I noticed that the TV cable on my '83 Z/28 has a kink in it. Will that have any affect on the trans's shifting performance? Should I try to straighten out the kink with a needle nose plyers?

 

Better to just replace it. It can hurt the tranny if it sticks, which may still happen because of wires fraying where it gets straightened.

 

I had the exact same thing with mine,, I drove it for @1year like that not thinking it would make a difference,, well the trans has been shifting early since i got it so Ive been going through everything to find the problem( still havent) ... had the trans rebuilt(stock valve body), tweaked the gov, and just recently replaced the tv cable... it hasnt stopped the early shifting but it seems to pull much harder on the top end with the new cable. the kink wont let you properly adjust it either, I tried everything to straighten mine, . Just get a new one its worth it.

 

Yeah, mine shifts early too. WOT on the 2-3 shift comes at 3000-3500 rpm, and it doesn't always down shift as agressively as I think it should. Hey man, I've got a CFI and 2.93 gear, I need all the help the tranny can give.

Anyways, the previous owner says that the tranny's been rebuilt with a "Corvette servo".

How hard is it to install a TV cable? Is there a step-by-step somewhere?

 

Mine shifts to early when just lightly on the throttle, its in 3rd chugging along at like 2omph, but my wot shifts at @ 5k . the tv cable is a pain when you try to hook the lever in the trans, but its pretty easy overall. It definetly helps to have a friend keep tension on the throttle body end once you get it hooked.