If the sacrilegious marrying of the GM 2004R behind the 360 FE in our ’671972 F100 last month didn’t scare (piss) you off, welcome back for the install wrapup! We left a couple important items unattended to, namely the manner in which to operate the freshly implanted overdrive transmission, but also the manner in which to accommodate said OD’s kickdown (TV cable) in relation to the throttle actuation.
While a brandnew automatic shifter–equipped column for the ’67andup F100s is in the works at Classic Performance Products (CPP), we wanted to utilize the existing manual trans column using CPP’s “universal” automatic shift linkage arm kit so that we could enjoy the fruit of the overdrive labor in the meantime. The slight downside to this method of making do is not having the detent for gear selection built into the column shifter, as it was designed originally for automatic (latemodel/aftermarket) column swaps. However, the transmission’s integral shifter detent (along with proper linkage setup and adjustment) will help ensure you stay in the gear you select!
Now, to address the F100’s factory “pushstyle” throttle linkage in order to facilitate the 200’s “pullstyle” TV (kickdown), we procured a Lokar throttle pedal kit to complement their braided stainless TV cable and bracket used in the trans swap. Unlike your later overdrive transmissions, the 700/200 family of ODs can be run without a transmission control unit (TCU), however, as opposed to a traditional kickdown cable, the TV must be adjusted accurately (and a trans pressure adjustment is highly recommended, if at all possible) to ensure the life of your new overdrive. (One of the biggest killers of GM overdrives are incorrectly adjusted TVs!)
With (all) that said, how about we button up this bipartisan Bowtie/Blue Oval transmission swap once and for all!