Manual Transmission To Auto HELP!!!

[Simbalage22]

I've done the actual conversion. However I am having a bit of a problem.

1st off I got it all mounted and it works.

But here is my question. I took the transmission out of a 93. My festiva is an 89. The entire swap was easy except one problem. On the transmission there is a wire that comes off the transmission. Its a single black wire. I am guessing this wire on the 93 was to make the transmission shift. My question is the 89 does not have this connector because they only came as a manual. Where do I connect this wire to make it shift using the sensor (I believe it is called the kickdown sensor)

I have unplugged the vaccume modulator on the trannie, and connected vaccume to it, It Will Shift this way but not as good as it did in the 93 using the sensor. I will only shift at 25, and 45 mph. So If I am doing 30-35mph or anything in between it will wind, and not shift until it reaches 4X RPMs


If anyone knows where to connect this wire, your help would be greatly appreciated

1989 ford festiva 1.3 Carb

PS: also car is running bad when she is cold any ideas?

[Safety Guy]

Could you describe in more detail where this single black wire is? Pictures would help as well, if possible.

My first guess is that if came off the top of the ATX, it may be a ground wire. I remember it from my own engine swap. If you bought your ATX froma yard they may have just cut the ground wire instead of undoing it.

Not necessarily related: do your backup lights work in reverse?

Karl

[yvanlavoie20]

switch

it is the kick-down solenoid....you need a switch under gaz pedal to activate the kick down when pedal floored you need 12 volt on this solenoid

the fastest aspire auto in the world

[Tim]

You probably have the only carb'd automatic Festiva in the US!

Normally, carb'd Festivas run bad when cold. After a few minutes things should smooth out.


Regards,

Tim

[Simbalage22]

Kick down solenoid

hey tim,
thanks for the good info.. Ok I read that their is supposed to be a switch under the gas petal and 12 volts is supposed to run to it.. My question is how do i run it, and if the petal is not flooered how does it shift?



AKA.. if i am using half exceleration how do i make her shift?

I know on the 93 that had to be what made it shift because the vaccume modulator was capped. I am using the vaccume modulator to make it shift now, but i am worried that driving at 3 to 3 1/2 rmp's with her winding like that will burn up the trannie. Also with the vaccume modulator, If you dont pull the vaccume line before pulling the dip stick, you get splashed (and i mean litterly) with ATF..

HELP GUYS!!!!!!

PS: to those that asked about pictures, I will post them later. soon as it get a little brighter outside today

[Andrew]

Re: Kick down solenoid

hey tim,
thanks for the good info.. Ok I read that their is supposed to be a switch under the gas petal and 12 volts is supposed to run to it.. My question is how do i run it, and if the petal is not flooered how does it shift?

You could be crazy and put the switch on the dash :twisted:

[Simbalage22]

PICTURES

Ok.. I have taken some pictures as well as tried jim's theory. I ran a wire from the transmission, inside the car. Took it for a ride down my street. When it reached 4X RPM I touched the wire to the hot (+) of my ciggerette lighter, and it indeed It did shift. My question is how do I connect this to work without having to do this? if there is supposed to be a switch on the gas petal how do I connect it, and how does it work?

PS: The wire is black with a Red Line in it

[yvanlavoie20]

pics

on first pic. it is not vacuum modulator....it is the vent of the transmission, place a hose between it and the other end open to atmosphere

second pic is the kick down solenoid...you need 12 volt when your gaz pedal is at the floor

vacuum modulator need vacuum from engine, it is ( if i remember correctly) near kick-down solenoid

good luck

the fastest aspire auto in the world

[yvanlavoie20]

second pic

you see the hose in the rear of second pic for the vacuum modulator

[Simbalage22]

On the 1st pic.. where i have it circled is where i ran vaccume and she will shift. The other end is open to the atmosphere. My question is with the kickdown cylinoid how do I connect this to work and make the car shift without the use of vaccume? the 93 didnt use any vaccume, Just the single wire.

[Simbalage22]

Re: pics

on first pic. it is not vacuum modulator....it is the vent of the transmission, place a hose between it and the other end open to atmosphere

I feel sooo stupid. I had the vaccume hooked to the vent of the transmission, No wonder i would get spashed with transfluid when i pulled the dip stick. LOL....

My question is now how do I adjust the vaccume so it shifts later.

Thans All for your help.. especially yvanlavoie20 for pointing out the problem of why my vacume wasnt working correctly LOL

[yvanlavoie20]

higher shifting

not recommended on stock engine to raise shift point...rpm cut-off is near the shift point of the tranny with a stock ecu

the fastest aspire auto in the world

[Simbalage22]

Re: higher shifting

not recommended on stock engine to raise shift point...rpm cut-off is near the shift point of the tranny with a stock ecu

the fastest aspire auto in the world

I figured out that by lowering the amount of vaccume it will shift later.

My only question now is which is the correct vaccume line that is supposed to be connected to the trannie? and what speed/RPM should I be looking to set it to shift at? I presently have it hooked up to one of the sensors on the firewall and its shift between 15- & 25 and again 40-45.

[Safety Guy]

I have a '93GL that I did an engine swap on. I remember when I connected everything back up, I was left with a vacuum line from the ATX that I connected to the far side of my FI air intake plenum. Fortunately, there was one hole open for that purpose and everything is running fine.

My vac line came off a hard steel line which angled up near the engine side of the tranny and met a rubber hose facing the rear of the car. IIRC, it was quite annoyingly close to the heater hose end of my bypass coolant pipe where it bolts to a bracket at the back corner of the engine.

I think that your second picture shows the beginning of this hard line right above where you labelled the kickdown solenoid. I'm not certain, but I think that's it. Follow it up and see if it connects to a rubber hose. That should be your vacuum.

Whispered to myself: (A carbed ATX--what'll people think of next?!)

Karl

[yvanlavoie20]

vaccum

the modulator need full vacuum, if you want to shift later...press accelerator harder or keep it in 1 or 2 manually