wiring for switch pitch

[bebop138]

I have seen alot of articles on wiring up the switch pitch----it gets confusing! The car is not going to be a racer, so I want it for a cruiser and once in awhile get on it. How would one wire the tranny for this use---want to make this simple so you can just get in and drive it. I know you can put in a toggle switch to turn on the switch pitch feature--what happens when it`s not turned on?? Does the tranny work OK without it on?? There are two leads on the tranny--one for SP the other passing gear?? Do you use both at the same time if you had it on a toggle switch?? Thanks!!

[bigirish2]

There are several ways to activate the switch pitch other than the stock setup which is a small micro switch on the throttle linkage nearest the firewall.
The sp lug on the trans is the horizontal or top lug. Putting 12 volts on this lug will energize the sp solenoid and put the converter in hi stall. Removing the 12 volts will return the converter to the lo stall or driving mode.
A popular way to approach this is to use the brake light circuit as your 12 volt source. Step on the brake and you apply 12 volts to the sp solenoid. Sometimes this is not the best setup, especially in mountainous terrain, so folks use a 3 position toggle switch to control when power will be available to the solenoid. "Normal operation on" position and the brake light circuit is the power source. "Toggle switch off" or center position and no power goes to the solenoid regardless of brake pedal position. The third position can be used to apply power to the solenoid manually so the solenoid is powered until the switch is moved to a different position, again regardless of brake pedal position.
Hope this helps.
Mike

[bebop138]

OK. I understand the wiring part, but per my other question ---the other lug on the tranny is for passing gear??? So do you wire both wires to the toggle switch. The other question is , if you don`t turn on the switch and the tranny remains in low stall does this hurt the tranny?? What good does it do to wire the switch to the brake light--high stall is only on then when you hit the brakes--what`s the point?? Again trannys ain`t my strong suit so any help is appreciated---Thanks!!

[bigirish2]

The vertical lug is for the kickdown or passing gear. In stock form when using factory switches on the carb linkage you actually had 3 functions. Low and hi stall, hi stall prior to kickdown( passing gear) and kickdown. Kickdown had a switch of its own. If you don't use the factory swithces then you can duplicate their operation with the toggle switches to control stall and kickdown. Put 12 volts to the kickdown lug and the trans shifts down.
Leaving the trans in low stall at all time doesn't hurt anything except your brakes. Car will tend to creep when stopped in gear and will be harder to stop due to no torque converter slippage. Using the brake switch causes hi stall when stopped, less creep, and easier stopping, again hi stall. If you happen to want a hi stall converter, put your foot lightly on the brake and you now have hi stall. If you want to launch hard, foot on brake, bring up the RPM and let your foot off the brake.