This is a one-piece kickdown rod from a '79 360/TQ/727. Note the ovaled hole in one side; the other side is still round.

I compared it to 2 other identical 360 pieces and a similar 440 piece I have in my stash and they all look similar. Granted, these are used parts, so did they wear like that or come from the factory this way?

No. Those should be round. A little weld to fill in, file to shape, and will be good as new. These are wear points and should have a little grease on them.

Thanks, that's what I thought. Just found it weird that all my other spares are the exact same way.

The slotted hole is perfectly normal, they're all like that. Probably has to do with preventing bind in the one-piece rod.

I guess I messed mine up then. LOL. It works OK though. After reading what Kunkel said I got to digging around in my parts stash, and sure enough there was the oblong hole. Strangely, only on the later parts, 73 and up. The earlier ones had just round holes that I found.

+1