stock case powerglide w/ultrabell, and 1.80 BTE carrier assembly, in my door car. Makes roughly 700hp, bracket racing only if it matters. SBF. Had a failure of the flexplate and decided to pull the trans apart & inspect the pump, clutches, etc. All looks great. I will have address the park linkage as park was intermittent. I had done a glide for a friend, then another, and another...well long story short I have some parts leftover, including a thrust bearing (sonnax 56241) that normally is used in a 5R55E. It fits the back of the powerglide pump perfectly. I was using a washer and had about .040 endplay. Out of curiosity, I dropped the pump and shaft in without a washer or bearing and came up with a total endplay of .107. The bearing is .106" thick. When I put a gasket in, .015" thick, it brings the endplay to .015, after compressing the gasket a little. Acceptable?
Next question. I have had talked to someone in the business that mentioned to apply air pressure to the high clutch pack while checking end play, particularly with a thrust bearing. Do y'all do this or?? I never have, but haven't ever used a bearing--always used a washer and sometimes a shim if needed.
Posts: 540 | Location: central Ar | Registered: June 21, 2002
Originally posted by mavman: stock case powerglide w/ultrabell, and 1.80 BTE carrier assembly, in my door car. Makes roughly 700hp, bracket racing only if it matters. SBF. Had a failure of the flexplate and decided to pull the trans apart & inspect the pump, clutches, etc. All looks great. I will have address the park linkage as park was intermittent. I had done a glide for a friend, then another, and another...well long story short I have some parts leftover, including a thrust bearing (sonnax 56241) that normally is used in a 5R55E. It fits the back of the powerglide pump perfectly. I was using a washer and had about .040 endplay. Out of curiosity, I dropped the pump and shaft in without a washer or bearing and came up with a total endplay of .107. The bearing is .106" thick. When I put a gasket in, .015" thick, it brings the endplay to .015, after compressing the gasket a little. Acceptable?
Next question. I have had talked to someone in the business that mentioned to apply air pressure to the high clutch pack while checking end play, particularly with a thrust bearing. Do y'all do this or?? I never have, but haven't ever used a bearing--always used a washer and sometimes a shim if needed.
First question the answer is yes, 015 is ok, I'd want 005 if there's no slop in the cover with the retaining clip/ring installed cover to drum. There's your second answer too. If there's slop cover to drum, in high gear you could have negative end play bind, drag with too little end play..
This measurement will tell what you're gonna need for end play. I've seen this measurement as poor as .110.
.125 - .128 will be tight. This is a TSI, TSI always measure on the high side.
GM 1.76 measure .125 typically if I recall correctly, it's been awhile since I've not used aftermarket, for a build. Double check that if it's GM, might be .120.
Needle bearing thrust is really designed for zero end play for best results.
Some of these aftermarket covers you're better off stock/factory.
Tossed it together as a mockup and then applied high gear with 125 psi. With the clutch applied, end play is .004". That is at room temp, well shop temp of about 90°F.
Years ago I was doing a few T5's for the "mustang crowd". One day I got to thinking about thermal expansion of the aluminum case vs the steel cluster and main shaft assembly. So I threw a cluster into an old case and set up a .001" preload like normal, then tossed the assembly into the oven at 200° for about an hour, to let it all heat soak. When I removed it and then rechecked end play, it was .001", which would have been around 175 degrees by the time I got the dial set up again. So I'd assume based on this that a powerglide's aluminum case is similar and that I'm ok at .004" with the clutch applied.
Posts: 540 | Location: central Ar | Registered: June 21, 2002
Originally posted by mavman: Tossed it together as a mockup and then applied high gear with 125 psi. With the clutch applied, end play is .004". That is at room temp, well shop temp of about 90°F.
Years ago I was doing a few T5's for the "mustang crowd". One day I got to thinking about thermal expansion of the aluminum case vs the steel cluster and main shaft assembly. So I threw a cluster into an old case and set up a .001" preload like normal, then tossed the assembly into the oven at 200° for about an hour, to let it all heat soak. When I removed it and then rechecked end play, it was .001", which would have been around 175 degrees by the time I got the dial set up again. So I'd assume based on this that a powerglide's aluminum case is similar and that I'm ok at .004" with the clutch applied.
PARK PROBLEM......USE A BTE PARK PAWL....1/8 DEEPER FIT IN THE PLANETARY FEMALE CUTOUT......OR I MAY COME OUT WITH MY OWN PARK PAWL...JUST FINISHED AN ATI CASE WITH PARKING PAWL ISSUES...MY FIRST BILLET PIECE...TOOK A LITTLE GRINDING TO FIT ROCK SOLID..BY NAKED EYE..FIT WAS 95%.. I'VE SEEN 40% FIT ON SOME AFTERMARKET CASES...WILL REMAIN NAMELESS AT THIS TIME..
Posts: 65 | Location: Northwest | Registered: August 08, 2004
POWERGLIDE PARK HAS BEEN AN ISSUE FOR AT LEAST 5 YEARS....ON FLAT GROUND...PARK WORKS..LOAD A CAR IN A TILTED TRAILER..CLICK-CLICK PARK DOESN'T WORK...THE REID CASE IS THE BEST FOR PARK WORKING CORRECTLY....THE BTE CASE HAS THERE OWN PARK PAWL & ALL THE BRACKETS INSTALLED WHEN YOU BUY IT...THEN THERE'S THE PLANETARY'S THAT ARE NOT MADE ALL THE SAME...A BETTER PARK PAWL IS THE ONLY ANSWER TO COVER ALL THE COMBINATIONS OUT THERE I'VE REPAIRED AT LEAST 20 GLIDES WITH THIS PROBLEM...EITHER THE BTE PAWL OR I FAB & MACHINE A BILLET PIECE..
Posts: 65 | Location: Northwest | Registered: August 08, 2004
I've never seen it. I've used all the different cases REID, JW, ATI, Transmission Specialties.
I did have a guy call me from a race, said he was having a problem with park. Someone at the race fixed it, so I never saw what was going on. Park was fine the day before when the trans was installed
It was a brand new REID case pg transmission with a billet pump bolt in stator, 1.125 input shaft
Not discounting what you're saying at all though Don.
I remember park problems being more prevalent in the early days of 1.80 straight gearsets, or when they became affordable, I paid close to 2k shipped for the first 1.80 I bought. Reid case was Dedenbear back then. .
I'd imagine now that PG cores are running thin and there is aftermarket internals mostly available, park issues will probably make it back around again.
Ya really gotta watch what you're doing with some of the hard part internals out there. I still have a decent supply of complete cores, so I'll be good for a bit.
