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Power Glide cooling

74 spectra20 v-drive

74 spectra20 v-drive
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I have a friend that just picked up a 72 Sanger, runs a 440 with a power glide. I was looking at the boat and there are no fluid lines off the trans at all, every things was plugged. I read that you could do this with a power glide by running a specific bypass valve, I have a couple questions for you gents:
  • My concern is cooling. He just got the boat did a couple hours at Elsinore to try and work out some bugs didn't notice any major heat, with this being a river cruiser and ski boat I would think there should be a cooler?
  • Boat does want to move forward in Neutral, he says he can hold the boat and not have it pull away but if you let it go in neutral it will move forward. I thought that this was a common issue with the transmission but I have never played with one, the velvet drives don't do this and that's my knowledge base.
Thanks guys!
 

Racey

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I have a friend that just picked up a 72 Sanger, runs a 440 with a power glide. I was looking at the boat and there are no fluid lines off the trans at all, every things was plugged. I read that you could do this with a power glide by running a specific bypass valve, I have a couple questions for you gents:
  • My concern is cooling. He just got the boat did a couple hours at Elsinore to try and work out some bugs didn't notice any major heat, with this being a river cruiser and ski boat I would think there should be a cooler?
  • Boat does want to move forward in Neutral, he says he can hold the boat and not have it pull away but if you let it go in neutral it will move forward. I thought that this was a common issue with the transmission but I have never played with one, the velvet drives don't do this and that's my knowledge base.
Thanks guys!

Not sure about the specifics of the cooling on a powerglide as we never used those, but yes, a normal automatic trans will leak power in neutral causing the prop to spin forward direction. You can start the boat in park but once it's running and you have shifted it out of park you can't put it back into park until you kill the engine, because obviously with it spinning the shaft it will grind the parking pin. Many guys take park out so that someone doesn't do this, personally i like park to be left in the trans, you just have to know how to operate it.

Most temp in the tranmission will build while you are in low gear, when you are in high you are essentially just a locked hydraulic clutch, the only heat is from the pump pressure. (Depending on how much hp you have this may or may not be an issue). I would at least be running an Eddie marine tube cooler or something though, just to stay on the safe side.

See if water sizzles on the trans case after you have been running for a while.
 

74 spectra20 v-drive

74 spectra20 v-drive
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Not sure about the specifics of the cooling on a powerglide as we never used those, but yes, a normal automatic trans will leak power in neutral causing the prop to spin forward direction. You can start the boat in park but once it's running and you have shifted it out of park you can't put it back into park until you kill the engine, because obviously with it spinning the shaft it will grind the parking pin. Many guys take park out so that someone doesn't do this, personally i like park to be left in the trans, you just have to know how to operate it.

Most temp in the tranmission will build while you are in low gear, when you are in high you are essentially just a locked hydraulic clutch, the only heat is from the pump pressure. (Depending on how much hp you have this may or may not be an issue). I would at least be running an Eddie marine tube cooler or something though, just to stay on the safe side.

See if water sizzles on the trans case after you have been running for a while.
Thanks Racey, exactly what we were looking to do was add a small cooler. appreciate the info and clarification.
 

coolchange

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No torque converter, almost no heat. Put your hand on the pan after it's been running. powerglide has the lowest parasitic drag of any automatic transmission. No drag no heat.
 

wettrthebettr

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Thanks Racey, I had the same questions and thoughts with my T400 I'm getting ready to install
I was debating to install or not to install the parking assembly, I left it out cause other people (wife, kids)
might not be able to know or remember how to operate it, with out wiping out the park pin
I have two small cooling lines that hook up from the engine cooling unit
Like what has been said, no torque converter , not so much heat
 

Brokeboatin221

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My donor boat has a glide in it and when running in neutral prop shaft would spin as well. I do have a tube cooler with water pickups in the floor. After pulling the motor and trans I did find that I have a torque converter but it could be one of the welded or solid ones which is what I hear could also be used.
 

BadBehavior

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Just my .02, I have always used PG’s with reverse and park! 2 tricks here, use reverse at low speed, or risk swamping. The other trick is using PARK, Place in Neutral, rev the engine lightly, the drive shaft will momentarily halt, shift to PARK. Now you can Idle and not have the prop spinning. Also great for tuning or waiting for skiier. I run a TCI convertor eliminator, and synthetic fluid, and no cooler, never need it and I do not have to shut off the engine to shift, It’s a POWERGLIDE
 

STV_Keith

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Not exactly a glide, but we ran a Bruno torque converter unit in front of a Lenco in a truck I used to race. It used the same input shaft and front pump as a glide, so I'm guessing it was similar in operation. Using the line lock and building boost on the line would cause the trans/converter to make a crazy amount of heat...like 125* to 350* in 15 seconds. We ended up using a Setrab water to oil cooler for cooling. It's a pretty compact unit, and what Dodge uses on the 03-08ish (maybe later) diesel pickups. It worked really well. Here's what it looks like: https://prosourcediesel.com/shop/br...MI1P3u55ut6gIVySCtBh0gag4qEAQYDCABEgLIcfD_BwE

Being able to pick up water from the lake, it would do well for cooling. I'm sure there are other marine options, but this one works well and is pretty inexpensive.
 
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