I understand how the standard kickdown linkage works (at least I think I do): it 'pushes' the lever at the transmission back to do its job, and begins to do so at a measured, pre-determined point via the slotted bracket. But whenever I look at Lokar cable setups and the like, the cable, where it's mounted, seems to 'pull' on that lever (see here and here), and it seems to do so in a constant, progressive movement; I never actually see photos of where it connects to the transmission, though, so maybe there's something going on down there I don't realize. Care to set me straight?

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J.R.
Tucson, AZ
'68 Dart 270 with a '76-'80 engine

The reason the stock uppermost pushrod is slotted (starting in '68) is so that the kickdown linkage, if it jams, cannot hold the throttle open. It's not to provide a "timed" beginning to the kickdown action.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Oooooh, okay. That clears that part up. What about the fact the rod pushes the lever, but with all the cable setups I've seen, the cable seems to be mounted below the throttle pivot point, effectively pulling at the lever as the throttle is engaged. What am I missing there? The lever on my transmission is definitely springloaded toward the front of the car (driver's side).

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J.R.
Tucson, AZ
'68 Dart 270 with a '76-'80 engine

I have a Lokar kickdown cable on my push button 904.
The cable runs from the carby lever around the top of the gearbox to the back where it is mounted and pulls the lever backwards.




This isn't my gearbox,but this is how mine is mounted.

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DRIVE IT,DON'T HIDE IT

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DRIVE IT,DON'T HIDE IT

It does not matter whether the cable/rod is pulled or pushed at the top. What matters is that down at the bottom it moves the transmission lever rearward with increased throttle opening.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

THANK YOU, Bucket, for those photos. That's what I was looking for and kind of what I imagined might be the setup, but I don't trust my assumptions, anymore. That info you gave me will prove helpful, too.

Dan, I wasn't being clear: I had yet to see a clear photo showing that the other end of the housing was indeed mounted behind the lever. And like I said above, I thought it might be such a setup, but I was concerned I was thinking backwards or the kit might not be designed for my car. Thank you for your input.

Follow up question: I've read the kickdown linkage from 90s Dodge trucks works just as well. Any experience with this or observations?

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J.R.
Tucson, AZ
'68 Dart 270 with a '76-'80 engine

True; but:

That cable will work, but you must have properly matched throttle pressure lever, and carburetor throttle shaft cable adapter bracket to have transmission shift & respond correctly at all throttle openings.

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67' Dart GT Convertible; the old Chrysler Corp.
82' LeBaron Convertible; the new Chrysler Corp
07' 300 C AWD; Now by Fiat, the old new Chrysler LLC

Not trying to threadjack, but I've currently got my kickdown lever on the trans tied back about 1/2-2/3 of the way with a zip tie to keep the trans alive and drive it every day while I get around to fabbing some brackets to mount a cable.

I've got fairly high shift points, but other than that, this shouldn't cause any excessive wear on the trans, should it?

It's better than no kickdown at all, but it's still hard on the transmission.

See this thread for kickdown options.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Thanks, I'll get something put together after I come back from Mason-Dixon this weekend!