I looked in both my Chilton and my Haynes manual and neither one details the replacement of the TV cable on a 700R4. I did a search but could not find any detailed instructions.

I have read that the cable can be replaced without dropping the pan but any tips or tricks would be very much appreciated.

Thanks as always.

 

The cable goes into the tranny on the pass side, above the pan on the "top" of the flat square area, just behind the dipstick. There is one screw that holds it in place - you'll need to jack the pass side, stick the tranny part down through the tunnel, and connect. There is a small hook in the tranny - when you remove the screw, pull up gently on the cable, you'll see the hook - it goes through the little hole in end of cable. Unhook the old, rehook the new - and don't worry about losing the hook - it doesn't fall in that far. Get an assistant to hold tension on the top end, so that the hook doesn't come undone from the cable when reinstalling - after it's screwed back in the tranny, the hook won't come undone. Then, go up top and hook up to your carb, TBI, whatever. Set cable as usual, and your done.

 

Thanks for the reply. It sounds like it can be accessed without lowering the trans. So I just remove the one screw holding the cable assembly to the trans then tug on the cable to expose the hook. When I unhook the cable and hook on the new one do you fish around with the end of the cable to get it hooked up again or can you get a finger in there to lift the hook back up?

It also sounds like if I have someone up top pushing back on the cable housing while tugging on the cable end it will hold the bottom end of the cable hooked on so I can replace the screw.

Thanks.

If anyone else has any advise, it would certainly be appreciated.

Otherwise, I'll post again when I have replaced it.

Max.

 

That's pretty much it - like I said - the hook doesn't fall back in too far. You might not be able to see any of it with tranny not lowered - it's one of those "I can just barely see" kinda things - but you can see enough to know where to feel the rest. The hardest part is the jacking of the car!

 

Hey Max, you never posted your results.......did you run across any difficulties?

 

I did learn a few things when replacing the TV cable.

First of all I replaced my TBI length cables (Throttle & TV) with carb length cables to use with the non-adjustable Holley throttle cable brackets for use on my street avenger carb. The fit is perfect. No need for bracket adjustment and the Hollyey bracket is much more rigid than the cheap spectre bracket I had been using. The only down side is it has no provision for the cruise cable. Holley should produce a piece for use with a cruise control setup.

I found that since the TV cable connects to the trans on the passenger side, I was able to get the most room underneath the car by jacking up the passenger side of the vehicle. You'll want to create as much room to work as possible.

Next I found that the only tool that would allow me to remove the TV cable mounting bolt was a stubby open ended wrench. 9/16" I think but I can't remember for sure what size. You won't be able to get the bolt out without a stubby open ended wrench. There is not enough room between the trans and the tunnel to use anything else.

I wish I would have known to expect trans fluid to come pouring out when I removed the cable assembly from the trans. I wasn't prepared for this and I ended up with a pretty big mess on the garage floor. Be preparred to catch about 1 1/2 quarts of trans fluid.

I was able to install the new cable without the help of an assistant. I started by hooking the cable to the trans and then pulling the other end of the cable through the cable housing and holding it there with my right hand while seating the cable assembly with my left hand. I continued using my right hand to hold on to the cable end to keep tension on the hook while I threaded the retaining bolt back in place with my left hand.

Once the retaining bolt was back in place I just snaked the cable back into position from the bottom. Of course, you will also need to top off your trans fluid level.

With a stubby wrench and a drain pan handy the whole job can be done in less than an hour. That even includes jacking up the car and clean up afterward. Just remember to be safe when working under a raised vehicle. Use jackstands. Don't rely on a hydralic jack to support the vehicle.

I got my cables from GM parts direct. They were a few dollars less expensive than at my local Chevy dealer but they took almost two weeks to arrive. If I were to do it over again, I would have just orderd the cables from my local dealer and gotten the parts the next day.

 

Thanks Max, I just ordered a new TV cable from GM Parts Direct, the cable on the car has stretched so much it is pretty much useless. GMPARTSDIRECT was much cheaper than anyone else.

 

The real trick to not getting the hook to come out is to pull it out of the trans as much as it will go, hook it to the end of the cable, and pulling down the sheating that goes over the cable. It will go directly over the hook and secure it. Thats the only way I could it, every other time it slipped out. I also undid the x-member and dropped the trans for maximun reach and visibility

 

Probably because the carb is not street legal that it doesn't come with a cruise contol connection.

 

If anyone needs the GM stock# for the TV (throttle valve) cable,
it is: 10163879 At least for my car a 1989 Iroc-Z with a 5.7 engine and a 700R-4 auto trans. You can e-mail GM Direct parts for the stock # for your application, that's how I got it. GM Parts Direct: Your direct source for Genuine GM Parts

 

1 1/2 quarts of fluid? Wow! I would have mentioned fluid to you if I had any come out - but I've done 2 on 2 different cars, with the fluid levels at normal, and only had a small tad of fluid come out. Sorry!

 

whats the bolt size/thread for the tv cable bolt ?