Inoperable Floor Shifter

[RustRocket]

Hello all, I have a strange problem with my 3-speed floor shifter. I recently un-bolted the steering column to replace the brake booster. I did not remove the column from the car, nor did I disconnect anything from the column, other than the column-shift linkage. I replaced the column and all components exactly as I had found them, and now my floor shifter does not work properly. I can go down in gears, from park to reverse, neutral, 3rd, 2nd, however it will not go down to 1st. Upon moving the shifter back up in gears, the transmission does not shift. I found that I had a snapped shifter cable, and I replaced the cable. The new cable made no difference, and the new cable snapped as well. I have honestly no idea what happened, and I'm wondering if anyone has had a similar problem or if anyone could help me out.
Another problem is that the shifter is way off when it was working, i.e. reverse is really in the large space between Park and where reverse should be. I have a crappy picture here:

Any and all help would be greatly appreciated

 

[pontiacgp]

sounds like you have done something to linkage that goes from the column to the transmission.

 

[RustRocket]

I disconnected and removed the column-trans linkage and the problem remains. When I move the linkage on the transmission itself with both ends of the cable disconnected, I cannot get the transmission into park or into 1st or 2nd. I now only have reverse, neutral, and 3rd as operating gears. On the transmission, I can move the linkage to what I assume is park, however it will not stay on it's own, and it immediately snaps back to reverse. The same is true for attempting to move from 3rd to 2nd. It goes into 2nd, then immediately snaps back to 3rd

 

[pontiacgp]

are you sure the cable is for a 3 speed and not a 4 speed

 

[RustRocket]

Yes, 3-speed shifter cable for 1982 Oldsmobile Cutlass 2-door 3.8/TH350, I am sure its the right cable

 

[pontiacgp]

do you have any pictures of the cable installed at the transmission and shifter

 

[theoldsone]

The shifter cable has nothing to do with the trans mission shifting through the gears. You MUST have it in drive. I did the same set up also. So, after you mounted the floor shifter properly to the floor and its in PARK with no cable conected to the shifter, under your hood on the steering column there's a rod thats connected to the column. That rod is connected to the trans. Disconnect it, crawl under your car, manualy put the trans in PARK. Once its in park get back out of the car and in your car turn your key(this unlocks you steering wheel). Under your hood move the small linkage that belongs to the column UP all the way up.(not the rod that goes to the trans) Now connect the rod and the link from the column. They should connect without moving the trans out of park. Now connect your cable to the shifter without moving it out of P. All this sould work if you never removed the linkage from the mount that goes body or the shifter its self. Hope this helps.

 

[RustRocket]

i will try, but the problem I'm having is that the transmission itself does not shift. With both the column rod and the cable completely disconnected, the transmission does not shift. Moving the actual linkage on the side of the transmission, It will only move between 3rd, neutral, and reverse. The transmission itself will not shift. It will not change to 2nd, 1st, or park, even with the cable and column shift rod completely removed from the car

 

[pontiacgp]

Then it's problem with the transmission which is probably why the original cable broke

 

[RustRocket]

Exactly, which makes me wonder even more, because the transmission was perfectly fine when I got the car