C4 kickdown questions- NEW INFO
 

I have a C4 and do not have the kickdown installed. I have a number of questions about these things and can't find any threads with answers. Any help would be great.

1. Is it a mechanical thing? I move the lever on the transmission and can't feel it doing anything.

2. The lever on the trans seems to be spring loaded and will move either direction with a center detent. Which direction should it move to activate the "kick down"?

3. It was my understanding that this is needed to downshift gears under acceleration. (Like to pass) Mine seems to do that now. I can be doing 45 and floor it and it downshifts? I assume this is because of the vac modulator. Now at 65 it won't downshift.

4. It is shifting through the gears. I can feel 2 distinct shift points. When on the highway running 70, I am turning 5000 RPM's?? That just can't be right can it?


Jeff

I you don't have a kickdown it is not downshifting. May be the 4 brl kicking in you feel. Like you said the kickdown is spring loaded the resting position is normal. Kick down is activated by heavy accerlation through linkage. lokar make a kick down cable - used on 2 different mustangs - easy to install. Kickdown adds a nice fun factor to the car

5000 at 70 MPH is really high, but to be sure what is wrong you need to know the rear end gear ratio.
The kick down lever is the one to the front and doesn't have a detent.
Sumthin is not right.

You wont feel anything click when you move it, its a hydraulic valve. It acts like a throttle valve from a later trans, its a bit more than a detent, it has an affect on line pressure and really should be connected.

Even with 4.56 gears and 25" tall tires you would be doing 80mph at 5000 rpm, unless it was slipping in the converter. If you dont have gears in the 4s then you arent getting 3rd from it. That could be a few things. There is a trouble shooting thread in the FAQ for C4s and I have some info scanned and posted in my photobucket with C4 information you might find helpful. Go here:
http://s189.photobucket.com/albums/z...nsmissions/C4/

The modulator will kick down, but only at very high speed and with a painful delay.

The 66 should have the cable-type kickdown, shown here. All the parts are available new.

http://www.gerlecreek.com/images/65-66mustaccellink.jpg

I replaced my accelerator pedal & brake pedal along with the kickdown cable with Lokar and am very happy. Very high quality products.

Unless somebody sawed off the throttle kickdown arm, he can replace the cable for $15. Even if the lever is also missing off the trans, that's another $17.

Thanks for all of the replys.

I am sure it is kicking down now though. I can take off from a stop light slowly and feel it go into 2nd then put it to the floor, it shifts down and chirps the tires?

Just thought of something...could that kickdown be stuck in the "kickdown" position inside of the tranny. So it would actually be kicking down now without being hooked up and not getting into 3rd causing the RPM's to soar??


Jeff

Well, if that were the case, and you gradually accelerated onto the highway, you'd be doing 60 before it went into 3rd.

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c2...hiftPoints.jpg

That chart will certainly help. What do the numbers 1-8 on the top row mean?