shifter cable keeps breaking

[OneLethal87GN]

My shifter cable broke last year causing my tranny to over-rev and burnt up the 2nd gear band. After several replacements they keep breaking. I've been buying brand new ones from Advance Auto. The third one just broke so they offered to just give me back my money. What causes these things to break? I believe the one that broke last year was the stocker that lasted 155k miles. I'm careful putting the car in gear. It breaks when it has to be put back in Park. It always breaks right after where it connects to the shifter itself. Replacing this is getting old so any advice is welcome.

 

[LV GN]

you must be installing in the wrong postion. if the angle is wrong it will break every time. are you putting the clip back on at the top? if you remove the cable from the trans. does the linkage move freely? do you have any tight bends on the cable that could be binding and making the shifter hard to move? also i only buy them from the dealer.

 

[3.8TransAM]

Also, do install the cables with the shifter and trans in neutral.

If not you may get tight spots or binding in certain gear positions.

U have slack to adjust it at the trans so on the enxt one install it with both in neutral and have a helper man the shifter(use caution here, be gentle) and test it as u tighten the linkage back up.

My 442 was the same way as well as my parts car Turbo-T and asll 3 of my F-bodies. If u dont do it in neutral and test as you adjust they wont work right, bind, etc.

later
Jeremy

 

[OneLethal87GN]

I don't know why it broke to start with. I guess age. I always install them with the tranny in Park. How do you adjust them? I looked for an adjustment but didn't see one. Thanks for the help so far. I will probably order one from Kirban's tomorrow.

 

[OneLethal87GN]

When you say tighten the linkage which part exactly do you loosen? I've been taking the shifter apart, hooking the cable up, then hooking it onto the tranny gear selector. I don't loosen anything except the bolts to get the console apart and the shifter. Is there any way to make the selector move easier? Mine seems a little tight, but maybe that's how it should be? I can move it into gear by hand but it takes a little effort. Should I WD-40 anything? I was thinking of spraying the linkage parts since they have no way of having any run-off into the tranny itself.

 

[LV GN]

where does it break? are you putting the horseshoe clips on the top and bottom of the cable?

 

[OneLethal87GN]

I'm putting the clips where they should be. I'll try to explain as best I can where it breaks. You know where it hooks up to the shifter? The part where the cable itself starts after running through the hole is where it breaks. It is right where the plastic part of the cable that runs through the hole, and gets clipped on, ends and the cable starts. If you look at a new cable you'll see some type of glue right where this part of the cable is. It doesn't happen down by the tranny. The same place everytime. It isn't binding or anything so I don't understand why it breaks. I try and pre-bend the cable to help it take it's new shape. Are the cables sold at Advance Auto actual GM parts? I wouldn't think so by how cheaply they look made.

 

[Firechicken]

Go to your local dealer and order a cable.

The aftermarket sometimes supplies OK parts; but, most of the time, the quality isn't even close to that of the originals. As you have found out. Your GM cable lasted 155K miles, and the aftermarket ones don't even come close.

 

[OneLethal87GN]

I ordered one today from Kirban's. They said they were GM parts. I will have Aamco look at the tranny when I bring it in next week. They are installing a few parts and replacing one under warranty. Since a broken cable caused me to have the tranny rebuilt to start with I will see if they can fix what is causing the cables to break. I originally brought it to them after missing a 2nd gear shift which was caused by the cable breaking. Missing the shift caused the tranny to burn up the second gear band. I have played with the gear selector on the side of the tranny and it seems all the gears move freely except going into Park. I have to use a little extra effort for this gear. The shifter cable always breaks while I try to move it into Park. Hopefully the parts I have ordered will be here about the same time as the new cable so I can have it all done at once. Now if I can only get the wastegate puck problem solved I'll be straight.

 

[GANGSTER]

MAY SOUND DUMB BUT IS THE BATTERY IN FRONT OR BACK?

 

[OneLethal87GN]

It's in the front.

 

[LV GN]

Originally posted by OneLethal87GN
I ordered one today from Kirban's. They said they were GM parts. I will have Aamco look at the tranny when I bring it in next week. They are installing a few parts and replacing one under warranty. Since a broken cable caused me to have the tranny rebuilt to start with I will see if they can fix what is causing the cables to break. I originally brought it to them after missing a 2nd gear shift which was caused by the cable breaking. Missing the shift caused the tranny to burn up the second gear band. I have played with the gear selector on the side of the tranny and it seems all the gears move freely except going into Park. I have to use a little extra effort for this gear. The shifter cable always breaks while I try to move it into Park. Hopefully the parts I have ordered will be here about the same time as the new cable so I can have it all done at once. Now if I can only get the wastegate puck problem solved I'll be straight.

i really cant see how the cable had anything to do with the trans needing rebuild!. you need to becarfel with what ammco is telling you. most ammco's know nothing about keeping a turbo buick trans alive. what parts are they replacing under warranty? are you having shifting problems that they are having a hard time getting fixed? yes it is a little harder to push into park. that is ok as long as it's just a little harder to push.

 

[OneLethal87GN]

The shifter broke while racing. I was manually shifting and when I went to slam it into 2nd the cable broke. This caused the engine to rev extremely high. The band was already burning up and this finally killed it. I had to drive the car home about 15-20 miles in 1st gear. When I took it to Aamco I only had 1st gear, and sometimes 3rd. They rebuilt it with an Alto Red Eagle racing 2nd gear band( my request ) and hardened sprag. I already had Bruce's shift kit installed. They are replacing the 2nd gear band along with installing a BRF valve body and 200 servo I have ordered. I'll check the linkage to be sure there is no binding when it cools down a little outside. If all is O.K. then I know it's in the tranny.

 

[OneLethal87GN]

To give a better understanding of where it may be binding I'll say the shifter feels free in all gears. The only tension I feel is when I go to put it in Park. It tightens up about the last 1/8". I have to push it that last 1/8" to get the shifter to lock into place. The tranny is in Park but the shfiter isn't locked in until I push it that last little bit. I WD-40ed the linkage but it's still tight.

 

[OneLethal87GN]

I was told today that the problem is in my steering column. He said the rod that locks and unlocks the ignition switch is binding or may be bent. How do you remove this and can it be removed permanently or does it have to be there? I don't mind if the switch will lock or not as long as I don't break any more cables.