Change a 904 to manual valve body

[Dave Haertel]

Have a rather butchered 71 Dart. Long story. Original motor was a slanty, swapped for a 360 before I purchased. Kick down linkage was MIA on purchase and I wasn't aware of it (I know, I should have checked), so some miles were put on it, probably less than 100 but enough that I knew it wasn't right. Hoping the trans is not trash at this point. Tried using a Lokar cable, but could not get the adjustment anywhere close, always too much slack on both ends. Without going to steel linkage that I would have to find for this car, would a manual valve body be an option for a daily or should I just try and find a full linkage set and fight it to get it set up right?

 

[lemondana]

People put manual valve bodies in their transmissions because they are either to lazy to source the parts, or are inept in being able to fabricate what they need. I hate manual valve bodies and I have never used a cable setup. I have helped probably 20-25 people to get their kickdown in working order. Sorry to piss the few off.

 

[lemondana]

I am referring to street and highway driven cars.

People put manual valve bodies in their transmissions because they are either to lazy to source the parts, or are inept in being able to fabricate what they need. I hate manual valve bodies and I have never used a cable setup. I have helped probably 20-25 people to get their kickdown in working order. Sorry to piss the few off.

 

[Dave Haertel]

I am referring to street and highway driven cars.

Guilty as charged with regard to being inept with fabrication. Not something I learned early on sadly and I won't try and be something I'm not. That's the reason I enjoy this site, so that I can learn what I'm short on.

Lazy is not me. I've got a ton of hours under this thing trying to get the cable working since it seemed much easier to deal with according to what I found as available information. I'll never shy away from trying to do something myself, that's why I'm here asking for information. If I was lazy I would take it to someone and say fix it.

 

[65TerrorCuda]

the lokar 904 kickdown linkage is pretty straight forward install and adjustment. There is supposed to be slack in it, it's only tight at full throttle. Have you set it up this way? I think later versions have a tension spring at the trans lever, early ones don't. Either way works fine

 

[GTX JOHN]

All of my 5 Street/Strip cars have a manual valve body.
If you have seen my cars = you would know I am not lazy but
I prize the control of shifting my car myself. It is also pretty vital
if you race it.

 

[Mopar69gts]

I love my RMVB!
With a B&M Quicksilver Shifter.
I drive my car every day.
To me it's the best of both worlds,
Like having a manual transmission without a clutch pedal.
I'm sure it's not for everyone, but I'm a fan.

 

[Dave Haertel]

the lokar 904 kickdown linkage is pretty straight forward install and adjustment. There is supposed to be slack in it, it's only tight at full throttle. Have you set it up this way? I think later versions have a tension spring at the trans lever, early ones don't. Either way works fine

It would seem to me that I've tried virtually every possible combo of a lot of slack, to as tight as I can get it, I get no downshifts and I'm in 3rd in seems like no time at all with no torque at all. Suspecting I may have lost the trans completely at this point.

 

[GTX JOHN]

You might have a stuck Valve or restriction in you Factory
Valve body = They are tempermental.
Drain the fluid as strain it for material = The material or lack of
it will usually tell if you have a major breakdown or not!
Then inspect the filter and pan for material

 

[Dave Haertel]

All of my 5 Street/Strip cars have a manual valve body.
If you have seen my cars = you would know I am not lazy but
I prize the control of shifting my car myself. It is also pretty vital
if you race it.

Glad to hear they're alright to use on a mostly street car. I wasn't sure what the drive is like and whether or not it'd be rough to drive.

 

[Ironracer]

You might have a stuck Valve or restriction in you Factory
Valve body = They are tempermental.
Drain the fluid as strain it for material = The material or lack of
it will usually tell if you have a major breakdown or not!
Then inspect the filter and pan for material

Slick Trick!

 

[Ironracer]

Glad to hear they're alright to use on a mostly street car. I wasn't sure what the drive is like and whether or not it'd be rough to drive.

If you like 4 spds, you'll dig a Manual VB. Just be careful what ya get. Some have no engine braking in 1st. At least the 727s do. And if ya hook er up nailing 2nd, without a soild build, bad things can happen fast

 

[Duster346]

It would seem to me that I've tried virtually every possible combo of a lot of slack, to as tight as I can get it, I get no downshifts and I'm in 3rd in seems like no time at all with no torque at all. Suspecting I may have lost the trans completely at this point.

Do yourself a favor and **** can the lokar setup. They do not work correctly. This is the single biggest complaint I get with automatic shift 904s and they all had lokar kickdown on them. I will no longer sell an automatic shift transmission if the car has a lokar kickdown on it.

Either install the factory kickdown setup or get the Bouchillon setup.

