Speaking of Transmission Shifter cables......

[Lt46]

Hi guys,
Over the past few weeks I've noticed that I'm finding it more difficult to shift into park. While the dash PRND21 indicator shows me in Park, I am not, the motorhome will roll when I remove pressure from the brake pedal. I've also noticed the dash indicator will be off target when I'm in any other shifter position.
Snooping around the steering column I've found a plastic bolt like device with a wheel threaded on to it. Turning this wheel moves the orange, dash shifter indicator needle left or right. Does anyone have any experience with making any adjustment to this? I'm wondering if I need to be in "park" or in "neutral" the effect the proper adjustment?
Also wondering if this "out of whack" shift indicator is part of my problem of not finding "park"? Does anyone have an opinion if this symptom indicates a failing transmission cable, or a failure to lube/grease something,somewhere? Is there an adjustment to the transmission cable I need to make?
Any help, comments, opinions, experiences, manual procedures, pictures are all welcome before I get into this. Thanks.

[BFlinn181]

That adjustment knob aligns the orange needle, but doesn't adjust the shift cable to engage Park on the transmission. A stiffness in moving the shifter usually means a failing cable shifter or lube needed in the shift lever mechanism. If you do a Google search for 'Ford F53 shifter cable' you'll find that Ford most likely has stopped stocking this part. You will have to look for after market sources. You might try lubing the present cable and adjust the cable at the transmission to get it to engage Park properly. Make sure your wheels are blocked before starting.

[subford]

I dough the needle needs any adjustment.
Check the cable at each end.
At the column end there may be two screws that hold the bracket to the shift tube.
These screws may be loose if the column is like the F-series truck.
There is a bracket at the other end that holds the cable and it has gave some problems to other posters on this site.
I would dough that the cable is bad also.



/

[Lt46]

Excellent advice (as usual) from you guys. I am aware that this cable is obsolete so hopefully it is still salvageable. I do notice a very mushy feel between PRND21 in the shift lever. I'll attempt to lube anything that I can find that moves and check every mounting bolt/screw I can find. Fingers crossed and hoping I can resolve this. Thanks guys.

[Bibiloshem]

Has anyone lubed the shifter cable on the 5spd trans? Mine moves hard from park to drive.


Bibiloshem
2000 Pace Arrow 35n
F53 20'500#

[chboone]

As Subford posted your problem may be loose screws. I fixed a friends shifter on a F150, letters and indicator did not line up and had to push hard to get in park. The screws that hold the cable bracket on the steering column were loose. Tightened the screws everything worked fine after that.

[Old Bounder]

Originally Posted by Lt46

Excellent advice (as usual) from you guys. I am aware that this cable is obsolete so hopefully it is still salvageable. I do notice a very mushy feel between PRND21 in the shift lever. I'll attempt to lube anything that I can find that moves and check every mounting bolt/screw I can find. Fingers crossed and hoping I can resolve this. Thanks guys.

Having had this problem, on a '97 F53, Your symptoms certainly pont to a failing cable.

Some original cables are a stranded cable, and tends to start breaking strands inside the sheath. This just gets worse over time. Another cause is that some of us have replaced the old exhaust manifolds with headers, and did not provide sufficient heat shielding where the cable comes near the exhaust. The inner sheath of the cable is nylon, and tends to melt and seize the cable.

With that being said, here's the adjustment procedure.

Transmission Shift Control Cable Adjustment (F53- E40D)

1. From inside the vehicle, place the gearshift lever in the OVERDRIVE (D) position (E4OD). Hang a three-pound weight on the gearshift lever.
(I used two or three cans of beans in a bag)

2. Raise vehicle on a hoist and position suitable safety stands under vehicle.

3. Remove the shift cable from the transmission lever ball stud. (note #1 on photo) It just snaps off.

4. Pull down the lock tab on the shift cable body. (note #2 on photo)

5. Position the transmission lever in the OVERDRIVE position (E4OD). This is three detents from the front-most lever position with the first position counting as one. (this is the lever on the side of the transmission that has the little ball on it)

6. Reconnect the cable end fitting to the transmission lever ball stud.

7. Push up on the lock tab to lock the cable in the correctly adjusted position.

8. Remove safety stands and lower vehicle from hoist. Remove the three-pound weight from the gearshift lever. (put the beans back in the pantry before your wife misses them)

9. CAUTION: Under no circumstances should the cable be adjusted in any position other than (D) (OVERDRIVE) for the E4OD automatic transmission.

After making the adjustment, check for park engagement. Check the gearshift lever in all detent positions with the engine running to make sure of correct detent/transmission actions. Readjust if necessary.


I think the original of this photo may have come compliments of Bill subford.

[Bibiloshem]

Originally Posted by chboone

As Subford posted your problem may be loose screws. I fixed a friends shifter on a F150, letters and indicator did not line up and had to push hard to get in park. The screws that hold the cable bracket on the steering column were loose. Tightened the screws everything worked fine after that.

