Classic/Antique Car Repair/shift cable breakage

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Expert: - 12/31/2010


Question
is there a strongeer shirt cable i can put on my 1984 cutlas supreme. ive replaced it three(3)times in the pass week with the dealer suggested one .and all break at the top,close to the shifter. leaving me stuck in drive and unable to get the gear to go to park or neautral.

Answer
If you are breaking shift cables, I would look for the cause rather than trying to get a stronger one. Those cables usually lasted the life of the car. There is one common problem though. If the ground cable from the battery is not connected to both the engine block and the frame/body of the car, the shift cable trys to act as a ground to the battery between the engine and the body when using the starter. This heats the cable and welds small amounts of the stranding each time the engine is started. Making sure there is a good ground is important. If that is OK check the shift mechanism in transmission for binding.

Classic/Antique Car Repair

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Brad Sears

Expertise

All automotive including antique and collectible. However if the car has been modified I can only answer in general terms and maybe get you pointed in the right direction.

Experience

Automotive tech instructor. Syndicated auto columnist 1970's though the early 1990's. Syndicated auto radio talk show, Ask Brad About cars, CBS Radio 70's through 90's TV Show "Last Chance Garage" 1980's PBS-TV syndicated. Auto instructor for the following companies: Fram Autolyte Holly Carter AMF Ford Motor University Of Conn Blue Hills Technical School Sugar River Technical Center Grew up in a family garage in Needham Mass and turned wrenches from the age of 14.

Publications
Manchester Union Leader, Nashua Telegraph, Motor Service Magazine, Yankee Magazine, Popular Mechanics (Saturday Mechanic early 80's), Los Angeles Times, New York Times, and lots more.

Education/Credentials
More than I care to remember. Basically Franklin Technical Institute in Boston, Northeastern University, Fitchburg State Teachers College, Tufts University, and a lot of factory schools along the way.

Awards and Honors
Moto Award winner. And much more.

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