🚀 go-pugleaf

OK.  I have a '72 Toyata Crown Deluxe.  Great shape, 70k, 2600? (or 2700?) cc.
Its major problem is that (usually) when cold, the automatic transmission
will shift down too easily, and rev the engine unmercifully, and will not
shift up until your foot is so far off the gas that it shifts straight to third.
If you leave your foot down, it does not accelerate, and it does not shift.
This usually happens with your foot about 3/4 the way down.  It is not so bad
once it is warmed up, but is worse with more people in the car.

I talked to a few people (including a Toyota mechanic) and they (he) could only
make the following arcane suggestion (which I followed with only a little success):
In the vacuum modulator (vacuum kick down) switch on the side of the transmission,
behind the diaphram, there is a short rod.  Shorten it.

I took 15-25 thou off.  It is much better.

Should I continue taking more off its length, or is there another problem?
Why would this develop?  Was it like this all its life(the car is new to me)?

There are (may I quote) 10^6 vacuum hoses in there; is one or more misplaced?

Has anyone heard of this before?  Should I just stop being cheap and get a
transmission place to fix it?  If so where?


Thanks for any help you may offer.

Darrin West
Computer Science Masters Student
and amateur mechanic.