Can I just not run a kickdown cable/linkage and just manually shift my tranny? Will this hurt the transmission? I've run a Ford C4 that way with no problems.
If I do this do I need to lock the kickdown lever in position or what?
Thanks for any and all help.

No. You MUST run a kickdown linkage of some sort or you will burn up the clutches and bands. It isn't that hard to install and adjust one. Just do it.

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Casually looking for a Clifford hyperpak intake for cheap.

A'ight. Thanks.

Has the car been driven without it at all?
If so you are probably looking at a rebuild soon.
As mentioned it is absolutely necessary.
The so called "kick-down" actually applies the line pressure to the bands.
If not adjusted right, the trans will be short lived.

You could go with a full manual valve body.
This would require shifting all the time just like a standard, but with out the clutch.
Not what most would want, but it is another option.

I'm pretty sure Jason's slant six-powered BMW E30 LeMons car (with a push-button 225) had the kickdown lever wired 3/4 of the way to full extension. It might be annoying to drive around town, but it should hold up if it could handle endurance racing.

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Somehow I ended up owning three 1964 slant six A-bodies. I race one of them.
Escape Velocity Racing

Nope, not driving it that way. I am changing the linkages for cables and don't have the transmission cable and brackets yet and I need to get the car down to the muffler shop, about a 1/2 mile away.
Thanks for all the input guys.

If you wire it about 3/4 back you should be OK for a SHORT and TEMPORARY fix. DO NOT leave it this way for any regular driving, though.

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Casually looking for a Clifford hyperpak intake for cheap.

To the original poster:

You know what the kickdown linkage does right? It would be better called the "throttle valve linkage" because it sends to the transmission the knowledge about the state of the throttle. It tells the trans what the driver's wish is, so the trans can decide to downshift or upshift or stay the same, while in automatic drive mode.


please correct me if i am wrong.

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'87 D150 Slant-6 A904 with wooden cap

Thanks for all the good advice guys. I have my BPE cable kit in hand.