Super Turbine 300
Encyclopedia
The Super Turbine 300 was a two-speed automatic transmission
built by General Motors. It was used in various Buick
, Oldsmobile
, and Pontiac
models from 1964-1969. It was the same transmission marketed under different brand names by each division including ST-300 by Buick, Jetaway by Olds and simply Automatic by Pontiac.
, a front and rear multiple-disc clutch
pack, and a compound planetary gearset with a front band and a clutch pack for reverse and manual low gear. The unit was cooled with a small auxiliary oil cooler located beneath the engine radiator
. It had a die cast aluminum case, and weighed 152 lb (68.9 kg).
It was programmed to start in low gear, providing a gear ratio
of 1.765:1 plus the additional low-speed multiplication of the torque converter. The shift pattern was Park-Reverse-Neutral-Drive-Low. In Drive at full throttle, it would upshift from low gear to high gear at 60–65 mph (96.6–104.6 km/h).
From 1964-1967, Buick and Oldsmobile versions of this transmission used a torque converter with a variable-pitch stator called Switch-Pitch by Buick and Variable Vane by Olds. The stator blades moved from high to low position by an electrical solenoid
and a stator valve
, controlled by a switch on the throttle
linkage. At light to medium throttle, the stator blades were at 32°, providing a torque multiplication of 1.8:1 and a converter stall speed of approximately 1800 rpm. At ⅔ to full throttle, the blades switched to the 51° high position, giving torque multiplication of 2.45:1 and a stall speed of approximately 2300 rpm. The blades were also set to the high position at idle to limit creep when stopped in Drive. The variable-pitch stator was eliminated after 1967. This feature was not used on the Pontiac versions of this transmission.
as a replacement for the earlier Buick Dynaflow
and Oldsmobile/Pontiac Roto Hydramatic
transmissions. It was the only automatic offered on GM A platform
cars (Buick Skylark
, Oldsmobile Cutlass
, and Pontiac Tempest
) through 1966, and was available on the full-sized Buick LeSabre
and Oldsmobile Jetstar 88/Delmont 88
as a less expensive alternative to the three-speed Turbo-Hydramatic
.
From 1967-1969, the Super Turbine 300 was also available on the sporty Pontiac Firebird
with the overhead cam in-line six-cylinder (230 and 250 cubic inches) or small V8 engines (326 and 350 cubic inches).
The Super Turbine 300 was discontinued entirely after the 1969 model year in favor of the TH400 and lighter TH350 Turbo-Hydramatic, the latter using the Super Turbine 300's tailhousing.
Super Turbine 300s were the first GM automatics to incorporate multi-case bellhousings (ST300s were bolted behind BOP powerplants along with the Chevrolet inline six) — which were later used with its successors — the THM350 and THM2004R overdrive.
Due to its two-speed with torque converter design, the Super Turbine 300 is often confused with Chevrolet's Powerglide
— which was also a two-speed torque converter transmission, but the ST 300 was of a completely different design and shared no parts with the Chevy unit, which had been around since 1950.
Automatic transmission
An automatic transmission is one type of motor vehicle transmission that can automatically change gear ratios as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
built by General Motors. It was used in various Buick
Buick
Buick is a premium brand of General Motors . Buick models are sold in the United States, Canada, Mexico, China, Taiwan, and Israel, with China being its largest market. Buick holds the distinction as the oldest active American make...
, Oldsmobile
Oldsmobile
Oldsmobile was a brand of American automobile produced for most of its existence by General Motors. It was founded by Ransom E. Olds in 1897. In its 107-year history, it produced 35.2 million cars, including at least 14 million built at its Lansing, Michigan factory...
, and Pontiac
Pontiac
Pontiac was an automobile brand that was established in 1926 as a companion make for General Motors' Oakland. Quickly overtaking its parent in popularity, it supplanted the Oakland brand entirely by 1933 and, for most of its life, became a companion make for Chevrolet. Pontiac was sold in the...
models from 1964-1969. It was the same transmission marketed under different brand names by each division including ST-300 by Buick, Jetaway by Olds and simply Automatic by Pontiac.
Design
The ST300 had a three-element torque converterTorque converter
In modern usage, a torque converter is generally a type of hydrodynamic fluid coupling that is used to transfer rotating power from a prime mover, such as an internal combustion engine or electric motor, to a rotating driven load...
, a front and rear multiple-disc clutch
Clutch
A clutch is a mechanical device which provides for the transmission of power from one component to another...
pack, and a compound planetary gearset with a front band and a clutch pack for reverse and manual low gear. The unit was cooled with a small auxiliary oil cooler located beneath the engine radiator
Radiator
Radiators are heat exchangers used to transfer thermal energy from one medium to another for the purpose of cooling and heating. The majority of radiators are constructed to function in automobiles, buildings, and electronics...
. It had a die cast aluminum case, and weighed 152 lb (68.9 kg).
It was programmed to start in low gear, providing a gear ratio
Gear ratio
The gear ratio of a gear train is the ratio of the angular velocity of the input gear to the angular velocity of the output gear, also known as the speed ratio of the gear train. The gear ratio can be computed directly from the numbers of teeth of the various gears that engage to form the gear...
of 1.765:1 plus the additional low-speed multiplication of the torque converter. The shift pattern was Park-Reverse-Neutral-Drive-Low. In Drive at full throttle, it would upshift from low gear to high gear at 60–65 mph (96.6–104.6 km/h).
