IML: Push-button trans cable info - was exhaust pictures

[Kenyon Wills <imperialist1960@xxxxxxxxx>]

Graham,

Perhaps someone else will produce a photo, but keep in
mind that with the way that exhausts rot, most cars
are no longer sporting their original pipes, so that's
of limited importance.  You can re-route the cable if
it dangles or touches, or pull it up and fasten it out
of the way of the exhaust and get the same results.

That said, I would like to suggest that you take an
alternate path on this.

First of all, jack the car up and put a jack-stand or
two under there so that you can get under the car
behind the front wheel, DS and be roughly under the
spot where your heel goes on the floor of the car.

There are two large cables that go into the
transmission, and the one that goes into the thick,
meaty, forward part of the trans is the shift cable. 

The one to the rear is the speedo cable (disregard
this one).


You can look under there for yourself and see if there
is a problem.  


Keep in mind several things:

1.  There is a black plastic housing on the shift
cable that will melt.  It is more cosmetic and
waterproofing  than structural to the cable.  Re-seal
with electrical tape if this is a concern and you'll
be fine. 

2.  It covers the metal housing that contains the
METAL shift cable.  These parts generally don't melt
at exhaust temperatures, and I bet that there have
been plenty of push-button cars that have had the
cable riding on the exhaust for tens of thousands of
miles without a problem, but I don't know.  Sounds
like your mechanic is equally at a loss, and I don't
blame him, since he's probably NOT a PB TF Specialist.

3.  You can remove the cable from the trans yourself
(fluid will come out if you do, so have a pan ready)
and might even be able to flop it out or zip tie it to
the point where you could see it moving from a spot
where you could actuate the transmission selector from
within the car.  

When looking at it, if each button moves the cable
somewhat, you can presume that this is not your
problem.  If the cable does not move when R is
selected, but does for others, it might be the cable,
but could also be the PB mechanism in the dash - a
more likely suspect to me...

4.  It is possible to adjust where the cable lands
within the transmission.  Therefore it is possible to
have a mal-adjusted cable, but that usually results in
failure to engage the Neutral Safety Switch that
prevents the starter from operating when the
transmission is anywhere but in N.  The result of that
would be a car that refuses to allow it's starter to
operate, not an absence of reverse.

Absence of reverse could also be a failed
transmission, as well.


BEFORE you spend money or even time anywhere else, I
highly reccommend a trip through this 16 page book. 
It may give you the understanding that you need to
diagnose/troubleshoot this problem?

That's "Tech" on the cover.  Look at the "daisy wheel"
that his knee is pointing at where the cable enters
the trans?  That's what you want to be going after. 
You may want to wipe the area down with degreaser so
that you can see what you're doing first?  Check out
page 11-14, although you really should be patient and
read the whole thing.  

Let us know how that goes?
http://imperialclub.com/Repair/Lit/Master/140/index.htm






--- Graham Quimby <ghquimby@xxxxxxx> wrote:

> Fellow Imperialists,
> 
> I had to replace the exhaust system on my Imperial
> and the shop must 
> have put it in the wrong place.  Whenever I drive my
> car for more than 
> 30 minutes, I cannot shift into reverse until the
> car cools down.  My 
> mechanic said it looks like my shifter cable has
> melted because the 
> exhaust is too close.  Does anyone have a picture of
> where the exhaust 
> is supposed to go around driverâ??s side near the
> transmission for a 62 
> Imperial (I would assume 61 and 63 would be
> similar), the FSM didnâ??t 
> have any good pictures.
> 
> Thanks,
> Graham Quimby
> 1962 Caramel 2dr Hardtop
> 
> 
> 
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Kenyon Wills
 
 






















       
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