DIY Kickdown Cable

89HondaLegend · 03-26-06, 03:00 AM

I decided it was time to adjust my kickdown cable because there was a lot of slack on my accelerator cable and the shifts were very hard. It is relatively easy to adjust, you just have to know how much to adjust it.

Tools Required:
8mm spanner
10mm socket
12mm spanner

Open your bonnet:

Now undo the four 8mm screws holding the black air filter box on, also undo another four screws around the outside of the black box. :

Undo this clip holding the rubber intake hose from the resonator:

Now take you air filter out and put all the bits and pieces somewhere you can't lose them.

Undo the 10mm hose clamp around the rubber joining to the throttle body.
Take the ignition lead off attached to the rubber air intake tubing.
Undo the little ring clamp and slide it back. (Note: my clamp is missing)

Undo the 10mm screw. You can now pull out this metal tube from the rubber intake.
(Hose clamp as seen before)

Now adjust the two nuts tighter or looser depending on what needs to be done.

Now re-assemble everything in reverse and your engine should look just the same as it was with no left over nuts and bolts.

Close bonnet and you are done. Have a nice day.

Edit: Thanks to GREYLEGEND

Quote:

If the kickdown cable is slack the "Throttle Valve" will allow too low a line pressure which can lead to shudder and slipping causing your tranny to burn out. That is not good.

The proper way to do it is to overtighten and then start to back off bit by bit. There is a range of 3mm which is allowable on the tranny. Within that range you will get different shift characteristics, so choose as you please.

When too much slack is taken out i.e tightened too much, the shifts become rough and abrupt. This is hard on your mounts, but it does give a positive shift. This also simulates the throttle being depressed more, so downshifts actually occur faster. The tranny becomes shift happy.

When it is loosened a bit you will find that the shift becomes more gentle but the tranny becomes lazy. SO when adjusting it, just make a reference as to how many turns you did, and add more or reverse as you like.

It is better to be on the tight side than the loose side as it is safer on the tranny.

Let me know if anything needs to be added.

IkeRay · 03-26-06, 03:13 AM

what nuts need to be tightened, can you circle them as well? and how to you figure out how much you need to tighten them when you do it?

Jarryd · 03-26-06, 05:59 AM

excelent! some one move this to the DIY section. STAT!

jimmer · 03-26-06, 11:45 AM

sweet!!

I love finding this stuff

cigarettcancerman · 03-26-06, 01:46 PM

ive never been able to help my shifting, its alot better than when i got the car since replacing a trans mount and changing the fluid a couple times. I think my pressure may be too high making it think im traveling faster or somthing, it allways shifts rough and quick. maybe its cause my engine mounts also...

I wish honda would have put the cable adjustment on the throttle body bracket like most cars then the DIY would have been like 3 sentences...

gsdreams · 03-31-06, 11:59 AM

Hmmm, how do you open the bonnet again?

89HondaLegend · 03-31-06, 06:24 PM

I was hoping somebody would ask, I will get straight on to that.

2.7legend · 03-31-06, 09:21 PM

yea thats what i did.
and once i did that my torque converter locks real good.
instead of doing 60@ 2,500-2,800rpms she now does it at 2,100 rpms.....

Black_Panther · 03-31-06, 09:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2.7legend

yea thats what i did.
and once i did that my torque converter locks real good.
instead of doing 60@ 2,500-2,800rpms she now does it at 2,100 rpms.....

That sounds more like it..should save you a lot of gas. Glad to hear you got that straightened out.

2.7legend · 03-31-06, 09:46 PM

yea without it my current mpgs was 28mpg
not when i'm cruising it's 34mpg.

once i read this i went out to adjust my cable...which is probably why the 89-90 trannys don't last long

GREYLEGEND · 03-31-06, 11:23 PM

check you ATF. it's probably all burnt up and need of changing.

gsdreams · 04-01-06, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2.7legend

yea without it my current mpgs was 28mpg
not when i'm cruising it's 34mpg.

once i read this i went out to adjust my cable...which is probably why the 89-90 trannys don't last long

Actually, the reason the 89/90 Trannys don't last is more around failure to perform regular maintenance. Basically the tranny should be flushed every 30,000 miles and people don't do it.

2.7legend · 04-01-06, 05:40 PM

oh i checked my fluid...
and cleaned my solenoids and the screen was clean!
and the last time i cleaned it was in october....

plus they also don't last becuase they don't have a filter....
but mines does...

what about changing it too much??

