converter driven replacment for powerglide

Hello

I am feed up having issues with my powerglide, and therefor thinking about replacing it.

I want a big input shaft unit and I only need a 2 speed as we only race 1/8 mile.

The transmission is for a Top Doorslammer car with a screw blown hemi.

As far as i know there 5 options. But i can't decide which is best for me. I am looking for a trouble free replacment i don't another tranmssion i have to worry about and tear down all the time. so relaibility is to top priority.

1. lenco drive.
2 bruno with lenco
3 B&J big boy coverter drive
4 ATI's new superglide 4 (but isn't that just another powerglide?)
5 Rossler 2 speed.

I have never used a lenco before but i see alot of them around, but i have also heard that many people have issues with the reverser.

Alot of the fast cars run brunos with lencos behind them, but i have heard many people have issues with extreme heat from the brunos.

Any input will be gretaly appreaciated.

 

power glide, or other converter drive

I us to run a Mikes monister glide for years, running a screw blown BBC in a 2000 lbs dragster on a 6.30 index completely trouble free, I had 2 units but never had to pull the spare out of the trailer, before you think about moving away from the glide you should give Mike a call and see what he can do for you!!! It may save you a lot of money in the long run? 661 723 0081. i know he has some very fast door cars running his stuff, and promods

We moved to a bruno, with a lenco CS-2, 3 speed, and it took several years to get the heat under control and about $10,000 in parts above the cost units. it can be done, but you really have to keep in mind a few things,

1-converter, call marty at chance converters and have him build you a all alum NSX converter for your door car, and run his oil.

2- If you go to a Bruno? Call FFI and send the bruno to him to fix the oiling issues it will really help and make sure that you tell marty at chance that Grant at FFI has the bruno, or have those 2 guys talk.

3- i dont know what you are doing to cool the trans oil but you should get a ice chest cooler with a pump and filter, it saves a lot when you build heat

the Lencos are a pain in the ass the get into rev, and forward with a converter drive, its just something your driver will have to get used to, also dont idle your motor to hi or you will blow out reverser, been there, done that twice. it sucks

after all the bull shit is over on a 5.90 pass we make about 160 to 180 degrees on the converter, and the oil i have I have run for 80 passes, fyi

If you ask me now if i would should have gone to a lenco bruno, or should have just up graded my glides, in the long run for our set up i think the glide was much better!!! and would have saved me about $20K. to get back where we were before.

just my 2 cents
good luck

Butch

 

Hmm after posing this i got some emails and pms that also said to make the powerglide work in stead of switching. This really comes as a suprise to me. It seems i will either have to upgard my existing powerglide or replace it with a superglide 4.

 

glide

I don't know what your expectations are but the powerglide doesn't generally have a first gear ratio suited for a hemi/screw.

I ran glides for years before switching to a Bruno/lenco and even with all the hassles Butch mentioned I don't regret it. We've run big and small shaft for hundreds of runs and I think we have only lost one round because of a trans issue...It was one of the first laps on a used reverser and I think the previous owner damaged the planetary..even then we cleaned the debris out and had a car that could run with no reverse.

All the temperature and pressure issues are irritating but most of my complaints are just that...the car still goes downtrack every time and doesn't burn fluid.
Lenco has upgrades for the reverser to take care of a lot of the problems there. A forceful driver will still damage it but it's a lot better than a few years ago.

In hindsight, I'd consider a Lencodrive due to the weight savings but I still see people fighting the brake on them occasionally and the Bruno has proven solid.

 

As Butch was saying, you might give Mike's Transmission a call to discuss. He now has an even stronger one than what Butch ran before (I just went that route and it's impressive). It has an even bigger shaft and better pump, he also does some additional mod's that reroute the trans fluid to the converter to maximize converter cooling. He's running some in very low 6 sec blown door cars that are having no issues. He was also able to use some of the existing PG parts that helped reduce the cost.

I was looking at the B&J Quick Drive before that. That would be my choice over the other units.

Blessings...........Ron Clevenger