TH400 Kickdown
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 893
Likes: 7
From: Orange Park Florida
TH400 Kickdown
One of my projects was to fix the kickdown action on my '72 Stingray. I traced the wiring, adjusted the pedal switch, verified 12volts at the tranny, but never heard the distinctive "click" of the kickdown/detent solonoid. I removed the pan and found that the solonoid was defective (open). I obtained a replacement from a tranny repair shop and was told to remove the old unit, and the metal base/shim - a flat washer looking thing that rests between the solonoid and the tranny valve housing - and discard it. He stated that the newer soloinoids don't require it. I installed the replacement, secured the pan, and went for a test ride. The car's kickdown worked one time, and now the tranny will not shift out of second gear. Prior to this work, the tranny worked great, just didn't have kickdown. I obviously have a problem. Does anyone know the difference between the older version solonoid and the newer one? I'm thinking the shop gave me the older version, and that I needed the washer/shim. I have a new solonoid on order but would like to know how it functions.