 

[Kendog 170]

Try the wanted section and see if you get one. Here's some reading if your up for it.
904 Kickdown throttle pressure adjustment question | For A Bodies Only Mopar Forum

There is a screw on the Trans. that controls pressure as well that is talked about in this thread but no info on how to. Something about a tool to set at 9/16". Maybe FSM
A-904 Throttle Pressure Adjustment | For A Bodies Only Mopar Forum

 

[CudaFactHackJob]

Are you the one who butchered your Dart? Cuz it sounds like you're just following suit with the sloppy-*** job you're doing jacking around with your kickdown.

 

[67Dart273]

People put manual valve bodies in their transmissions because they are either to lazy to source the parts, or are inept in being able to fabricate what they need. I hate manual valve bodies and I have never used a cable setup. I have helped probably 20-25 people to get their kickdown in working order. Sorry to piss the few off.

.............And how does this help the OP who didn't ask for this opinion? I LIKE manual bodies and ran one in my Dart.

MVB are easy to install, but there is some argument as to whether "all" need or don't need the throttle kick down linkage. The destructions for the one I bought claim it does not. You will have to look around the various brands and kits and make sure The one big "trick" is to make sure you get the park pawl link properly positioned

 

[33IMP]

Daily drove a twenty mile one way work commute in a 440 rr with a column shift rmvb for at least five years. No low band apply, no problems. Just learn how to drive it. (No downshift to first above about 15 mph, don't back off throttle under power in first, and then get back on it. NO BURNOUTS IN FIRST GEAR).
Pretty sure the modern 904/727 rmvb all have a low band apply.
Edit: I have three cars with full manual valve bodies, one with a transbrake. I love em!

 

[RogerRamRod]

Guilty for not wanting to go find the parts for the proper kickdown, and not having fab skills. But I drove my car on the street for 12 yrs, sometimes as a DD, sometimes as a toy with a reverse VB with a ratchet shifter and would not go back. Once my old GF started driving it, it was hard to get her back into her Prelude.

 

[Dave Haertel]

Are you the one who butchered your Dart? Cuz it sounds like you're just following suit with the sloppy-*** job you're doing jacking around with your kickdown.

Gratefully no. I bought this as a project. And even worse, is that the guy I bought it from sat with it for years, didn't remember who the guy was that actually did the slant to 360 swap and so he had absolutely no clue how to get in touch with the guy who did the swap. Or he did the swap and wouldn't admit to it. Either way, no I purchased it and inherited the kickdown saga. I've done a lot of work on this car and hopefully this is the last part. And for the record, I'm not a professional builder, so the "slappy *** job" I'm doing is the best that I can offer at the moment, so thanks for the input.

 

[Rat Bastid]

People put manual valve bodies in their transmissions because they are either to lazy to source the parts, or are inept in being able to fabricate what they need. I hate manual valve bodies and I have never used a cable setup. I have helped probably 20-25 people to get their kickdown in working order. Sorry to piss the few off.

Or they use manual valve bodies because they are smart enough they don’t want the transmission shifting whenever it wants to.

 

[Rat Bastid]

Have a rather butchered 71 Dart. Long story. Original motor was a slanty, swapped for a 360 before I purchased. Kick down linkage was MIA on purchase and I wasn't aware of it (I know, I should have checked), so some miles were put on it, probably less than 100 but enough that I knew it wasn't right. Hoping the trans is not trash at this point. Tried using a Lokar cable, but could not get the adjustment anywhere close, always too much slack on both ends. Without going to steel linkage that I would have to find for this car, would a manual valve body be an option for a daily or should I just try and find a full linkage set and fight it to get it set up right?

Make it manual shift and **** can the rest of that garbage kick down linkage.

We have become so F’ing lazy that we don’t want to pull a damn lever down one hole. That’s sickening.

 

[33IMP]

Or they use manual valve bodies because they are smart enough they don’t want the transmission shifting whenever it wants to.

Exactly! Had a rat motor in a 55 Chevy with an aggressive automatic valve body (could shift it manually, but not soften the shifts) It barked second gear EVERY time, whether I was next to a cop or not.
With the full manual in my runner, I could bark second and third if I wanted....... or shift 1-2 at ten mph and 2-3 at twenty, soft and quiet as a kitten. Or pull away from a light in high, if I wanted. When I was tired and it was late, I did that occasionally, just left it in third. Smart enough not to lug it excessively tho.

 

[Demonx2]

I've said it before - my avatar car has a rmvb and I love it. At the track or on the street, it is terrific to drive! Someone else said it - it's like having a manual trans without the 3rd pedal. Driving it takes no more thought than driving a MT except you can be lazy and not shift it at times. It would be hard to go back for me!

 

[lemondana]

Sorry everyone, I didn't think my statement would piss so many people off. It's just my opinion.

 

[CudaFactHackJob]

You haven't actually tried to fix your kd; you just keep messing around with it; as tho it's just going to fall itself together correctly...cuz ur lucky like that (?)