C6 Automatic Shift Cable Broke Today

[Richard M.]

A long one but may help you C5/C6/C7 guys with Automatics.......

At least 10 stops today 30 miles from home, I got to my last stop at a auto parts store 5 miles from home to pick up my replacement timing light, I go to leave the store and my C6 Automatic Shift lever went limp. Lever moves to all positions but no detent feel. Trans stuck in Park. Telltale diagnosis is a common problem.... Shift Cable broken. 3PM, Labor Day Weekend beginning. Major downpours just as this happened.

Options:

1- Call a flatbed truck, wait a hour or two, watch him carefully cradle the rear wheels on dollies and hope the front valence stays together and roll and load it up on the bed and shotgun with him to the Dealership Service Dept 25 miles in the other direction(Rosner's in Melbourne, formerly Rathman Chevrolet from the $2 a year Corvette Leases for the Astronauts in the 60's).....

2- Call your son and have him bring a flatbed trailer, a LOW floor jack, 2 jack stands, wooden 2x12's, cardboard, raingear, long pliers, and some drinking water.

I chose option 2.

The space I was in, fortunately forward near the front door, was on a slight grade. I placed the floor jack under the rear suspension cradle with a long 2x10 on the flat to distribute the weight. Son in the driver's seat, engine running(still in Park), ready to steer and foot on brake.

I jack the rear end up until the tires were clear of the ground, son slowly releases brakes and car rolls rearward via jack wheels and front wheels to level ground. Shut down engine. Set Ign switch to ACC mode, press brake pedal, place lever in N.

Jack up rear a bit more, place 2 jack stands at the cradle end support brackets. Release the jack a smidgen to load the stands. Crawl under car and push the shift lever at the rear left side of the transmission one "click". Car now in neutral.

Remove stands, lower car down on it's wheels, remove jack. Push car near trailer, backwards up first.

Winch car up on trailer. Strap it down and take it home. Call Rosner's and order replacement cable, in stock, on shelf with my name on it, and thankfully open Saturdays 7AM-4PM.

I'll be there when the doors open in the morning.

Yes I could have had my son brake hard with the engine running while I was under the car within reach of pushing the shift lever one more "click" into DRIVE, get out from under, lower the car, and drive it home under it's own power and have him follow me with the trailer JIC.

I opted not to do that. Too many weird Labor Day stories and I didn't want to be on that "list".

Rich
p.s. BTW, to replace the cable, off come both Catalytic Converters, the trans tunnel cover plate(with about a hundred bolts), and it'll be done in a jiffy. This after we get it off the trailer and push it around to get it on the lift.

[Mike E.]

Re: C6 Automatic Shift Cable Broke Today

p.s. BTW, to replace the cable, off come both Catalytic Converters, the trans tunnel cover plate(with about a hundred bolts), and it'll be done in a jiffy. This after we get it off the trailer and push it around to get it on the lift.

Sounds like a heck of day. I think your exaggerating the trans tunnel cover plate bolts, or perhaps a C6 has more. My C5 only has 32 bolts.

When I put a new clutch in it C5 I looked at all those bolts and thought...Man they really don't want that to come off. Obviously it's more of stiffener than a protective cover, but still makes you wonder who dreamed that one up.

Mike

[Richard M.]

Re: C6 Automatic Shift Cable Broke Today

It was actually a great day as I got my deceased friend Chuck's '61 fuelie starter fixed(we still talk to each other telepathically), did several car restoration related errands done, his stepson arrived in town just as I was thinking of him, and even helped me with the '61, followed him to Budget to return his rental, he took me to lunch, got a call from my friend Frank telling me he found a special original part I needed for my '67 restoration, returned the tools to my other friend I borrowed to fix the 427 heads, and had a good day overall.(darn I can ramble can't I, sorry)

It ended on a sour note with the break-down but thankfully at the end of the day. I've put almost 40,000 miles on it in 8 years(now at 65,000+) and this was the first time it let me down. Last year drove it round trip to Carlisle(2400mi +)

So.....More research last night tells me the problem is pretty simple and I may not have to get it on the lift and pull the Cats & tunnel cover, etc. Since I saw the cable end at the trans is intact, I bet it's just the plastic bushing at the shifter lever. Dorman makes a kit, Part# 14041 with the repair parts. All I need to do is pull the console from inside and take a closer look. It may look like this....

http://www.corvetteforum.com/forums/c6-tech-performance/3334010-shifter-not-working.html#post1584834992

My NAPA has the Dorman kit in stock so I'll get that this morning. May not need the cable. I'll update later after I tear the car console apart after I winch it off the trailer. Working alone today, son gone for the weekend.

NOE 6151422

[Walter F.]

Re: C6 Automatic Shift Cable Broke Today

I always thought the C5 and C6 were bullit proof Corvettes. I thought the C4's and earlier Corvette owners were the only ones who paid the Corvette tax.

[Duke W.]

Re: C6 Automatic Shift Cable Broke Today

Obviously it's more of stiffener than a protective cover, but still makes you wonder who dreamed that one up.

Mike

Yes, it's a structual part of the center "backbone", and it's removeable for maintenance and repair access to components inside the backbone. The many bolts are to distribute loads evenly, so it behaves as if it's welded to the backbone. It's a significant contributor to chassis bending stiffness. Imagine what a nightmare it would be if it was welded and not bolted!

If it has to come off for any reason, it's a good opportunity to flush the clutch fluid if equipped with a manual trans as it's my understanding that you can't access the slave cylinder bleed valve with it in place, but I recall reading about a vendor who makes an extension pipe with bleed valve that connects to the slave bleed valve port that places the bleed valve in an accessible location in the engine compartment.

Duke

[Richard M.]

Re: C6 Automatic Shift Cable Broke Today

All fixed. Cost of repair.....$5 for the bushing kit. It comes with several sizes, one was a perfect fit.

I removed the shifter and there was the broken bushing and lever ball all alone unconnected to the cable. The old bushing was a soft mushy rubbery type plastic. I suspect the heat generated in the tunnel, common issue on these cars, probably ages that plastic rapidly. IMO it's a poor design. Should have been a metal clevis with a cotter pin and a little grease. Would NEVER fail.

I carefully cleaned the remnants out of the cable end and snapped in the new bushing with long pliers.

This is where folks got into trouble. The cable end where it attaches to the bracket is very delicate. Plastic does not bend. I had to lift and support the cable end with a wire. I pulled the cable to it's max extended length(S of PRNDS). I then placed the shifter assembly in the hole and using a long plier tool the ball socket snapped into the bushing. I put a little silicone lube on the ball before installation to the bushing.

Put everything back together and it works perfectly. Disaster averted. No tunnel extraction necessary.

I later called the Chevy Parts Dept and told them they can put the cable held for me back in their stock as I didn't need it. The cable lists for $54.54. They typically sell me parts at 20% off.

BTW, now that I've done this repair once, ironically when it failed, I could have fixed it right there in the Auto parts store parking lot. All I needed were a few tools to remove the shifter. They had the Dorman 14041 kit on the shelf no more than 50 feet from where I was parked.

With the right tools in hand probably a 20 minute job now that I've done it once.

Rich
ps if you're asking...."WHAT, no pictures!" Don't worry, I snapped away but need to dowload 'em from the camera but left it in the car overnight. Later.
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[Terry M.]

Re: C6 Automatic Shift Cable Broke Today

Nice going Rich. Thanks for the update.