Let's talk about kick down adjustment one more time

[Tony 69]

Hey guys. I put a carb spacer on last week and fumbled up my cable adjustments. I've got the throttle cable perfect. But now my car shifts thru 2nd really fast. I read an article that said the kickdown arm on the transmission should be in the (about) 1/2 way position at idle. Like where you can just barely feel pressure. My concern is the article also said that a mis adjustment will burn up the trans. Like I said I have a cable not the stock linkage. Any recommendations will be greatly appreciated!

 

[BeepBeepRR]

give some slack on the kick down cable. It should not be half way through its sweep It should work in conjunction with the throttle and move at the same speed. Throttle cable tight but not pulling.
The kickdown arm on the transmission should be all the way forward. As you give gas it should move at the same rate as the throttle cable and be pulled towards the back of the transmission. Watch the video below its mechanical linkage but should apply to the cables too.

 

[69 Sleeper Bee]

Not having the kickdown hooked up at all is what will burn up the trans. Sounds like yours is shifting too fast now so just need to adjust some.

 

[Thrashingcows]

Push your throttle all the way open, then push the kick down all the way open as well and adjust it to slip over the throttle shaft....this should get you close. rlease and make sure you have a spring on the kick down lever to keep it tight against your throttle linkage. Then take it for a drive and see how it performs, adjust until you get the shifting where you like it.

 

[BeepBeepRR]

Also this video.

 

[BeepBeepRR]

Push your throttle all the way open, then push the kick down all the way open as well and adjust it to slip over the throttle shaft....this should get you close. rlease and make sure you have a spring on the kick down lever to keep it tight against your throttle linkage. Then take it for a drive and see how it performs, adjust until you get the shifting where you like it.

He is using a LoKar style cable so its a little different.

 

[Dave6T4]

You should have a little bit of slop in the linkage at idle, as in no pressure at all on the kick down lever. Without this, the transmission will not drop back to FIRST at stop signs, etc., making your car start off in SECOND.

 

[Tony 69]

UPDATE
Thanks for all the info and advise. Found the problem. The previous owner had the kick down spring going up at too high an angle, and it was a bracket that he bought to do it too! Anyway the spring was actually hindering the kick down arm from going forward all the time. Sometimes the arm was hung up in the spring. I moved the spring to a better location and it works flawlessly. I hope the trans isn't damaged. It runs like a bat outta hell but at slow speeds I really don't feel that 1,2,3 shift. By the way the shift cable is like a gm self adjusting cable and that was adjusted too.
While I was there I put on a Flowcooler water pump and Milodon high flow thermostat before the summer heat comes.

 

[Ron H]

I have an earlier 727; you should feel subtle-smooth shifting giving light throttle unlike when you get on it more. Installed a shift kit in mine years ago and the transition btw gears is a tad harsher for lack of a better word. A little thrust btw gears. With the kit I used set it up for a medium (harsher) shift as there was a set up for even more of a kick I didn’t think necessary.

Great tips given here on the KD adjustment and with what you did. In my experience had a problem once when I put a 4bbl on my car not realizing I needed a larger spacer as the secondary plates were contacting the manifold not allowing them to open fully. Checking the KD travel/adjustment, I hold the throttle wide open to see what the KD lever travel is and set the rod travel (lever position) about a ¼” shy of its ‘full’ travel. Then repeat opening and closing the throttle a few times to make sure there’s no binding with the cable or rod having found ills with alignment and such. Lol, no doubt this isn’t new-news for you now.