Yes,by maybe `10-15 degrees at .050 if you go with the cast piston due to the 348 rod being weak and the weight and friction [wide rings] of the cast piston.If you go with the Icon forged piston,you can rev higher,make more power,get better fuel mileage.
348 rebuild with tri power and power glide
- Thread starter cgaw69
- Start date
You mention Powerglide transmissions. I'm probably the only one in the world that doesn't like the 2 speed transmission. In my opinion, Chevrolet was asleep at the switch for years. In mid to late 50's, into the mid 60's, Cadillac, Olds and Pontiac, all had 4 speed automatic transmissions. I drove my father's Cadillacs that had these 4 speed transmissions in them. To me, a world of difference. Chevy was very late to the party on this one. I guess it probably had a lot to do with cost, but eventually, they came around.
You might want to keep your car original as I do my '55 Belair vert. I respect that decision, but if it wasn't for that, I would have changed mine out a long time ago to an overdrive transmission. If I don't start or drive mine weekly, it pukes fluid all over the floor. Tired of cleaning it up. And to me, it's just a lame transmission. My car is a 265/162 hp and needs all the help it can get. I read that the racers like them, but I don't race. Best wishes with yours, Carmine
You might want to keep your car original as I do my '55 Belair vert. I respect that decision, but if it wasn't for that, I would have changed mine out a long time ago to an overdrive transmission. If I don't start or drive mine weekly, it pukes fluid all over the floor. Tired of cleaning it up. And to me, it's just a lame transmission. My car is a 265/162 hp and needs all the help it can get. I read that the racers like them, but I don't race. Best wishes with yours, Carmine
55Brodie
Well Known Member
Carmine:
Count your blessings you didn't have a fifties vintage Forgomatic. Also famous for puking its guts out while in storage, the Fordomatic is often referred to as a two speed transmission but it is actually a 3 speed lump of cast iron wonderment. If you mat the accelerator from a dead stop, the transmission will actually start in first gear however your fuel mileage will have taken a beating. Accelerate normally it will start in 2nd gear and act just like a Powerglide. I believe it was 1958 when Ford introduced the fully automatic, known as a green dot Cruiseomatic which was a huge improvement but was still prone to leakage. Born Warner continued to upgrade the Cruiseomatic and by the early sixties had a pretty good unit.
Automatic transmissions were all pretty much white man voodoo during this period.
Count your blessings you didn't have a fifties vintage Forgomatic. Also famous for puking its guts out while in storage, the Fordomatic is often referred to as a two speed transmission but it is actually a 3 speed lump of cast iron wonderment. If you mat the accelerator from a dead stop, the transmission will actually start in first gear however your fuel mileage will have taken a beating. Accelerate normally it will start in 2nd gear and act just like a Powerglide. I believe it was 1958 when Ford introduced the fully automatic, known as a green dot Cruiseomatic which was a huge improvement but was still prone to leakage. Born Warner continued to upgrade the Cruiseomatic and by the early sixties had a pretty good unit.
Automatic transmissions were all pretty much white man voodoo during this period.
I totally agree Don. I just think it's a poor transmission and the cast iron version must weigh about 400 lbs. Probably would collapse my trans. jack. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but did the first TH-350 Chevy trans., 3 speed auto, come out in '67?? Something else I never understood, is why it to Chevy/GM so long to come out with a fully synchronized 3 speed manual trans. I think that might have come out in '67 also. I remember my friend had a '67 Chevelle with three on the tree, and I saw him pull it into 1st gear doing about 30 mph. No grinding and he never let the clutch out either. I remember quite well like perhaps several members here, 1st gear not being synchronized. What a pita. Grinding. Double clutching. Yikes.
I also remember what 55Brodie said. My friend had a '57 Ford with an automatic transmission and I never really understood it. It was supposedly a 3 speed but for the most part I only felt it shift once. I didn't like that either.
What I thought was neat and still do, was the Mopars with the 3 speed push button automatic transmissions. I just liked the look of the buttons and the way they were designed. Probably not the best for racing since you'd have to wait for the cables to catch up lol. I think it was a '55 Dodge that had the shifting lever in the lower dash. I liked that also. OK. Enough about transmissions before I get thrown out. Want to watch the Yankee game, Carmine.
WOW Don. Later then I thought. Thanks.
My 63 250 HP P/G car was a great car. I knew it wasn't a race car and drove it that way. One doesn't need a race car on the street.
Turbo 400 1st came out mid year 65 when the 409 was dropped and 396 came into play, I had a 396 turbo 400 air conditioned power windowed 65 ss ragtop I bought in 86
That had to be one beautiful car. Do you have any pics of it?? I like the '65 verts. a lot. I look at them on line and if one comes with a 409 engine, forget it. They can be very pricey, Carmine.
I would have to dig up pics as I know I have them somewhere and I sold that car after my son was born in 91 or so but have a non original 65 convertible 409 4 speed now
Yes Carmine, i agree on the trans. I looked a long time before i found the muncie heavy duty 3 speed i have, fully synchronized.