The Dark Wob

Please note that manifold vacuum is different from carby vacuum! Do not connect the gearbox to the carby!

Also, gearbox man is correct, it should be a metal pipe with short rubber connectors at each end.
Please also note that vacuum hose is different from water hose, which in turn is different from fuel hose.
IIRC it's 1/2" or 13 mm in new money piping. If still original, this should be on your inlet manifold:



It's the vacuum tree for the brake servo, gearbox pipe and all the other necessary vacuum takeoffs for the HVAC and emission control.

If no vacuum at all is connected to the gearbox, it'll only shift up at max RPM for the range, i.e. as if in permakickdown.

Has the modulator been replaced and if yes, has it been replaced with the correct one?

There is a metal pipe and the flexi pipe is connected to the intake not the tree the kickdown rod however is a bit of a redneck fudge so there could be an issue there too?

Ill look into it when its back from the bodyshop

If the kickdown rod isn't adjusted/functioning properly, it will display the behaviour you describe.

Yup

There's many methods, for the longest time I had the kickdown cable attached to the hot/cold cabin ventilation slider because I couldn't find the correct mechanism (which was finally sourced years later).

Do not be surprised what utter nonsense in terms of things connected to the wrong things you may find.


Phill

what it is with the kickdown rod it is the original which was supposed to connect to a Autolite 2 barrel so therefore it was too short so has been redneck cut and shut to fit which it doesnt all that well

My tame mechanic has suggested throwing it away and using a Lokar cable instead?

apparently he used one on his racecar they are oversized and you cut them down to suit which sounds better than lengthening a rod thats too short

Well, if nothing is original anymore than an original cable won't fit.
They call it 'logic'.

Junkman wrote: ↑Sun Jul 21, 2019 6:33 pm Well, if nothing is original anymore than an original cable won't fit.
They call it 'logic'.

I know that you know that but the guy who sold it me...................

He thought he knew better and tried to make it fit

The cable kits are made oversized so you can trim them to fit.

Will get it back first then see whats the best solution?

First thing I'd do when it's back is investigate the vacuum piping. No point buying kickdown bits if it turns out the problem is something else.

You can also disconnect the kickdown for testing. It should shift fine, except for having no kickdown, obvs.
If the kickdown is permanently pulled some amount, which could hapen if the cable is too short/borked, it would result in harsh shifting.

The way forward:

1. Drive that sumbitch and see whether it gets better once all new components in the box have bedded in.

2. Check vac and modulator.

3. Disconnect kickdown and check shift quality then.

The only autobox with mechanical linkages I know anything about is the one that was fitted to proper Range Rovers. I know on that running without the kickdown cable was a bad idea as it also controlled oil pressure inside the box.

Is that common or just a quirk of that one?