A998 w/ Lockup in a 65 Dart with 273

After numerous attempts both in cardboard and light gauge sheet metal, I finally came up with a workable design which I fabricated in heavier gauge metal.

I chose a B&M 80604 cable which sells for about $50. Did I mention the Imperial Services kit cost me $250 plus shipping.

The B&M cable is 4 feet long which turned out to be a good length for the routing I chose. The cable is bright red, but I covered mine with shrink tube to make it a dark gray color that doesn't stand out.

I chose to route the cable from the transmission forward and to the left. This took me out over the exhaust system, but used up some length and avoided the sharp turns that would have been necessary with the Imperial Services solution. The other benefit was that it allowed me to use a shortened later model shifter arm which was clocked at the correct angle for my approach. The result was that the angle between cable and the shifter bracket is approximately 90 degrees at mid travel.

The bracket that holds the cable steps up over the exhaust and also serves as a heat shield. It mounts to the top side of the transmission pan using two pieces of threaded rod and some the nuts. The main advantage of mounting it this way is that the transmission pan can be removed without disturbing the cable bracket.

The Imperial Services cable was built with the correct length at the shifter end so that it mounts to the shifter just like the factory cable. The B&M cable has a longer end so I had to make a bracket that mounts to the front of the shifter to hold the cable sheath. It all fits within the factory console cover, but I did have to drill out the shifter rivets and replace them with bolts that also hold the bracket. I also chose to bend the factory cable mount out of the way to get the best possible angle on the cable so it would exit the console parallel to the floor.

The Imperial Services kit came with a spring which is installed in the valve body. It reduces the effort required to shift the transmission which is important because cables are good at pulling, but not so good at pushing. Harbor Freight sells a spring assortment that contained a suitable spring.

It's all together and adjusted and seems to shift very well. My only complaint is that the transmission end is so crowded that it's an absolute nightmare to get everything installed and adjusted. If the exhaust were out of the way it would be a piece of cake. The transmission lines are also in the way. I thought about removing the transmission cross member and lowering the tailshaft, but I was able to get it done without resorting to that.