Powerglide "burp" revisited

[Joseph R.]

I recently read the following on a full size Chevrolet list site. Simple fix!
"Regarding the infamous Powerglide BURP. The absolutely
least expensive fix is something I learned many years ago.
It was the day before I was to leave for a Chevy convention. I had just
replaced the battery, so I reached in and started the engine. It fired right up so I turned it off. Then I heard this gurgling noise. I popped the hood and saw fluid pouring out of the transmission filler tube.
Since I was just a few hours away from planning to drive the car several hundred miles, I panicked. I
made a few phone calls and ended up replacing the lost fluid, which turned out
to be a lot less than what it looked like on the garage floor.
The fix: NEVER START THE ENGINE AND TURN IT OFF WITHOUT SHIFTING THE GEARS.
Sit in the driver's seat. Keep your foot on the brake.
Put it in Drive. Put it in Reverse. Shift several times with a few seconds in
each position. Then you can shut the engine off. I have used this method for
the last 20 years and have not BURPED the transmission since."

[Mike M.]

Re: Powerglide "burp" revisited

joe. thanks for the tip. if it works, it'll solve a problem i've had since 1970 with our 54, in spite of several rebuilds by old time auto tranny rebuilders. mike

[Tracy C.]

Suspect your problem with the 54 is caused by

your introduction of "the Beast" into the tranny fluid. How many time's do you need to be told that just because you like to drink that nasty stuff, that everthing else will too???

tsk..tsk..tsk

It's no wonder the Porshee boys blow your doors off...

[Paul L.]

Re: Powerglide "burp" revisited

Thank you for the post. I have not experienced burp during the driving season but it has misbehaved during winter storage. The car (1967 PG Coupe) is in a large and secure commercial facility from October to April here in the Great White North. It is started by the attendants about once a month for 15 minutes (full warm-up) and then shut down. The cars are parked cheek-by-jowl so there is no need/reason to put it in gear. Each winter it throws up a pool of transmission fluid. That results in an impressive, and alarming, display on the floor. In reality it is at most one US quart.

I will transmit your tip to those attendants and see how things go this winter. The 1967 went into storage about a week ago.

[Mike M.]

Re: Suspect your problem with the 54 is caused by

i would never, repeat never, waste the beast on a durn car. the beast use is strictly medicinal-- keeps the coronarys patent. mikie

[Roy B.]

Re: Powerglide "burp" resason

It's not a problem with a car that is used frequently "BURPING" but is a problem when the car has stood unused for a long period of time.
It's caused by the torque Converter draining down and over- filling the sump.With the oil level to high, aeration and foaming of the fluid results, building up pressure the fluid is forced out the filler tube. It's common in the 55 to 57 Corvettes. If you start the engine put it in "drive"let it run for a while 5 minutes or driving it immediately will keep it from burping after a long period of not driving it,
In 1958 a vent was added and placed on the tail shaft extension and the filler tube was made longer and the problem was eliminated.
If your going to store your Corvette for a long period of time, sucking 3 quarts of fluid out at the filler tube will stop oil leaks and stop burping. Then when you later start the engine then just add the 3 quarts back in before driving it.
OR you could do what was done in 58 up on a 55 to 57 to stop it. The vent stops foaming and the tube stops burping. You do call your Corvette your baby??

Later PG's doing the same thing is usually a clogged vent tube.
I wrote about this many times before and hope it helps again.

[Garry Barnes]

Re: Powerglide "burp" revisited

I have this problem with my '56 PG. What doesn't make sense to me is that in each case (Joe and Roy)you start your "fix" with starting the engine. Starting the engine is what causes the burp, so how do you avoid the burp in an engine that hasn't been started in a long time that is sitting in a brand new restored engine bay without it puking all over your hard work? Can you put the tranny through P,D,N,R,L several times before trying to start the engine with any effect? I understand that after you have had the car running you can run it through the stations prior to shutting it off and hopefully you won't have the problem on restart. Is the first start your sacrificial lamb?
Garry

[Roy B.]

Re: Powerglide "burp" revisited

I don't mean to be smart but how would you turn the trans over with out starting the engine?
I mean you start the engine and right away put it in drive which will "slow" (SLOW is the key word here) the engine allowing the trans to re-fill the torque Converter. As I stated before when you store your vett for the winter, drain the trans of as much fluid as you can get out. Then you can start and stop the engine as many times you wont and it will not hurt the trans or burp .
NOTE= the 55 to 57 AIR Chevy side plate where the filler tube goes in has a square large filler plug because the car having AIR you cant fill the trans under the hood as a non-air car. If you could find one you then could easily pull trans fluid from it when storing your Vett.( cast iron trans only)
Some old Farts even replace the trans stick with a CORK tight fit when they restart their cars after a long sleep.
Geeee! I rarely see a PG Corvette,most to day %99 are four speeds RIGHT????

[Paul L.]

A Few Remain

I guess my car belongs to the 1% Club. But you are right. I do not see too many at shows.

[Clem Z.]

can the dipstick be converted

to the newer style that used the "lever lock" type top that when you flip the lever the top of the dip stick top expands to form a positive seal. these types of dipsticks started in 1988