Need Help W/2-spd Powerglide Trans

I Recently Bought A 68 Tempest Custom(lemans). It Has A 2/spd Powerglide Trans. It Shifts But The Only Gear That Works Is Reverse. No Matter What Gear I Shift It To It Rolls Backwards?? Need Help!

is the tranny solidly connected to the motor?

im not trying to be a dick but thats what first hit me.

What does it do in park??

Thats a good point. Have a look underneath and see if the linkage is loose.

The Tranny's Conn.the Linkage Shifts Solidly Into Every Gear.the Rds Sits Tight.i Think I Have An Idea.i Haven't Checked The Vaccuum Module On The Rear Of The Tra.i Also Haven't Really Examined The Converter Or Ths Clutch Plate.the Car Was Sitting 4 Quite Some Time I Think It May Be Possible That It May Have A Build Up Of Rust.but This Is Purely Speculation.what Do You Think?any Feedback.

To 67 Cuda Im Sure Your Not Trying To Be A Dick.just Because Im A Girl Does'nt Mean I Don' T Understand Cars! I'VE WORKED At A Junkyard For 4yrs.been Asst.mngr.for 3.I'VE Also Worked @ A 4-whl Dr.garage.But I Still Have A Lot To Learn!(to Clear Up Any Confusion The User Name Belongs To My Roommate!!)

its always nice to see a girl muscle car enthusiast. but maybe the gears are ground down to nothing. it sounds funny but i have grinded my auto pretty harsh one time. :nono: dont want to do that again

The Only Way You Can Really Grind The Gears Down Is If You Know That Your Suppose To Shift An At.how Many People Know To Do That. People Have The Misconseption Of An At Tra. If At Were'nt Meant To Be Shifted At Diff Spd's Then There Would Only Be One Gear! The Kid I Bought It From Was A Friend,needless To Say He Loved His Car But Truely Had No Clue.

Slothboy, see the previous post on Chevy vs. Pontiac. Your transmission is not a PowerGlide, but a Super Turbine 300, used in Pontiac, Buick and Olds through the mid-60s until TH350 was introduced in '69.
Most likely, your problem is with the manual valve, connected inside, to the shift lever. One of three things has happened. The detent plate has come off due to the nut backing off. The manual valve could be broken and only moving to the first position (most likely cause), or the detent ball has disintegrated. In any case, the pan must come off to be sure. Good luck, and please, post what you find!

Mrpbody Yes I Saw The Previous Post.it's Amazing How Many People Don't Realize That In 68 There Is About 12 Differnt Trans.options,and Yes One Of Them Was The 2-spd Powerglide. Which Also Came As A Stock Option In The 68 Firebird! There Were More Two Spd Tra Options Than The 3or4 Spd.

I'm not sure what you mean, but yes, GM made many transmissions. However, the PowerGlide has a Chevy bellhousing pattern and does not fit the BOP pattern. The only Pontiac in '68 that I've EVER seen with a PG, was also equipped with the 230 straight six, and was produced in Cananda. The Pontiac straight six was the OHC, and there may have been a PG option, can't say. Can say, it too, has a different bellhousing pattern than BOP V8. The base automatic in Tempest V8 is ST300. If you have a pic of the PG with BOP pattern, I would love to see it. It's a pain to adapt PG to BOP in race cars, and having one with the right pattern would be welcome. PG is one of the better choices for a light car/short race combination.

well im with MrPbody on this one. the only chevy tranny that i know of that has a dual bolt pattern and can bolt up to either is the 2004R.

At Were'nt Meant To Be Shifted At Diff Spd's Then There Would Only Be One Gear!

well then i say you should go drive down a steep hill and ignore the signs that tell you to use low gears, and drive down the hill in drive and wait for your brakes to go out form using them so much and then when you crash then you will know why they give you the option to use lower gears. and you dont totaly make sence when you say they would only have one gear. im asuing that you mean then would only have drive, and that you cant shift into the lower gears, because i hope that your not saying that they would literaly only have one gear because if you say that then your completly nuts and understand nothing about the way a drivtrain works and the perpouse it surves.

im saying if you weren't suppose to shift it, they would't put the gears there. Yes, I know that g:1&2 or l is used going down steep hills. im saying that d & od are also diff. d is all time until 40-45mph then you shift it into overdrive. Im saying how many people know to do this.most people use od all the time.

as far as the trans.options i will post the list of trans.the 68 tempest custom came with in 68 on mon.

