powerglide push start

[Dan Clarke]

Anybody know about powerglides?.....I want to make a push start mechanism for my powerglide but not hydraulic, i want something manual......I think I can use parts from a motorcycle clutch release for the guts of it but don't know how far the piston needs to be pushed to make it work...... Can someone tell me the travel required to from rest to where the band is clamped on the drum?.......Thanks,Dan......can't figure out how to make my keyboard separate all this into paragraphs

[JustAddDirt]

If I am remembering right, you have to be a direct drive to do this, I am assuming you are.
If you have a factory output shaft with a rear pump on it (just under tail housing) it should push start in high gear, no additional stuff needed.
The ones I ran 20 years ago would push start in high gear. They were a Tucker trans from Indiana.

[Dan Clarke]

You're right. Direct to the pump, no rear pump................Instructions I got on adjusting the low gear band was to torque it to 70 ft.lbs., then back off 4 turns.................I'm thinking if I calculate the travel of 4 turns (don't have the thread specs in front of me), and make a mechanical squeezer that will travel that much then it will tighten the band................Just not sure if that 70 ft.lbs. figure represents the band being fully tight, or just enough to make sure all the play is out of it..................Thanks,Dan

[JustAddDirt]

TCI makes a manual push start kit for powerglides. but it is hydraulic. I do not believe you would e able to produce enough leverage with something cable driven.
you could put a little hydraulic hand clutch system in there for it. I have seen people using them before, it is a lever connected to a small master cylinder
seen it used for Bert/ Brinn style transmissions.

[rrrrick]

Someone used to make a manual push start mechanism that bolted in place of the low gear servo cover and had a long handle to push the servo in. Very similar to the hydraulic version, but manual

[JustAddDirt]

Someone used to make a manual push start mechanism that bolted in place of the low gear servo cover and had a long handle to push the servo in. Very similar to the hydraulic version, but manual


I remember seeing that, but have not seen it advertised in years.

[Dan Clarke]

That's what I have in mind......................... If it's still not around then it might not have been popular............... Probably much easier to locate the hydraulic master cylinder than accommodate a lever coming from the opposite side of the trans................. Thanks, Dan

[JustAddDirt]

the lever was 18-20" long if I remember right. probably hard to engage it sitting in the seat belted in and ready to race

[Dan Clarke]

I went looking and found this picture but on a site with Asian text, can't read what they are saying about it.............Dan

[JustAddDirt]

I went looking and found this picture but on a site with Asian text, can't read what they are saying about it.............Dan

That is what I remember it looking like