904 Kickdown linkage at transmission

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JoePole1

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Hi.
While adjusting my 360 Magnum to 904 kickdown linkage out of the car, it appears that the KD lever at the trans is not getting pushed rearward enough.
My linkage is originally from a 318/904 2bbl arrangement and I previously had it on my LA360/904 combo. It never seemed to kick down a gear when I
accelerated. It looks like the final linkage at the transmission has to take up about 1/2 inch before it starts applying pressure/movement to
the transmission KD lever. At full open throttle and all in on the linkage I can still move the transmission KD lever back 1/2 inch before it hard stops.
Can I assume that the KD lever at the trans needs to be fully rearward to the stop at full linkage travel? Should I also assume that the "slack" in the linkage needs to be taken out or will immediate pressure cause trans kickdown?
Thinking that my final linkage piece needs to be modified to take up the half inch difference.
I don't see any pics of my style of final linkage.


The manual doesn't say anything about the kickdown lever travel.
Blue is where I have 1/2 inch before KD lever movement.
Full apply the KD lever can be moved rearward 1/2 inch more.

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Here's my set-up on my 72. I can't seem to find a picture of a linkage like this. It slides through the block on the KD lever (1/2" ) until it hits the stop on the linkage and starts movement. Most I see are attached to the KD lever and must start engagement immediately.

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Here's the shop manual.

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That block should have a 5/16" short bolt locking the block to the rod. That is how you adjust it. I disliked when they went to this form of adjustment. I liked the threaded top rod much better.
 
Great. Thank you!! So should the KD lever go to full hard stop when throttle is fully opened or is close good enough?
Also....when does the downshift start? Is that depending on the KD lever ratio inside the transmission?
 
What year transmission do you have? The early transmissions don't have a part throttle kickdown.
 
71 was the first year of the part throttle kickdown on a V8.

It could certainly be an adjustment though. I set my Linkage to take out all the slack so as soon as the carburetor throttle starts opening, the throttle pressure linkage starts pushing.
 
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