Hey Y'all, so among my various other issues with my 1973 Dart sport, when I bought the car the kid told me that it would not shift into third gear. Upon inspection, I noticed that the return spring for the kickdown linkage was missing. I figured that was the problem. I started calling around my local parts stores and no one could even find the part, let alone order it. I did a search online and realized that I couldn't even find a return spring anywhere. I found a whole linkage kit, but it was around $300.00, and I just couldn't justify spending that much when all I needed was a spring. I ran to the store and bought a set of universal springs, and found one that seems to fit pretty well. It doesn't overpower my throttle return spring, and seems to return the linkage back to it's original position every time. My only concern is, I don't really have a thorough understanding of how this system works. I understand that if adjusted properly, the 904 transmission should shift into third gear at approximately 20 to 30 MPH under light throttle pressure. What I'm worried about is, how percise does that system need to be? Will running a universal spring in place of the OEM return spring cause any foreseeable issues?

 

I am NO tranny mechanic but have gone through the same problem and used a spring from the hardware store; as long as the spring has the same tension as OME and shifts at its shift points you should be fine

 

I think you can still get this at Chrysler....