Powerglide - Trans brake advice

I always think its better to ask than guess so here goes.

One of our cars runs a PG with trans brake but in all honesty, I have grown up rebuilding Lenco's (too many times!) and this is all I know...

So my questions are

Any tips with using a TB? I will wire button on wheel to the solenoid on PG

Its an 8" convertor and has stall of 5200

Engine will be blown big block chevy (will be tuned to run 7.5's ish)

Car also has button for 1-2 shift that uses solenoid to shift which has button on wheel too.

Now I am pretty sure that a transbrake only works in 1st gear? and I understand how it works but just looking for any do's and dont's

thanks all

 

trans brake will only work in low gear i run my buttom off the shifter knob the only thing about running on the steering wheel is if its a pro tree brake its hard backing and turnig trying to hold the button down on the steering wheel jm2 cents hope that helps

 

I thought so, I am running the car in 2 classes one is pro tree one sportsman.

Why would I hold on backing up etc? Thought only used when staged?

 

First off your going to want a 10 inch converter you will cook that 8 inch most likely,..
Pretty simple arrangenent,..do your burnouts in high gear 2nd gear,..dont let your motor
shutter or stutter on a rev chip for more than 2-3 seconds if at all,..if your really getting after it on the trans brake install a tranny cooler,, if you dont have a tranny tunnel make sure your single wire to the TB solinoid is routed as to not get disconnected.

If this powerglide has a probrake in it you will need to hold the button down after you
put the shifter into reverse top back up, if you let go the button while backing up the car comes to a stop quickly, I dont advise letting go of the button

Vic

 

on most glides you have to keep the transbrake activated to get reverse gear so if its on the wheel especialy a butterfly wheel, any steering you need to do while your backing up will become very difficult to do whilst holding the button down, options are shiftter mounted or even a clutch pedal if the car has one converted to activate the brake like they have to run in pro mod,
do you still want that pump or shall i advertise it again?

 

if its a pro tree brake you have to to push the button to to get in reverse

 

I use a pro tree brake and with the trans in reverse its actually still in nuetral until you push the trans brake button. When I back up from a burnout I'm off and on that button quite a lot to keep the mph under control in reverse, its just like going back to nuetral.

 

Yea that cant be too good on the tranny parts, it may work but id say it would wear a bit quicker from popping in and out of reverse.

and when your in first gear on the button it locks first and reverse against eachother.
Having the button anywhere else besides on the wheel works great if you are in a door car with a foot brake,..if your in a altered or funny car with a handbrake you need your
other hand free at all times for braking or steering corrections while backing up, I dont know of anybody that has troubles backing up,... no problems at all here with a butterfly.

 

Run a pro-tree brake, it releases faster. Yes you have to hold the button to back up, but if you are too crooked after the burn out to back straight up without turning the wheel much, you need to practice driving...LOL. However....if you want to you can wire a seperate switch in (toggle type) that keeps ...volts applied the whole time, no matter where your hands are. You can run a delay box that has a safety built in that keeps the brake from working for your pre-dertermined amount of time after letting go of the button. It keeps you from locking the trans brake by bumping the button after launch. Make sure to wait a sec. or two after you engage the T-brake to take your foot off the brake pedal, gives it time to take a set. Also, unless you are running a pro tree, don't flatfoot the throttle until your side of the tree starts down, that keeps the time on the brake short and the same no matter the diff. in dial ins (if you are running a bracket type race) and from building to much heat on a full tree. Nothing kills a glide like sitting there on the T-brake for a long time. And for God's sake don't flatfoot it untill BOTH cars have staged. If I'm running a car in TD or TS that rolls in and floors it before I stage, I'll just sit there for a while and let him smoke. One last thing about a T-brake.... if you go through the lights and your brakes fail..just slam it in first and hit the button...back tires lock up NOW!!! You may bust the tires and loose control but it's better than running off the end of the track. I run a blown outlaw dragster that runs 3.80's in the 1/8 and 5.80's in the quarter with a small shaft glide, we tow it to the line and back to the trailer but even going round robin my trans temp has never been above 180 deg. with no cooler. Just put a high power fan under it back at the pits. No worries. Hope this helps, good luck.

 

better find you a good 10 inch converter..I would call BNR Brian Rattlef in oklahoma 918-207-5003 I have been in the 5's with his stuff and after 4 yrs. we let him cut open the converter to find nothing wrong or bad..now going on 6 yrs. and still great..Dave

 

Have thought about a cooler but this motor is not going to be set for kill. Will be run soft only revved to 7,000 and set to run consistant 7.50's or there abouts. Bought T&D set up as I really want easy laps and low maintenance, our other car gives us enough work!

How do I tell if it has a probrake? I literally have no clue...rather ask.

I can learn it all and will strip etc to learn it but wont be for while as building motor first.

Why does the button need to be held?

 

Why though? My understanding is that the transbrake on engages 1st and reverse? so why hold it down to get reverse?

Yes still after pump, I did email but send me one and we can sort - info@bennettracing.co.uk

thanks

 

If I do need to keep this on to reverse then I will keep on wheel, I never backed up fast in my old altered and if all else fails i can correct going forward to stage.

But to be honest I backed up myself in old car, not hard to go back straight

 

Thanks for reply. I do think I will keep it straight (ish) ;-)

Thanks for tips too, yeah will run dial in stuff with the car so will not get on throttle until staged

 

Sounds very good! Is the 8" no good or will it work to learn the car

 

brake

All Pro tree brakes are made so that you have to hold the button down to make it move in reverse. If you don't mash it you will just sit there and go nowhere. And do not go to the wood as soon as you stage let the other car stage up then go wood otherwise you will burn her down quickly. As far as the converter is concerned go with a good 10" blower converter preferably spragless and if your tranny has a pro tree brake in it specify to the converter guy. You will definitely burn an 8 or 9" inch converter up it will eat them for lunch trust me my buddy had an 8" on a 598 inch bbc in a 240 inch rail and it constantly ate them up. He went through 5 in the first 6 months of running it so do yourself a huge favor and spend the money for one good converter and you wont have to worry about it. You put a cheaper converter on it and you will end up buying a bunch of them when you could have done it right the first time. This is my 2cents worth.

 

3.80's

Jody,
You have a PM.
Thanks

 

Got ya, so the button almost is the reverse

Ok that makes sense.

As for the convertor, reason I bought the rolling car with the 8" was that I intended (best laid plans) to run a nice and simple bbc with a alky carb and to run 8's

Then we realised we have alot of parts and got a sponsor to provide a blower and inlet and that was that.

OK where do I look for a convertor? I understand spragless, makes sense. But any other thing to look for ?

Thanks again all.

 

Nothing yet.

email if easier - info@bennettracing.co.uk

 

The reason you have to push the button for reverse on the pro style (fluid exhaust) valve bodies is because the VB manufacturers found that they could release the brake faster by having a dedicated feed to the reverse clutch through the trans brake circuit, so that is the only way to get the reverse clutch applied whether the shifter is in the low gear position or reverse. Some of the sportsman style brakes -the ones that you don't need to push the button- are so slow that you become very green on a pro tree.
Bumping the brake in and out while backing it up wont hurt anything.
While there is quite a bit of variance in 8" converters, as well as blown BBC's, my GUESS is that your converter will stall closer to 7000 behind that motor. This will work, but most people don't like their stall speed that close to max rpm. Some people refer to that as "driving through the converter". If you want to try it, and you are starting out soft motor wise, I would leave on a low chip like 3000 to 3600.
A tight 9" or loose 10" will probably suit you better depending on what you want for stall speed.