transmission · FF-0200

How does the kickdown cable work on a Turbo 350?

Ed says a cable runs up to the carburetor, and pushing the pedal down pulls it for a kickdown downshift, for example to pass at 60 miles an hour. On some transmissions, and he mentions Dodges, the cable is tied to transmission pressure, so the further the pedal goes down the higher the pressure and the harder the shift. On the Turbo 350 the cable goes in the side of the transmission and hooks on a small spring-loaded lever. It has nothing to do with the pressure; it just downshifts, the same as pulling the shifter down into second to pass.

Expert

Ed Smith

Evidence

expert attributed

Component

governor and kickdown cable

Applicable scope

GM Turbo 350 automatic transmission on Ed's bench; general transmission knowledge, not specific to the Flathead