Tony72Cutlass'S'

Dear All,

Now that i've been driving my car daily, i've been noticing some behaviour i have not been able to diagnose with the CSM.

- Previous Owner installed "Hurst Hot-Shift 2"

- Detent control cable not working correctly. Cable will not retract into the housing on the pedal, and pushing down the gas will not downshift at WOT.

The issue i am having is a sub-standard upshift at very low throttle. For instance, if i drive as if i have an eggshell under my foot. The transmission shifts so hard that i notice a KLUNK.

If i mash the gas to the floor, it shifts so hard that the wheels chirp

Any help is great!

coppercutlass

sounds like it has a shift kit. as far as the detent cable goes make sure it's installed properly . Check your drive shaft make sure your trans is tight to the cross member. That could be the clunk you are hearing.

Tony72Cutlass'S'

So a shift kit makes the car shift hard no matter what?

Only reason why i suspect it has a shift kit is because i found an empty shift kit box it the trunk when i bought the car.

So you mean to check the torque on the bolts of the rear transmission mount? I have a crossover with 2 humps.

Right now, the detent cable is in fully extended position (Viewed on top of the pedal). To check the linkage do i simply remove the bolt that holds the cable to the transmission and inspect?

coppercutlass

yeah a shift kit usually has some good snap to it depending on what kit they chose. I have had a shift kit in my car for the last 5 years and it's good. The detent cable you will have to unbolt and check it it's engaged all it is is a hook and loop. I have only installed them with the trans off . You can also check by dropping the trans pan but that is more messy .

Rickman48

Might try an adjustable modulator - might calm it down?!?

coppercutlass

fwiw i have and adjustable modualtor on mine and it still shifts hard.

Tony72Cutlass'S'

Great, I will look at the detent cable tonight and make sure the linkage is there.

Am i able to access the cable if i crawl under the car??

Is there any chance the guy messed up the detent linkage while installing the shift kit?

This is what the box looks like

coppercutlass

yep find out what he didnt use to figure out what kit is in it. The detent cable is installed through the top. They might have not installed it correctly. Or they left it that way and they manually down shift .

Tony72Cutlass'S'

There's nothing left in the box, but the box says Hurst Hot shift 2. there's no 3 like in that picture.

I notice when i really push down on the gas, the wheels chirp from 1st to 2nd gear. Not sure if that's normal.

SO, if he removed the detent linkage, is it possible for me to buy that somewhere? I guess my first check will be to remove the cable before i start messing with the pan...

coppercutlass

My car chirps hard 1 to 2 and if in really on it 3rd too. It's common with most shift kits. If you unbolt the detent cable all you can do is try to fish it. since its on a hook and loop. when you first un bolt it pull on it if it feels like it has a little tension then it's installed. The detent is always set with you pulling the throttle to wot w/ the car off then pulling up on the cable to set it. It's been a while since i did one but it's in most manuals how to do it .

matt69olds

If the cable is missing from the trans, you will need to remove the oil pan and reinstall the detent lever and link. All the detent cable does is downshift the trans when flooring the throttle. Go to a transmission shop and ask if the have extra parts sitting around, if not pm me. I'm pretty sure I have some.

As far as the hard shifts, if it bothers you the spacer plate will need to be replaced. The spacer plate fits between the transmission case and the valve body. Either order a OEM replacement or get another shift kit and install it with the towing or RV calibration. It will still have a firm upshift but wont have the bang-screech from the tires.

coppercutlass

I'm pretty sure I installed the detent cable on my dad's th350 with out having to drop the pan. Its a hook and look deal you just gotta fish it right.

Tony72Cutlass'S'

Gentlemen,

So the cable was indeed connected to the trans. I unbolted the 7/16 bolt and the cable would pull out about an inch then snap back into the transmission.

I went back into the cockpit and the cable on the pedal was still in fully extended positio. What does that mean?? Is my cable broken on the inside??

coppercutlass

The throttle return spring might be returning the pedal. This might be a 2 man job.

Octania

You may try to fit a hex key into the vacuum nipple of the modulator, and see if there's an adjustment screw in there. If so, you can probably get more gentle shifts by adjusting it. I used one of them yrs ago, and turned it inwards a turn at a time until it was too harsh, then back out 1/2 turn at a time until it was acceptable.

Tony72Cutlass'S'

I think the best thing is if i go downstairs and take a picture, i might not be describing this properly.

In the case of a bad detent cable, where can i get one? I know they make repops but i remember a couple guys complaining that they're not the same as the original?

Tony72Cutlass'S'

Gentlemen,

Here is a picture of my problem. As you can see, the detent cable is fully extended, and no matter how hard i try, it won't retract into the housing.

On the transmission side however. WHen i pull out the detent cable housing, i can see it's connected into the transmission, and it has spring resistance.

coppercutlass

You could just run a chevy style that goes to the carb they are more common and you can get a bracket off a mid to late 70's olds engine.

bdub217

would making the cable shorter? by say that inch you can get by pulling on it and re cap it so it cant slip through the eye-let....

MDchanic

The question is, if you pull on the protruding end of that cable above the gas pedal, do you get the same movement, and feel the same spring pressure, that you get when pulling the cable from right at the transmission?

If not, then perhaps the cable is frozen inside the sheath. If so, then removing it, and diligent application of penetrating oil and force may free it, followed by application of cable grease and reassembly.

- Eric

Tony72Cutlass'S'

I can't pull the cable at all inside the car..

I don't feel the same spring pressure that i did when I removed the fitting on the transmission. I can't even push it in or out.

The funny thing, when I removed the transmission side fitting, I didn't see an eyelet or hook, just a cable/wire.

Tony72Cutlass'S'

I already have a bracket on my edelbrock 1405 carb that has the attachment for a 'kickdown cable'.

