Did I Destroy My Powerglide Transmission

[Paul S.]

Due to my own stupidity, and being tired and frustrated from trying to get the parking brake adjusted properly to pass my state inspection, while I had the rear wheels up on jack stands, I started my 67 power glide 327/300, and put it in drive, then neutral and into reverse. Then, despite knowing better, I shifted it into park without braking first. Just a total brain dead moment, born of being tired and it approaching 9 PM. Nothing ever good happens from spending too much time in one day working on something.

Anyway, now the transmission will only shift out of park into reverse (reverse works), but it won't go into neutral or drive. You literally cannot shift it down further than reverse. I've never had an automatic transmission that you could not shift through the gears, and I didn't want to go about tearing apart the shift console without knowing what I may be getting into or for that matter what to look for.

My question is, is there something fairly simple I can do to get drive to work--my Corvette is literally sitting in the garage with the rear bumper hanging out past the overhead door, so I cannot close my garage door. And since I cannot get it into neutral, I cannot even push it in.

I did a search and couldn't come up with anything helpful.

[Edward J.]

Re: Did I Destroy My Powerglide Transmission

Paul, you may have to drop the transmisson pan and inspect the linkage internally you may have bent or jamed something there is a rod and parking pawl.

[Jim T.]

Re: Did I Destroy My Powerglide Transmission

Paul if you have a floor jack and can borrow another one, to get your 67 fully into the garage, jack it up on the frame just infront of the rear tires and inch it into the garage. If you know someone with wheel dollies borrow them.

Have not had a powerglide since 1964 and my reverse broke, don't remember how now. Drove it without reverse until I could afford to get it fixed.

With your reverse working, back it out of the garage is an easy operation and back it into the garage.

[Rich W.]

Re: Did I Destroy My Powerglide Transmission

I really have the same problem..once I get going I wont stop either..you say it will go into reverse..is that on the indicator in the car or does the trans actually go into reverse and the wheels spin?? If it does then you may have tweeked the linkage..if its still jacked up remove the side linkage and see if you can turn it..if you can then it is the linkage..if you can't then try and rotate the tires by hand..try and rock them back and forth with force.. hopefully it may jar loose the parking pawl..have another person work the linkage while you do this..don't dispair..I have seen this done at over 50 mph on a lift looking for a drive train noise..and it survived fine..

I missed the part that you wrote about reverse working..look at the linkage around the trans..what happened to it is a pretty violent event..I would bet now that the linkage is bent or even popped out of one of its guides..I would check the Ps motor mount also..it may have been damaged also..

[Dan M.]

Re: Did I Destroy My Powerglide Transmission

Could also drisconnect the driveshaft at the rear end so it will free up the rear and let you push it into the garage. Not a fix but will allow you to get it back in.

[Paul S.]

Re: Did I Destroy My Powerglide Transmission

I really have the same problem..once I get going I wont stop either..you say it will go into reverse..is that on the indicator in the car or does the trans actually go into reverse and the wheels spin?? If it does then you may have tweeked the linkage..if its still jacked up remove the side linkage and see if you can turn it..if you can then it is the linkage..if you can't then try and rotate the tires by hand..try and rock them back and forth with force.. hopefully it may jar loose the parking pawl..have another person work the linkage while you do this..don't dispair..I have seen this done at over 50 mph on a lift looking for a drive train noise..and it survived fine..

I missed the part that you wrote about reverse working..look at the linkage around the trans..what happened to it is a pretty violent event..I would bet now that the linkage is bent or even popped out of one of its guides..I would check the Ps motor mount also..it may have been damaged also..

I'll have to check out the linkage, probably next weekend. I ended up backing out of the garage, all the way around the block, and back in the garage. Did not want to attempt that last night in the dark and being really tired.

I actually have a set of car dollies, but they're only good for side to side--roller bearings in the wheels are good enough to get the car to move fore and aft. I spent a couple of hours figuring I would get super human strength or something and actually be able to shove it the 4-6" needed to close the door.

And yes, as you saw in my post, it does go into reverse (which works). Would you happen to know the page in the chassis repair manual, AIM, or service manual that covers the linkage? If not, I will find it in my copies.

[Domenic T.]

Re: Did I Destroy My Powerglide Transmission

Paul.
I agree with Ed on this.

I'm not sure any more but I believe the park pawl was mechanical linkage to the pawl in the pan, (it wasn't a hydraulic shift).
You probably bent the mechanical linkage in the pan that shifts the valve body also.

DOM

[Rich W.]

Re: Did I Destroy My Powerglide Transmission

I don't know the page number in the book..but its a simple check..I am talking about the linkage on the trans and not in it..just un hook it and see if you can turn it..if you damaged the manual valve inside it wouldn't move into any gear and reverse would not work..

[Terry M.]

Re: Did I Destroy My Powerglide Transmission

Paul.
I agree with Ed on this.

I'm not sure any more but I believe the park pawl was mechanical linkage to the pawl in the pan, (it wasn't a hydraulic shift).
You probably bent the mechanical linkage in the pan that shifts the valve body also.

DOM

As I remember (and we won't talk about how long it has been since I was inside a Powerglide -- and an aluminum one at that) the parking pawl is actuated by a linkage rod from the shift shaft inside the trans -- access by lowering the pan.

Paul, Rich has a good suggestion -- disconnect the external linkage and see if you can move the shift shaft then. That is a good way to separate the external and internal linkage. It might save you dropping the pan, if you find the issue is with the external linkage.

[Ray K.]

Re: Did I Destroy My Powerglide Transmission

Paul

There are two external levers for the shifting mechanism on your PG trans.

They are #3829987 lever assy with shaft - parking lock and range selector
This one goes thru the trans case

And #3829992 lever - outer

Inside the trans
#3824051 lever assy - inner range selector

Try as suggested - disconnect linkage from shifter shaft and see if it will move thru the range positions.

Ray