Powerglide

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Powerglide is a two-speed automatic transmission designed by General Motors. It was available primarily on Chevrolet from January 1950 to 1973, although some Pontiac models also used this automatic transmission after a fire at the Hydra-Matic plant in 1953. Powerglides are widely used in Pontiac produced for the Canadian market with a Chevrolet powertrain. When introduced to the top-tier Chevrolet model in 1950, Powerglide represented the first automatic transmission offered in a low-cost car; Instead, Ford did not offer their automatic transmission until 1951, while Plymouth car buyers had to wait until 1954. The transmission was simple and very durable, satisfying the customers.

Video Powerglide

Histori

The 1950, 1951, and 1952 Powerglide transmissions do not automatically shift between low and high (direct drive) made for sluggish take-off and many drivers start at "Low" and shift to "Drive" at around 30-40 mph ( 48-64 km/h), which is difficult on transmission. Unit 1953 and later when "Drive" starts in low position and automatically rises to high at the speed determined by throttle opening. By the mid-1950s, more than half of all new Chevrolets were sold with Powerglide.

In 1962, GM began to build Air Cooled Powerglides in aluminum, especially for use in the new Chevy II model, which required lightweight for its compact body, and discontinued use of the Powerglides cast iron in 1963. The heavy duty version of Aluminum Powerglide was offered. for passenger cars equipped with a 409 cubic inch V8 engine, and a Chevrolet light truck using a set of 1.76: 1 planetary gears instead of the usual 1.82: 1. With a 3.31 axle, Car and Driver magazines recorded full shift speeds of up to 76 mph (122 km/h) to drive with 409-4bbl 340 hp (250 kW) engines in contemporary road tests. Most of the V8/Powerglide transmissions come with 1.76 gear set. One exception is the export version of the transmission, which only offers a ratio of 1.82 and is used by Holden in Australia behind their six-cylinder and Australian-made V8 engine. The Holden vehicle is equipped with a Chevrolet V8 engine using a 1.76 gear set.

Powerglide continued to function as a major Chevrolet automatic transmission through the 1960s, when a new three-speed automatic transmission called Turbo-Hydramatic 400 (the introduction of 1965) began gradually. They were introduced in Buicks and Cadillac the previous year.

Typically, Powerglides are combined behind small V8 blocks and third generation inline six-cylinder and inline four-cylinder engines. In the late 1960s, the demand for two-speed automatic transmission was reduced because buyers demanded a three-speed unit (Ford, Chrysler and American Motors have switched fully to three-speed auto at this time). In 1969, the three-speed Turbo Hydramatic 350 (THM350) was introduced as a light duty companion for the Turbo-Hydramatic 400, and is available in almost all Chevrolet cars and trucks with six-cylinder or small and medium V8 engines. , as well as midsize cars from other GM divisions.

Powerglide still survives as a low-cost automatic transmission option especially for six-cylinder Chevrolet Nova and four-cylinder Chevrolet Vega until it is removed after the 1973 model, replaced by Turbo Hydramatic 250. They are also used in the Jeeps 'Dispatcher DJ-5' sold for light commercial use, and renowned for their service with the US Postal Service. Its simple and powerful design has prompted drag racing fans to work with it, giving Powerglide an effective service life of almost five decades more than its intended obsolescence.

Maps Powerglide

Type

There are two main types or Powerglide versions: Powerglide transmissions introduced in 1950 have cast iron casing and are known as "Cast Iron Powerglide", used until 1963, when changed as "Aluminum Powerglide" where the case and some other parts are made of aluminum. The initial model was air-cooled, and then the 60's version used liquid cooling in the radiator. The Aluminum Powerglide, and Tempestorque were used from 1962 to be replaced with the Turbo-Hydramatic transmission series in 1973. Aluminum Powerglide is still used today as a racing transmission of choice by many racers mainly due to the fact that it only shifts once. , and for extreme durability. You can also buy all the necessary parts to build Powerglide Aluminum from scratch from most racing parts vendors.

