not down shifting at WOT

Posted By: wtucker

not down shifting at WOT - 07/27/12 05:51 PM

I think my kickdown needs adjusted a little, It shifts up and down as it should when driving normally. But when you kick it down it doesn't seem like it shifts down to 1st or 2nd like it should. I have a lokar setup and its setup per instructions and has free range of movement. I'm wondering if my trans lever is the right one. The transmission is not original to the car.

Posted By: GTX MATT

Re: not down shifting at WOT - 07/27/12 06:21 PM

Assuming you don't have a part throttle kickdown setup you usually have to pretty much mat the pedal to get it to downshift.

Have an assistant hold the gas pedal to the floor for you. Crawl underneath and look at the TP lever on the tranny. Disconnect the cable and make sure that the lever has no motion left WOT. If there is any free motion left, adjust your cable. Check to make sure it doesn't bind/interfere with WOT afterwards.

Posted By: JohnRR

Re: not down shifting at WOT - 07/27/12 07:02 PM

Quote:

I think my kickdown needs adjusted a little, It shifts up and down as it should when driving normally. But when you kick it down it doesn't seem like it shifts down to 1st or 2nd like it should. I have a lokar setup and its setup per instructions and has free range of movement. I'm wondering if my trans lever is the right one. The transmission is not original to the car.

First problem is your choice of aftermarket throttle pressure linkage .

The torqueflite isn't going to downshift into first till you are almost at, or till you come to, a complete stop, it's very hard on the overrunning clutch if it does.

Posted By: John_Kunkel

Re: not down shifting at WOT - 07/27/12 09:26 PM

Quote:

I'm wondering if my trans lever is the right one.

Very few levers are "correct" for the Lokar.

You need to measure the full travel of the carb lever where the cable attaches and then measure the full travel of the transmission lever where the cable attaches; it usually won't be the same so you need to drill a new hole in the transmission lever so that the full travel of both levers is the same.

There should also be a spring pulling the transmission lever forward.

Also, be sure that WOT under the hood is the same as WOT at the pedal...misadjusted throttle linkage will prevent the carb from going wide open when the pedal is matted and that, in turn, will prevent the trans lever from going back enough to force kickdown.