I recently purchased a 1951 styleline deluxe that was taken apart for restoration years ago. I put the car back together and drove it for the first time last week and it performed great aside from a trans leak. I drove it yesterday and it slipped at take off from a stop, topped the fluid off and it seemed to be fixed. Driving it home yesterday slipped again only from a stop off in D. If I am rolling it wont slip or if I start off in low and manually shift to D it wont slip at all. One red light it didn't slip at all taking off from a stop???? The fluid level is right on but there is a decent leak coming from the front of the trans.
These old, cast iron Powerglides, are known for "burping", or ejecting trans fluid out the fill tube after sitting, although that does't sound like your specific issue. They are also known for stripping out bolts and bolt holes, and then leaking because of that (small bolts were used that easily strip). Not easy pulling the trans either, since they come out through the interior, through the removable floor hump, and having to deal with the torque-tube. Maybe toss a can of "Trans-Medic", or something similar in the trans, just to see if softening the seals might help with the leak; only a temporary fix however, if it even works, but it will give you an idea if it's a seal or not. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
Didn’t the 51 need to be shifted to work properly? If your starting in D and starting out in 2nd or high how could it not slip. I remember hearing salesman would tell women they didn’t need to shift them and many were burned up on the first powerglides.
Question...HOW...does one go about stripping "bolt holes" (in red above) ? Stripping (no "out" required) threads, yea...but...holes..?? Dan - Yea, the cast iron (if original) Power Glides are NOT the aluminum Power Glides. Sounds like a rebuild is in order, even then, keep your fingers crossed. Mike
K&W TransX. A pint in any old automatic trans that has been sitting can work miracles. If it doesn't help, the trans needs to come out anyway.
Copied from the 'net: The 1950 and 1951 Powerglide transmissions did not automatically shift between low and high (direct drive) which made for very sluggish take-offs and many drivers started in "Low" and shifted to "Drive" at about 30–40 mph (48–64 km/h), which was hard on the transmission. The 1952 and later units when in "Drive" started in low and automatically up shifted to high at a speed determined by the throttle opening.
Fix the leak Try Lukas or any other “transmission rebuild” in a can Might just be hard seals. Do a bit of digging on how to run your trans I remember reading the early transmissions did not circulate fluid correctly at idle in park I had a leaky Buick Dynaflow that a bottle of Lukas slowed down enough that I got a season of driving out of it before I sold it.
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