Just a precaution on rebuilt 904 transmission

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InRogue

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I'll try to keep this short. I bought a 318 with a 904 to put in my Rambler, yes an American Rambler....anyway I rebuilt the 318 but not the 904 as the previous owner said it was good. I changed fluids, and filter and set the kick down attached to Carter AFB....well it lasted about 50 miles. I ended up replacing the transmission with a rebuilt TCI unit. My question is...I want to make sure I have the K/D cable hooked up right before I drive off, so I already bought a Edelbrock Mopar linkage arm to attach to the carb to make sure the ratio is right, seemed like it was before?. To adjust with a cable do I just make sure at WOT the cable is pulling the trans arm all the way open? What about at idle....no free play? Picture of the vehicle.
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Nice American but we need to see your carb linkage/kickdown adjustment.
 
Yeah I guess I should have included those pix, I'm about done with the install, here's the picture of the original hook up on carb, haven't hooked up the Edelbrock arm, and I have an excess hole in the floor for the linkage....it's tight.
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Do you have pics of the engine bay? I have a buddy with 4 of those Americans from a 290 that looks a lot like yours and a grudge car that's a 434 sb chevy turbo car.
 
I use the original solid rod throttle pressure linkage and have just a very slight bit of freeplay.
 
InRogue said:
Yeah I guess I should have included those pix, I'm about done with the install, here's the picture of the original hook up on carb, haven't hooked up the Edelbrock arm, and I have an excess hole in the floor for the linkage....it's tight.View attachment 1715493869View attachment 1715493870
Click to expand...
What does the instructions say about adjustment? It is similar looking to the tv cable on my 96 Dakota. At rest you adjust the cable so it just snaps onto the pin. No slack or no stretch.
 
InRogue said:
I'll try to keep this short. I bought a 318 with a 904 to put in my Rambler, yes an American Rambler....anyway I rebuilt the 318 but not the 904 as the previous owner said it was good. I changed fluids, and filter and set the kick down attached to Carter AFB....well it lasted about 50 miles. I ended up replacing the transmission with a rebuilt TCI unit. My question is...I want to make sure I have the K/D cable hooked up right before I drive off, so I already bought a Edelbrock Mopar linkage arm to attach to the carb to make sure the ratio is right, seemed like it was before?. To adjust with a cable do I just make sure at WOT the cable is pulling the trans arm all the way open? What about at idle....no free play? Picture of the vehicle.View attachment 1715493823View attachment 1715493826
Click to expand...

The basics are that when the throttle is wide open the TP is at full travel also.
It can be tuned to taste if you want.
In my case I have a small clamp on my cable to keep it from returning all the way back down.
This raises my shift points a little over the stock lowest light throttle setting but still allows full throttle travel without hitting the end of the TP cable travel first.
The red dot is where the little clamp is on the cable.

TP.jpg
 
toolmanmike said:
What does the instructions say about adjustment? It is similar looking to the tv cable on my 96 Dakota. At rest you adjust the cable so it just snaps onto the pin. No slack or no stretch.
Click to expand...
Instructions say to open carb WOT and set the KD cable to do the same. That's what I did, just making sure though I would ask for others opinions.


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Okay everything is finished an took it for its main voyage, I ended up adjusting the cable with no free play, shift from 1st to 2nd okay but 3rd is a little late....at 30mph in the hood it wants to stay in 2nd. When should it shift at light load?, or even will it. Can you increase cable adjustment to shift sooner or? Oh and by the was I had a 36 tooth gear in the trans and it was off, changed to a 38 now its 5mph high....do they make a 37?
 
InRogue said:
Yeah I guess I should have included those pix, I'm about done with the install, here's the picture of the original hook up on carb, haven't hooked up the Edelbrock arm, and I have an excess hole in the floor for the linkage....it's tight.View attachment 1715493869View attachment 1715493870
Click to expand...
Watch out on those Lokars throttle brackets when I had my kick down connected which I could never get right ended going full manual valve body anyway. It would flex a lot when kd cable pulled and would loose up to 1/4 inch throttle. Plate would flex as there’s no ribbing to stiffen Material is made of play doe and is reliant on that rear carb stud to hold it in place . What they charge you would think it could be made better.
 
Long story short, with the carb wide open, the lever on the transmission should be at full travel. That is, they both hit the stops at the same time. I would resist "tuning" it from there with the TP linkage (too bad line pressure isn't adjustable externally).

A lot of the wives tales about "tuning shift points" started in 82 when GM brought out the TH700R4 with an adjustable throttle cable, and poor guidance. Instead of continuing to set them up like TH350's (full travel at full throttle), even dealership mechanics started monkeying with the adjustment, causing all sorts of trouble. The transmission got an early reputation for being "fragile" that it probably didn't totally deserve.
 
67 gt said:
Watch out on those Lokars throttle brackets when I had my kick down connected which I could never get right ended going full manual valve body anyway. It would flex a lot when kd cable pulled and would loose up to 1/4 inch throttle. Plate would flex as there’s no ribbing to stiffen Material is made of play doe and is reliant on that rear carb stud to hold it in place . What they charge you would think it could be made better.
Click to expand...
I dont have that Lokar bracket, actually the one I have came from an s10 aftermarket site...its nice, bolts to both rear studs. I used that diagram for reference.
 
Sweet Rogue. My Pop has a 64 American. Your adjusting it correctly. If it shifts a little late loosen up the cable 1 turn at a time until you get it right. BTW: I've noticed some guys trashing the Lokar cable setup but I've used numerous ones on different cars and have one on my personal car and have put almost 35000 miles on it and it hasn't worn out the carb shaft. I admit the factory setup won't wear on the carb as much, I'm just saying the Lokar won't wear it out real fast

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