Gads, the Kickdown adjustment lock nut is hard to get at!

Anybody got some tips and tricks? Looks like my wrenches won't get in there unless I drop the cooling line.

The Second/Reverse band was easy enough, and is working very well now. Who'd have thought; seven turns?

CJ
74 Valiant

Are you sure your doing the right adjustment? The "second/reverse" band is two different bands.
The kickdown and second band is the same band, different name. The adjustment is external, spec is snug the screw (72 in/lb or 5 ft/lb), back off 2 turns, lock down.
The reverse band adjustment is internal (inside pan), spec is snug, back off 3.25 turns, lock down.
The second gear band EXACT spec varies depending on lever ratio, it can vary 1.5 to 2.5 turns, but 2 will work for all. Did you back it off 7 turns, or did it take 7 turns to take up the slack?

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Slant Cecil

If I remember right, some of those bands are adjusted at seven turns. The specs are different each year and each transmission according to factory service manuals I have here. I don't know if there is a "one size fits all" adjustment.

The specs I listed are for a '69 904 behind a slant 6. The V8 specs are 4 turns off for the kickdown. I looked up specs for a a newer 904, in '74, reverse changed from 3.25 to 7!!! What changed in the reverse linkage? The kickdown lever ratio is what determines the second gear band turns out spec, I only recall a strut on the reverse band.

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Slant Cecil

Hey Cecil,
Speaking of lever ratio, when I salvaged my Super Six, I did not know about the kickdown lever length being different than the one for my stock 1bbl. Is this lever one that can be obtained from a transmission shop, or maybe the local Chrysler dealer? If so, what would I ask for?

Jerry

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There's a difference between ignorance and stupidity.
Ignorance is not knowing any better.
Stupidity is knowing, yet doing it anyway.

Here's my advice on the kickdown lever. Use the one that's on the transmission. Use your 1bbl kickdown rod that can be adjusted from the top of the car. If there isn't enough adjustment in the 1bbl kickdown rod, increase the length of the adjustment slot with a file or something. That's what I did and didn't have any problems getting the proper adjustment on my transmission.

Sounds good. I'll look into that. When the word "ratio" was used, I envisioned something more than the rod's reach, like the angle the lever makes relative to it's pivot point. Guess I'm trying to make it harder than it needs to be.

Jerry

_________________
There's a difference between ignorance and stupidity.
Ignorance is not knowing any better.
Stupidity is knowing, yet doing it anyway.

Yep, double checked the second band is out 7 turns from 41 in-lb.

Still trying to figure out how to get my fat fingers into the kickdown band.
Is there a special "Factory Tool" to deal with the thing?

CJ

Aha. Reverse/Low band. Sometimes I get lost. Anyway, the one inside is done, the external adjuster is the one to get to. Probably be easier if I stick the car up in the air further.
I'm planning to install the V8 Torsion bars this weekend, so it'll need to be up a ways for that evolution.

CJ

That sounds like the difference between a single-wrap reverse band and the later dual-wrap reverse band to me.

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Whoa, whoa, whoah. Hold the phone, there's confusion afoot!

When people talk about the "kickdown lever" available in different "ratios", they are talking about a linkage INSIDE the transmission that takes the force from the hydraulic piston and translates it to a clamping force on the band. It IS available in different ratios, and the differing ratio is indeed the difference in lever arm length on either side of the fulcrum.

A picture of a 5.0:1 (Hemi) ratio lever appears here:
http://store.yahoo.com/chucker54/kickdownlever.html


The "kickdown rod" between the carb and the transmission has NOTHING to do with this, and is NOT what is being discussed!!!

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440_Magnum, you're completely right, but there's an added confounding factor in the case of slant-6 cars: The kickdown lever on the outside of the trans, where the KD rod hooks up, is longer on 1bbl cars than on 2bbl cars. This is because the overall KD linkage geometry is different. Mismatching (usually using the longer 1bbl lever with the 2bbl linkage because whoever did the swap didn't know to grab and swap the 2bbl lever) results in improper shifting behaviour.

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