Thursday, April 3, 2014
Powerglide Transmission Information
The Powerglide is a two speed automatic transmission that was introduced by General Motors Corporation in 1950. The Powerglide transmission was used in a variety of vehicles produced by General Motors.
Design
The early Powerglide transmissions had a cast iron housing and weighed 240 pounds. In 1961, General Motors replaced the cast iron Powerglide transmission housing with one made from die-cast aluminum. The use of the aluminum housing reduced the weight of the Powerglide transmission by one third.
Power
The aluminum Powerglide transmission that was used with six-cylinder engines had a 1.82:1 first gear ratio and a 1.00:1 second gear ratio. The Powerglide transmissions used with eight-cylinder engines had a 1.76:1 first gear ratio and a 1.00:1 second gear ratio.
Popularity
General Motors produced over 17 million Powerglide transmissions. Today, Powerglide transmissions are popular for use in racing. The Powerglide transmission combined with a high gear ratio rear end gear is used for drag racing.
