65 Mustang transmision question.

S

slumlord44

Senior Member
I have a '65 Shelby intake on my Mustang that has no provision for mounting the kickdown linkage for the auto trans. Been running it wihtout the kickdown strictly for an occasional mile or two run to keep everything working. Mechanic friend says runing it without the kickdown will trash the transmision. Since all the linkage does is mechanicly engage the kickdown I fail to see how not having it hooked up and with the kickdown on the transmission in the disengauged position will hurt anything. It upshifts fine but of course will not kick down when you floor it. Still trying to find the kickdown linkage and figure out how to mount it but concerned about driving it if it will damage the transmision. Transmison is a '70 C4. Opinions?
 
slumlord44 said:
It upshifts fine but of course will not kick down when you floor it. Still trying to find the kickdown linkage and figure out how to mount it but concerned about driving it if it will damage the transmision. Transmison is a '70 C4.

Opinions?
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It will not damage the trans, only aggravate you.

Until you can get the LOKAR cable set-up as advised, merely pull it back into second for acceleration/passing. Is there a GREEN DOT on your gear selector dial?

He might think of an AOD or any earlier FOM that has TV linkage rather than a modulator valve.
 
Thats what I thought and how I have been driving it. Friend is a retired mechanic and usualy very knoledgeable on anything mechanical. It didn't make sense to me.
 
Is it a 2S FORD-O-MATIC (F/M/2) or a 3S CRUISE-O-MATIC (FX) or C4?

How many shift detentes are (POSITIONS) on the dial?
 
I drove a 302/C4 combo for eleven years without a kickdown. Never needed it to kick down, so I never bothered to create one.
 
No kick down in my street rod, 351C/FMX. Been in the car since 1976 and on the road since 1980. After 125K the "Great Flood" in 1993 at the Louisville Nats finally caused a failure. Run it.....
 
Look at 67 or 68 throttle linkage, they have a lever hanging down close to the firewall and a short 7" long cable running to the kick down. Would be easy to copy and make work for you.
 
I finaly dug out my '65 Mustang shop manual and did a little research. The 6 cylinder had a similiar lever hanging down and the short cable to the trans. I happen to have a 6 cylinder project car in my barn. Doug out the linkage parts. The lever clamps on to the linkage and it should fit on my existing linkage. May need to dig up a return spring but I have the cable, lever, and parts that attach to the transmision. Simple, factory parts and don't have to make brackets. Sometimes i get lucky.
 
Been running a 289 with C4 without kickdown for 20 years. Highway driving at 65 with no problems.
 
I was told kickdown was because after throttle blades are open more than so many degrees the vacuum doesn't change enough for modulator to tell if your at half throttle or wide open. Kickdown push's a valve in transmission to boost pressure and help modulator. I'm not a transmission guy but that was something I could understand.
 
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