No park in Powerglide

Ron Finney · 04-30-2013, 08:00 PM

Ok, this one is trying my patience...Have a powerglide with a Coan Pro Tree brake. The parking pawl does not hold it into the parking gear. In order to get the pawl fully engaged so it doesn't jump out, the rooster comb needs to go farther than the detent will allow it to. If you raise the detent up, you can get it to fully engage....if you don't, any push on the car will cause the parking pawl to jump away from the gear and allow the car to move. I have changed the pawl, and the alignment brackets with others I had and have not gained much ground if any.

Suggestions? Tom Goldman, help me out here.....I have done these on my cars for years and never had one do this.....about ready to swap it out with another unit, just refuse to let this one win...

Thanks,
Ron

Tom Goldman · 04-30-2013, 09:14 PM

Wow a personal request!
a couple of questions, Aftermarket case? , Does the planet carrier have u shaped slots instead of the typical square slots?
There have been some issues with case clearance for the pawl on some aftermarket cases .
The normal square pawl shape does not fit well in the u shaped carrier slots.
rounding the corners on the pawl usually fixes that problem.
Have you changed the plunger with the rooster comb? ..sometimes I've seen the spring go weak on the plunger.

Darrin Christen · 04-30-2013, 09:14 PM

I had one that cracked the shift bracket inside the trans. The shaft was slipping in the bracket not allowing the parking pawl to fully engage. Just a thought.

Ron Finney · 04-30-2013, 10:49 PM

It's a stock case. I have swapped the plunger, the cast locating bracket for the parking pawl, and even swapped the rooster comb. I have measured the length of the detent on the coan valve body and compared it to a tci I have and even stock one.....it seems I have checked everything, but there has to be something missing in this equation...thanks for the suggestions so far....thought somebody may have ran into this before.....it the plunger rod was just about 1/4" longer it would work fine.

Bill Baer · 04-30-2013, 11:53 PM

Ron

Are you sure the shift lever in the trans is the correct one for the shifter.
For example hurst Is different from TCI and B&M.
I had a hurst quarter stick combined with a TCI lever that would not engage park correctly.

Ron Finney · 05-01-2013, 07:39 AM

Bill, this is even with the trans on the bench. When the detent is in the park position of the rooster comb, the plunger is not up on the flat shoulder and it if you put any decent amount of torque on the output shaft, the pawl jumps out of the gear. I'm about ready to swap everything into another unit, but still too stubborn to let this one win....(although Im gonna have to cave shortly, my son is wanting to get his car back together....)

DIAPERMAN · 05-03-2013, 07:55 AM

Ron did you find anything I have a similar problem with a new reid case Slone did for me

Ron Finney · 05-03-2013, 08:53 AM

Working on a solution, have an idea....just haven;t had a chance to get back in the shop and work on it....I will let you know as soon as get it.

Ron Finney · 05-13-2013, 12:42 PM

Ok everyone, I told you I wasn't going to let this one win. Here's the issue and the fix. The problem is these things are old...the plunger shaft gets worn from the hole in the rooster comb and its worn down on one side about 1/2way. Given a little wear in the hole too and you have too much movement to keep the plunger from pushing the tapered end up far enough to fully engage the parking pawl. I thought about Tig welding the shaft, and grinding, but A) it's real small, and B) there is a tiny groove for the e-clip that holds it on.

The Fix. Take the plunger rod off the rooster comb, and mount into a vice. Push the tapered part up against the spring and insert a small E-clip over the shaft. This will hold the taper back slightly and allow the long slender sleeve on the end to rotate easily as well as slide back and forth a smidge. Using a die grinder, take approximately the width of the blade off the end of the small tube by holding the die grinder against the tube while rotating the tube. Go easy so you don't cut into the shaft underneath it rides on. This will allow the tapered part the plunger assembly to move down by the amount you removed.

An easier fix is to purchase a new one if you can find one. I see Sonnax has small parts listed for the glide, and they show the plunger assembly (28111).

Ron Finney · 05-13-2013, 12:49 PM

The Sonnax part is number 28111 for the plunger assembly (park/lock actuator) and they are new....gonna have to order a couple just to have.