umm, whats your resoning behind saying your saposed to manualy shift a automatic trans? cuz there is no problem driving around in overdrive all the time.

im saying if you weren't suppose to shift it, they would't put the gears there. Yes, I know that g:1&2 or l is used going down steep hills. im saying that d & od are also diff. d is all time until 40-45mph then you shift it into overdrive. Im saying how many people know to do this.most people use od all the time.
This procedure depends on the transmission. The early domestic 4 spd OD autos lasted longer if you used OD only on the highway. Otherwise they would shift in and out of 4th gear, and wear out the components in the long run. My '83 Chevy with a THM 700 works fine in OD but it does love to jump into OD early, forcing much gear shuffling unless one is above 55 mph.

I am not sure about the other manufacturers but in mid 1987, GM revised their THM 200's, 700's and 440's so OD could be used all the time safely. I have an '88 Pontiac with a 440 and an '87 Mustang with an AOD. Both were used in OD since day one, (mostly city driving) with no problems.

well i did a little research and found that they did still call the pontiac version a powerglide.

I don't care what they call them, I just drive the darned things...

I don't care what they call them, I just drive the darned things...

lol, well isnt that what they are for? i dont buy trannys to put in my front yard as law fixtures. lol

I hear that.

lol, well isnt that what they are for? i dont buy trannys to put in my front yard as law fixtures. lol
Uh....I have a THM 400 from a '69 GTO on the lawn beside the garage (seriously)...................it looks really pretty........................
:rolleyes:

So Then Whats The Point Of Having Overdrive & Drive. If It Didn't Have A Purpose Why Would They Bother Putting
Both D & Od In Them? If It Doesn't Matter Why Are They Wasting Their Time Putting The Extra Gear In?

WTF are you talking about. do you seriously not know what gears do.

So Then Whats The Point Of Having Overdrive & Drive. If It Didn't Have A Purpose Why Would They Bother Putting

either i missed it, i dont think i did, or you have two persoalitys that are fighting eachother and you actualy think its a real person and type something to your other self or something. you dont make sence in any of your post. omg

I totally agree with 68chevelle. You'd never guess that slothboy was a teacher, or gets all her information from manuals that nobody else can access, so she claims...

Slothboy, see the previous post on Chevy vs. Pontiac. Your transmission is not a PowerGlide, but a Super Turbine 300, used in Pontiac, Buick and Olds through the mid-60s until TH350 was introduced in '69.
Most likely, your problem is with the manual valve, connected inside, to the shift lever. One of three things has happened. The detent plate has come off due to the nut backing off. The manual valve could be broken and only moving to the first position (most likely cause), or the detent ball has disintegrated. In any case, the pan must come off to be sure. Good luck, and please, post what you find!

In 1968 the the tempest had one of the following: 3spd mt 6cyl, 3spd mt 8cyl. w/side or top cvr, 4spd mt 6 or 8cyl, 3spd at, 2spd 6yl w/ac or w/o ac (1bc), 2spd 6cyl w/o ac (4bc), 2spd 8cyl w/ac, 2spd w/o ac (2bc) or (4bc). So according to gm they did come w/ a powerglide. I did my research, I know what kind of tra. in my car!

Strictly having a 2-speed doesn't mean it's a PG. I spoke with one of my transmission guys. He's even older than I (if you can believe that...). He assures me, the PG was only available in the Chevrolet bellhousing and some early Vegas. Neither of these would fit a 350 Pontiac without an adapter. Better do some more resarch...

Hey MrPbody....your a dickhead. I’m not trying to say I know more than you about muscle cars, because I really don’t know more about cars because I’m not an old fucker like you. But you think you know everything, how do you know that someone doesn’t have a power glide in a Pontiac? Just because you say that they don’t? Well if you want my "professional opinion"....your a idiot!

P.S.--your probably just mad at the world because you still watch cartoons, hints the MrPbody?!?! I think its time to let go of your child hood.....

Well, you're entitled to your opinion, but it doesn't bode well for your future of gaining knowledge. If you don't think you can learn anything from me, you're right! I know I can learn new things every day. I have yet to see anything but myth and superstition used to support ther statements about PowerGlides. Understand the difference between nomencalture and vernacular.
And no, I DON'T watch cartoons. How did you get into this discussion, anyway? I believe I answered your apologetic statement in another post regarding this same issue. With name-calling and personal insults, you show that YOU'RE the one that needs to get out of childhood... Now, go to a NAPA store and order a transmission rebuild kit for a '68 Tempest with a 350 Pontiac V8, and see how many of the parts fit a PowerGlide.

