Powerglide thoughts? Who's running one?

I have a nice Powerglide I was thinking of running in the '37, behind a '66 l-79 327. Any feed back? It's in good shape and I'm thinking might as well use it. ?

 

As long as it is an aluminum cased one you should be fine. Even the old cast iron ones worked well but are way heavy and tougher to get parts for.

 

It is aluminum, has been gone through and is original to the motor.

 

Cool, you should be good to go

 

Not my 1st choice for current road use, I am sure they got to cost in extra gas and general performance.

I note you are running a little extra HP than what I was when running my 2 speed tranny in an early Falcon.

Never the less I was glad to get myself into a 3 speed auto after that experience.

Hill climbs were painful...

However traditional for sure.

 

Heavy car, low HP need 3 gears to keep the engine in the torque curve, TH 350 or 700 if it has to be an Auto, an extra pedal and 4 speed will liven the 327 up some!

 

Ran a PG in my '27 T for twenty years before being sold a verg good tranny. I say put the PG in and never look back.

CRUISER

 

I ran one in a 25 T with a Vega torque converter for years with the idea that I would change it when it broke, I never did tear it up.

 

ive had five of them in my rides over the years,,no complaint except freeways,,they whine at high rpms...need that third gear or fourth(od)..but for crusing around town i think they are great

 

Run it! I approve this message...

 

I'm running a glide behind the '64 L76 327 (365hp) in my '63 Nova, so almost the same combination and I would think the car weights wouldn't be a whole lot different. I've ran a few powerglides over the years in various rods and have found them to be pretty much bulletproof.
I changed out the solid lifter cam for a Clay Smith 274 deg. hydraulic grind, and I'm running a 2500 rpm converter and shift kit. I don't think you would want much more cam than that for a usable street car, but I'm real happy with how mine drives and the idle while setting in gear is just plain nasty.

Only thing is, I'm sure there's a whole bunch left in that motor that a couple extra gears would bring to the surface...

Bear

 

I tried to destroy my Father's 1963 Chevy's powerglide and I couldn't do it. Great transmission.

 

if the car wont start you have the option of rolling it off with a glide

 

Double the sound deadener over the trans tunnel if the whine gets to you. A very good unit. The make a shift kit for them too!

 

Didn't we have this discussion this morning?

 

Buuuuuuuuuuuuwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, shift, Buuuuuuuwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

 

As has already been stated they are nearly indestructible. Depends mostly on your intended use. On the interstate I think it would get old real quick, but just cruisin it should work great.

 

Chevy showed their considerable understanding of the three element torque converter by utilizing the PG exclusively for many years. You can put down more power off the line and actually accelerate with out baking the tires and going no where, like a 3 speed does in first gear. In 'most' drag cars a glide will run a .10 second quicker than a 400 or 350. As a young man, I hated the two speed, however age and experience has brought wisdom, and clarity.

 

I don't know if it's true, but I heard the powerglide behind a bbc had more clutches. I know the one in my Dad's '65 Impala station with a 250 hp 327, had to be rebuilt twice in 8 years and that was the family car, as in no abuse.

 

As I said on the other thread, I hate them. But-one of the clearest memories I have of my younger days was being in a 63 Impala SS, riding in the back seat, as my best friend's uncle ran that 327 up to 100 mph in low gear. The wail of that 327 and the ensuing sound of relief when he bumped into drive are sounds I will never forget. It got shifted into reverse going down South First and killed it.