Totally a hypothetical question ;)

[dartnlo]

Let's say someone hadn't worked a carbureted Mopar for about 25 years.

They went to pickup a 1972 Dart with a 318, 904, 107k miles, 500+ miles from home.

They were smart enough to take a spare carb with them but it was a cheap chinese universal bbd clone.

On first start, gas poured out of the old carb so they swapped out with the new carb.

The new carb worked perfect out of the box but didn't have a return spring built into the throttle plate (which they didn't notice), nor did it have the hardware for the external return spring. No problem they took the hardware for the linkage off the old carb and put it on the new setup. But the external spring didn't have enough tension to return the throttle to idle. Oh but look, there's this random spring laying in the muck of the intake. SO they rigged this spring up to add more tension. They went merrily on their way and drove the car 500+ miles back home, sometimes at over 70 mph.

They did notice that it had weird shift points and behavior. Like it wouldn't shift into Drive till about 48 mph and then downshifted to First at about 28 mph.

Fast forward about a month. Hypothetically. The float in the cheap Carter knock-off went bad. In the process of working on it in front of a parts store, the kickdown linkage disappeared.

So while researching to find a new one they discovered that that second spring they found laying on the intake originally - actually belonged to the kickdown linkage. They also read that having the linkage in this state will likely cause harm to the tranny.

So the hypothetical question is:

If some dingleberry did this, how likely is it that they hurt the transmission?

Thanks.

 

[340doc]

That's a lot of hypothetical! Lol. Hard to answer that. If you put the kickdown back on, adjust it properly and the trans works good I'd drive it like so.

 

[lilfontleroy]

dear hypothetical dingleberry, its a good bet that said hypothetical 904 is fine. tell hypothetical Dart buyer to get the correct kickdown linkage and springs and parts and hook it all up and take it for a ride. good luck with it.

 

[loganscuda]

I’m assuming the names have been changed to protect the guilty.

 

[dartnlo]

Hypothetically, I got a replacement kickdown from WhitePunkOnNitro and can't wait to get the interior put back in and try it!

 

[dart_68]

Sorry, but I don't speak hypothetical.

 

[dartnlo]

Sorry, but I don't speak hypothetical.

Translation:

I drove 500 miles with the kickdown linkage not hooked up. Does this really hurt the transmission?

 

[lilfontleroy]

Hypothetically, I got a replacement kickdown from WhitePunkOnNitro and can't wait to get the interior put back in and try it!

Sorry, but I don't speak hypothetical.

but Mechanic's rule #1 - Any item dropped while working on a car will roll underneath to the exact center.

 

[340doc]

but Mechanic's rule #1 - Any item dropped while working on a car will roll underneath to the exact center.

Boy that's the truth. I'm glad when stuff hits the ground though. I've spent some time looking for "things" that don't make it all the way down!

 

[dartnlo]

but Mechanic's rule #1 - Any item dropped while working on a car will roll underneath to the exact center.

I went back and checked the various scenes of crimes but did not locate. My parts always end up in the front valance.

I was installing dash speakers this weekend and noticed the T-bolts from the dash were missing. While extricating my arm from the dash, one T-bolt fell out from somewhere. I banged on the bottom of the dash frame and the other one came out along with the corresponding nut. The dropped parts Gods take away and the dropped parts Gods giveth back.

 

[340doc]

I went back and checked the various scenes of crimes but did not locate. My parts always end up in the front valance.

I was installing dash speakers this weekend and noticed the T-bolts from the dash were missing. While extricating my arm from the dash, one T-bolt fell out from somewhere. I banged on the bottom of the dash frame and the other one came out along with the corresponding nut. The dropped parts Gods take away and the dropped parts Gods giveth back.

HaHa, that's funny. Your right, that valance is a good catch all. It usually requires a weird arm bend to get things out.

 

[Princess Valiant]

I would say the transmission is absolutely hurt. Without the kickdown linkage the default is minimum line pressure. And the detent could have been doing some strange things.

I would pull the transmission pan and see if it is full of clutch material. Maybe you got lucky.

 

[dartnlo]

I would say the transmission is absolutely hurt. Without the kickdown linkage the default is minimum line pressure. And the detent could have been doing some strange things.

I would pull the transmission pan and see if it is full of clutch material. Maybe you got lucky.

So I did that a couple of weeks ago mainly because it needed it anyway and had been seeping ATF from the gasket. and was happy to see nothing in there. Not even as much fine metal fillings as I'm used to. Nothing has changed in the way the transmission worked since I picked it up. The day I drove it home it was cold and on a cold start there was a little slippage, but as soon as it warmed up it was fine. I'm not sure how long the linkage spring had been off. I'm hoping it came off without me noticing when I changed the carb.