Actually i dont go to napa, 1st of all they suck, and second of all their isnt one around my new house. but dont worry, im growin' up now.

You may think NAPA sucks, but they have better coverage of parts the age of muscle cars than any other replacement parts provider. They also sell quality. But that still doesn't change that I have given you a logical and effective method of either proving or disproving both my and Slothboy's positions. But you WILL need a parts house that uses real paper books, and doesn't rely on the database to provide correct answers. You will find old, decrepit parts guys there, instead of ignorant computer operators.

well actually computers arent bad at all. infact your using one right now and they work great. they are more efficient and have the same exact information put into them as you would find in a book, so i really dont see your point there.....and they really are not "ignorant computer operators" to me, maybe they are responding to the way you treat them!!!

The probelm does not ly with computers. Know what GIGO means? I'm sure you're thinking I'm one of those old guys that hates computers. Wrong. Actually, I was a systems programmer for the last five years I was with IBM. We did the early versions of bit-streaming for optical drives and data migration to those drives.
Sometimes, there's just no substitute for actually DOING the job. You must always be on guard against misinformation, and the "net" is the worst. Those of us that do this muscle car thing for a living, grow weary of all the misconceptions, false information, and opinions passed off as fact, we sometimes just have to step up. It is not my purpose to point out mistakes. It is not my purpose to say "Hey, look at me!". It IS my purpose to provide factual and current information regarding the care and feeding of old cars.
The average individual at a chain parts store (Advance, Chiefs, 'zone, etc.) is a keyboard operator. For the most part, if they have to ask what year, engine and transmission type, to get you a windshield wiper, they are NOT a parts person. They rely completely on the computer. At that, they at the mercy of the person whos job it was to move the data from the book to the disk. If you're experienced with data and data bases, you know the problem here. Perhaps, if they had a real parts person do the data migration, they would catch inaccuracies before they ever got to the disk. They don't. They use keyboard operators that wouldn't know a Chevelle from a Skylark.
I get along fine with the people. It's the lack of good information that I don't like. At most NAPA stores, at least around here, you find REAL parts people. They know, if the computer doesn't have the answer, the book will. And they know where to look. They also know when something is not right with the information provided.
The probnlems associated with the net and computers is clearly illustrated by slothboy's constant insistence on her "BOP 350", a non-existent engine, and that her '68 Tempest is "the same as a '69 GTO". Where she came up with this BS is beyond me, but neither is anywhere close to reality.
Understand that there really are experts out here, and sometimes they share. You would be doing yourself a service to stop hassling and start listening.
PAX

I understand that your trying to help & share your knowledge, & maybe people would appreciate what you had to say if you didn't come off as such an arrogant,pompous duechebag! Nobody knows everything & you can't always assume your right. I do not solely depend on our computer systems hollander parts # & interchange system,it's not always right either! Q:How & what does NAPA reply on to serve their customers? As well as Advanced,Autozone,C.A.P,Perry's etc. where 50%,if not more, of the employees probably still attened High School? Salvage yards have been around for ever,yes even before computers! Back then info. depended on knowledge & a card index. The main reason computers are used today is because cars are simple like they used to be,or didn't you know that! If you you anything about cars you'd know how significant the yr., make & model was to a part. Just like anything, you can't make it fit,it has a detailed description for a reason! Hollander doesn't apply interchange & parts # because they think its fun, do they? Now I have no shame admitting when Im wrong. After extensive researching I found out I have a 300s/t. Which was virtually impossible to find info.on. It's as if they didn;t even exist. Most to all info. consists of 350&400s/t's. As well as 200&250s/t's(caddy). Here are some web sites that will hopefully give you some insite

Basic Engine Specifications - All Series



The charts below detail Pontiac's 1968 engine application, and
indicate transmission availability for each. For specific details on
engine designation and available axle ratios for all series, refer to
the proper charts in the "Power Train" sub-section.