Thanks.


Bibiloshem
2000 Pace Arrow 35n
F53 20'500#

[Lt46]

Old Bounder, thanks for the adjustment procedure, I'll give it a try. I do not have any beans, will corn work? LOL. Thanks again.

[ajpaero]

Originally Posted by Lt46

Hi guys,
Over the past few weeks I've noticed that I'm finding it more difficult to shift into park. While the dash PRND21 indicator shows me in Park, I am not, the motorhome will roll when I remove pressure from the brake pedal. I've also noticed the dash indicator will be off target when I'm in any other shifter position.
Snooping around the steering column I've found a plastic bolt like device with a wheel threaded on to it. Turning this wheel moves the orange, dash shifter indicator needle left or right. Does anyone have any experience with making any adjustment to this? I'm wondering if I need to be in "park" or in "neutral" the effect the proper adjustment?
Also wondering if this "out of whack" shift indicator is part of my problem of not finding "park"? Does anyone have an opinion if this symptom indicates a failing transmission cable, or a failure to lube/grease something,somewhere? Is there an adjustment to the transmission cable I need to make?
Any help, comments, opinions, experiences, manual procedures, pictures are all welcome before I get into this. Thanks.

I had the same problem with the MH not going into Park. There's a guy in NC that makes duplicate cables. He sells on Ebay. He wants $189/cable. Installation time is 2 to 4 hours according to the transmission shop that just replaced my E4OD tranny. Here's a link to his ad.

Ford F53 F3TZ7E395B Shifter Cable Motor Home Chassis 1990 1996 118 inches Long | eBay

I figured that I could fix mine for a lot less and also less total labor.
I just repaired my shifter cable. Near the transmission, the cable runs through a bracket with Nylon grommets/strain reliefs. The cable sleeve moved thru the grommets affecting positive shift lever position. Also, the plastic piece holding the shift rod/cable had broken. At some time in its wicked past, someone zip-tied all of this together, but zip-ties stretch allowing the cable to move through the grommets.
I made 2 ea 3"x3/4" straps and cut notches to fit the cable diameters. I drilled 1/4" holes on both ends of the straps. I placed one strap over the forward end of the shifter cable and the other strap over the recess on the broken plastic piece to the trans. Using long 10-32 screws, washers and Nylock nuts, I drew the sides together to assure the cable sleeve would not move when shifting gears. I then safety wired the straps to the cables.
Transmission shift lever now has a positive shift into Park and it's a permanent $10 fix. Job done. I'll post a pic later if so desired.
a.j.

[ajpaero]

[Old Bounder]

Originally Posted by ajpaero

I had the same problem with the MH not going into Park. There's a guy in NC that makes duplicate cables. He sells on Ebay. He wants $189/cable. Installation time is 2 to 4 hours according to the transmission shop that just replaced my E4OD tranny. Here's a link to his ad.

Ford F53 F3TZ7E395B Shifter Cable Motor Home Chassis 1990 1996 118 inches Long | eBay
.

The problem with these cables is that it requires modifying (eliminating) the lower cable bracket by cutting off the clamping device and welding a large metal washer to the bracket to hold the cable in place. After the modification, it works fine. I know this because I've used this cable.

Another problem is that the actual manufacturer of these cables has gone out of business and if you ever need a replacement, you would have to replace the original lower bracket, in addition to the cable, if you wanted to return to original.

Bottom line, this is NOT a cable that the average user could install in an emergency situation. Who carries a cutter and welder on their trips?

[BFlinn181]

Originally Posted by Old Bounder

The problem with these cables is that it requires modifying (eliminating) the lower cable bracket by cutting off the clamping device and welding a large metal washer to the bracket to hold the cable in place. After the modification, it works fine. I know this because I've used this cable.

Another problem is that the actual manufacturer of these cables has gone out of business and if you ever need a replacement, you would have to replace the original lower bracket, in addition to the cable, if you wanted to return to original.

Bottom line, this is NOT a cable that the average user could install in an emergency situation. Who carries a cutter and welder on their trips?

A trip to a salvage yard to find a second bracket would be a start. Modify one for the cable, carry the other stock bracket if you ever need to install the unmodified cable.

[Old Bounder]

Originally Posted by BFlinn181

A trip to a salvage yard to find a second bracket would be a start. Modify one for the cable, carry the other stock bracket if you ever need to install the unmodified cable.

Finding a usable cable in a salvage yard may be as easy as finding a bracket. Actually, finding an RV salvage yard, and specifically, one with the needed part, may prove the hardest problem to solve.

Unfortunately these cables don't always break in one's own driveway, or near an RV salvage yard. Time and circumstances usually dictate the solution options. I simply wanted to alert folks that the referenced cable was not nirvana.

BTW - the cable in question is very specific to the year ('97) and only to the F53 motor home chassis. Thus, the use of the word 'rare'. The '90-'96 cable is a different length, those folks have the same problem.