running th400 without kickdown...bad?

[Oregon78k10]

I've recently put a th400 in my truck. But I don't have a kick down yet...is it bad to drive it like that?

 

[RetroC10Sport]

In a word, yes.

 

[Oregon78k10]

So I shouldnt drive it till I put one on

 

[chengny]

I run TH400's without kickdown capability more often than not.

Usually because the detent switch on the gas pedal is missing/out of adjustment, the actuating wire is broken or the downshift solenoid is burnt out.

I always get around to fixing it eventually, but it's not a priority.

There is no consequence to running a TH400 with out the downshift detent function - other than you have to manually downshift on steep hills with heavy loads.

 

[HotRodPC]

If you're thinking it's like running the 700r4 without the TV cable hooked up or adjusted, NO, it's not like that. You will not harm the trans wo it hooked up.

However, I would be paying attention to when you'd need the downshift and do it manually. If you're running in 3rd when you're going slow enough or climbing a bit of an incline then you're putting a strain on the trans and going to heat it up real good. Sometimes, especially in lower geared trucks, the governor alone will NOT kickdown as you'd expect.