Ram50

Bodacious, I just wanted to stop and say that this is an awesome build and one that takes a great deal on ingenuity. Maybe sometime I can make my way down to check it out. I'm currently working in Clarksburg and stay in Morgantown.
 
CTDerek, if the weather is good I'll be there this Saturday.

12vfleet, thanks for the comments and stop in any time of the evening. My number is 3zero4four3nine1eight2one. Just give a call to make sure I'm home.
 
shipping

...not real sure whats up with the shipping on my trans. It supposedly shipped from Florida on 3/25. I was looking for it to arrive Friday as I had the day off, but, no show. I got a call from R&L today saying it will be dropped tomorrow between 10 and noon.

I guess it will be a late evening install and hopefully enough time to test pressures & get everything ran in good. Then I have to swap out the 3.0 street carrier to the 3.50 pro gear. Get everything loaded in the race trailer and replace the dang A/C Compressor on the wife's '09. 35,000 miles is way to early for that to happen.

I goofed on the date back a few posts. The actual date for Kanawha valley to open for test & tune is this weekend the 5th. So far the forecast has changed three times. The latest is sunny and 55*. Keep your fingers crossed and maybe I'll get a chance to cut 'er loose!!!

I haven't tested the water injection yet either. I am planning to run chilled-distilled water. The boost pressure switch will only back out to 35psi so I'll have to be careful not to activate it on my spool up. If the weather holds and the glide holds, she's gonna be a bit testy at first, but, I'm looking for some good numbers. Hopefully the pre-load is good on the bars and we won't have to mess much with them.

Lord please shine on me cause I'm starting to get pretty wound up. I know I don't deserve it, but, my wife does and she's getting pretty wound up as well.

Ah Men.
 
Gonna have to punt

Well, we got the tranny installed last evening, but, it was much too late to take a ride so when I got home from work this evening, the wife and I loaded up and drove to town. With my newly installed 400psi pressure gauge, I read 200 psi at 2000 rpm and somewhere around 250psi at 3000. The tranny performed flawlessly during the drive to town and back. Before we turned up the driveway, I stopped and used the foot brake to spool up to 15psi, I turned it loose with instant tire smoke and shifted to high. The truck stayed nice and straight so I stayed in it and laid one heck of a set of black marks.

We turned up the driveway and I noticed a vibration in the trans. When we crested the top of the driveway, I threw it in reverse to back up to the house and the vibration was there in reverse. I pulled it back into first and checked the pressure at 2000rpm and it was just below 100psi. I clicked it into high and had the same pressure (100psi). The vibration was evident when revving against the converter at a dead stop.

I called Gregg at FTI on his cell and he is guessing I broke the stator in the pump. He said it has the best pump they make. We came to an agreement that a powerglide will not hold and he told me to send it back and they would take care of me on the refund.

Looks like racing is out for this weekend. My cousin is going down with his GT500 Cobra so I may go down to watch.

Lord, I know I said I didn't deserve it. You were certainly listening. Ah Men.
 
Sorry to hear about the Trans. Guess you proved that that thing just can't handle the torque of a cummins!
 
Why don't you just put a 47re in it? At your weight, it should take all you can throw at it.
 
47re

I'm somewhat in agreement with ya. I still think the glide would hold if I could run say a 4000rpm stall converter. I think this is why the glide is holding for the RPM Motorsports fellas. I don't have a clue how stingpuller is getting away with it. I think he said he was even running an 11" converter. I'd go through an 11" like it wasn't there.

At my weight, a two speed is all that's needed to get the mass moving and keep it moving. One shift means only one interruption in the application of power. Yes I am anal about the weight. If you want, I posted several post back the weights of both the power glide and a 47rh. Take the added weight into account plus the blanket and flywheel sheild, and this a lot of pounds to make up somewhere else.

Ultimately it comes down to gearing. A Pro Street truck that weights a little less than double my weight will need that lower gear to get the mass moving. With, say for instance, the Sullivan truck, I think he's throwing enough power down to run a 2 spd arrangement. However, he's running the full 1/4 mile and needs the overdrive the keep the engine loaded on the big end. Also, the amount of slip the clutch would need to overcome the higher first gear would require a tremendous amount of clutch maintenance.

