Hey guys,i just aquired a steel cased powerglide transmission in working order from a friend.It a 1950's impala with a 350chev.Are these boxes any good to use for drag racing?Can they be beefed up??Also are the converters from the alloy cased powerglides the same (aka can they be used in the steel cased powerglide)?My plan was to use this box behind a ford 4L twincam turboed engine and pushing for 500-600hp at the wheels.cheers

 

Re: Steel cased powerglide from early 350 chev,any good for drag racing and beefing u

Every thing I've seen says the iron case,(not steel), is not as strong as the aluminum case, and the later the case, as a rule, the stronger.

 

Re: Steel cased powerglide from early 350 chev,any good for drag racing and beefing u

I've read that cast iron case powerglides don't have a traditional trans pan setup and several other differences. That, combined with the weight penalty would turn me off completely.

 

Re: Steel cased powerglide from early 350 chev,any good for drag racing and beefing u

The cast iron Powerglide is not a suitable choice for performance use. Almost nothing interchanges between the cast iron and aluminum Powerglide. There are virtually no performance-oriented upgrades for the cast iron Powerglide. They are unnecessarily heavy and offer no strength advantages over an aluminum Powerglide. I would sell it to somebody that needs it for a restoration. Otherwise it only has scrap value.