I guess that'll be my last resort, If I can't get this cable to work.

Anyone have a part number as backup?

MDchanic

I hate to say this, Tony, but it looks to me like you're going to have to drop the pan, confirm proper action of the internal lever, release the cable, free it up, then reinstall it.

Get a pretty big pan, because no matter how carefully you try to dump the fluid from one corner, it'll end up sloshing from everywhere at once, soak you, and get all over.

MAW change the filter and gasket while you're there.

- Eric

Tony72Cutlass'S'

Already have the filter and gasket set. Been meaning to MAW that eventually anyway

Just saying, MAW is pretty much a verb now in my language.

I've never changed a transmission pan or oil. Do i just loosen the pan on one side and the oil drips out slowly? That's kind of what i did with the rear differential cover. Except it ended covering me with oil anyway...

MDchanic

To elaborate (unnecessarily):

What probably happened is that moisture got into the cable (along with rock salt and grit), got very well settled over time, but remained free because of constant movement, then the car was left to sit for a period of time, the crud in the cable solidified, and the next time it was driven, it was loose enough to pull out with a good push of the pedal, but too tight for the spring to pull it back.

If you give it a good soak in penetrating oil and lube it up well with a spray-type cable grease, it should work fine.

- Eric

MDchanic

Ha ha.

Yeah. Right.

You loosen the bolts, with one side looser than the others so it will pour out there, after a while a tiny bit begins to drip out. You pry the pan a little to get it open more, and a tiny bit more drips out. You loosen the bolts a bit more, but nothing changes. You loosen them more, the pan suddenly falls, oil pours out from all four sides at once, soaking you, your hair, your clothes, and the floor.
Then you get to lie in the puddle (or a pile of OilSorb) for the rest of the time you work on it.

So, yeah, it basically happens like you said.

- Eric

Tony72Cutlass'S'

Why didnt oldsmobile put a transmission oil drain plug? I have one of those in my sentra. Makes the oil change easy as 1-2-3.

tru-blue 442

They are out there, but kinda hard to find.
Most of the ones I have seen are on the turbo 350's.
Mid to late 70's Chevy trucks.

matt69olds

Tony72Cutlass'S'

Also,

I noticed in the 1973 Cutlass manual that the downshift cable ALSO attaches to the pedal. If my cable has a bad problem then this one is 13$ on rockauto.

Does anyone know if the 1973 cutlass cable is adaptable to 1972?

Tony72Cutlass'S'

SO,

By replacing my Dentent Cable with the proper one from autozone (13$). My car shifts great, MUCH better than before.

I'm running into another issue, well, i dunno if it's an issue, but here it is.

Around 58-60MPH, the car feels great, not a sound or vibration.

65MPH, i feel a resonant vibration coming from the floor. kind of like something is out of balance.

So i pulled over, and figured "Maybe its my transmission mount?", sure enough, if i push really hard, i seem to be able to easily push my transmission back and forth about 1/8''.

Does this mean the tranny mount is bad? If so, what kind of a job is it to replace it?

Thanks!

ah64pilot

Tony it's really easy! Put a jack under the tran pan with a block of wood on it (so the jack pad won't dent it) and just jack it up enough to get the pressure off the trans mount.

Remove 4 bolts, remove mount...I suggest replacing it with the Energy suspension polyurethane trans mount. It will last a lot longer and comes with all of the correct hardware. Installation is reverse of removal.

P.S. If you wanna fix that "chirp" you hear when shifting 2nd gear I can help you find a nice 455! It'll turn your "chirp" into a "wooharrhhhrrarhrhhrrraaarrrhhhhrrr"

Tony72Cutlass'S'

That sure sounds like a heck of an adventure! Are there lots of 455's available down in your area?? Slim to none that are good and running up here..

I'm actually on my way to the Ontario meet right now.

I have a question, when I look underneath, all I see is two bolts under the transmission crossmember?? Do you have a link to that kit? Maybe amazon.com has it?

Tony72Cutlass'S'

Hello Gentlemen,

So, i know i'm bringing back an old thread, but i thought i'd mention my progress.

Last night i replaced the motor mounts (P/N 2261) from Anchor, they fit PERFECTLY. literally slid it when i had the engine jacked up from the oil pan.



I've replaced and pressed in new CV joints in my driveshaft.

My car STILL makes a light "klunk" from first to second, unless i'm really heavy on the gas, then it shifts smoother. But, i notice the klunk ALOT less since i changed the motor mounts.

From second to third, she shifts almost perfectly.

Could this be attributed to a shift kit the previous owner installed "Hurst stage I" or something of the sort.

coppercutlass

Probably from the shift kit. Check your trans mounts. I have a hard hitting shift kit on mine. And all my mounts are junk pretty much but no clunks

Tony72Cutlass'S'

I do actually have a spare transmission mount ready to install.

Only problem is... i think i might have to move the crossmemeber to get at it... does that make sence?

WHen i jacked up the rear of the transmission, i could barely fit my hand in there

I also ordered one of these modulatiors. I figured maybe it would help?

coppercutlass

The modulator adjust the 1 to 2 shift if I remember right it just times it earlier or later. I car used to shift at 15 mph roughly from1 to 2 then I got the stall converter and I had to move the shift point higher.

oldcutlass

The modulator can change the shift point around 5 mph by adjusting the screw inside the port. Turning clockwise makes it shift at a higher speed. I think you can go 10 turns total.

Tony72Cutlass'S'

There's a screw inside? Like, allan key screw?

I'm getting a new fram modulator in the mail next week, i wonder how they're preset from the factory.

coppercutlass

Some have a small philips some have an allen but mine has a small slotted screw. I would go max in and back 5 turns. For a base line.