutch hub. These are very weak from the factory and when they blow, they usually take the trans case with them in the explosion. Anything anyone could want to know about the P/G trans could be found in the book by J W Performance Transmissions: How To Build A Racing Powerglide Book. Worth every penny, from the best in the P/G business, yes they build the ones I use, TR
There is also the type of trans brake it has. Some will work in reverse as normal with the shifter in reverse position, while others will act like neutral with shifter in reverse position until you engage the brake. As for running it on the street, use a big cooler and it should be OK. Deeper gear is better, but with your light car it will be OK. The looser converter will not go to the stall speed, but you will have more slip getting it going. The max stall is only when you are full throttle and the car stopped or very low speed. Otherwise it will start to pull with light throttle such as normal traffic. If you hammer the throttle it will quickly raise the rpm up and the torque multiplication of the converter will start to be felt immediately. It can be fun. You aren't trying to get the max performance out of it, that is where the gears, cam, engine torque, weight, tire diam and other variables come into play. You are just trying to use some low-budget used parts. I had an OT drag race 70 Camaro, basic back-half ladder bar car. BBC with pro-tree trans brake PG. Approx 4200 stall converter, 4.86 gears and std 14x32 slicks; a high 10 second car. I drove the car on the street many times, slicks and all. Worked fine and never had any problems or reliability issues. The car had mufflers, brake lights and plates with registration. Not much else to make it legal (no headlights, turn signals, wipers, horn, lexan windows, full fiberglass front end and doors, etc), but never had any problems with cops. Just don't drive like a dickhead on public streets. I even drove it to work one day, 20 miles one way, just to show co-workers I could that did not believe me. I am sure my neighbors appreciated firing it up at 6:20 in the morning, hahaha. There is nothing about a trans brake that prevents you from using it on the street. It will be full manual valve body, but again that does not prevent using on the street.
I could get the power-glide transmission out of my 67 Chevelle SS,,,I hated it,,I was a street car and it just need another gear. HRP
Thanks again for all your input...I'm just gonna run it and see what happens. Got nothing to loose. I set my tranny mounting up to easily accept from a powerglide to a TH350 or a TH400. I have a TH400, but needs a rebuild...for the cost of the rebuild kit and converter I would need to buy, couldn't pass up this complete powerglide setup. I ended up doing the welding work for him already (about an hour of my time) and he would only take $100 instead of the original $200!!!! So I'm more than happy!
Sounds like you made a good trade. I ran a powerglide with a 326 Olds. When I was out on the highway, I wish I had another gear, but runnin' corner to corner on local boulevards, it was a blast! Plus, you just don't see that many of them anymore... I always think its cool when I can march to a little different drum than the rest ...robber
have used powerglides in the last 3 cars ,and using one in a willys knight modified roadster behind a 3.0 merc cruiser motor,like robber said being different and they are a blast ,one in my T coupe was great around town start in low wind it up slam second surprised a lot of guys trying to run light to light ,but like others hav said you will ose some fuel mileage,we averaged 15 with 4.26 gears,but it was worth it
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