The absolute best set up for drag racing to achieve the optimum performance (IMO) is a single speed reverser and a clutch like the fuel guys run. But, it would suck on the street. LOL
 
...looking at B & J with aluminum clutch in front of it. I'm gonna call them tomorrow 'cause they must not check their e-mails.
 
Powerglide

Good luck on whatever you end up with for a tranny. Id just like to see it out racing. We also run a Glide in the little chevy II my buddy races with no problems.
 
Sorry to hear, glad they are willing to help you out with it and take it back. I remember those days all to well and don't miss anything about it. Now your earning it for sure so enjoy it, when you get it fiqured out it will be fun. Be honest the conv. **** the bed also didn't, that's always were the diff. color metal flakes come from. When hard parts break you just get a tiny amount of silver glitter, and the sludge from clutches. Flakes is Always the convertor, sounds like those guys didn't get either one right. Better luck with the next choice.

Tucker
 
There's a whole slough of light weight aluminum parts you can put into a 47rh/47re that have their roots in lightweight 727 performance.

You won't get the 4 speed anywhere near as light as that powerglide, but I'll bet you could shed 40-50 lbs of steel if you spent the $$$ on aluminum parts. That said, I don't know anyone that has tested the high $$$ aluminum drums and sunshell, etc. in a torque beast Cummins. It might be plagued with failures as well.
 
something is not right.

You shouldn't be at the limits of a power glide imho. Im sorry your having these problems but sounds like the transmission shop you are dealing with gave up! I don't believe one big burnout will tare a powerglide they claim apart that is right form the beggining. Yes, Jeff and the chevy II are running the smaller converters at this time but believe they are stepping up to the 13" converters for R&D sometime this year. Jeff's trans works AMAZING in the dragster! Hope your new trans brings you better luck!
 
Hey fellas, I'm gonna leave the power glide issue with it simply will not hold in my application. Should I have given it one more try with the 13" converter loosened to say 3500rpm? Maybe, but, I'm cutting my losses while I still can. I will not accept anyone douching on FTI. Other than some communication issues, Greg has treated me great and I can promise you he did not set out for this trial to fail. Hughes, ATI, TCI, and others wouldn't even speak with me after I mentioned the 13" converter. FTI was willing to give it a try. The trans has the best parts made period and they will not hold the torque with a tight 13" converter.

I spoke with Mike at B&J Transmissions today. My biggest concern with this trans is the street ability. The only concern Mike had was the heat that may be built up during street driving. The max safe operating temp of the oil, Mike stated, was roughly 210* F. I'm just going to have to do field trials with the 'ol temp gun. If required, I will install a small 12v pump to circulate the fluid through my existing trans cooler. Mike quoted me a price on the phone for a two speed trans with reverser, triple sprag, 1-3/8" input and output, for $4,400. That is exactly $100/lb. lol

The aluminum bell/can will cost $2,250. I do not have the price of the clutch yet. I don't have a clue what size to go with. A triple 11" was suggested by a fellow mud racer, but, I don't know. It will be a slipper style.

Hey Stingpuller, I have to construct a whole different chain drive for the new trans. If you are still interested in the chain drive set up, PM me and we'll discuss.
 
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Last season with the small converter we never found a "stall speed", we were pulling lockup at the third amber light at the track. Once we switched to the 13" Hughes nailed it the first time with a 2300 stall, it worked perfect with the triple S366's. We tried it this season for the first NHRDA event with the larger turbos, but need to be in the 3200-3300 range to light them. Hughes is doing a re-stall right now for us.

You should have no problem keeping a PG together with what you have, something isn't right IMO..
 
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madmikeismad said:
Please tell me you have a video of that.
Click to expand...

Converter was not working correctly, so it didn't have the effect your wanting to see. Lockup took about .400-.500 at that time to engage, so we were already out the gate by the time it locked.
 
