What if I don't use one? Do I need it? How do I hook it up for the 455?

 

What transmission are you talking about?

 

if it is a th400 then no you don't really HAVE to have it. i could never get mine adjusted right so i did away with it. when i want to down shift i just hit the ratchet shifter. no need for it now with the manual valve body. it won't hurt anything not having it hooked up.

 

How will I know if it has a manual valve body or not? Is there any way to know without disassembling it?

 

if you can put it in drive and it shifts all by itselef you don't have a manual valve body. manual valve bodies require you to shift every gear....if you put it 3rd it will start out in 3rd ect...

 

my th-400 isnt a manual valve body and i dont have a kick down switch. they are pretty simple. hurst makes a kit to hook one up using your existing kickdown cable. the original automatic in your car was a cable kick down and the th-400 is electric. unless like in my case, you had a 5-speed. i didnt have an existing kickdown cable and didnt feel like putting one in. you can buy the kit from year one's next gen F-body catalog. it is in the tranny section. if you dont have one of these catalogs, what the hell is wrong with you, and you can get one free. If you dont have your tranny installed yet, they make a crossmember adapter kit too. it also has stuff in it to hook up your torque arm.