How Stiff/smooth Should the Crossgate Cable be?

[vwdmc16]

Rebuilding my shifter and linkage to improve the way my car shifts, I have both ends of the cable disconnected but it is still mounted in vehicle and it is extremely difficult to push forward and back. I'm thinking about removing it flushing it out and relubricating it with something like bicycle brake cable lube. I'm hoping to not have to buy a new one as those are about $120 now. Shouldn't the cable move freely?

[Drive Stainless]

It should move easily, but it is on the stiff side, even when new.

[Gregadeth]

I changed all my shifter bushings and sleeves, and even removed and lubricated the shifter mechanism. The forward/back motion still feels clunky.

[Bitsyncmaster]

I changed all my shifter bushings and sleeves, and even removed and lubricated the shifter mechanism. The forward/back motion still feels clunky.

I think the cable controls the side to side movement ant the forward to back is a push rods.

[vwdmc16]

Thats right, cable is only the side to side movement.

Ive removed it from my car and after cleaning and forcing lube inside the cable, it has gotten no better. It takes about 80lbs of force yo make it budge even with the cable straightened out. These must be very rough old designs? I'm thinking it might be worth the money and search to have a modern teflon lined cable made.

[Drive Stainless]

Thats right, cable is only the side to side movement.

Ive removed it from my car and after cleaning and forcing lube inside the cable, it has gotten no better. It takes about 80lbs of force yo make it budge even with the cable straightened out. These must be very rough old designs? I'm thinking it might be worth the money and search to have a modern teflon lined cable made.

This business is popular with the kit-car crowd for custom shift-cables:
https://www.cccables.com/

[vwdmc16]

Nice ill give them a call Monday.

[David T]

Nice ill give them a call Monday.

One way that cable goes bad is if you lose the ground strap from the motor to the frame. The current for the starting motor then tries to go through the cable, melting the insides. After replacing the cable make sure you have a good ground strap. Usually happens if the motor is removed and then replaced and you forget the ground strap.

[vwdmc16]

That's a valid possibility. This is the original cable as far as I know too, the car live most of its life getting rusty in New England so i really doubt the inside of that cable is nice anymore.


Anyone have a cable that is known good and can measure the resistance?

[vwdmc16]

I called DMCMW and they grabbed a new cable off the shelf and tested it right on the phone. Very little resistance in a new cable. For $122 its not worth trying to have a custom modern cable made up if a new original is that smooth. Ill pump some fresh grease into it as I bet the original is hardened up.