What Do I Need To Do To Get This Thing To Kick Down?

68stang351

Founding Member
May 16, 2002
850
8
39
Savoy TX
I'm new to automatics (I'm a manual trans type of guy), so I have what could be a dumb question. I put a 302/C4 in my Fairlane last fall, and never had anything on it to make it kick down.

It will downshift fine if I'm just slowing down, but I'd really like it to kickdown when given the gas like it should. I just don't know what I need to buy/do.

Here's the best I can do with relevant info. It's a case filled C4, apparently out of a floor shifted car (so I've been told because the linkage faces up), though I have something on the pivot facing down so it works with my column shifter. Everything I've bought for it I've looked up for a 68 Mustang C4 and it's all been right. The car has an Edelbrock carb.

How were these kicked down from the factory? Do I need to get that type of linkage, or would I be better off just getting some type of Lokar cable or linkage?

Any help would be appreciated, I'm lost when it comes to automatics!
 
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the down shift linkage comes off the carborator linkage and is a rod that attaches to another leaver under the shift leaver on the transmition it is spring loaded and returns when pussed back.the carborator requires special linkage to work the down shift leaver for automatic, can be bought through holley or edelbrok
 
early transmitions work from
the down shift linkage comes off the carborator linkage and is a rod that attaches to another leaver under the shift leaver on the transmition it is spring loaded and returns when pussed back.the carborator requires special linkage to work the down shift leaver for automatic, can be bought through holley or edelbrok
early transmitions work off a cable off the gass pedal linkage to the leaver on the transmition not sure what you have
 
Except for 64-65 260/289 cars, all 64-68 170, 200, 289, 302, 390, and 428 Mustangs used the cable-pull kickdown.

A lever comes straight down from the throttle shaft where it passes through the firewall, and a slack cable connects the tip of this arm to a small lever on the transmission. When the pedal is fully depressed, the cable should also be fully pulled to the stop. This forces the trans to kick down at approximately 3/4 throttle.

All of these parts are available new for Mustangs. The Mustang throttle may or may not work in a Fairlane, but the cable, trans lever, and spring were probably identical, and could certainly be made to work.

66-69fairlaneaccellink[1].jpg