Buick Nailhead Switch Pitch autos?

Can someone educate me on these? I'm using the original Super Turbine 400 behind my 401 Nailhead (putting this in a '57 Chevy) and was wondering if all these trans had the switch pitch option, and what exactly does it do? How is it controlled? My combo is out of a '66 Electra 225. Thanks,
-Dean

 

The Switch Pitch was only available from 65-67.

Here is a good article about identification.
http://www.buickperformance.com/switchpitch.htm

 

Looks like I do have a SP400. What would be the easiest way to wire this back up to work with my swap? I still have the big switch pitch assembly that was mounted to the stock 401 intake manifold/carb, but I'm running dual quads when I put it in the '57 Chevy. Was just looking around in the archives and it looks like I can just rig up a switch on the dash to activate the SP. Wiring??? Thanks,
-Dean

 

That would be the easiest way to do it, but I have no idea how difficult would it be to modify the solenoid to work with your dual quad set up. I would examine how it was set up on a dual quad manifold on a buick and see if you could make it work.

 

another trick people liked to use is to hook it to the brake switch, when the brake is depressed high stall, brake off low stall....

 

If you could mount two switches, one for idle, one for wot, then you could use the wot switch for kickdown and for hi-stall. You would want to wire a diode between the kickdown switch and the idle switch to avoid having the kickdown set off by idle switch. This would get you close to what the original setup did. (Cathode of diode goes to the idle switch terminal which goes to the torque converter switch pitch terminal on trans. Anode side of diode goes to kickdown switch and then to the kickdown terminal on trans. The other terminals on both switches are ignition +12V.)

Or you can play around with a switch on the dash for the switch pitch.

 

I have a dual quad 401 and SP400 in my '50 Chevy sedan delivery. I have the original kickdown switch on the accelerator linkage that has the switch built in to switch the pitch at WOT. I also hooked up a pushbutton switch and mounted it in the empty hole in the floor where the clutch pedal used to be. That way I can switch it at any speed.
Switch is visible in this pic