Flash84Z28

I have been trying to get my cable to work on my TH 350 for two days. I've tried three differant brackets and when I think I'm going to go inside and shift into drive it pulls it into another gear and won't go back to park or any gear past neutral. I'm about ready to throw the last of my money into a quarterstick and use a hurst cable.

I currently have the 700R4 cable bracket and stock cable on a TH350 with a 700R4 tailshaft. What am I missing here? This is the first thing that has caused a problem during the entire engine and tranny swap, I've been staring at the linkage and it looks perfect, but obviously it is not. Can someone please tell me what's wrong or if I'm missing a part?

Thank you in advance,
Matt

Nordbert

Yes, you can use the 700-r4 shifter and cable with a TH350. I
used one in my '83Z. I think you might need to use the shift bracket from the 700-r4 and the cable bracket from a 2nd gen.
Camaro or Firebird with a TH350.

Flash84Z28

Thanks for the help. Do you mean the shift lever, which comes right off the tranny from a second gen?

Thanks again,
Matt

Nordbert

The shift lever from your 700-r4 is the one I'd
try first. The cable bracket ( bolts to the bottom
of the tranny's pan ) from a '77? to '81 Camaro or
Firebird TH350 should work fine. You should be able to
still order it from your fiendly Chevy parts counterperson

Flash84Z28

Ok, I am using the 700R4 cable bracket that mounts on the pan, and a "custom fabricated" lever that the previous owner made that worked on my old car with linkage rather then a cable. I do not have any other lever so it was my only choice and I don't see why I coulden't get it to work as long as the bolt hole for the cable is in the right place.

The way it is now, the cable bracket holds the cable level with the bottom of the pan, then it goes up at about a 30* angle to the lever with I'm aligning while all the way forward (in park position on the tranny and shifter). Does the cable need to be level or can it go up to the lever?

I must be missing something here...please help me if you've ever installed a cable like this.

Thanks for your time,
Matt

Nordbert

Does the cable work smoothly when unhooked from the
tranny's shifting lever? Does your setup move the shifting lever
on the tranny clockwise or counterclockwise when moving the shifter handle from "Park" to "Drive". All the way clockwise puts
the tranny into "Park".

Flash84Z28

Yes, the cable is very smooth when it is not hooked up. I drew a quick drawing of how it is hooked up right now. The lever, when moves torwards the rear of the car or clockwise from the position it is shown at in the drawing goes from Park to Drive. It is definatly in Park now becouse I can start it and rev it freely without shooting the ramps out from under the tires (E-brake only works on pass. side).

Does this look OK to you? Thanks a lot for your help...

-Matt

Apeiron

That doesn't look so good to me. The cable should be parallel to the ground at the shaft.

Flash84Z28

That's what I was asking. The problem is that the cable pulls the lever back and when I flip the lever to where it is level with the bottom of the pan (or close to it) the park position is all the way back and Drive is clockwise and the cable pulls it the oppsoite way.

I know there has to be something I'm not seeing or realizing.

Apeiron

Now that I think about it, that really doesn't look right. The arm should be pointing down towards the ground. When it's rotated fully clockwise you should be in park.

I think you're going to need to get rid of the "custom fabricated" arm and get the right one.

Apeiron

You say rotating the arm clockwise goes from park to drive, are you sure you're not going from neutral to reverse?

Flash84Z28

Well, I first started the car when the lever was as far clockwise as it could go (First or Low) and it shot the driver's side ramp out...and yes I has the axle on stands too. Then I turned it all the way counter-clockwise and it reved freely (Park). This is the position that I show in the drawing. Even if I turn the lever 180* from where it is now it will be trying to pull the tranny out of park the wrong way.

I'm heading out now but will be back later this afternoon to try to figure it out.

Thanks for the help,
Matt

Nordbert

If your shifter is in "Park" and your drive wheels are free to
turn ( off the ground, parking brake off, etc.) and the driveshaft
can be turned by hand, then your tranny is not in "Park". Turn the
shift lever ( with the cable disconnected) until the driveshaft locks into "Park" and connect the cable without moving the shifter
or the shifting lever on the tranny. BTW, I agree that the lever
on the tranny should point down.