Shift Cable Information
Posted: Sat Feb 20, 2010 2:39 pm
This thread is just a place to compile information about shift cables. There are many rumors about them, and many issues with them.
The cables changed in length, bracketry, etc over the years. However, they are still compatible with all berettas, with the exception of the shifter pin size. Either in 91 or 92 GM changed the size of the pin on the shifter.
Here is a picture of a small pin shifter.
The cable just slides over the pin, and a little plastic lip fits in the groove. Very simple.
The cables mount to the transmission in the same fashion. There is a bolt with a square shoulder on it, and a pin just like the shifter pin. There is nowhere to put a wrench, so the square stops the pin from turning.
Here is a picture of the trans levers. You can see the square
Here is the bolt/pin im talking about. Its stuck in the cable. When the bushings get old its easier to unbolt the whole thing then it is to pry the cable off.
Now well talk about how the cable housings attach to the tranny and shifter.
Heres a picture. Just a round ring that a bracket clamps over.
Heres the "T" piece that clamps it. These commonly crack.
The housing mounts to the shifter base very simpally. You just push it in and put the clip on. No pics
**These things never changed from 87-96**
Now we will get into the more confusing part. Gm used 3 different style cable ends. There is no logic to this because I have seen cables in pretty much every combination of ends...
1. Came on early berettas, 87-90, maybe even 91. This is the strongest end available, its all 1 piece steel, minus the plastic bushing/clip.
2. Came on all years of berettas. *Usually* it is only on the shifter side, however, my 88 cables have it on both ends. This design is alright, I have not had one fail on me.
3. Came on later berettas. It uses a bigger pin, so its not compatible with end 1 and 2. These suck. The bushing tears easily, so the shifter becomes very sloppy. They are also fully plastic and can crack once the bushing takes a dump.
1&2 both fit on the same pin. You can see in the pic that the pin is bigger on the 3 end.
I am unsure if the 3 pin is bigger on the trans side or not, but generally the pin stays with the cable.
-Random cable cross referencing I came up with exploring a junkyard.
Izuzu shifter and cables appear to be the same as the getrag stuff. *** Not true (8/8/11)
The 2.4 GAGT 5-speed has a different shifter and cables, However, the cables mount the same under the hood. So you can use a 2.4 GAGT shifter and cables in a beretta as well.
The eco saturn ion has a very different shift cable setup. Lots of plastic and stuff.
Messed with a 3rd gen cavi. Forget what motor it had, but those cables were very different too.
Most imports have very similar cables to other imports. Honda F/H series motors, DSM 420a and 4g63 seem similar too. I beleive celica as well. The cables are just like ours, however the part that clamps into the trans is smaller and uses a clip like ours do up at the shifter. They generally have big round ends with big rubber bushings.
The cables changed in length, bracketry, etc over the years. However, they are still compatible with all berettas, with the exception of the shifter pin size. Either in 91 or 92 GM changed the size of the pin on the shifter.
Here is a picture of a small pin shifter.
The cable just slides over the pin, and a little plastic lip fits in the groove. Very simple.
The cables mount to the transmission in the same fashion. There is a bolt with a square shoulder on it, and a pin just like the shifter pin. There is nowhere to put a wrench, so the square stops the pin from turning.
Here is a picture of the trans levers. You can see the square
Here is the bolt/pin im talking about. Its stuck in the cable. When the bushings get old its easier to unbolt the whole thing then it is to pry the cable off.
Now well talk about how the cable housings attach to the tranny and shifter.
Heres a picture. Just a round ring that a bracket clamps over.
Heres the "T" piece that clamps it. These commonly crack.
The housing mounts to the shifter base very simpally. You just push it in and put the clip on. No pics
**These things never changed from 87-96**
Now we will get into the more confusing part. Gm used 3 different style cable ends. There is no logic to this because I have seen cables in pretty much every combination of ends...
1. Came on early berettas, 87-90, maybe even 91. This is the strongest end available, its all 1 piece steel, minus the plastic bushing/clip.
2. Came on all years of berettas. *Usually* it is only on the shifter side, however, my 88 cables have it on both ends. This design is alright, I have not had one fail on me.
3. Came on later berettas. It uses a bigger pin, so its not compatible with end 1 and 2. These suck. The bushing tears easily, so the shifter becomes very sloppy. They are also fully plastic and can crack once the bushing takes a dump.
1&2 both fit on the same pin. You can see in the pic that the pin is bigger on the 3 end.
I am unsure if the 3 pin is bigger on the trans side or not, but generally the pin stays with the cable.
-Random cable cross referencing I came up with exploring a junkyard.
Izuzu shifter and cables appear to be the same as the getrag stuff. *** Not true (8/8/11)
The 2.4 GAGT 5-speed has a different shifter and cables, However, the cables mount the same under the hood. So you can use a 2.4 GAGT shifter and cables in a beretta as well.
The eco saturn ion has a very different shift cable setup. Lots of plastic and stuff.
Messed with a 3rd gen cavi. Forget what motor it had, but those cables were very different too.
Most imports have very similar cables to other imports. Honda F/H series motors, DSM 420a and 4g63 seem similar too. I beleive celica as well. The cables are just like ours, however the part that clamps into the trans is smaller and uses a clip like ours do up at the shifter. They generally have big round ends with big rubber bushings.