Hey gang, Building my first Auto/Manual shift car, TCI TH350 streetfighter trans w/ratchet shifter in a '29 Model A Lowboy w/392 Hemi. Sure won't need a kickdown shift, so I'd like to avoid hooking one up to the carbs. Question is what is the best way to block it off at the ******? I ***ume the little lever should be in as far as it goes? Should I just RTV the heck out of the hole? Thanks to all.
My last car did not use the kick down cable. I just had the builder just put in the part of the cable that bolts to the trans and I RTV;d the end of the cable sticking out.
I did the same thing. If you need to drop down to second you just need to do it manually. I really don't miss it at all. Todd
Works with a T350 but don't even think about doing it to a 700R4. Different animal entirely and you'll kill the trans!!! Just needed saying in case someone ***umed they were all the same....
I just ran into an elegant solution to this today while attempting to INSTALL a kickdown on a stock T350 that had been run without. The hole for the kickdown was tapped, and either has a pipe thread plug or allen set screw plug, installed. Blue lock***e and "off you go"
Thanks so far for replies. The TCI ****** is a Auto that can be manually shifted, but not a manual only valve body. My others always had yankerss & 3 pedals, but this one just a yanker! Your right, only do this with a TH350. I hate to spend $ for a cable & cut it off, the pipe plug sounds like a good idea. What do I do woth the little rod that sticks out? Pull the pan & remove it? Bend it in? Should it be pushed in all the way, or pulled out some?
take the pan off, take out the little rod. I thought you had a full manual valve body--you SURE you don't wanna run a kickdown cable?
Yes I'm sure. The Hemi's punched out to 407 cubes and will make some serious power, in a 2300lb car, sure won't need a p***ing gear. So I'd rather not bother routing the linkage.
If it's not a manual valve body then just hook it up, that's easier than taking the pan off and taking the wire out then blocking the hole off.
I've run a couple of 350's without the detent cable hooked up and unless you are shifting manually they shift way too soon. The detent cable's action is what keeps the trans in gear during light acceleration, otherwise if you let it shift it's self you are in third gear by the time you are up to 30/35 mph. That happens with my GMC right now with 4.11 gears .
I just left my TH350 cable hanging around. I had always planned to hook it up someday. Someday never came. Eventually I changed to a 700R4, then I HAD to hook up a cable. I used a LOKAR cable kit for that. It is so much easier to hook up and adjust a LOKAR cable than it is to do a GM cable. So much more adjustable and easy to mount.
I've had 3 TCI-equipped transmissions (2 TH350s and a 727 Torqueflight). All have had the kick-down removed in favor of manual operation. Be careful not to accidentally shift into 1st, but it shouldn't be an issue with the ratchet shifter. Mine was a regular Hurst Indy-matic. My last TH350 had no pump restrictor, no wave washers, no 2nd gear ac***ulator, auto/manual valve body, no kick-down and a 2500 stall convertor. It was AWESOME on the street and the track. Brutal chirp between 1 and 2
hook up the cable to some other spot on the linkage by the pedal or route the cable to a HANDy spot so you can control it like we do on the 4spd hydrostick
My kick down is deleted for a good reason....I don't want unexpected downshifts especially on the interstate ramps. Traffic here thinks these are to play Mario Andretti. I disagree on the low up shifts. if anything mine shifts a bit too high for my liking. 1-2 comes ar 4500 and 2-3 comes at 42-4400. There is no advantage to hanging them higher on the street. Don't need p***ing gear either. Just go to boost. Only a few can out boost me or 'g***' me (NOS) haha Blown SBC in a 41 Willys streetrod. Just past 6500 total miles on it. 5000 this year.
Thanks Hambers, Lots of good input. The ******s still sitting on the floor. Going to pull the pan to install a bung in it for a temp gauge, so I figure on removing the kickdown rod ***y and checking out the the pipe plug route that moparsled suggested. Guess I'm a bit b*** ackwards. My 32 Chevy has a Muncie M20 (13.30 ET's) , but my Hemi Lowboy will have a semi-auto!
the cable works like the throttle linkage on the old power glid.throttle pressure keeps it from shifting too soonand also down shifts it. that is why t is aso adjustable. get out the motors automatic manual and read about.
Not needed at all! Tap and plug the hole. Summit badged TH350 ******s do not come with the cable, or need the cable. Manually drop down to lower gears, and throw a shift kit in it if it does'nt already have one. Same goes for modified Powerglides, the throttle pressure valve and kickdown get deleted. Butch/56sedandelivery
Well that explains it for me. Car shifts so fast into 3rd it feels like a 2 speed. I think I'll hook it up.
Late reply, but here's what I did. Took the little rod out and tapped the hole for a pipe plug. I did hook up the vacuum line. With the torque from the Hemi a 3000 stall converter 3.50 gears and a 2000# car it moves without any problem. On the level it goes about 20ft then auto shifts to 2nd without throttle. 2nd gear holds till about 30mph, still without throttle. If I throttle it, 1st is the same and 2nd really gets it going. I'm satisfied with it for normal driving. Leaving it in auto and going balls out works great too, and manual shift really gets the juices flowing. Actually I think the quick shift to 2nd is a plus against over-revving, kinda a built in burn-out shift! I would imagine if it was a heavier car the quick shift points would be more of an issue.
After several similar threads, I am still waiting for someone to actually explain how the kick down cable which does NOT begin to move until full throttle has any effect on part throttle shifting.
My experience with both my 51 Merc with 350R Olds and turbo 350 and 71 GMC with 350/350 was that they both shifted a bit sooner than I wanted when leaving a light with a light throttle. The truck especially shifted sooner than I wanted. other than that not a lot of difference except no kickdown when you punched it at highway speeds. I drove the Merc about 80K that way including a trip to Texas and Bonneville in 1988. My wife and a couple of friends who drove the car never noticed the difference.
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