Transmission kickdown?

19stang66 · Feb 17, 2006

Is that what this is? It connects to the accelerator rod deal. Nothing was attaching it from the lever to the transmission. Where should it connect to the transmission? What does a transmission kickdown actually do? Thanks.

iskwezm · Feb 17, 2006

when you floor the pedal, it will "kick down" the trans to a lower gear for passing. Really cant tell from the pic, but its supposed to go on the side of the trans near the shift linkage.If its not hooked up you floor it and it sloooowly picks up speed. I just shifted mine manually.

wild70stang · Feb 17, 2006

I thought that the transmission kick down closed the throttle when the tranny went to shift into its next gear, being that its an automatic and a person isnt going to let up on the pedal. I notice that on my carter 4 barrel carb that when I floor it, I dont go as fast and it barely spins the tires from a dead stop.

iskwezm · Feb 17, 2006

wild70stang said:
I thought that the transmission kick down closed the throttle when the tranny went to shift into its next gear, being that its an automatic and a person isnt going to let up on the pedal. I notice that on my carter 4 barrel carb that when I floor it, I dont go as fast and it barely spins the tires from a dead stop.

it really has nothing to do with "closing the throttle". Do you notice when you drive a newer car, its in drive,you pass or go up a hill, it will downshift????Thas the kickdown putting the trans into the next lower gear(d-3rd or 3rd to 2nd)A auto trans will or should always start in low from a dead stop and upshift automatically.If yours insnt shifting or stating in low or 1st, theres something else wrong.

wild70stang · Feb 17, 2006

it does start out in first. It just feels really slow, considering its a 302 witha 4 barrel carb. I am aware that auto trannys dont unleash the 302's full power.

iskwezm · Feb 17, 2006

wild70stang said:
it does start out in first. It just feels really slow, considering its a 302 witha 4 barrel carb. I am aware that auto trannys dont unleash the 302's full power.

probably not a tranny problem then, probably just underpowered

66StangFastback · Feb 18, 2006

Isn't the vacuum line running from the intake to the tranny the thing that regulates the kick down and such?

MitchGT · Feb 18, 2006

the vacuum line does help with performance, but in the opposite way. It KEEPS the tranny from shifting UP, while the kickdown levers MAKES the tranny shift DOWN. If you accelerate slowly, the engine has vacuum, which is communicated to the tranny through the vacuum line. The tranny will shift at a low rpm. If you accelerate hard, the engine will have little or no vacuum, which will make the tranny hold that gear until you hit a much higher rpm. Middle acceleration means middle rpm shifting. If you unhook the vacuum line it will drive like crap. If the kickdown linkage is disconnected it will accelerate from a stop just fine, it will be a dog if you are already cruising at 40 mph at stomp on the throttle.

19stang66 · Feb 18, 2006

Sounds exactly like my problems. She seems to be a dog off the line in D but in 1st it's faster and slow at middle speeds when flooring it. Also my vacuum line is pinched between the bellhousing and engine block. Dumba** PO. It also seems like its not shifting into 3rd gear.

iskwezm · Feb 18, 2006

19stang66 said:
Sounds exactly like my problems. She seems to be a dog off the line in D but in 1st it's faster and slow at middle speeds when flooring it. Also my vacuum line is pinched between the bellhousing and engine block. Dumba** PO. It also seems like its not shifting into 3rd gear.

if thats the line to the trans, thats for the vacume modulator,it controls shift points.......if its not going into 3rd,youd know it.

19stang66 · Feb 18, 2006

Thats what my uncle told me also. He also said to check the vacuum modulator to make sure its still good. He said if there's fluid in the modulator then its bad or something along those lines.

Max Power · Feb 19, 2006

The kickdown rod connects through linkage to a spool in the valve body. The valve moves with the rod and redirects flow to hydraulically force the tranny down a gear. It's mechanical linkage to force hydraulic actuation.

19stang66 · Feb 19, 2006

Where can you get the kickdown rod and what's it look like?

mustangdave · Feb 19, 2006

It's actually a kickdown cable, not a rod. The legth is adjustable. You will also need the clip that holds it. Any good vendor like NPD carries them for around $15.00.

19stang66 · Feb 20, 2006

I found the cable in NPD's catalog. There is also a "Bushing for the Trans Kickdown Lever" and a "Bracket, Kick Down Return Spring," I probably need these too, right? I don't see anything like a clip.

iskwezm · Feb 20, 2006

19stang66 said:
I found the cable in NPD's catalog. There is also a "Bushing for the Trans Kickdown Lever" and a "Bracket, Kick Down Return Spring," I probably need these too, right? I don't see anything like a clip.

i dont think yours had a cable

Tim65GT · Feb 20, 2006

Here is how it's supposed to be:

My linkage was long gone, so I fabbed up one from a early eighties 'Stang:

It made a HUGE difference in the way it accelerated.

19stang66 · Feb 21, 2006

Thanks tim, but im confused by your picture, what way is the front of the car and is it the vertical bent rod in that picture? And isk, do you mean i should have a rod, not a cable?

66HertzClone · Feb 21, 2006

Tim65GT said:
Here is how it's supposed to be:

My linkage was long gone, so I fabbed up one from a early eighties 'Stang:

It made a HUGE difference in the way it accelerated.

Actually that photo is correct for 1965, but in 66 the setup was different. As stated prior there is a cable involved, a E clip for holding the cable to the lever on the trans, and a linkage rod clip that holds the cable to the arm in the first photo. I took mine apart last weekend when my trans came out, there is no spring below, just the throttle return spring. I can email you photos of the parts taken off mine if you wish.

Tim65GT · Feb 21, 2006

I don't have a pic of the '66 set up. The lever on the trans must be reversed in order to work as a "pull" instead of "push"

I think I seen a pic of the cable for the '66 on one of the vendors sites. I can't seem to find it now.

Transmission kickdown?

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