Firebirds, Tempest, Tempest, Tempest Custom, Le Mans, Tempest Safari and GTO
Engine Size
(cubic inches) 250 250 350 350 H.O. 400 400 400 H.O. 400 RAM AIR
Engine Type OHC 6, 1-BBL
Regular Fuel OHC 6, 4-BBL
Premium Fuel V-8, 2-BBL
Regular Fuel V-8, 4-BBL
Premium Fuel V-8, 4-BBL
Premium Fuel V-8, 2-BBL
Regular Fuel V-8, 4-BBL
Premium Fuel V-8, 4-BBL
Premium Fuel
Engine
Application Standard on
Firebird,
Tempest,
Tempest Custom,
Le Mans and
Tempest Safari Standard on
Firebird Sprint
---
Extra-cost
Option on
Tempest,
Tempest
Custom and
Le Mans
(exc. 23535) Standard on
Firebird 350
---
Extra-cost
Option on
Tempest,
Tempest
Custom,
Le Mans and
Tempest Safari Standard on
Firebird H.O.
---
Extra-cost
Option on
Tempest,
Tempest
Custom
and Le Mans
(exc. 23535) Standard on
Firebird 400
and GTO Optional at
No Extra Cost
on GTO Extra-Cost
Option on
Firebird 400
and GTO Extra-Cost
Option on
Firebird 400
and GTO
Transmission
Availability 3-Spd. Manual
or Automatic
---
4-Spd. Manual
(Firebird only) 3- or 4-Spd.
Manual or
Automatic 3-Spd.,
Heavy-duty
3-Spd. or
4-Spd. Manual
or Automatic 3-Spd.,
Heavy-duty
3-Spd. or
4-Spd. Manual
or Automatic Heavy-duty
3-Spd. Manual
4-Spd. Manual
or Turbo
Hydra-Matic Turbo Hydra-
Matic only Heavy-duty
3-Spd. Manual
4-Spd. Manual
or Turbo
Hydra-Matic 4-Spd. Manual
or Turbo
Hydra-Matic
Bore and Stroke
(inches, nominal) 3.88 x 3.53 3.88 x 3.75 4.12 x 3.75
Horsepower 175 @ 4800 rpm 215 @ 5200 rpm 265 @ 4600 rpm 320 @ 5100 rpm 330 @ 4800 rpm
(Firebird 400)
---
350 @ 5000 rpm
(GTO) 265 @ 4600 rpm 335 @ 5000 rpm
(Firebird)
---
360 @ 5100 rpm
(GTO) 335 @ 5300 rpm
(Firebird)
---
360 @ 5400 rpm
(GTO)
Torque (lb. ft.) 240 @ 2600 rpm 255 @ 3800 rpm 355 @ 2800 rpm 380 @ 3200 rpm 430 @ 3300 rpm
(Firebird 400)
---
450 @ 3000 rpm
(GTO) 397 @ 2400 rpm 430 @ 3400 rpm
(Firebird)
---
445 @ 3600 rpm
(GTO) 430 @ 3600 rpm
(Firebird)
---
445 @ 3800 rpm
(GTO)
Compression Ratio 9.0:1 10.5:1 9.2:1 10.5:1 10.75:1 8.6:1 10.75:1
Cooling System
Capacity 12.1 Quarts 18.6 Quarts 17.8 Quarts
Oil Capacity
(less filter refill) 5 Quarts
Fuel Tank Capacity Firebirds-18.5 - All Others-21.5 Gallons

What's the difference between a '68 LeMans and a GTO?

GTO has no row of holes in the rear quarter panels. Stick your head inside the trunk. You should see no bondoed holes where the "LeMans" letters used to be attached through the rear quarter panels ahead of the arrowhead marker lights.
See the red lenses in the brake lights. LeMans had a different design. In each light there were three squares side by side. GTO has two long horizontal rectangles.
See the trunk lid. LeMans had individual chrome letters under the keyhole spelling out "PONTIAC". There should be no holes for these letters visible. Instead, the GTO has only two holes for the "GTO" emblem in the lower right corner of the trunk lid.
If the front bumper is chrome, it MAY be a LeMans. Some GTO's were ordered with chrome bumpers instead of the Endura nose.
If the front grille says "PONTIAC" on the driver's side, maybe you've just bought a LeMans. Paul Zazarine's book called "GTO Recognition Guide" shows a photo and description of an Endura Delete (chrome bumper) GTO. The grille emblem says "GTO". Here is a picture of an Endura Delete car that was emailed to me.

