automatic transmission shift linkage cable from carb sticks

Hi,

I've got an '87 pickup that has a problem with the transmission shift
points. It shifts at a much higher RPM than it should. The problem is
being caused by a sticking cable from the throttle to the transmission.
Today it wouldn't shift out of first as the cable stuck completely and
the tranny was thinking it was wide open throttle as a result. I
wiggled the cable housing and the cable retracted, but didn't exactly
snap back. This is a first, but I've had the problem with high shift
points since I bought the truck about 6 months ago.
With the air cleaner off I worked the throttle by hand. The cable to
the tranny retracted slowly, erratically and not completely when the
throttle was released.

Any suggestions on how to deal with this? Is there an appropriate lube
I could work down the cable from the carb end? Anyone else had this
problem?

Thanks in Advance.

Jon

Jon Splane wrote:[color=blue]
> Hi,
>
> I've got an '87 pickup that has a problem with the transmission shift
> points. It shifts at a much higher RPM than it should. The problem is
> being caused by a sticking cable from the throttle to the transmission.
> Today it wouldn't shift out of first as the cable stuck completely and
> the tranny was thinking it was wide open throttle as a result. I
> wiggled the cable housing and the cable retracted, but didn't exactly
> snap back. This is a first, but I've had the problem with high shift
> points since I bought the truck about 6 months ago.
> With the air cleaner off I worked the throttle by hand. The cable to
> the tranny retracted slowly, erratically and not completely when the
> throttle was released.
>
> Any suggestions on how to deal with this? Is there an appropriate lube
> I could work down the cable from the carb end? Anyone else had this
> problem?
>
> Thanks in Advance.
>
> Jon[/color]
=========
=========
Jon,
there is NO way to lube the cable because the outer sheathing,
casing, is
designed to be weather tight on each end.

If the cable is retracting slowly as you stated......it's either got a
crimp in it somewhere
or it's corroded on the inside of the sheathing.

You "may" get lucky and find it crimped and be able to get it to work
by fidgeting
with the affected area. Doubtfull. (imo)

It can NOT be determined for sure without physically seeing the truck,
but I would
say it's time to replace the cable. Not entirely simple, but entirely
doable by a DIY'er
that's mechanically inclined.

To get a better idea of what your dealing with do some GOOGLE searches,
and narrow the searches using good search techniques and common
wording.


good luck.
~:~
MarshMonster
~trans tech~

[email]MarshMonster2624@aol.com[/email] wrote:[color=blue]
>
> Jon Splane wrote:[color=green]
> > Hi,
> >
> > I've got an '87 pickup that has a problem with the transmission shift
> > points. It shifts at a much higher RPM than it should. The problem is
> > being caused by a sticking cable from the throttle to the transmission.
> > Today it wouldn't shift out of first as the cable stuck completely and
> > the tranny was thinking it was wide open throttle as a result. I
> > wiggled the cable housing and the cable retracted, but didn't exactly
> > snap back. This is a first, but I've had the problem with high shift
> > points since I bought the truck about 6 months ago.
> > With the air cleaner off I worked the throttle by hand. The cable to
> > the tranny retracted slowly, erratically and not completely when the
> > throttle was released.
> >
> > Any suggestions on how to deal with this? Is there an appropriate lube
> > I could work down the cable from the carb end? Anyone else had this
> > problem?
> >
> > Thanks in Advance.
> >
> > Jon[/color]
> =========
> =========
> Jon,
> there is NO way to lube the cable because the outer sheathing,
> casing, is
> designed to be weather tight on each end.
>
> If the cable is retracting slowly as you stated......it's either got a
> crimp in it somewhere
> or it's corroded on the inside of the sheathing.
>
> You "may" get lucky and find it crimped and be able to get it to work
> by fidgeting
> with the affected area. Doubtfull. (imo)
>
> It can NOT be determined for sure without physically seeing the truck,
> but I would
> say it's time to replace the cable. Not entirely simple, but entirely
> doable by a DIY'er
> that's mechanically inclined.
>
> To get a better idea of what your dealing with do some GOOGLE searches,
> and narrow the searches using good search techniques and common
> wording.
>
> good luck.
> ~:~
> MarshMonster
> ~trans tech~[/color]

Thanks MarshMonster for the input. I spent several hours searching and
couldn't find any instructions for replacing this; which it looks like I
will need to do. Carb end is no problem, but I'm not sure about the
tranny end. I need to get all the old congealed grease and road grim
cleaned of to get a better look. Do you know if you need to drop the
tranny pan to get to the end of the cable that is "trapped" at the
transmission?