04-30-2013, 08:00 PM	#1
Ron Finney Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Greenwood, IN Posts: 168 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	No park in Powerglide Ok, this one is trying my patience...Have a powerglide with a Coan Pro Tree brake. The parking pawl does not hold it into the parking gear. In order to get the pawl fully engaged so it doesn't jump out, the rooster comb needs to go farther than the detent will allow it to. If you raise the detent up, you can get it to fully engage....if you don't, any push on the car will cause the parking pawl to jump away from the gear and allow the car to move. I have changed the pawl, and the alignment brackets with others I had and have not gained much ground if any. Suggestions? Tom Goldman, help me out here.....I have done these on my cars for years and never had one do this.....about ready to swap it out with another unit, just refuse to let this one win... Thanks, Ron __________________ Ron Finney 396V S/C

04-30-2013, 09:14 PM	#2
Tom Goldman VIP Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Allentown,PA Posts: 2,436 Likes: 776 Liked 700 Times in 204 Posts	Re: No park in Powerglide Wow a personal request! a couple of questions, Aftermarket case? , Does the planet carrier have u shaped slots instead of the typical square slots? There have been some issues with case clearance for the pawl on some aftermarket cases . The normal square pawl shape does not fit well in the u shaped carrier slots. rounding the corners on the pawl usually fixes that problem. Have you changed the plunger with the rooster comb? ..sometimes I've seen the spring go weak on the plunger. __________________ Tom Goldman 1500 SG , 1506 STK

04-30-2013, 09:14 PM	#3
Darrin Christen Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Des Allemands, LA Posts: 365 Likes: 8 Liked 1 Time in 1 Post	Re: No park in Powerglide I had one that cracked the shift bracket inside the trans. The shaft was slipping in the bracket not allowing the parking pawl to fully engage. Just a thought. __________________ 4878 SS/GA 66CHEVY II

04-30-2013, 10:49 PM	#4
Ron Finney Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Greenwood, IN Posts: 168 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: No park in Powerglide It's a stock case. I have swapped the plunger, the cast locating bracket for the parking pawl, and even swapped the rooster comb. I have measured the length of the detent on the coan valve body and compared it to a tci I have and even stock one.....it seems I have checked everything, but there has to be something missing in this equation...thanks for the suggestions so far....thought somebody may have ran into this before.....it the plunger rod was just about 1/4" longer it would work fine. __________________ Ron Finney 396V S/C

04-30-2013, 11:53 PM	#5
Bill Baer Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Nothern IL Posts: 596 Likes: 1 Liked 1 Time in 1 Post	Re: No park in Powerglide Ron Are you sure the shift lever in the trans is the correct one for the shifter. For example hurst Is different from TCI and B&M. I had a hurst quarter stick combined with a TCI lever that would not engage park correctly. __________________ Bill Baer 3391 SC, 339B SC, QR

05-01-2013, 07:39 AM	#6
Ron Finney Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Greenwood, IN Posts: 168 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: No park in Powerglide Bill, this is even with the trans on the bench. When the detent is in the park position of the rooster comb, the plunger is not up on the flat shoulder and it if you put any decent amount of torque on the output shaft, the pawl jumps out of the gear. I'm about ready to swap everything into another unit, but still too stubborn to let this one win....(although Im gonna have to cave shortly, my son is wanting to get his car back together....) __________________ Ron Finney 396V S/C

05-03-2013, 07:55 AM	#7
DIAPERMAN Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: ILLINIOS Posts: 715 Likes: 2 Liked 21 Times in 6 Posts	Re: No park in Powerglide Ron did you find anything I have a similar problem with a new reid case Slone did for me

05-03-2013, 08:53 AM	#8
Ron Finney Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Greenwood, IN Posts: 168 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: No park in Powerglide Working on a solution, have an idea....just haven;t had a chance to get back in the shop and work on it....I will let you know as soon as get it. __________________ Ron Finney 396V S/C

05-13-2013, 12:42 PM	#9
Ron Finney Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Greenwood, IN Posts: 168 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: No park in Powerglide Ok everyone, I told you I wasn't going to let this one win. Here's the issue and the fix. The problem is these things are old...the plunger shaft gets worn from the hole in the rooster comb and its worn down on one side about 1/2way. Given a little wear in the hole too and you have too much movement to keep the plunger from pushing the tapered end up far enough to fully engage the parking pawl. I thought about Tig welding the shaft, and grinding, but A) it's real small, and B) there is a tiny groove for the e-clip that holds it on. The Fix. Take the plunger rod off the rooster comb, and mount into a vice. Push the tapered part up against the spring and insert a small E-clip over the shaft. This will hold the taper back slightly and allow the long slender sleeve on the end to rotate easily as well as slide back and forth a smidge. Using a die grinder, take approximately the width of the blade off the end of the small tube by holding the die grinder against the tube while rotating the tube. Go easy so you don't cut into the shaft underneath it rides on. This will allow the tapered part the plunger assembly to move down by the amount you removed. An easier fix is to purchase a new one if you can find one. I see Sonnax has small parts listed for the glide, and they show the plunger assembly (28111). __________________ Ron Finney 396V S/C Last edited by Ron Finney; 05-13-2013 at 12:54 PM. Reason: additional info

05-13-2013, 12:49 PM	#10
Ron Finney Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Greenwood, IN Posts: 168 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: No park in Powerglide The Sonnax part is number 28111 for the plunger assembly (park/lock actuator) and they are new....gonna have to order a couple just to have. __________________ Ron Finney 396V S/C