manual valve body ??? I think

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ram250098

ram250098

69 Barracuda
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Cookstown Ontario Canada
I picked a 73 340 Charger last year and have been playing with it. It has a 727. Now it does have a kickdown but will not kickdown no matter what I do to adjust the linkage. I know if it is not adjusted right it will still kickdown either early or late. I am wondering now if it is a manul valve body, and the PO didn't remove the linkage...or does it still need line pressure even though it is a manual valve body.
Is there anyway to check without dropping the pan?
I really don't want to fry the tranny LOL
AL
 
most manual valve bodys from TCI, CRT and Turbo Action will not have any provisions to hook the linkage to the valve body at all...meaning the arm for the Kickdown is not there...

if the linkage hookups to the trans...probably not a manual valve body...

and if you put it in drive (3)...does it shift...or does it drive away in 3rd gear?
 
It just drives in 3rd. It does not shift at all, which makes me think it is a manual valve body but they left the kickdown hooked up. He had a Demon carb on it which I replaced, but the kickdown lever on the carb was way to long for the new Holley I put on.
Anyway to check if it is a manual valve body?
Thanks
Al
 
i think 70aar nailed it perfectly. i sell performance auto parts for a living, i've never seen a full manual valve body with the provision to hook up the kickdown linkage. the keyway knob that sticks up isn't even manufactured on a manual valve body. now they do market manual/automatic valve bodies. these will have it. but they are supposed to be held in gear for racing, but act normally in drive, still not the issue you're describing. i'd say something is out of whack and it's not a full manual valve body.
 
Mine was SOLD to me used as a Turbo Action and it has the shaft for the kickdown. So I don't know for sure if it's an original TA body, or one someone modified.

And that is another possibility. You could have what started as a factory body, which someone put a manual kit into
 
I have a Turbo Action that i bought back in 1983...and it has no lever for the kickdown...
 
..........The vb has a trans go -3 manual shift kit installed in it.......for the street i always recommend to run the kd linkage, yes ur shifts are softer till u get on it, but its easier on parts and nicer to drive around without it slamming to the next gear........set the kd same as u would set it any other time....race cars usually always have the lever tied back....kim........
 
The kickdown is hooked up properly and the lever spins the pivot on the trans ok so it must be a manual valve body because she won't kick down.
Thanks again for the help
AL
 
I just got an email from the PO tonight which reads:

You have to ajust the kickdown cable on the carborator, i had the same problem after i got the motor rebuilt and once we ajusted the kickdown cable it worked fine. Because i never did do anything to the transmission.

So I guess since everything outside the tranny works it must be an internal thing... damn..tranny shop?
AL
 
He said once they adjusted the kickdown it worked. Well the rod to the carb he had on there had a 3 inch peice welded to it so I really don't think they did it right. Now with the carb swap and the CORRECT rod it doesn't work at all. It could be the rod frpm the bell crank to the trans lever that is out of whack.
I was driving it around last night thinking it was a manual valve body based on what Frank told me...crap hope I didn't pooch it LOL.
I will get under it again to day and see if it is the vertical rod that is out of adjustment.
First time for everything ...hey I might learn something...besides can't afford a tranny guy right now LOL

Funny, I asked him if the tranny has a shift kit when I picked up the car and he said yes..now months later it's ..he did nothing to the tranny LOL...
AL
 
Well I learned something today. I took the vertical kickdown rod off and put a allen key through the three holes on the bell crank. Turns out it needed to come up about and inch. I hooked it back up and readjusted the rod to the carb and she works like a charm.
I never thought to check the vertical adjustment, and I guess it gets over looked being out of sight, most people assume the problem is the linkage at the carb.
Thanks again everyone...all is right with the world once again LOL
AL
 
Glad you sorted it out! Today you are a happy man! if you got all the grass cut that is! lol..Drive it over here and have a cold one!
 
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