I am in need of a kickdown linkage for my 65 sport fury, 383 4 brl with 727. How model specific is this linkage? Would one from a late 60's early 70's b body with a 383/440 work? I have yet to find one online for my year and model. Any expertise is greatly appreciated! Thanks!
65 fury kickdown linkage
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motorhead55
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lokar makes a cable conversion kit
The configuration changed from time to time, but the dimensions from the carb to the trans would be the same. The '66-style linkage had the linkage adjustment in a screw-on slotted shaft at the carb end. In about '70, it became a sliding joint held with a bolt. By '80, the adjustment "joint" was moved to under the cowl (obviously to thwart changing the adjustment from factory adjustment . . . although I found an easy way around it). This was on the C-body and later R-car linkages.
When installing an Edelbrock 4bbl intake manifold, they have an extension for the threaded rod on the '66s, although I had to file and shorten the basic rod to get things to work as I wanted them to. No big deal.
On the '65+ models with the threaded rod adjustment, the base adjustment was to put the carb at hot base idle position. Pull the linkage forward and adjust the slot to where it just touches the carb linkage stud, then put 2 turns of pre-load (lengthen) onto that first adjustment. As the base and part-throttle upshifts are a little early, I added 2 MORE turns of pre-load to our '66 Newport and it worked great. NO trans durability issues, either.
Basically, adjust the linkage to get a just off-idle upshift into 3rd so the engine is right at 1000rpm after the shift. With a 3.23 axle, that's about 25mph. With a 2.76 axle, its about 28mph. This makes high gear acceleration "on the engine" rather than "on the converter" if it upshifts into 3rd too soon . . .which just works better for the car.
These linkages would be pure salvage yard parts. Just get the whole thing, including brackets, bellcranks, rods, etc.! C-body B/RB items preferably, but B-body items might fit too. As these items would not be really "in demand" items, the prices should be very reasonable, I suspect.
CBODY67
When installing an Edelbrock 4bbl intake manifold, they have an extension for the threaded rod on the '66s, although I had to file and shorten the basic rod to get things to work as I wanted them to. No big deal.
On the '65+ models with the threaded rod adjustment, the base adjustment was to put the carb at hot base idle position. Pull the linkage forward and adjust the slot to where it just touches the carb linkage stud, then put 2 turns of pre-load (lengthen) onto that first adjustment. As the base and part-throttle upshifts are a little early, I added 2 MORE turns of pre-load to our '66 Newport and it worked great. NO trans durability issues, either.
Basically, adjust the linkage to get a just off-idle upshift into 3rd so the engine is right at 1000rpm after the shift. With a 3.23 axle, that's about 25mph. With a 2.76 axle, its about 28mph. This makes high gear acceleration "on the engine" rather than "on the converter" if it upshifts into 3rd too soon . . .which just works better for the car.
These linkages would be pure salvage yard parts. Just get the whole thing, including brackets, bellcranks, rods, etc.! C-body B/RB items preferably, but B-body items might fit too. As these items would not be really "in demand" items, the prices should be very reasonable, I suspect.
CBODY67
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I'd have to look at the Chrysler parts book to see how the 318 and 383 kickdown linkages might be different for 1965, as there probably WILL be some differences, possibly in how the main bellcrank mounts to the back of the intake/motor and the length of the horizontal rods' mechanism (due to basic engine length dimensions).
What I did to my '67 Newport 383 4bbl was replace the OEM "small pattern, small air horn diameter" AFB and stock intake with an Edelbrock Torker 383 and (initially) the allegedly-matched (to a 70 383 with that intake manifold) 9801 TQuad. They said it needed their linkage extension for that model year, so I agreed and got one. When assembled, it was a little too long, so rather than alter my original rod, I got another one from a local salvage yard and filed it shorter a little, so it all fit together as I wanted it to. I later changed the TQuad to a 4160 OEM Holley I got at a swap meet and kitted.
Finding something of this nature online, might take some time. Using the salvage yard circuit would probably be the best, least expensive, and quickest way to do things. There are several salvage operations which advertise in Mopar magazines that might have something that would work. Just get pictures of what they've going to sell you first! All the better if any are near enough you can go there in person!
CBODY67
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