Originally posted by Big Jim:
I can shift it by hand very easily from under the hood with the cables disconnected (actually with the cables connected as well). I'm sure the forks are not binding.

Also, the cable didn't break. The rubber bushing in the cable end wore out and would no longer stay attached to the trans tower lever. All I need is the rubber bushing, but it is not available by itself and the cable end is also no longer available from Ford. On top of all that, the replacement cable is not as strong as the one that is in there now.

I though of trying to find a way to make some sort of bushing (rubber, plastic, or ?) but decided that it wouldn't be worth the trouble and would be too experimental.

Everything actually works pretty well with the cable held in place with a zip tie, but that is only temperary.


Haha! I'm sorry I didn't see this sooner. Mine failed in the exact manner as yours, entering highway going from 2nd to 3rd and got stuck in 2nd. Mine was also a bushing failure, I found bits of on the transmission.

I rigged mine by drilling out a large washer, running it through the lever and using a zip tie on the end. It actually held up very well! There was no bushing, only the plastic cable end around the lever, so there was a little more play.

I replaced the cable when I overhauled the transmission; the 3rd gear synchros were already going out when the bushing failed, and the new transmission had a different shift tower. I inspected it right before though; it was still fine, strong as ever.

I have a long history of shadetree repairs on appliances, electronics, cars, gadgetry. some weren't very pretty but I guarantee that they last.

E0 SVT, lightly modded