From 1964-1967, Buick and Oldsmobile versions of this transmission used a torque converter with a variable-pitch stator called Switch-Pitch by Buick and Variable Vane by Olds. The stator blades moved from high to low position by an electrical solenoid
Solenoid
A solenoid is a coil wound into a tightly packed helix. In physics, the term solenoid refers to a long, thin loop of wire, often wrapped around a metallic core, which produces a magnetic field when an electric current is passed through it. Solenoids are important because they can create...
and a stator valve
Valve
A valve is a device that regulates, directs or controls the flow of a fluid by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways. Valves are technically pipe fittings, but are usually discussed as a separate category...
, controlled by a switch on the throttle
Throttle
A throttle is the mechanism by which the flow of a fluid is managed by constriction or obstruction. An engine's power can be increased or decreased by the restriction of inlet gases , but usually decreased. The term throttle has come to refer, informally and incorrectly, to any mechanism by which...
linkage. At light to medium throttle, the stator blades were at 32°, providing a torque multiplication of 1.8:1 and a converter stall speed of approximately 1800 rpm. At ⅔ to full throttle, the blades switched to the 51° high position, giving torque multiplication of 2.45:1 and a stall speed of approximately 2300 rpm. The blades were also set to the high position at idle to limit creep when stopped in Drive. The variable-pitch stator was eliminated after 1967. This feature was not used on the Pontiac versions of this transmission.
History
The Super Turbine 300 (Jetaway) was introduced for the 1964 model yearModel year
The model year of a product is a number used worldwide, but with a high level of prominence in North America, to describe approximately when a product was produced, and indicates the coinciding base specification of that product....
as a replacement for the earlier Buick Dynaflow
Dynaflow
Dynaflow was the trademark name for a type of automatic transmission developed and built by General Motors' Buick Motor Division from the late 1940s to the mid 1963...
and Oldsmobile/Pontiac Roto Hydramatic
Roto Hydramatic
Roto Hydramatic was an automatic transmission built by General Motors and used on Buick and on some Oldsmobile and Pontiac models from 1961-1964...
transmissions. It was the only automatic offered on GM A platform
GM A platform
The General Motors A platform was a mid-size car automobile platform. The A-bodies evolved from rear wheel drive compacts, to rear wheel drive mid-size cars, to front wheel drive mid-size cars over the course of 32 years. The switch in drive layout in 1982 spawned the G-body...
cars (Buick Skylark
Buick Skylark
The Buick Skylark was a passenger car produced by the Buick division of General Motors. The model was made in six production runs. In each run, the car design varied dramatically due to changing technology and tastes, as well as new standards implemented over the years.-1953–1954:Introduced to mark...
, Oldsmobile Cutlass
Oldsmobile Cutlass
The Oldsmobile Cutlass is a line of automobiles made by the Oldsmobile division of General Motors. The Cutlass began as a unibody compact car, but saw its greatest success as a body-on-frame intermediate car....
, and Pontiac Tempest
Pontiac Tempest
The Pontiac Tempest was an entry-level compact produced by the Pontiac Motor Division of General Motors, introduced in September 1960 for the 1961 model year....
) through 1966, and was available on the full-sized Buick LeSabre
Buick LeSabre
1959LeSabre and all other 1959 Buicks not only got new names, but all-new styling as well, adopting the new GM B- and C-body used on all of the corporation's full-sized cars...
and Oldsmobile Jetstar 88/Delmont 88
Oldsmobile 88
The Oldsmobile 88 was a full-size car sold by the Oldsmobile division of General Motors and produced from 1949 until 1999. From 1950 to 1974 the 88 was the division's top-selling line, particularly the entry-level models such as the 88 and Dynamic 88...
as a less expensive alternative to the three-speed Turbo-Hydramatic
Turbo-Hydramatic
Turbo-Hydramatic is the registered tradename of a family of automatic transmissions developed and produced by General Motors. These transmissions mate a three-element torque converter to a Simpson planetary geartrain, providing three forward speeds plus reverse.The Turbo-Hydramatic series was...
.
From 1967-1969, the Super Turbine 300 was also available on the sporty Pontiac Firebird
Pontiac Firebird
The Pontiac Firebird was built by the Pontiac division of General Motors between 1967 and 2002. The Firebird was introduced the same year as the automaker's platform-sharing model, the Chevrolet Camaro...
with the overhead cam in-line six-cylinder (230 and 250 cubic inches) or small V8 engines (326 and 350 cubic inches).
The Super Turbine 300 was discontinued entirely after the 1969 model year in favor of the TH400 and lighter TH350 Turbo-Hydramatic, the latter using the Super Turbine 300's tailhousing.
Super Turbine 300s were the first GM automatics to incorporate multi-case bellhousings (ST300s were bolted behind BOP powerplants along with the Chevrolet inline six) — which were later used with its successors — the THM350 and THM2004R overdrive.
Due to its two-speed with torque converter design, the Super Turbine 300 is often confused with Chevrolet's Powerglide
Powerglide
The Powerglide is a two-speed automatic transmission designed by General Motors. It was available primarily on Chevrolet from January, 1950 through 1973, although some Pontiac models also used this automatic transmission, extensively on models produced for the Canadian market with Chevrolet...
— which was also a two-speed torque converter transmission, but the ST 300 was of a completely different design and shared no parts with the Chevy unit, which had been around since 1950.