Haven't had one on my car for 5 years and it does shift on it's own fairly mildly. shifts up at differant rpms depending throttle and down when I go slow enough (slowing down to turn into a side street or so). I do have a transgo shift kit, and a new modulator a couple years ago. If anything it's gotten better.
That also makes a difference. Shift kit and what it changed with the pressures. I wouldnt run without the kickdown unless you are always shifting manually. Never mind the pressures being wrong it drives like crap. How can you guys get any performance or fuel economy without the kickdown?? It shifts sloppy,early and no kickdown under throttle. I can understand the Neons that come into our place with a seized kickdown cause they are usually older folk. The rest of you kickdown removers have no excuse.
I still get 20 mpg with a slightly modified 302 and 3.80 gears. WITHOUT the kickdown, so apparently, it hasn't affected my mileage too much. I also did a homemade shift kit, so not sure how that has affected everything.
Thats the difference the shift kit and those gears. I dont use a kickdown but I manual shift because of that. My car did have the kickdown hooked up to the Holley and I was impressed the builder did this. When I put in the floorshift I took off the kickdown because it was rubbing on the header.
Shift kits usually raise the pressures and open up passages so shifts occur faster - that will help the C4 live longer without the kick-down connected. Part throttle shifts are usually controlled by the modulator and a "Green stripe" modulator is one of the best. Just think of the added life and performance you could get with the linkage connected. Shifting manually is like shifting with the kick-down fully depressed - all the pressures are at maximum - until you shift to high.......
NO, in third the pressures drop back low and if you are at say 50mph and press the accelerator to the floor the pressure stays low. With the kick-down working the pressures would go back up - even if it didn't downshift and keep the clutches from slipping. Remember in a stock C4 there are only four small clutches holding all the engines power - they need all the help they can get. That is why I put five clutches in my "low power" C4s.
Scooper, You're just asking it to do more than you should. The C4 is a great transmission but they are not failure proof. Common sense and keeping the C4 cool will do more to keep it healthy than just about anything else (providing it is built to handle the loads it is under.
My C4 (totally stock, absolutely never been apart since it left the factory in '71) shifts on it's own without the kick down also. It only does it when driving around town though, say if I'm cruising about 35 mph and punch it to the floor, it shifts to second and takes off. I rarely manually shift the car, only if I'm passing someone one on the interstate or something. It's not sluggish or anything like that. It shifts to second and third at about the perfect time coming off a red light, shifts quickly and smoothly. Of course, like I said, I only have a 200 in my car, and pretty soon that 200 is going to drop down to a 140... and I have the biggest transmission cooler I could get, covers about 3/4 of the radiator.
Jamie, Your C4 will probably last forever! You are never loading the C4 beyond its potential. Why do you want to go to a smaller engine?
So i just put a new edelbrock intake/carb pairing on my 71 comet and now the original kickdown bar is basically useless. It's so far from being even close to attaching to anyything near the carb. Anyone have any luck with the Lokar cable type kickdown things? Was thinking of getting a loka black throttle cable as well so maybe I can do them both at the same time. Any help would be appreciated. Just got it running after a year.
