How does powerglide work

The Camaro below, driven by Chris Rini and sponsored by ATI, a leading supplier of performance Powerglides and components, runs the quarter-mile in six seconds flat at mph. Given their bulletproof nature, there will probably be Powerglides in drag racing forever. Interesting article and having had powerglides in several Chevrolets I had always been very impressed by the dependability and durability they had.

Never any trouble with any of these. Never and damages to the durable transmission. Never any leaks from these either. Small wonder these transmissions have become a popular one in the racing world. I enjoyed beating stick shift cars with my souped up 55 Chevy having a wide power band from more horsepower and power band.

The Powerslide,, a 2 speed tranny with lots of converter slip. Fast and faster. No slow! Robs power and burns up fuel. Though quite tough if maintained properly.

I thing drag racers love them as they have ONE gearchange per run. My own car was a stick shift Vauxhaul and when I decided to make a fast turn into a driveway I forgot that I was not driving it. I threw the shifter up…right into R and locked up the rear wheels. Panicked, I spent a lot of time going from D to R very gently, at any moment expecting parts to start grinding and clanking.

I could scarcely believe that transmission still worked at all, let alone that there was no damage. My dad would have skinned me.

Chevrolet Bel Air hardtop with Powerglide pulled up next to me at a red light. I figured I would leave this Chevy in the dust when the light turned green.

A two-speed Turbo goes at the shift point, and this, Beattie Jr. Big-tire racers, in particular, like the close-ratio setup of a three-speed, because the lack of RPM drop allows them to keep the tire wrinkled and the chassis happy in the front half of the run.

Among the benefits of the Turbo is its unrivaled strength, thanks to its Simpson-style gear sets and the availability of a multitude of aftermarket internal parts. The input shaft, however, is oft-considered the weak link in the Powerglide, more so than the gearset. Two-Speed Or Three?

As alluded to earlier, the Turbo was originally developed as a three-speed, and in non-racing circles, is still known for being as such. In fact, Beattie Jr.

With a first gear ratio of 1. In fact, some of the top quarter-mile Pro Mod cars run a two-speed , but this is done because such powerful cars need a smaller low gear to get that power hooked up at the hit. Ideally they would run a lock up-style unit, as well, but some sanctioning bodies will not allow a lock up automatic to compete with a clutch. Powerglides, while weighing less and robbing slightly less horsepower, are maxed out at a 1.

Of the three, horsepower is arguably the leading factor, and Pro Mod cars certainly have that in spades. You see, the entire goal is to match the transmission gear ratio with the rear end ratio to arrive at a happy medium that gets the car off the starting line consistently while still arriving at the appropriate engine RPM and wheel speed at the finish line.

So you can see where cars with 4, horsepower and up would need — or rather require — a 1. On the left, you can see the reaction carrier being assembled onto the gearset. Where the assembler's hand is situated is where the reverse band squeezes.

On the far right, the rings are being placed on the two-speed billet center support. This is where the high gear drum will ride. Top left: Here's a look down inside the case. The center support, which has 'teeth' around it, go into the teeth in the case, which satisfies a big failure point on OEM cases. You can also see the rear band and bearing installed down in the bottom of the case. Top right: Shown here are some of the components, including the backside of the pump with the pressure regulator spring shown , the center support with the reaction carrier and gearset, and the mainshaft.

The high gear drum and the input shaft and forward drum are also displayed in the back. Bottom left: The high gear drum, with a element sprag. Bottom right: The assembled high gear, gearset, and center support stack. Internally, moving from a three to two-speed Turbo means you can remove some of the guts found in the three-speed, including the center support and intermediate clutches.

The intermediate clutches themselves are the second gear shift in a three-speed, but not in a two-speed. Otherwise, there are some minor valve body changes involved, as well. Just thinking mathematically gear ratio-wise, the more gear the easier it is and the less work the converter has to do.

Left: The high gear drum being slid down onto the main shaft. Right: Here you can see the assembly process from the image above, with the input shaft and forward drum being slid down through the pump. So you might be wondering at this point if you can use a three-speed as a two-speed, and Beattie Jr. Left: This view provides a good look at the underbelly of the case during assembly. Right: the two-speed center support and the main shafts installed. Everything else, including the gearset, is positioned behind it in the transmission.

The pan holds Powerglide-like capacity, thus removing some extra weight, and also fits on cars with a crossmember that might be in the way. Left: The high gear drum is wiggled onto the center support in the case.

Right: the clutch eliminator installed right against the center support. This keeps guys from having to spend a bunch of money on an aftermarket gear set until they really get some power. Center: an endplate checker in use to check the depth from where the pump sits to where the bearing would ride on the forward drum with the input shaft.

You want to have a little bit of clearance here -- usually between. Right: At this point, everything inside a Turbo , minus the pump, is assembled and ready to go. The transmission features a billet aluminum two-speed center support, an aluminum intermediate clutch eliminator not used in a three-speed , a element sprag on a billet aluminum Severe-Duty direct drum direct is high-gear with a steel sleeve that allows for use of Teflon rings and higher line pressure.

From there, the build includes a billet steel clutch hub, Vasco intermediate shaft rated to around 2, horsepower and input shaft rated to 2, horsepower , a complete aluminum pump with a bolt-in heat-treated stator tube, an adjustable pressure regulator allowing the pressure to be cranked from to pounds , and Calico-coated gears in the pump with tool steel anti-wear plates.

A gasket being placed onto the backside of the pump. On a centrifugally-supercharged combination like the one this transmission will sit behind, Beattie Jr.

Controlling power at the hit can be a little more of a challenge with a blower, so by taking gearing away, you can cut a light and not shock the tire as hard at the hit while the boost is up. Because the car in question will run a radial, which is often dead-hook on a well-prepped track, a two-speed is more suitable.