Dart 63 shift cable
- Thread starter 69DARTS
- Start date
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Doug.S
1964 Dart More Door
I assume 1963 and 1964 would be the same, so no the park cable is not going to have anything to do with reverse. The park lever being lifted will release a cable that holds the parking gear on the output shaft of the trans with the park sprag. There is a separate cable that controls the gear selection when the buttons are pushed. If the car starts when the park lever is down or the car is in neutral, I wouldn’t think your gear selector cable is stretched. If you have to fiddle with the buttons to get the car to start then I would think you need to adjust the gear selector cable. The field service manual has a couple of paragraphs detailing this process and I can snap pics of it if you would like. Doug.
Doug.S
1964 Dart More Door
The reason I ask about the “starting” is because it would be an indicator of an out of adjustment gear selector cable. That will cause a problem trying to “find” reverse. If the adjustment is not out, maybe an indicator of something else that may be wrong. (Low fluid level, clogged filter, low pressure, low/reverse clutch issue, etc.)
When i push the reverse button i get nothing
But wait a min or to and thd button goes right in and i am in reverse
Just last nite the park leaver now feel like i am moving a choke cable if that makes sense does not feel smooth
Doug.S
1964 Dart More Door
The hesitation to go into gear could be indicative of a low fluid level. Get the car warm and level and check the fluid level. On our cars the torque converter fills itself in neutral and therefore should always be ready to pop into gear because we only have gears (R,D,2,1) and neutral. Park and neutral are the same.
Assuming your fluid level is OK, if the park lever or gear selector buttons are becoming difficult to move because it feels like the cables are hanging up, it is time to investigate. You can lube the entire park/gear selector assembly while it is still bolted under the dash with a quality silicone spray lube. It was recommended to use CRC extreme duty silicone. (Green can). All the metal slides and springs are probably terribly dirty and dusty after 54 years of use. Try to spray into the cables where the metal lines enter them under the dash as well.
Next check the route the lines take from the firewall to the trans and loook for obvious change interference. Should be a pretty smooth run from an oval shaped plug in the firewall to the gear selector(front of trans near kick down linkage) and the park cable will follow the same path as the speedometer cable and be routes through a metal bracket on the floor of the car before entering the parking sprag cover on the rear of the trans.
If All looks well, then see if the gear selector line is being cooked by the exhaust pipe. Usually that will result in a leak of trans fluid from the line, but maybe it just melted it enough to cause some binding. The buttons should push with some effort but should click into their respective gears and the trans should shift without delay. So something is wrong. Any other gear give you problems? Just reverse?
Assuming your fluid level is OK, if the park lever or gear selector buttons are becoming difficult to move because it feels like the cables are hanging up, it is time to investigate. You can lube the entire park/gear selector assembly while it is still bolted under the dash with a quality silicone spray lube. It was recommended to use CRC extreme duty silicone. (Green can). All the metal slides and springs are probably terribly dirty and dusty after 54 years of use. Try to spray into the cables where the metal lines enter them under the dash as well.
Next check the route the lines take from the firewall to the trans and loook for obvious change interference. Should be a pretty smooth run from an oval shaped plug in the firewall to the gear selector(front of trans near kick down linkage) and the park cable will follow the same path as the speedometer cable and be routes through a metal bracket on the floor of the car before entering the parking sprag cover on the rear of the trans.
If All looks well, then see if the gear selector line is being cooked by the exhaust pipe. Usually that will result in a leak of trans fluid from the line, but maybe it just melted it enough to cause some binding. The buttons should push with some effort but should click into their respective gears and the trans should shift without delay. So something is wrong. Any other gear give you problems? Just reverse?
Doug.S
1964 Dart More Door
Well I’m fresh out of ideas except to pull the cables and clean and lube them. Good luck and I’m following your progress as I have this same trans setup and hope mine keeps working the way it should. If you score a really cheap pair of cables, please advise. There is a reproduction set on eBay but it is $487.00. Wow that stings! Good luck.
Thank u for all your help
I will do
check out imperial services. shift cable $249 new, Imperial Services - '60-'76 A-Body Parts
Bill Crowell
Well-Known Member
Sounds like maybe your overcenter spring is missing or broken:
To test this, try pulling the park lever up as you try to engage reverse. If it goes into reverse when you do this, then the overcenter spring isn't working.
The park lever shouldn't be hard to move. You should figure out why it is.
To test this, try pulling the park lever up as you try to engage reverse. If it goes into reverse when you do this, then the overcenter spring isn't working.
The park lever shouldn't be hard to move. You should figure out why it is.
Bill Crowell
Well-Known Member
Moto, you need to make friends with Pat Blais in Washington (Torqueflite Patty or T-flite Patty), one of the nicest guys around. He has all those old pushbutton parts. He has an eBay store.
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