carb and kick down linkage

[cuda hunter]

I know this linkage is wrong. 
Can someone offer a quick picture of the correct kick down for a 360/727 edelbrock. 

[73_Cuda_4_Me]

You have a few extra twists and turns in your linkage... should look like this...

[73_Cuda_4_Me]

Looks like you are missing this...

https://www.classicindustries.com/product/md7126.html

[JonH]

The previous posts are correct. The piece with the slot has been bent/twisted, 90 degrees. You need the stud shown above, and that linkage straitened out. The stud should go on the carb linkage and through the slot on the linkage. I find it hard to believe that it works as shown. If the car is not shifting correctly, DO NOT DRIVE IT! This linkage controls line pressure in the trans. If not correctly adjusted you will burn out the clutches in the trans...

[Burdar]

Wow, that's all kinds of wrong isn't it.  The first thing you need to address is the throttle linkage.  In order to properly hook the throttle up to an Edelbrock carb, you need a Mopar adapter bracket.  This bracket will bolt onto the side of the carb and give you a place to mount this stud.
https://www.classicindustries.com/product/md7126.html  (that seems a little pricey for what it is...you can probably find someone on here that has lots of those...they could throw one in the mail for a few bucks)

The bracket you need looks like this.(this is the first thing that I found...make sure this is the correct part# you need...I didn't verify it)
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/edl-1481/overview/

Once you have the throttle connected properly, you can worry about the kickdown linkage.  There were lots of different kickdown designs.  After 45+ years, who knows what parts have been swapped out.  Something to consider is the Bouchillon Performance kickdown cable setup.  It replaces all the linkage with a cable.  Unlike the Lokar setup, the Bouchillon kit contains the correct pivot bracket for proper torqueflite operation.

[cuda hunter]

thanks guys.  I see what is missing now.

I was afraid of driving it much due to the transmission.  I've burnt one up before and don't want to do that again.
The guy I got this from drove it like this for at least a year that I knew him.  So it must at least kind of work.

I'll see if my local parts store has those two parts. If not I'll be back asking for them. 

[cuda hunter]

I was able to pick up the adapter plate at my local napa.  No one had the linkage stud for the kickdown.  I made my own.  I'll purchase the correct one but in the mean time this works fine.

I'm trying to adjust my kick down linkage. 

I've read several threads about how to adjust but I still don't seem to get the correct answer with 100 different answers. 

I have the rear of the slot touching the linkage stud with a little bit of spring pressure from the lower mount and adjustment rod.   

At WOT my shift points are 30 and 48. 
Under regular acceleration they are 22 and 40. 

Do those speeds correspond with a correctly adjusted kick down linkage? 

I will start a new thread if no one answers here.   That's a threat....

[cuda hunter]

I tried this.  It made the shift points way too high.  So I lengthened the rod. 
Also, my adjustment is on the transmission and not on the carburetor. 



"Here's the correct adjustment procedure. With the engine OFF, lock the gas pedal on the FLOOR with a pedal jack....or someone's foot. Then make sure the carburetor linkage is open ALL the way. After verifying and or correcting that, look at the kickdown linkage. With the throttle still opened ALL the way, the kickdown linkage should be all the way BACK towards the firewall. If it is not, adjust it accordingly. Finally, get under the car and look at the kickdown rod where it goes into the lever on the transmission itself. If you can push the lever on the transmission BACK at ALL, you should adjust it so that it is ALL the way BACK towards the REAR of the car with the throttle still ALL the way on the floor. You may need to readjust at the carburetor when finished on the bottom. But when you are done, the transmission lever AT the transmission MUST be ALL the way BACK when the throttle is ALL the way open. Lastly, the kickdown MUST have a return spring on it. Not just on the carburetor, but also on the kickdown linkage itself to pull it ALL the way FORWARD when the gas pedal is released. Failure to have this spring installed can result in very hard shifting going into drive, reverse and second gear."

[73_Cuda_4_Me]

The spring you have holding the throttle linkage and the kick-down linkage is wrong.... the spring should hook into the front of the kick-down rod slot, and go to the spring bracket above number 1 on the intake... it always pulls the kick-down arm on tranny forward...

[Burdar]

It looks OK to me.  He has the throttle return spring hooked up so it pulls the throttle closed.  He has the kickdown spring hooked up so the spring is pulling the linkage forward so it's always in contact with the carb.

[cuda hunter]

So, just hooked up on a different loop then it appears.  Still pulls the throttle forward.
The rear spring pulls the kickdown linkage forward so the rear of the slot touch's the screw. 
There is also a spring on the bottom of the rod that push's the rod forward. 

My main question now is whether I have the kickdown set correctly so I don't burn up the tranny. 

[73_Cuda_4_Me]

With carb wide open throttle, the kickdown should just be pushing the throttle arm on tranny fully to the rear.

As long as arm comes forward when throttle is let off, you are all set. I ran mine 15 years set that way, and no problems...

[cuda hunter]

That's where I have some indescrepencies. 
If I WOT, and push the rod all the way back on the tranny and set the adjustment there, when I go for a test drive the tranny doesn't shift out of first until almost 40.  Way too high.
I had to go back about 3/8" from the rear to get it to upshift at 30 and then 42.

As usual compared to all the other threads I have read, there is an issue. 

Currently it appears to shift great at 30 and 42. 

[Bullitt-]

Josh I've read your adjustment approach above a couple of times then these '73 FSM instructions & they seem to be in contradiction.  Seems to me your pushing the transmission's "throttle leaver" back while the FSM says hold it all the way forward (recommends some tool) with the carburetor all the way closed... I know the style of kickdown has different ways to make the adjustment but I would think the fundamental concept would be the same with any setup.   

click on pic to zoom   

[cuda hunter]

On my transmission kickdown linkage there is no adjustment or nut or anyway to tighten the top side of the bar.   my only adjustment is a nut with a spring down on the end of the transmission bar. 
Unless I'm missing something.