Working transmissions have numerous parts. All the gears, valves, levers and bands are designed to do one thing only: transmit torque from the power of the engine to drive the wheels of the car. Gears are easy to understand. Smaller gears move faster than larger ones, providing more speed. But it's the levers, valves and bands that do the heavy work. The kickdown band ensures you have the power you need when you need it.
The kickdown band assembly is located inside the transmission casing, near the front. It's just behind the pump inside the transmission. You can find its location inside the transmission by locating the adjustment screw. It is on the outside of the transmission casing, on the left side near the throttle lever shaft. On most transmissions, it's just behind the large bell-shaped front of the transmission.
Fast acceleration uses a lot of gas, and adds wear and tear if you are in third gear. Safely dropping down to second gear to give boost to the acceleration reduces both factors. There is more energy being transferred in a lower gear at top speed then there is in a higher gear at low speeds. The kickdown band assures the best use of those energies. It's a safety feature that also saves fuel.
The kickdown band is part of the kickdown servo assembly. It consists of a flex band wrapped around third and second gear. A metal strut and plug slide in the top of the band to hold it together. The kickdown lever is attached to one end of the strut with an adjusting screw at the other end.
The kickdown band activates when the gas pedal is quickly pressed all the way to the floor and the vehicle is in normal highway driving mode. The transmission then drops down a gear into second until the engine speed picks up to the point where the speed of the vehicle is great enough for it to go back into third gear. If the gas pedal is not pressed all the way to the floor, then the transmission will not kick down into second. The kickdown band is designed to give fast, hard power when needed.