Bodacious said:
I spoke with Mike at B&J Transmissions today. My biggest concern with this trans is the street ability. The only concern Mike had was the heat that may be built up during street driving. The max safe operating temp of the oil, Mike stated, was roughly 210* F. I'm just going to have to do field trials with the 'ol temp gun. If required, I will install a small 12v pump to circulate the fluid through my existing trans cooler. Mike quoted me a price on the phone for a two speed trans with reverser, triple sprag, 1-3/8" input and output, for $4,400. That is exactly $100/lb. lol

The aluminum bell/can will cost $2,250. I do not have the price of the clutch yet. I don't have a clue what size to go with. A triple 11" was suggested by a fellow mud racer, but, I don't know. It will be a slipper style.

Hey Stingpuller, I have to construct a whole different chain drive for the new trans. If you are still interested in the chain drive set up, PM me and we'll discuss.
Click to expand...

Try calling Keating (http://www.keatingmachine.com) about the clutch, he's done one before on his 8 second drag truck. I think it was a Molinari. That's the one Meacham used too, and now it's in a pulling truck with a Lenco. It's cool to see someone try the B&J. I think it wil hold, I just hope it works for you on the street.
 
Stock600 (Tucker), you should be ashamed of yourself for sending me a PM like that. You are the reason I pulled the trigger on the glide to begin with. As far as I know, NO!! the converter did not chit the bed. It may have this last time 'cause after the vibration started, I could only get 2000rpm of stall. I was thinking the flakes in the fluid were from the destruction of the band and the clutches. Come on Tuck, I love ya dude (in a manly guy way). Your ride was as bad as they come, but no doubt, your th400 was way stronger than any glide.

Hey JQmile, yep it is happening with the B&J unit. After placing my order for a new cylinder head last week, I figured I'd better go ahead and place the foundation for what may lie ahead. I think the street use will work out OK. From speaking with B&J, I will be the guinea pig on this issue. Also, I may have to carry around one of my large CO2 welding bottles to keep the shifting pods supplied on the street. LOL

From RPM Motorsports
You should have no problem keeping a PG together with what you have, something isn't right IMO..
Click to expand...

Man I am hearing you loud and clear. But, how can a company like FTI keep Dennis Anderson happy and fail on this one? The only other glide I know of behind a 12 valve was the Chester's mud truck. He was probably kicking out twice the power figures I am and when I spoke with him, he said he never had a single issue with his glide. I don't have any real answers other than I gave a try and it didn't hold. Maybe someday, someone else will give it a go?
Plus, its not like each individual tranny companies build their own parts. Once you get into the stuff we have, most of the parts are from the same manufacturers and simply assembled into the case. So that leaves you with was the tranny assembled correctly? I'm saying it was.

Sorry to hear about the Trans. Guess you proved that that thing just can't handle the torque of a cummins!
Click to expand...
lol, I'd like to think so SKYNYRD. I guess this will give those DMAX fellas something to work towards. LOL

I spoke with Bob Molinari today. Freaking California???? We started out overbuilding and I was pretty happy until he told me the weight of the aluminum tripple 11", 12 stand, and steel flywheel. 100 big 'ol nasty rotating pounds!!!!! I ramped it down to an aluminum tripple 11", 6 stand and aluminum flywheel. This will be the first aluminum flywheel machined for the cummin(gs). I didn't correct him on the pronunciation due to wallet fear. lol Looks like it will be around 70-75lbs and roughly $3200.

So lets see here:

New tranny quote including bottle and reg........................$5,129.20
Aluminum can..............................................................$2,250.00
Clutch....................................................................+/-$3,200.00
$10,579
Whew. That's a lot of coin.

When you see this number and have the knowledge of you fellas poking back at me, it sure does make the Hughes lockup glide look so very tempting...

I wish Hughes would give me a money back guarantee like FTI. I'd do the work and pay the shipping just to give one a try. I just called them and the fella I talked to said he was the only one left there this evening. He said he would talk to his boss first thing Monday morning and give me a call back. This could be a great thing for Hughes and power glides in general or, it could be more of the same.
 
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