I have a '51 and '53 chevy 210 deluxe I'm working on. Both have, and will keep their 235s but I'm wanting to put aluminum powerglides in this spring, had a couple questions: Are there any aluminum PGs that will bolt into a '53 and/or '51 or am I going to need to get ahold of a kit to make them fit? Hoping someone out there has done this before and can give a little advice/insight... or maybe just tell me I'm on the wrong track.
I am not sure but I think that once the alum powerglide was introduced they had gone to am open driveline. So if you want to do the alum glide you will also have to change to open drive and then there is a whole bunch of changes IE leafsprings, driveshaft, rearend, cross member, ect
Hello Marissa darlin...when did you get another chev? I know squat about chev's, but someone here can help...
I think they went to the aluminum glide in 62 when they went to the newer series of 6 cylinders that have the same bellhousing as the V8. You would need the same adapter that is used for a turbo 350 swap as shown in this previous H.A.M.B. Thread http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=47853 you would also have to convert to open drive.
Honestly, if you need an adapter anyway, I'd just swap to the TH350...most of the work for the swap is tedious, but not impossible...
yeah what they said... go with a turbo 350. you'll have to modify the trans crossmember, swap in a later open drive rear end, and have a drive shaft made with an aluminum powerglide, may as well go with a T-350..
Your have to go with a open driveline with a PG. Like 49ratfink said, the turbo 350 is the way to go. Early Camaro's rear ends fit for these cars and are easy to come by. th350 are readily available too. The swap is not technically that big of a deal, just a bunch of work.
Regarding TH-350's and 235's: Take the TH-350 and throw it as far as you can, then run and pick it up and throw it again. They are terrible for 235's. I had one in my 56 and drove it less than 300 miles before I could not take it any more. A 700R4 is the ticket, not a TH 350
Second gen camaro 70-82 I think but it is the 70's style that work well also nova I believe check on www.50chevy.com there are a ton of tech on there. I did a sbc and th350 swap in my 53 I used Walton Fab motor and trans mounts and they are top notch pricey but great quality. Good luck Jeremy
I had a 70 - 80 ish Camaro rear in my 49 sedan. it is a bit wide if you are running a wider wheel and want skirts. I had chrome rims .. maybe 15x7?? they could have been 6" though. my skirts rubbed. 67-69 Camaros are a bit narrower, but cost a bit more. I have a 65 Nova rear in my current 49. it is just right,
couldn't you also just save some h***le and find a stock 51 powerglide to put in the 51 and same with the 53? wouldnt be aluminum but mite save some time and $$$$ then again if youre wanting to convert to automatic maybe youd be better off sellin the cars and buying some chevys that already have runnin powerglides in them - theyre everywhere
When is that $600 check from the government coming? haha. I really want to avoid switching out the rear, but seems like I keep running into this problem of the closed drive. Maybe I should just find a rear, grind my teeth, pay the money, and then I'll be open to a few options.
I have a 55 rear in there now, I'm switching to an s10 4x4 rear when I put the v8 in. How patient are you? Iowa isn't all that far...
your going to burn up some $$$$ buying the adaptor for the transmission. the s-10 4x4 seems to be popular rear swap these days. i have bum left knee but the t-5 is a good swap for the 235's
I think I'm gonna go ahead and just swap the rear on the 53 for sure, and probably the 51 too. I did a little looking around at camaro rear ends and it looks like I can pick one up for around $50. Is there a certian year that works best with the s-10 4x4 rear ends with 53 and 51 chevy 210s ? I could probably more-easily find a couple of those at the local salvage yard for cheap.
If you have to keep the torque tube rearend and need to use an automatic, then you will have to stay with a 50-54 iron powerglide. The only other torque tube automatic is the Hydromatic used in 51-54 GMC and '54 Chevy trucks. Not sure what it would take to use one in a 49-54 car or if it is even possible... If you decide to go with an adapter plate, the 700-R4 or the 200-4R would be better choices than the powerglide or TH350 due to the gearing. And with the overdrive, you can run better rearend gears in the 3:70 to 4:11 range if you wanted to. Make dam sure you check your alignment between the ****** and engine when using these adapters, don't just throw it together and hope for the best, because you could end up with a bad vibration that will tear the center out of the flexplate over time.
The width is the same on all of the 4x4 ones, but some of the later ones had disc brakes. They had several different ratios also.
Thanks for the advice, this is my first time doing this swap.. so I'm just learning about it. I have heard some talk that the 700R4 is a better choice
700R4 has a lower first gear, which helps the 6 get moving, and of course an overdrive 4th. the downside is cost. they are way more expensve that turbo 350's. plus there is a few tricks to getting them set up right.
by the time you go thru all the adapters,. and this and that The open driveline deal isnt that difficult. it also opens up the door to a lot more possibilities for the car. (V8..and or any trans you want.) I went with what i had. 327 SBC. TH350. S-104x4 rear end. good performance, reliability, easy to come by parts. and it doesnt get too bad of fuel mileage. and it didnt break my piggy bank
The Jalopy Journal