 

[dart_68]

The dropped parts Gods take away and the dropped parts Gods giveth back.

I wonder if the dropped parts Gods are the same as the missing dryer sock Gods?

 

[rumblefish360]

If you just simply drive the car, the trans may very well be OK. I’d do what Rainy said and pull the pan to check it.

I destroyed a trans due to self inflicted shoddy work in a rush. 20 miles around town in 2 days and I was looking at junk connected to the engine.

In another incident, it was fine. The difference was the trans wasn’t subjected to a lot of around town driving but just light throttle cruising on the Hwy. low stress, low speed.

 

[lilfontleroy]

I wonder if the dropped parts Gods are the same as the missing dryer sock Gods?

relatives, hypothetically speaking

 

[dartnlo]

If you just simply drive the car, the trans may very well be OK. I’d do what Rainy said and pull the pan to check it.

I destroyed a trans due to self inflicted shoddy work in a rush. 20 miles around town in 2 days and I was looking at junk connected to the engine.

In another incident, it was fine. The difference was the trans wasn’t subjected to a lot of around town driving but just light throttle cruising on the Hwy. low stress, low speed.

Well grace may be on my side then. I just wanted to get the Dart home on the 500 mile trip. So I babied it. No burnouts or pedal to the floor take-offs. Mostly highway cruising at 55 except for about 15 miles of interstate in Nebraska at 70 or so. But I have driven about 40 miles total in town. I tended to shift it manually because I knew something wasn't right. I wonder if that is enough to have not destroyed it.

Like I said, nothing in the pan when I changed the AT filter. It was still driving "fine" when I parked it a few weeks ago. That's when I realized I didn't have the linkage anymore.

 

[Daves69]

Translation:

I drove 500 miles with the kickdown linkage not hooked up. Does this really hurt the transmission?

All I know is I hate the smell of burnt trans fluid in the morning...……... (or any other time for that matter! )

 

[Clelan]

By the way the unnamed individual explained the delayed shifting, I might bet that the kick down was stuck at least somewhat back, because if it was all the way forward (disconnected), it would cause almost immediate 1/2 shift and an early 2/3 shift.

Like it wouldn't shift into Drive till about 48 mph and then downshifted to First at about 28 mph.

Hopefully you will be OK

Cley

 

[KnuckleDuster]

Your lost spring? It's either on top of the frame rail under the firewall, wedged between the bellhousing and the firewall, or in the k-frame.
;-)

 

[Tooljunkie]

but Mechanic's rule #1 - Any item dropped while working on a car will roll underneath to the exact center.

Into a puddle of whatever is leaking.

 

[dartnlo]

Your lost spring? It's either on top of the frame rail under the firewall, wedged between the bellhousing and the firewall, or in the k-frame.
;-)

...wedged between the bellhousing and the firewall...

No that's where the positive coil nut went though. Otherwise known as the abyss.

UNfortunately, I lost the whole carb kickdown linkage

 

[lilfontleroy]

Your lost spring? It's either on top of the frame rail under the firewall, wedged between the bellhousing and the firewall, or in the k-frame.
;-)

or its jammed up inside that hole in the hood felt

 

[74Dusted]

Hypothetical (and dumb luck) was a friend to the 727 I ran in my ‘83 2WD D50, and then ‘74 Duster and now in my ‘84 4WD D50. Same transmission, no overhauls (did Swap the tailshaft to fit the ‘84 though)

Back when it was in my ‘83 I was a teenager and the truck had a broken ratchet shifter in it. I lost count of how many times that poor 727 grabbed Reverse at 30mph+. Let me tell you, that makes your butthole pucker when you grab Reverse, the tires howl and the back end starts bunny hopping as the tires spin in the opposite direction and the only thought in your mind is the transmission is gonna put a nice window in the floor.

 

[dartnlo]

Hypothetical (and dumb luck) was a friend to the 727 I ran in my ‘83 2WD D50, and then ‘74 Duster and now in my ‘84 4WD D50. Same transmission, no overhauls (did Swap the tailshaft to fit the ‘84 though)

Back when it was in my ‘83 I was a teenager and the truck had a broken ratchet shifter in it. I lost count of how many times that poor 727 grabbed Reverse at 30mph+. Let me tell you, that makes your butthole pucker when you grab Reverse, the tires howl and the back end starts bunny hopping as the tires spin in the opposite direction and the only thought in your mind is the transmission is gonna put a nice window in the floor.

Or your head is going to make a new hole in your window. Ouch!