Repair bend in shitfer cable?

[The_Handier_Man1]

From: fatty74271  (Original Message)
Sent: 5/11/2004 12:15 PM

I know there is alot of threads about this and i got all the part number info from everybody, salvage site ect. but what i need to know is if the cable gets a bend or kink in it when you try to put it in park (like denison said can happen) is the cable done for, i tryed to bend it back and lube it and even twisted the cable nothing seems to help. any help will be great. thanks Chris



From: denison
Sent: 5/11/2004 1:37 PM

If you can remove the shifter cable and free it up - dripping solvent down the cable over a period of time, and pulling it back and forth until it moves -easily-, then Maybe you can re-use it. Removing it I consider to be essential - its the only way you can really get the rust and crud out of the inside of the housing. After lubing and rinsing and freeing mine up until it slid back and forth pretty easily, I got as much of the kink out as I could (I didn't try too hard) and reinstalled it. I added a spring down there, attached to the little arm where the shifter cable attaches, and pulling toward the back of the RV. It was a spring from the hardware store slightly heftier and longer that a throttle return sping. It seemed to exert pull of perhaps 5 to 10 pounds when it was in -park-, not quite enough to pull the lever from drive into neutral by itself. The rearmost position of that little shifter arm is park. The extended spring length was over 6 inches long, and its other end I tethered to a wire connected to a cross member quite a ways behind the tranny. It may sound hokey, but Its been shifting fine for a couple of years, even in cold weather. I still have the expensive new one for use on my other winnebago, but will try to save that cable as well. It has never pulled the shifter out of 1st or 2nd, but it has made moving that lever up from 1st to be very easy.
At one point in my cleaning, I had a length of 2 inch pvc pipe, its bottom end closed with a pvc pipe cap. I lowered the shifter cable into the pipe and filled it with gasoline, and let it soak. I would take it out a couple of times a day, and pull the inner cable to one end of its travel and put it back. Then I would take it out later and pull it back to the other extreme of its travel. see-saw-see-saw. 3-in-1 oil was the final lubricant. When you install it make sure it doesnt run real close to the exhaust manifold or pipe. I used cable ties to hold it close to the tranny oil cooler lines.
If you cant get the cable to move freely in its housing, (able to pull it with thumb and forefinger) it might be too late for that cable.



From: fatty74271
Sent: 5/11/2004 1:55 PM

Thank you denison, I will give that a try before i buy a new one. That spring idea sounds good to , a must try. dartman67@aol has them for 97.00  but i will try this first. Thanks Chris



From: Sea Hag
Sent: 5/13/2004 10:39 AM

I have a good used shifter cable that I recently got off a 75 donor MH chassis that I may be willing to sell  if it turns out to be the cable . It should fit anything above a 1972 according to the parts catalog . email me if you are interested - Sea Hag 



From: fatty74271
Sent: 5/15/2004 10:03 AM

I got it fixed for know i guess. I just put a spring on the tranny lever and know it pulls it into park with no problems. Thanks for the help everybody.



From: denison
Sent: 5/15/2004 2:48 PM

Try to remember not to shove it into park too fast in cold weather! 


From: abnrngr86
Sent: 1/1/2005 7:48 PM

Yes was wondering if the cable will work on a 72 D18''
still looking for one to fit mine....haven't had much luck...dues it have eyelets on both ends...



From: denison
Sent: 1/2/2005 7:49 AM

I think the eyelet on the top end is permanently on the end of the cable, but the one on the transmission end unscrews, and may not come when you buy the cable. That end of the cable might just be a threaded rod.