Bill Ball

OK, we do agree that KD bypass is better than no bypass, certainly if you leave the shifter in D. It does wake up the car. I used it some more today. Maybe I'll find a place for it together with manual shifting, but at this point I sling the shifter all the time w/o even noticing I'm doing it.

And I should clarify that moving the shifter does not actually give you any gear any time you want it. For example, the car will not drop into 1st gear until below 6MPH. Some downshifts from 4th to 3rd won't happen immediately unless you apply a little throttle. I'll fiddle with the KD bypass some more and see how that might change.

928ntslow

Bill...you need a 3 spd! They're AWESOME! They shift when you shift.

Charley B

On the '88, with the selector in 2nd, if I blip the throttle it drops to first anywhere under about 20mph.

I prefer not to have anything on my 5 speeds or automatics that can change a gear, either direction, without me specifically telling it to. I prefer to give those instructions with a gear shift lever. I guess I'm just controlling that way.

Bill Ball

Yes, that may point to a benefit for the KD bypass with manual shifting, as Keith was trying to tell me. I'll play with it some more.

backnblack

I thought about putting it on the floor and using my left foot to engage it but I thought I might be hitting it by accident to often so it's worked well for me by the shifter.

Matt

928ntslow

Unless you wear a size 16 shoe, if you mount the switch high enough, your foot/toe will never touch it. You mount it where you just raise your foot an inch or two and it sits perfect. You'll never have that problem if you do. I know several guys have mounted it low and that just not the place for it.

PorKen

Tru dat. And the converters are smaller and 'looser', so they'll can make more off the line torque.

On the dyno, my '81 will 'flash' to over 310 rwtq @ 2200! It's top 'real' torque is 277 @ 3500. My '86.5 will only flash to 270ish rwtq, real 301.

Bill Ball

Torque multiplication is a handy thing to have!

6mil928

I'm gonna do this in the AM on my 81 Auto. I assume that you leave it hooked up to the kick down switch and just tap in to the wires with the toggle correct?

jpitman2

As long as the switch is a momentary (ie contact only made while pressed), parallel it with the wires into the full throttle kickdown switch. In my S there is a two prong plug into that switch, so its easy to tap into. As above, my switch is under the top of the foot rest rubber, for toe activation.
jp 83 Euro S AT 51k

6mil928

JP what about the guys that leave it on all the time.

doktor-t

Me three


BTW I had one of those B & M Megashifters in my Camaro -85 with 4 speed auto. It was great because it had a function that made it impossible to jump a gear too much when dwnshifting or upshifting. Wounder if of these could be used along with our Mercedes autos aswell? I mean, they are both 4 speeds.



Anyone tried this out?


/Tobias

bfellows

Park brake mount for me, works fine and holds till red line.

6mil928

Did mine today. Huge improvement in performance. Didn't get much time to check it out. I'll drive it some more tomorrow but I like it so far. I did a small toggle switch like Bert and in the same position.

6mil928

Ok here's my final verdict on the switch. I like it. I like being able to know exactly when the car is going to kick down. Before it was iffy sometimes. I'd make a risky pass and it wouldn't kick down when I expected it to and it would put me in a bind. Other times it would be normal. So with the switch on I know for sure it's gonna kick down for me. With that said it is far to aggressive to be left on all the time in fact it makes the car almost feel erratic up shifting far to easy. So if your gonna do this make sure you use a switch and not leave it on all the time. I was just looking at my car and thinking since I have no sunroof the sunroof switch would be the perfect spot instead of having to drop my left hand and flick the switch on. I always ride with my hand on the shifter so it's right there when I need it and the switch would automatically go back to the open position when I let it go.