This car had the "GTO" emblem on it. I am personally not sure, but I think the hole spacing for the two different emblems may be different as well. My old "PONTIAC" grille emblem from my '68 LeMans measures exactly 7 7/8" between the post hole centers. Although, two people have written to me whose GTO VIN numbers checked out to be GTOs, but their chrome bumper had a "PONTIAC" emblem in the grille. Both cars are so far undocumented unsolved mysteries. If your chrome bumpered GTO has the incorrect "PONTIAC" emblem on the grille, email me your VIN and data plate codes. Maybe we can figure out if particular factories were mis-applying the emblem. In response, Paul Dorton ([email protected]) says: "There were no absolutes when it comes to the cars of the 60s and 70s. I worked in Pontiac dealers starting in 1968 through 1980. I was a mechanic and a service writer before moving over to the Parts department. There wasn't the same rigidness and quality control on the assembly lines as we have today. Take the nameplate in the grill. The correct answer is that the car could come either way. It really did depend on the guy on the assembly line and what parts were available. A copper colored '68 GTO had LeMans grilles and a PONTIAC name plate in the grill. I remember it very distincly. What happened is that there was a LeMans bumper assembly installed on this particular GTO."Paul also adds: "I also wanted to let you know something about the '68 Endura Delete option on GTOs. Sometimes it was not an option. I distinctly remember seeing a copper colored '68 GTO with the chrome bumper that came that way because there were certain special order colors available that they couldn't make stick to the rubber bumper. In '68, body shops hated GTOs because of the problems with painting the bumper and making it stick. For the first year or so you had to buy the paint from a Pontiac dealer because none of the paint stores had it. The paint came in quart cans. Anyway, if you knew the right people, any color could be had and if the color wasn't one of the ones listed in the catalog, you got a chrome bumper."

Does the car have a 350 in it? That's too small to be a GTO engine.
Look for GTO emblems in the interior on the door panels.
Read the V.I.N. plate through the windshield on top of the dashboard. According to [email protected]... The number starts with "2" for Pontiac, then "42" meaning GTO, then a "67" if it was a convertible, and an "8" for 1968.

The best way to verify the authenticity of your GTO is to send the VIN from your car to Pontiac Historic Services. By supplying P.H.S. with the VIN of your car, along with the other information listed on their web "Order" page, you will receive the most complete historical background and VIN information ever offered by any automobile nameplate. The information packet from PHS will include the following: A copy of the factory invoice or billing history, A letter decoding the options (when necessary), A copy of a dealer order form for that year, An official photo for that year Pontiac, if available, Other specific information for that year and model Pontiac, if available. Contact P.H.S. on the Internet at http://www.phs-online.com

Slothboy, I'm glad to see you've done some serious research and found the correct information about your transmission. The only thing that makes me appear to be "pomopuus" is that I knew I was correct and refused to back down. You implied you KNEW what you had. But you have since learned differently.
Your information about the differences between GTO and Tempest is accurate and fairly complete. However, your claim was that your '68 Tempest is the same as a '69 GTO, not a '68. Nothing in your research indicates that, and it won't as a '69 is very nearly a completely different car, sharing only the appearance.
I'm also still waiting for a specific definition of what a "BOP 350" is. As you have also learned since your tirade, there is no such thing. I'm quite sure you would have put that information in your most recent post had you found it.
Your opinion of me is really of no concern. I do know what I'm talking about and will never knowingly provide inaccurate information. As stated before, I will also state if the information provided is an opinion, which is subject to dispute or another's opposing opinion. It was you that arrogantly insisted you were right and I was wrong. I simply stood my ground, and will continue to do so. This sparked a retaliation from you. Okay. But now, you know you have an ST-300, and not a PowerGlide, so my mission is complete.
PAX

I should go drag a le mans out of the boneyard and put a GTO emblem on it, and sell it to people like Slothboy. I'd be rich.

Won't work, Bleeddodge. She found PHS! Those people are the best! And I believe, they were the forst group doing what they do. In fact, Pontiac kept "better" records during the '60s than did other GM divisions. As a result, one can find EXACTLY what equipment their car was built and shipped with, and what other changes may have occurred, from an engineering point of view. PHS learned this and when GTO retoration (and the accompanying fraud) went through the roof, they jumped on the bandwagon, and supply first rate information.
There are some pretty good Pontiac-specific websites out there, too, for both historic information, and current trends in modifications and restoration techniques. Performanceyears.com, boyleworks.com and classicalpontiac.com are just a few, and perhaps the most popular. Wallaceracing.com has a tremendous data base for block, head and other casting numbers and details.
One thing is sure, though. NOTHING is in "stone", and there are exception to most every rule. If you're going to take information from the "net", becertain to verify it from another source.

Jim