Cut-to-fit braided kickdown cable for the Chrysler A904 TorqueFlite that replaces worn or bent rod linkage on carbureted and swapped engines.
If your small-case TorqueFlite shifts early and lazy, will not kick down to second when you floor it, or the old rod linkage simply hits the new intake, carburetor or headers, this is the part people end up looking for. The Lokar KD-2904HT is a braided stainless, cut-to-fit kickdown cable built for the Chrysler A904, the three-speed automatic that sat behind slant sixes and small-block V8s in Darts, Valiants, Dusters, Barracudas and light Dodge trucks, and that many builders now drop into street rods and swaps where the factory bellcrank has nothing to bolt to.
The name undersells it. On the 904 the lever on the driver side of the case turns a shaft into the valve body that strokes both the throttle valve and the kickdown valve. The throttle valve meters throttle pressure, which pushes against governor pressure on the 1-2 and 2-3 shift valves and also boosts line pressure as you open the throttle. So the same linkage decides when the unit shifts, how firm the shift is, and whether you get a forced downshift at the floor. There is no computer and no solenoid in a 904 to fall back on; if the linkage is not moving that lever through its full range, the transmission has no idea how hard the engine is working.
Before buying anything, rule out the basics the factory manual lists for poor shifts: fluid level, kickdown band adjustment and the governor. Then check the lever. With the engine off, the lever should sit all the way forward at idle and swing freely to its rear stop when you open the throttle, with no slop where it mounts on the shaft. A line pressure gauge settles it: in Drive at 1,000 rpm the factory figure is roughly 54 to 60 psi, and pressure should climb as the throttle lever is swept toward kickdown. If it barely moves, the throttle circuit is not being worked. Our TorqueFlite diagnosis guide walks through the pressure tests and the Sonnax linkage adjustment, and the 904 shares that hydraulic layout with the 727.
This kit is for the Chrysler A904 family (including the A998 and A999 variants built on the same small case) in carbureted or throttle body applications where you are replacing the rod linkage or a worn cable. Lokar's listing calls out a 48 inch housing, trimmed to length on install. It hooks to the factory kickdown lever on the transmission, which is reused and not included, and the cable bracket clamps under the lower driver-side tail housing bolt. If you are unsure whether your unit is a 904 or a 727, check the case before ordering; the 727 takes the separate Lokar KD-2727HT. Send us your year, engine and the transmission identification number if you want a second look, and browse the TorqueFlite parts collection for the rest of the drivetrain.
A cable will not undo damage already done by months of soft shifts. If the front clutch or kickdown band is glazed, plan on a rebuild while the pan is off. Once the linkage is right and you want firmer shifts, the TransGo TF-1 street kit and the stronger TF-2 Gear Command kit are both built for the 727 and 904 valve body. Refill with ATF+4 or the Dexron-type fluid the unit has been serviced with, and road test for crisp upshifts and a clean kickdown before you trim the excess wire.
| Part number | |
| Transmission | |
| Cable | |
| Fittings | |
| Carburetor bracket and return springs | |
| Includes |
No. Lokar sells separate part numbers for the 727 and the 904 even though the install procedure is shared. A 727 takes the KD-2727HT. Confirm which case you have before ordering.
Yes, a Lokar cable bracket that matches your carburetor or throttle body, plus the bracket's return springs. The kit reuses the factory kickdown lever already on the transmission.
You should not. The lever controls throttle pressure, which sets shift timing and helps raise line pressure under load. Without it the unit shifts early and soft and wears the front clutch and kickdown band.
With the throttle held wide open the cable should be tight and the transmission lever at full travel, yet the throttle must still reach wide open without the cable stopping it. A line pressure gauge should show pressure rising as you open the throttle.
It can, as long as the throttle body has a place for a kickdown connection and a Lokar bracket made for that throttle body. Lokar's instructions cover both carbureted and fuel injected setups.
