Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike51Merc
Sorry, but I think it's a bad idea to pull and push that cable with the car in motion.
Rather than mess with the cable, I installed a toggle switch to directly turn the solenoid off and on.
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Well, once the trans is in overdrive, the cable cannot be pulled out so that's not a problem. Once you hit the kickdown and it goes back to direct drive you can pull the cable out to lock the trans in direct drive. This was recommended procedure in owner's manuals of the day for descending steep grades, for better engine braking. When approaching the downgrade, briefly floor the gas to kick down to direct drive, pull the cable out, then back off the gas. Actually, the only thing to avoid would be pulling the cable out ('lockout' position) when freewheeling (foot off the gas at any speed below 27 MPH).
Your toggle switch may cause some problems. When you're running at highway speed with the switch off, the trans will freewheel whenever the accelerator is released. So you will have absolutely zero engine braking!
If you forget to turn the switch off when coming to a stop on an uphill grade, the trans is still in overdrive and will not, cannot, roll backward. The overdrive planetary gears are such that they physically cannot turn backward when in overdrive mode (like in two gears at once). This puts a bind on the gears that they were not designed for. Could get expensive!
Also, if the car ahead of you rolls back, you cannot get out of the way! The shift lever will not go into reverse. It is physically locked out by the lockout lever through internal linkage. (Ask me how I know!) I had a toggle switch too, until a car ahead rolled back into me. This, plus trying to start uphill from a stop sign in low overdrive convinced me it wasn't such a good idea.