Jon

Jon Splane wrote:[color=blue]
>
> Thanks MarshMonster for the input. I spent several hours searching and
> couldn't find any instructions for replacing this; which it looks like I
> will need to do. Carb end is no problem, but I'm not sure about the
> tranny end. I need to get all the old congealed grease and road grim
> cleaned of to get a better look. Do you know if you need to drop the
> tranny pan to get to the end of the cable that is "trapped" at the
> transmission?
>
> Jon[/color]
===========
===========
Jon,
yes drop the pan, AND.....drop the valve body!
..
"You"...may be able to fish the cable on and off with a scribe..
maybe not. It's a pain in the arse with the v/bdy still on.
..
One thing...once the cable is off the valve body you need to finalize
the
diagnosis by working the cable back and forth. If you feel "any"
resistance
then go to work replacing the cable. If no resistence, suspect a
problem
with the linkage/valve on the valve body. (HIGHLY...unusual)
..
..
There is one thing you can "Try"......once the cable is off the truck
if you're
financially challenging this repair.
..
You can cut the end off of one end of the cable, pull the cable out
of the
sheathing, then soak the cable and the sheathing with some kind of rust
penetrate. Go to the hardware store and buy a piece of cable about 1
foot
longer than what you yanked out of the sheathing, soak it with rust
penetrate
and install it into the sheathing and use it like a pipe cleaner to
clean the inside
of the sheathing out. Work it back and forth, yanking it out and
cleaning it every
once in a while...and cleaning the gunk out of the sheathing. Then dry
the
inside of the sheathing and the OEM cable, grease the OEM cable and
reinstall
it into the sheathing. See if it's working back and forth then.
This doesn't always free the cable up....but...it does work, and I
have done
it several times.
..
If this works out okay.....then you can use a "shot" type fishing
sinker and
crimp it on the end of the cable to reattach it to the throttle
linkage.
..
<<BE SURE TO....cut the end at the throttle linkage and not the end in
the tranny>>
..

If you'de like......
post the following......
..
production date
model
engine
also.....2w/d or 4w/d
..
then.....
check your mail.
..
..

hopefully helpfull,
~:~
Marsh
~:~l

Hi marsh Monster,
Thanks for all the good and detailed advice. I haven't done anything
more with the truck until today. It is just parked in my drive, no
garage, and it has been raining here all week. I checked the cable for
any type of kink as per your suggestion. It appeared the cable had a
bit of an angle where it left the bracket at the carb end. What had
happened was the coiled wire cable sheath had come out of the metal cap
it is socketed into. The cable was catching on the edge of the coiled
sheath where it was cocked from the axis to the end cap. I hope that is
clear. When I pushed the cable sheath all the way back into the end cap
it moves freely. The truck then shifted perfectly on a test drive.

I put a small hose clamp around the cable sheath at the point spanning
the end of the cap. That appears to have secured the cable sheath in
the cap for now. If it works loose again I may remove the last inch or
so of the plastic cover over the coiled sheathing and put it back in the
cap with a little epoxy or try to use a crimping tool on it.

Thanks again for your help.

Jon Splane

Marsh Monster wrote:[color=blue]
>
> Jon Splane wrote:[color=green]
> >
> > Thanks MarshMonster for the input. I spent several hours searching and
> > couldn't find any instructions for replacing this; which it looks like I
> > will need to do. Carb end is no problem, but I'm not sure about the
> > tranny end. I need to get all the old congealed grease and road grim
> > cleaned of to get a better look. Do you know if you need to drop the
> > tranny pan to get to the end of the cable that is "trapped" at the
> > transmission?
> >
> > Jon[/color]
> ===========
> ===========
> Jon,
> yes drop the pan, AND.....drop the valve body!
> .
> "You"...may be able to fish the cable on and off with a scribe..
> maybe not. It's a pain in the arse with the v/bdy still on.
> .
> One thing...once the cable is off the valve body you need to finalize
> the
> diagnosis by working the cable back and forth. If you feel "any"
> resistance
> then go to work replacing the cable. If no resistence, suspect a
> problem
> with the linkage/valve on the valve body. (HIGHLY...unusual)
> .
> .
> There is one thing you can "Try"......once the cable is off the truck
> if you're
> financially challenging this repair.
> .
> You can cut the end off of one end of the cable, pull the cable out
> of the
> sheathing, then soak the cable and the sheathing with some kind of rust
> penetrate. Go to the hardware store and buy a piece of cable about 1
> foot
> longer than what you yanked out of the sheathing, soak it with rust
> penetrate
> and install it into the sheathing and use it like a pipe cleaner to
> clean the inside
> of the sheathing out. Work it back and forth, yanking it out and
> cleaning it every
> once in a while...and cleaning the gunk out of the sheathing. Then dry
> the
> inside of the sheathing and the OEM cable, grease the OEM cable and
> reinstall
> it into the sheathing. See if it's working back and forth then.
> This doesn't always free the cable up....but...it does work, and I
> have done
> it several times.
> .
> If this works out okay.....then you can use a "shot" type fishing
> sinker and
> crimp it on the end of the cable to reattach it to the throttle
> linkage.
> .
> <<BE SURE TO....cut the end at the throttle linkage and not the end in
> the tranny>>
> .
>
> If you'de like......
> post the following......
> .
> production date
> model
> engine
> also.....2w/d or 4w/d
> .
> then.....
> check your mail.
> .
> .
>
> hopefully helpfull,
> ~:~
> Marsh
> ~:~l[/color]