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Lokar kickdown on 727 or manual valve body?

Outlawd

Outlawd

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I got a 440 with a performer rpm intake and 750 holley matched to a 727 in a 68 b body. Originally with the cast intake the kickdown linkage was not adjusted properly and took out 3 gear, later after different tranny and change to performer rpm intake the linkage would not match up and another round of not properly adjusted kickdown (my fault I know) it slips in 3rd again. So now Lokar offers the cable kickdown system which I read is a bitch to adjust, You guys have any luck with the Lokar? Not wanting to deal with another failed tranny and I have to get a new one anyway I'm thinking of going with a TCI competition manual valve body tranny OR if the Lokar cable works maybe a TCI Streetfighter. The car will be mostly street driven a few hundred miles per year and I usually manually shift it anyway. Any advice?
 
The Lokar cable works, but the instructions don't really tell you to install it and adjust it. On the kit I received the outer sheath of the cable was cut too long compared to the inner cable, so originally I could not get the adjustment correct. Fixed that and had no problems for many years. The Manual Valve body (Forward Pattern) makes the kickdown a non issue, but you loose the automatic shifting feature. The Manual "Reverse" valve body has higher pressures compared to the Forward Pattern valve body. If you keep loosing 3rd gear, check the front drum for wear on the bushings, ring seal area, and the piston seal and bore, and then pressure check for leaks too. There is also the drum check ball to check, but pressure check should find if it is an issue.
If that is good, then also check the front servo (and top lid) for sealing.
 
I've used the Loc
kar cable on a few transmissions and like said above the outer portion is long has to be shortened. Besides that, it;s easy to adjust, and works good. I just put one on my 68 RR build. RUFFCUT
 
It's so easy it's not even funny. Cut the cable outer housing to the length you want, route the inner cable. Put something heavy on the gas peddle to keep it a WOT, pull the inner cable enough to max out the kickdown lever and tighten the set screw. Trim the excess cable.....DONE... they trick is having the shorter kickdown lever to keep it as close to a 1:1 ratio as possible..

20201204_152605.jpg
 
If the kickdown lever ratio is too slow, you can just drill a new hole in the lever to increase the ratio.
 
I have used the Lokar cable kickdown when space considerations prevented linkage (360 transplant into a 1988 Dakota). I found it hard to adjust to get proper action. The secret here is that the carb linkage and the kickdown lever work on a 1:1 ratio. That is, the attachment hole on the kick down lever must move through the same distance as the attachment hole on the carb linkage. This may necessitate drilling new holes at either place to achieve this. If your problem with original linkage is caused by increase height of aftermarket intake manifold, I think A&A Transmissions or Mancini has linkage kits to deal with this. After that, it is just a case of getting out your shop manual and setting linkage up as explained. I have helped out a few buddies who had shifting or kick down problems just by going through the factory adjustment sequence. I hope this helps.
 
I put RMVBs in everything. Currently have three street driven Mopars with them. Mine are all Turbo Action. I've never had a desire to go back to automatic function. I would consider someone other than TCI. They don't seem to have a great reputation for Mopars.
 
Try A&A Transmissions, near Indianapolis. They have website and large catalogue. I buy most of my rebuild kits and parts from them with no problems. Rick Allison is the head guy. They sell anything from a single part to complete ready-to-race transmissions. They also repro the Max Wedge intakes and pieces.
 
How does it act if the ratio isnt exact? Ive been using the lokar for 20 years and it seems to work fine..
 
It was almost 20 years ago, but I think I was getting early upshifts. One of my friends used a Lokar cable kick down on a trans I rebuilt for him. and called to say that it was not downshifting when he came to a stop. It wanted to pull away from a stop sign in high gear when left in Drive. We found that the cable was not adjusted to let the kick down lever return to full stop. If the lever does not come back to rest, some fluid pressure is held in the governor circuit, and the trans will not downshift to Low when car is at rest.
 
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