Question on Shifter/Shifter Cable

[Fortrex]

My 85 monte SS has a 350 and 700r4 in it. I am unsure of how the cables were hooked up or anything when the motor/trans were swapped. Today I pulled up somewhere and went to put it in park(floor shifter), the plastic T handle snapped off and broke into multiple pieces. I managed to remove the console and everything and the cable coming from the floor shifter was broken. I was stuck and unable to shift, so I popped the pin off and unhooked the cable off the floor shifter. I've been shifting the car by grasping the steering column near the dash and rotating that to select my gear(park, reverse, drive, etc.)

So now my question is this: how exactly are the cables set up? Does the cable coming from the floor shifter simply go in behind the dash to the steering column, then a cable goes from the column down to the transmission? I am wondering what cable it is that I need to order.

Also, is shifting it by rotating the column hurting anything?

 

[L.A.X-RATED]

the shift cable runs from the shifer,through a grommet hole in the trans tunnel,and down to the "trans shifter bracket" ,which is located on the driver side trans pan which is attached to the first 2 pan bolts.the po propably had a 350 trans cable,instead of the correct 2004r/700r4 cable i have a complete stock 2004r/700r4 shifter assembly from a 86 SS(shifter,handle,cable,and all mounting hardware)in great cond if interested pm me.you can get by with shifting from the bowl as you are now,it wont damage your column,but that would just drive me nuts!!!

 

[Fortrex]

So the correct cable would have been the original 2004r trans cable?

And I'm guessing there's a cable that goes from the trans shifter bracket up to the steering column which is why I'm able to shift the trans by rotating the steering column?

I suppose I could just weld a steel rod onto the steering column as a redneck column shift :lol:

 

[xitabl442]

So the correct cable would have been the original 2004r trans cable? Yes

And I'm guessing there's a cable that goes from the trans shifter bracket up to the steering column which is why I'm able to shift the trans by rotating the steering column? It's actually a rod that connects the column to the trans

I suppose I could just weld a steel rod onto the steering column as a redneck column shift :lol: That part is cast pot metal so I suggest a pair of oil filter wrenches to do both directions : :wink:

 

[Longroof79]

This is the part (or lever) that's attached to the shift selector shaft http://dixiemontecarlo.com/Product/Deta ... d=1087&p=1 The rod attaches from this lever up to the lever on the steering column.
It's pretty straight forward. Make sure all your bushing are in good shape and present.

Shifting it from the column bowl could get old really fast. :?

 

[Fortrex]

Does anyone happen to know the length of the floor shifter cable?

 

[Longroof79]

The shift cables vary between 27"-31" according to Rockauto's listing http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/x,carco ... ttype,8528