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Drive Torque

For the 1968 model, Chevrolet introduced a simplified version of Powerglide which is marketed under the name "Torque Drive." This unit is essentially a Powerglide without a vacuum modulator, which requires the driver to manually move gears between Low and High. The quadrant indicator on the Torque Drive car is, Park R N Hi 1st. The driver will start the car at "1", then move the lever to "Hi" when desired.

Torque Drive is only offered on low-power engines for Camaro and Nova. It is available on the Nova four-cylinder engine, and on the Turbo-Thrift Sixes for Camaro as well as Nova. Despite its low introductory price of $ 68.65, most buyers seem to regard Torque Drive as a nuisance to shift, and for a hundred dollars more they can get fully automatic Powerglide, making Torque Drive installations extremely rare. Apparently the transmission is not very durable, because it depends on the ability of the driver to move between gears in a way that does not damage the unit. After 1971, Chevrolet canceled Torque Drive and continued to offer Powerglide until 1974, when all engines could be ordered with a three-speed Turbo Hydramatic.

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Identify

General Motors transmission has a mark to identify;

• Check numbers on casing and extension housing.
• Powerglide transmission is thrown with Powerglide along the body
• Date Casting Code
• Stamping Assembly Date Code - can be stamped anywhere...
• Chassis VIN Number stamping or "source serial number" - started in 1962

Prior to 1967, the transmission ID number contains the factory prefix code, month and production date (expressed numerically) and shift codes (D = Day, N = Night). From 1967 on, the ID number contains the transmission type or factory prefix, Date (encoded below) and shift code. The constant in decoding the trans ID number is the date the transmission is generated.

• Pre-67 Example: C213N - (C = Cleveland Powerglide, February 13, Night Shift)
• Post-67 Example: P9E03 - (P = TYPE, 9 = year (1969), E = Month, 03 = Day in Month)

The transmission identification number or serial number of the source (VIN chassis) is usually located close to the transmission code. This number will contain the divisional identification number, model year, and assembly plant and production order (last 6 digits) vehicle identification number (VIN) stamped on the transmission.

• Example: 19N500001

src: www.racepagesdigital.com

Security issues

Powerglide used the P-N-D-L-R selector sequence until 1957, transformed in 1958 into the now standard P-R-N-D-L sequence. The preceding sequence has been criticized for safety reasons for putting backwards after forward gear, rather than being neutral between the reverse and the forward range. For example, a driver can easily jump over L and go to R, possibly causing permanent damage and/or catastrophic failure, although it is necessary to lift on the shift lever to shift in reverse direction.

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Turboglide

From 1957 to 1961, Chevrolet also produced Turboglide, a triple turbine that continuously transmits automatically with a simultaneous ratio that resembles Buick's Flight Pitch Dynaflow, which is then called Triple Turbine (full technical description). Turboglide, offered only with a V8 engine, is more expensive (about $ 50) than Powerglide and has no wide acceptance, in part due to failure on the 1957-58 model, handled by a significantly upgraded version for 1959.

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Corvair Powerglide

Corvair Powerglide, using the basic design principle of Powerglide is optional in a six-cylinder twin-engined, air-cooled, and horizontally horizontal six-cylinder compact, available for all of its production years (1960-69).

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Swapping

Many Powerglides share the same length, 27 spline output shafts, and installation of the transmission as THM 350; thus, the transmission is easily interchangeable for the owner wanting three speeds instead of two. Other powerglides are equipped with 16 spline incompatible output shafts.

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Racing

Although this is a very old design, Powerglide still has a strong following in the drag race because of its strength and simplicity. Powerglides are also popular in mud racing and monster truck racing. In the first few years after introduction, they became known as "Slip-N-Slide Powerglide", due to the fluid coupling, as opposed to the mechanical coupling of the clutch-driven gearbox, and "Pop-Positive transmission". The latter is due to the characteristic "bump" or "pop" that occurs when the transmission is inserted into the tooth of the neutral.

Currently Robert Campisi of Australia holds the World Record for the fastest run using the Powerglide transmission, clocking 5.95 at 260 mph in Twin Turbo Ford Mustang in September 2011.

src: www.monstertransmission.com

See also

• GM Transmission List
• Turboglide
• Turbo-Hydramatic
• Corvair Powerglide

References

Source of the article : Wikipedia