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Hi All,
I know there are several posts about kickdown cables and I don't want to bash a dead horse but couldn't truly find a thread that was addressing the issue I was having. For the kick down cable on my TH350 which mounts to the accelerator pedal, could someone assist me with the adjustment, if possible?
I've read a few posts where the cable ferrule is supposed to be able to slide into the black sleeve to allow it to be self-adjusted. However, the ferrule at the end of my cable is just a bit too large for the black sleeve and to complicate it, the black sleeve is plastic with a metal inner sleeve so it's not flexible at all. I've attached a picture or two to show what it currently looks like and I don't have any issues with the gears, it engages like it should although there isn't much travel in the pedal and/or linkage at speeds up to about 40 before it wants to kick in. When I want to give a little gas at 10-15 mph to get it up to 30-40 mph, there isn't much room before the kick down wants to engage.
Is there anyway to adjust the setup that I have? I've looked around for various other cables, and without going with a 'universal' cable, this is the one that keeps coming up for my year/model/trans combo.
Spent a couple hours searching threads here and other sites and the pedal mounted version is fairly common but looks like there are two different types. One with this black tube/sleeve and others with a clip that can be adjusted. As mine is the one with the sleeve I’m really stumped as to how to adjust since this ferrule doesn’t fit into the sleeve. It was purchase from OPGI. Anyone have any suggestions?
What are you trying to accomplish? If it is a lower RPM downshift then for testing purposes I'd wrap a small Zip tie around the cable between the metal linkage and the tube so it holds the cable a little more extended. If your using small zip ties say the 4" ones it might take 2.
As far as I know the only adjustment to that cable is to ensure it actuates the valve in the transmission when the pedal is fully depressed. This means the cable should have almost no slack when the pedal is on the floor. Tighten it too much and the pedal won't go WOT; loosen it too much and the trans won't downshift.
I just re-read your post and I think you are working on the wrong adjustment.
Originally Posted by tgilligan
When I want to give a little gas at 10-15 mph to get it up to 30-40 mph, there isn't much room before the kick down wants to engage.
The cable actuates the transmission downshift valve when the gas pedal is fully/near fully depressed, so at 10-15 MPH and light throttle it has no influence on the transmission downshift. This is the range of the vacuum modulator. Some modulators are adjustable and others are not; you need to look at yours to see which one it is.
And FYI, my trans downshifts readily from 3 to 2 in the scenario you posted above, so you may be seeing normal operation.
As stated above, the kickdown cable has zero effect on shift points. As long as the kickdown cable and the gas pedal reach maximum travel at about the same time all is good, assuming the trans kicks down a gear. You can make slight shift point adjustments with an adjustable vacuum modulator, maybe 2-4 mph later or earlier. If you need bigger changes the govenor will need some modifications.
I just looked at the picture again, I have never seen a black sleeve on the cable like that. It seems to me that would severely limit throttle movement, or cause a really active kickdown. There should be lots of slack until the pedal is floored, then the kickdown cable should be tight. Did someone add the black sleeve? If your careful, you might be able to cut off the factory stamped adjuster on the cable, and maybe make your own from a bicycle brake cable adjuster?
I just looked at the picture again, I have never seen a black sleeve on the cable like that. It seems to me that would severely limit throttle movement, or cause a really active kickdown. There should be lots of slack until the pedal is floored, then the kickdown cable should be tight. Did someone add the black sleeve? If your careful, you might be able to cut off the factory stamped adjuster on the cable, and maybe make your own from a bicycle brake cable adjuster?
It looks a lot like the setup on my car. I just went to the garage and snapped this pic. Dunno why it has the sleeve, but as you said, as long as the cable is tight when the pedal is on the floorboard it will work right.
It looks to me like you need to pull the kickdown cable back to adjust. My 76 works in the say way. I put a 1/4 wrench against the sleeve, use a pair of vise grips and attach them to the ferrule and rock it back and forth until the cable comes out to its intended travel. Don't giver' too much , just rock it back and forth until it gets tight, then stop. It should come into adjustment at that point .
Hope this helps
Eric
No. Your problem is that your cable isn't a correct factory unit, it's a replacement with a crimped fitting that is not adjustable. The factory used a spring clip that could be adjusted on a solid rod swaged to the end of the cable. Your replacement cable has none of that. Note the end of the cable and the clip in this photo. This is what should be sticking out of the eyelet in your accelerator pedal. By the way, you aren't the first person to have this problem. Read this thread.
