Joined: Thu Feb 24 2011, 12:55PM
Location: London, UK
Posts: 152
Guys, I ditched the tired 383 with 2bbl Stromberg in my 66 Polara for a 440 with 4bbl QuickFuel about a year ago. The new setup sits on an Edelbrock Performer manifold. At first I thought all was good but after trying to sort out an issue with harsh gear changes I'm thinking the problem may be related to me have used the original kickdown linkage.
Basically, if I have the rod adjusted long enoug to give WOT kickdown I then get late and harsh changes into 2nd and 3rd. If I reduce the rod length then it changes much more smoothly and at the right speeds into 2nd and 3rd, but I lose WOT kickdown. I'm thinking that maybe the 4bbl 440 cars have a different linkage setup.....it's as if what I have now provides too much throw at light throttle, yet too little at full throttle.
Can anyone confirm if the kickdown setups are indeed different between 383 2bbl and 440 4bbl cars and, if so, where I could buy the correct linkage from?
Joined: Sun Jun 27 2010, 11:25AM
Location: Lammi
Posts: 400
Search a little bit the forum. Krautmaster wrote a good answer and posted lots of photos about this issue. I dont rememder whether it was in general tech or performance tech.
The 383 &440 linkage may look the same but are different in length and height.A 440 intake sits higher than a 383 by at least a inch due to the deck height difference in the blocks and the new intake height.So to make it work,you need to re-do the geometry of the linkage and kick down,or get the 440 linkage assembly.Some of the rods can be lengthen,the bracket can be raised,cut -welded,centered,etc to allow proper function.If you do not have a place for a complete assembly from a 440,get one of us to find you a complete set up and work out the shipping and cost,mrmopartech
Joined: Sat Oct 15 2005, 04:54AM
Location: Spokane,Wa.
Posts: 170
I put one of these on my old 65, worked great. No hunting for the correct parts. I have a complete kickdown off of a 65 413 if it will work for ya maybe we could work something out??
Joined: Fri Jan 18 2008, 10:06PM
Location: Richmond, VA
Posts: 383
big-66-300 wrote ...
I put one of these on my old 65, worked great. No hunting for the correct parts. I have a complete kickdown off of a 65 413 if it will work for ya maybe we could work something out??
The Bouchillon cable kickdown seemed to shift the trans too early in my 69 Monaco 440/727 with a quick shift 1-2 and then almost no delay before 2-3. Perhaps it was my valve body, but even with calling Bouchillon I was never able to get it right. Again, could be my error, but I remember very little adjustability. this was 10 years ago. Another possibility is that cable their kickdown is better now.
Joined: Sat Oct 15 2005, 04:54AM
Location: Spokane,Wa.
Posts: 170
I found my 65s 727 functioned better w/the Buchi than the factory linkage.. Just my experience. I would have gone factory, but at the time, a factory 4bbl setup on ebay was as much as the Buchillion new.. Three weeks later a factory one landed in my lap fo free?? Damn Murphy and his unbreakable law!!
Joined: Thu Feb 24 2011, 12:55PM
Location: London, UK
Posts: 152
Guys I tried following Krautmaster's guide to setting the linkage but that didn't work too well, or I didn't follow it properly. Anyway, he also posted the relevant page from the FSM and I followed that and now it works better than before (and horizontal rod was long enough) but still not quite right. what does horizontal vs vertical rod adjustment do after the baseline setting is made? Possibly I can tweak further but would really prefer to have the correct setup.
I've tried looking on eBay but I'm not confident I'd order the right thing. Most 440,4bbl ones seem to be advertised as being for B body cars....are C body ones different?
if anyone on here has what I need and wants to sell it that would be great.