Powerglide front pump question

Greg Reimer 7376 · 08-21-2011, 07:37 PM

Had a front pump gear break its drive lugs off suddenly recently in my Powerglide stocker. Since most front pump gears that I've ever seen were cast iron and hardened, does anybody make a steel billet gear set for the stock front pump?

Alan Roehrich · 08-21-2011, 08:14 PM

Not that I am aware of. Never used any. The pump gears were broken by something else, they didn't just break on their own.

Tom Goldman · 08-21-2011, 10:34 PM

Most '62-'63 PG'S that had a rear pump ,had steel front pump gears.
I save them for my customers that run over 200# line pressure.
Most S/SS transmissions run under 150# or less of line pressure and the cast gears usually will hold up in them with no problems.
You might want to check and make sure there was enough clearance between the pump tangs and the pump drive slot.
Possibly a main thrust bearing problem also.

Greg Reimer 7376 · 09-24-2011, 10:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Goldman

Most '62-'63 PG'S that had a rear pump ,had steel front pump gears.
I save them for my customers that run over 200# line pressure.
Most S/SS transmissions run under 150# or less of line pressure and the cast gears usually will hold up in them with no problems.
You might want to check and make sure there was enough clearance between the pump tangs and the pump drive slot.
Possibly a main thrust bearing problem also.

After taking the time to do other things, I returned to the Powerglide front pump issue. It seems that with the trans and converter bolted to the engine, quite a bit of endplay exists between the point that the converter is bottomed out in the pump and where it was when bolted up to the flex plate. I have seen spacers in some cars between the conveter tabs and the flexplate,but not here.I suspect that the converter drive slots were not engaged deep enough over the front pump drive lugs and that made the drive lugs shear off.The sudden off the gas at the finish line and the subsequent on the gas again may have been just enough to finish it off. I haven't open up the trans yet, but before that car gets run again, that endplay issue will be not a possibility. The crank endplay is around .009".Something to check out!!

Adger Smith · 09-25-2011, 12:43 AM

While you have the pump apart remove the check valve and spring. Replace it with a piece of 1/2 rod to block the holes. Just drill it and put the original pin back in. Sometimes the check will start to open and close rapidly during burnouts and that loads and unloads the pump, esp if you like long smokey burn outs. Set the End play of converter to flex plate lugs no more than .125 no less than .090. I like the .125...

SGSST109E · 09-25-2011, 10:50 PM

I have always replaced the pin with and allen socket set screw and left the spring in place. I haven't heard of removing the spring and check valve.

RPinoski1 · 09-26-2011, 01:57 PM

Greg I think the input shaft will bottom out in the converter before the converter bottoms out on the pump tabs.

08-21-2011, 07:37 PM	#1
Greg Reimer 7376 VIP Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Glendora,Calif. Posts: 1,111 Likes: 164 Liked 649 Times in 208 Posts	Powerglide front pump question Had a front pump gear break its drive lugs off suddenly recently in my Powerglide stocker. Since most front pump gears that I've ever seen were cast iron and hardened, does anybody make a steel billet gear set for the stock front pump?

08-21-2011, 08:14 PM	#2
Alan Roehrich VIP Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Murfreesboro TN Posts: 4,915 Likes: 996 Liked 1,043 Times in 274 Posts	Re: Powerglide front pump question Not that I am aware of. Never used any. The pump gears were broken by something else, they didn't just break on their own. __________________ Alan Roehrich 212A G/S

08-21-2011, 10:34 PM	#3
Tom Goldman VIP Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Allentown,PA Posts: 2,436 Likes: 776 Liked 700 Times in 204 Posts	Re: Powerglide front pump question Most '62-'63 PG'S that had a rear pump ,had steel front pump gears. I save them for my customers that run over 200# line pressure. Most S/SS transmissions run under 150# or less of line pressure and the cast gears usually will hold up in them with no problems. You might want to check and make sure there was enough clearance between the pump tangs and the pump drive slot. Possibly a main thrust bearing problem also. __________________ Tom Goldman 1500 SG , 1506 STK

09-25-2011, 12:43 AM	#5
Adger Smith VIP Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Texarkana Ark/TX Posts: 2,348 Likes: 434 Liked 677 Times in 261 Posts	Re: Powerglide front pump question While you have the pump apart remove the check valve and spring. Replace it with a piece of 1/2 rod to block the holes. Just drill it and put the original pin back in. Sometimes the check will start to open and close rapidly during burnouts and that loads and unloads the pump, esp if you like long smokey burn outs. Set the End play of converter to flex plate lugs no more than .125 no less than .090. I like the .125... __________________ Adger Smith (Former SS) Last edited by Adger Smith; 09-25-2011 at 12:46 AM. Reason: sp

09-25-2011, 10:50 PM	#6
SGSST109E Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: NJ Posts: 342 Likes: 54 Liked 124 Times in 58 Posts	Re: Powerglide front pump question I have always replaced the pin with and allen socket set screw and left the spring in place. I haven't heard of removing the spring and check valve.

09-26-2011, 01:57 PM	#7
RPinoski1 Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: PLACERVILLE, CA Posts: 182 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Powerglide front pump question Greg I think the input shaft will bottom out in the converter before the converter bottoms out on the pump tabs. __________________ "I've never seen a Hearse with a Luggage Rack, You Can't Take it With You" Mike Ness