GREYLEGEND · 04-01-06, 07:55 PM

too much? is that like money? send me the surplus.

2.7legend · 04-01-06, 08:34 PM

i mean changing the fluid itself....
is it hurting the tranny to change it often...lets say like every 2000miles??

03-26-06, 05:59 AM	#3 (permalink)
Jarryd Registered User Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 237 Car 1: JDM 89 Legend sedan, G1 Integra, 92 Lude, Porsche 911 Carrera iTrader: (0)	excelent! some one move this to the DIY section. STAT! __________________ Darkest Legal Tint 10 Stack Pioneer 220W JVC 6.5' rear 80W Kicker 4' Front Pioneer 4x60w Headunit real expencive new power antenna that works now http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c1...d89/Legend.jpg

03-26-06, 11:45 AM	#4 (permalink)
jimmer DemonWolf Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Phoenix baby! Posts: 2,883 Car 1: Infiniti i30T t=touring Car 2: Legend coming! iTrader: (1)	sweet!! I love finding this stuff __________________ http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d1...korruptsig.jpg

03-26-06, 01:46 PM	#5 (permalink)
cigarettcancerman Registered User Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Chester virginia Posts: 636 Car 1: 90 acura legend L iTrader: (0)	ive never been able to help my shifting, its alot better than when i got the car since replacing a trans mount and changing the fluid a couple times. I think my pressure may be too high making it think im traveling faster or somthing, it allways shifts rough and quick. maybe its cause my engine mounts also... I wish honda would have put the cable adjustment on the throttle body bracket like most cars then the DIY would have been like 3 sentences... __________________ [b][color="Red"]My legend has been sold! New car... Black 5spd 93 integra GS hatch back MP3/CD player 100w (500 RMS) profile amp 100w (600 RMS) Dual 12's bandpass 4 280w Pioneers Red calipers Factory alloy rims STILL NO FACTORY CUP HOLDER!!!!!

03-31-06, 09:21 PM	#8 (permalink)
2.7legend Registered User Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: chicago Posts: 2,022 Car 1: 1990 legend Ls iTrader: (0)	yea thats what i did. and once i did that my torque converter locks real good. instead of doing 60@ 2,500-2,800rpms she now does it at 2,100 rpms..... __________________ 1994 nissan maxima SE

03-31-06, 09:46 PM	#10 (permalink)
2.7legend Registered User Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: chicago Posts: 2,022 Car 1: 1990 legend Ls iTrader: (0)	yea without it my current mpgs was 28mpg not when i'm cruising it's 34mpg. once i read this i went out to adjust my cable...which is probably why the 89-90 trannys don't last long __________________ 1994 nissan maxima SE

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03-26-06, 03:13 AM	#2 (permalink)
IkeRay Mr. X (aka #5) Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Houston Posts: 4,293 Car 1: 1989 White Coupe (dead) my baby! Car 2: 1987 Brown Coupe L Car 3: 1994 Accord Sedan EX iTrader: (3)	what nuts need to be tightened, can you circle them as well? and how to you figure out how much you need to tighten them when you do it?

03-31-06, 11:59 AM	#6 (permalink)
gsdreams Making Legends Rare..... Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Boise, ID Posts: 1,417 Car 1: 1995 Legend GS iTrader: (0)	Hmmm, how do you open the bonnet again?

03-31-06, 11:23 PM	#11 (permalink)
GREYLEGEND InksBeMe Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: TORONTO, CANADA Posts: 2,043 Car 1: 89 Sedan L, 270,000 km iTrader: (0)	check you ATF. it's probably all burnt up and need of changing.

04-01-06, 05:40 PM	#13 (permalink)
2.7legend Registered User Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: chicago Posts: 2,022 Car 1: 1990 legend Ls iTrader: (0)	oh i checked my fluid... and cleaned my solenoids and the screen was clean! and the last time i cleaned it was in october.... plus they also don't last becuase they don't have a filter.... but mines does... what about changing it too much?? __________________ 1994 nissan maxima SE

04-01-06, 07:55 PM	#14 (permalink)
GREYLEGEND InksBeMe Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: TORONTO, CANADA Posts: 2,043 Car 1: 89 Sedan L, 270,000 km iTrader: (0)	too much? is that like money? send me the surplus.

04-01-06, 08:34 PM	#15 (permalink)
2.7legend Registered User Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: chicago Posts: 2,022 Car 1: 1990 legend Ls iTrader: (0)	i mean changing the fluid itself.... is it hurting the tranny to change it often...lets say like every 2000miles?? __________________ 1994 nissan maxima SE

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