KICKDOWN Limit Valve
The purpose of the limit valve is to prevent a 3-2 downshift at higher speeds when a part-throttle downshift is not desirable. At these higher speeds only a full throttle 3-2 downshift will occur. At low road speeds (Fig 1) the limit valve does not come into play and does not affect the downshifts. As the vehicle's speed increases (Fig 2), the governor pressure also increases. The increased governor pressure acts on the reaction area of the bottom land of the limit valve overcoming the spring force trying to push the valve toward the bottom of its bore. This pushes the valve upward against the spring and bottoms the valve against the top of the housing. With the valve bottomed against the housing, the throttle pressure supplied to the valve will be closed off by the bottom land of the limit valve. When the supply of throttle pressure has been shut off, the 3-2 part throttle downshift plug becomes inoperative, because no pressure is acting on its reaction area.