"Powerglide" opinions

[tracterman2]

Okay, I'm wanting to keep my truck as original as possible...it has the powerglide in it and I'm assuming it is okay. I haven't driven the truck yet...what are your opinions on the powerglide...what kind of milage do you see with it....your not wide open at 55 -60 are you?? I have never been around one so I don't know the ratios or depenabilty of them...I have heard that they are very reliable..guess because of the fewer moving parts. Just wondering on opinions of you guys with them. This is going to be a daily driver...conversation piece...nothing special.

[Palf70Step]

To me worth keeping. There is nothing wrong with them. They are very sturdy. Because you only have low and drive (1to1 ratio) you may notice a different shifting since low will wind out mnore then drive kicks in. From what you are talking about I would keep it in and use it. Now granted any of these trucks without an overdrive gear are not great on fuel economy, but for a daily driver and being original (and different) the powerglide is a good tranny.

[RACINJASON22]

The Powerglide will give you the same rpm in drive at highway speed as any of the other non-overdrive tranny options that you can put in your truck. 1to1 in high gear.

[sb69chevy]

I have a powerglide and drive 200 miles per week. Get about 13 mpg, w/ mostly highway driving. I plan on keeping mine, mainly because they're pretty darn tough.

[special-K]

I bought a truck for the bed and was delighted to see I got a complete Powerglide set-up to boot!They`re getting harder to find like other vintage drivetrain,like the motors you found in front of them.With so many going overdrive and the older stuff being cast off,it makes it all the more worth having.They give a ride a feel like nothing else and even have their own sound.

[dave2953]

I still have the factory Powerglide in my 68. It's been a great transmission, and I also get around 12 mpg. I have 3.73 gears, though, so at 65 mph I'm turning about 3,500 rpm. I would keep it if I were you. Just my .02

[tracterman2]

Yeah I will I think...its also VERY cheap to keep serviced...I have heard they are about bullet proof...plus I want to stay as stock as possible

[sixtysevengmc]

keep the 'glide and regear the rear end to suit you needs

[special-K]

Maintain adjustment of the bands.

[boogie67]

Bullet proof is right.I had a 67 chevelle with a powerglide.You could'nt kill it.I know I tried I was 17 at the time.It had a pretty stout 350 in it.Man I wish I still had that car.Keep it!!

[mnunn454]

I had a 68 Camaro with a PG in it. I agree with you all. It's hard to kill. On the down side though, low gear in a PG is like taking off in 2nd in any other 3 speed automatic transmission. It's horrible for takeoff, particularly so in a heavy vehicle.

However, I hear your preference for originality. If it trumps performance (sounds like it might) then at least use it with a decent stall speed (say around 2500 RPM) converter. At least then you'll get some of your low end performance back without affecting highway MPG much. The good news is if you try the PG and don't like it, short tailshaft TH350s and 400s are about the same physical size and would be an easy swap in.

For me, performance trumps originality 95% of the time, so I'd opt for a TH400 or an overdrive TH700-R4.

[67arch]

Isn't the powerglide an aircooled tranny. I have been kicking around getting one behind my inline, just haven't heard good or bad about them. Sounds good so far.

[glock35ipsc]

It's been a few years since I last raced, but if I remember correctly, the Powerglide in my Monza used a 1.82 low gear (lower of the two). I also used a turbo-shaft input shaft. It lets you use a TH350/TH-400 converter, so I had more options of what converter I used. I ran a 9" TH-350 converter......left with a trans-brake at 5200 rpm!! Race track, skyyyyyyyyyyyyyy, race track!

[glock35ipsc]

Originally Posted by 67arch

Isn't the powerglide an aircooled tranny.

Nope. If it was, I had some blown cooler lines on the old race car I need to have explained?!

[1BadSS]

Originally Posted by glock35ipsc

Nope. If it was, I had some blown cooler lines on the old race car I need to have explained?!

Some were air cooled.

[glock35ipsc]

Originally Posted by 1BadSS

Some were air cooled.

Were they early versions?

[1BadSS]

Originally Posted by glock35ipsc

Were they early versions?

From what i've read and seen they were spotty all the way up to 69.

My 68 impala came with a 327,powerglide stock and it was aircooled.

[glock35ipsc]

Veeeeery interesting! I honestly can't remember what year mine was, that wuz too long ago. Since then I went

[72step]

I understand that as long as they are the aluminum version like 63 or newer they are the good ones. I've had a couple in two different 63 Impalas, and they are in my opinion the best auto tranny's that ever were. I actually have an aluminum PG that I had thought of selling, but after reading this, I might sell my 400 and build the PG. I never realized that they are 1:1 in drive. I somehow in my mind thought they were higher revving in drive. On one of the 63 Impalas I had, the tranny wouldn't shift into drive until it was warm because it needed a rebuild, but anyway to make a long story short, I was going about 45mph, and I was tinkering with the shifter trying to go into neutral then back into drive because it had a trick that worked for it, and oops! I through it into reverse by mistake and the rear tires locked up like if I had pressed the E brake, then I quickly threw it back into drive and it was fine, didn't harm a thing. I've heard of guys do that with a 350 or 400, and it was gone. I might just pull that old PG, out of outside where it's thrown and mabe have it rebuilt racing style for when I blow up my 400 again!

[72step]

I had never heard of them being air cooled, at least none of the ones I had on 63's were. The only thing I know, is there is a first Gen PG which is I think 61 and older, and they were cast iron, and they were nothing but problematic. I think they were called the turbo glide or something like that, and they might have been air cooled.

[special-K]

Originally Posted by mnunn454

For me, performance trumps originality 95% of the time, so I'd opt for a TH400 or an overdrive TH700-R4.

Until you go to a higher level of performance where hp over rules.The Powerglide vs Hydramatic will show the P/G launches off the line and gets down track while the T/H is catching up.Not only will the P/G get better traction,it will gain speed faster,and one less shift.Drag racers love them.
O/T...in drag bikes they start in 2nd gear for this reason.Mine`s a potent street machine and when we blueprinted my trans we installed a higher 1st gear.If I`m up against a stock-geared bike with the same power,the other rider can`t figure out how I always win.

[cacauba]

When we were moving up to Colorado, we drove my truck up from Houston. my Wife wanted to drive one leg. whell she accidently left it in 1st gear the entire tank full of gas (however many miles, or hours that was) going 55-60 mph. when we stopped she told me that it wouldn't go any faster and the temp on the engine was climbing. after some q&a i found out about the 1st gear thing. to sum up the truck was fine after some checking and sitting to cool off. the tranny is still going strong just needs a new pan gasket from drying out. been a couple of years now since and no problems. they will take some (or a lot) of abuse.

as far as ive heard the pg's last year was the 69, and that is also the year they added the cooler and lines. dont know for sure but that is how mine is set-up

[special-K]

Try that with a six-speed.The`69 C/20 with Poewrglide I have has a cooler,looks factory,and not listed as an option.I didn`t know they were even offered in`69.I associate them with the 283/327 vehicles and mostly cars.

[bobthecop]

Originally Posted by boogie67

Bullet proof is right.I had a 67 chevelle with a powerglide.You could'nt kill it.I know I tried I was 17 at the time.It had a pretty stout 350 in it.Man I wish I still had that car.Keep it!!

I managed to tear one up in a 66 Caprice when I was 17. All it had left was reverse, but then I've been known to tear apart a steel ball with a rubber mallet.

[cameeks]

I had one in my truck and all gears went at once except park so i believe i blew out the input shaft. I'm switching over to a 700r4 so i can get the rpms to drop on the freeway. Me personally I think that a powerglide is pointless unless you have a big block.