powerglide vs 3 speed

Jim Hawkins · 10-20-2019, 12:17 PM

Anyone care to share there experience switching from a glide to a 3 speed in a sbc stocker? Performance? consistency? reliability?
New car to me needs lots of updating and currently has a glide in it. Not trying to set any records but would like to keep the glide plus I have lots of powerglides here for spares with different ratios.
66 Nova 327/275 combo.
Thanks

MR DERBY CITY · 10-20-2019, 01:13 PM

A lot of it DEPENDS on how good your PG is....some guys have picked up a tenth...get you a Mc Clay, Leo Glassbrenner, Tim Wudarczyk, , Sepanek, Arnett, metric trans .....

Ed McLawhorn Jr. · 10-20-2019, 03:16 PM

I can't say for a stocker, but I replaced a pg with a Mcclay metric with 2.52gear in my 3430# 283 super stocker. PG had a 2.08. Looking at the data, we feel good for a tenth at first race. There is a little more when Im able to play with the shift points, launch rpm. Hope this helps.

J.R. Haddad · 10-20-2019, 04:05 PM

If your not trying to set any records, and you don't run into too many heads up runs, keep the glide. Ask Vic Penrod how he feels about running a glide vs. a 3 speed. You will be about 12-14 slower with the glide. J.R.

Alan Nyhus · 10-20-2019, 04:37 PM

Jim, '68 Chevy II, 327-275 G/SA: I changed a darn good A-1 Powerglide (1.98) over to a Billy Lynn Metric 200 (2.74) and picked up .10 on the average, just trans-to-trans. Further convertor work netted some more gains.

Billy does a really nice 200.

-Al

Pat6868 · 10-21-2019, 08:21 AM

To those that said they lost about .1 - .15 with the glide, is this with using the same rear axle gear ratio with both trannys.?

Mike Jones · 10-21-2019, 09:02 AM

3spd is 2.75 low gear, PG is 1.98

HP HUNTER · 10-21-2019, 09:53 AM

Jim

In Denver and the conditions your likely to run in, I would think the metric would be considerably quicker.

Alan Nyhus · 10-21-2019, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pat6868

To those that said they lost about .1 - .15 with the glide, is this with using the same rear axle gear ratio with both trannys.?

No rear gear changes for me when I changed over.

For sake of example, the 'same' convertor with the 2.74/2.75 low gear in the Metric will make the convertor act 'tighter' on the flash than it was with the 'Glide.

Not that the convertors interchange because they don't. -Al

Ed McLawhorn Jr. · 10-21-2019, 05:34 PM

No rear gear change for me when going to the metric. I did send converter to change splines from pg to turbo. While out, trans guy loosen converter to account for metric.

10-20-2019, 12:17 PM	#1
Jim Hawkins Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 198 Likes: 89 Liked 115 Times in 35 Posts	powerglide vs 3 speed Anyone care to share there experience switching from a glide to a 3 speed in a sbc stocker? Performance? consistency? reliability? New car to me needs lots of updating and currently has a glide in it. Not trying to set any records but would like to keep the glide plus I have lots of powerglides here for spares with different ratios. 66 Nova 327/275 combo. Thanks

10-20-2019, 01:13 PM	#2
MR DERBY CITY VIP Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Derby City, USA Posts: 3,630 Likes: 1,080 Liked 7,900 Times in 1,512 Posts	Re: powerglide vs 3 speed A lot of it DEPENDS on how good your PG is....some guys have picked up a tenth...get you a Mc Clay, Leo Glassbrenner, Tim Wudarczyk, , Sepanek, Arnett, metric trans .....

10-20-2019, 03:16 PM	#3
Ed McLawhorn Jr. Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 306 Likes: 3 Liked 19 Times in 17 Posts	Re: powerglide vs 3 speed I can't say for a stocker, but I replaced a pg with a Mcclay metric with 2.52gear in my 3430# 283 super stocker. PG had a 2.08. Looking at the data, we feel good for a tenth at first race. There is a little more when Im able to play with the shift points, launch rpm. Hope this helps.

10-20-2019, 04:05 PM	#4
J.R. Haddad Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 784 Likes: 933 Liked 1,463 Times in 307 Posts	Re: powerglide vs 3 speed If your not trying to set any records, and you don't run into too many heads up runs, keep the glide. Ask Vic Penrod how he feels about running a glide vs. a 3 speed. You will be about 12-14 slower with the glide. J.R.

10-20-2019, 04:37 PM	#5
Alan Nyhus VIP Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Lower Dakota territory Posts: 1,180 Likes: 1,074 Liked 799 Times in 236 Posts	Re: powerglide vs 3 speed Jim, '68 Chevy II, 327-275 G/SA: I changed a darn good A-1 Powerglide (1.98) over to a Billy Lynn Metric 200 (2.74) and picked up .10 on the average, just trans-to-trans. Further convertor work netted some more gains. Billy does a really nice 200. -Al __________________ "That'll never work....." Last edited by Alan Nyhus; 10-20-2019 at 05:43 PM.

10-21-2019, 08:21 AM	#6
Pat6868 Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 102 Likes: 6 Liked 88 Times in 28 Posts	Re: powerglide vs 3 speed To those that said they lost about .1 - .15 with the glide, is this with using the same rear axle gear ratio with both trannys.? Last edited by Pat6868; 10-21-2019 at 10:42 AM.

10-21-2019, 09:02 AM	#7
Mike Jones VIP Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Connecticut Posts: 1,125 Likes: 1,179 Liked 684 Times in 289 Posts	Re: powerglide vs 3 speed 3spd is 2.75 low gear, PG is 1.98

10-21-2019, 09:53 AM	#8
HP HUNTER Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Colorado Springs Colorado/Thousand Oaks Ca Posts: 656 Likes: 82 Liked 371 Times in 129 Posts	Re: powerglide vs 3 speed Jim In Denver and the conditions your likely to run in, I would think the metric would be considerably quicker.

10-21-2019, 05:34 PM	#10
Ed McLawhorn Jr. Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 306 Likes: 3 Liked 19 Times in 17 Posts	Re: powerglide vs 3 speed No rear gear change for me when going to the metric. I did send converter to change splines from pg to turbo. While out, trans guy loosen converter to account for metric.