Edit: forgot to mention this is an 88 gt 5speed.

Hey everybody, I've got a bit of a problem here. I am in college and my fiero is my only source of transportation. The select cable is currently LOCKED IN PLACE. The select cable was really sticky when I bought this fiero. It took a good bit of force to move it side to side, like there was a bunch of friction in the cable itself. It would not return to center position on its own. It was pretty terrible, so I removed the cables and entire shifter from the old wrecked formula I had. (had a short shifter). I replaced everything and it fixed the problem. shifts were smooth and shifter would return to its central position on its own.

this fixed the problem for a few weeks, then all of a sudden one day the select cable got sticky again. after driving for a bit it fixed itself and everything was back to normal. I thought that was odd. several days later it did it again but this time stayed for a couple drives. then all of a sudden it loosened up on the 1-4 side but shifts into and out of reverse and 5th were still sticky on the select cable. Even weirder.

I have been driving like this, with 5th and reverse "dragging" the select cable, for several days now. All of a sudden today, when I got in my car from at the store, the select cable was ABSOLUTELY LOCKED. All i could do is shift from 1-2 and 2-1. I drove back home slowly like this, and after 10 minutes of driving in 2nd, it finally went back to the way it was (select cable sticky for 5 and reverse only) and was able to return home like normal. When I got home, I went to check it out and the select cable was 100% STUCK AGAIN after parking in 1st. (I always do). I disconnected the select cable at both the transmission and the shifter. even completely disconnected i cant get the cable to budge. the shifter and transmission both move smoothly and freely as they are supposed to once the select cable is disconnected.

The previous owner said he had replaced the select cable himself because it wasnt able to get into 1st. The cables I had from the formula were in perfectly fine shape and had no issues with them ever in the formula. This leads me to believe something is ruining the select cables, or they are getting very kinked.

What is the proper route for both the select and shift cables? Is it bad for them to be up against the exhaust or even a coolant pipe? Mine is currently touching a coolant pipe but there is heat sheathing on the cable here.... I know that the select cable being pointed upwards on the transmission side allows water and dirt to slide down it, but it seems like I would have experienced a problem in the formula if that was it. It has only been in this fiero for a short time.

Any help is appreciated! Im going to order new cables from rodney dickman, but would like to be able to drive in the mean time since I have class everyday.

[This message has been edited by guitarfreak235 (edited 09-01-2016).]

quote Originally posted by guitarfreak235: What is the proper route for both the select and shift cables? Is it bad for them to be up against the exhaust...

What do you think? You sure as heck don't want them touching anything to do with the exhaust.

The updated Getrag shift/select cable routing diagram gets posted here about once a month. Shouldn't be hard to find if no one eventually posts it in this thread.

[This message has been edited by Patrick (edited 09-01-2016).]

quote Originally posted by Patrick: What do you think? You sure as heck don't want them touching anything to do with the exhaust. The updated '88 routing diagram gets posted here about once a month. Shouldn't be hard to find if no one eventually posts it in this thread.

Yeah I kinda figured the exhaust part was a no brainer I was meaning more along the lines of the coolant tube

The select cable in my '88 Formula is stiff as well, but I believe it has more to do with water over the years getting into the end that sticks straight up. But yes, it's important that the cables are routed correctly.

ok so i've been messing with it and finally got the select cable to break free with it attached to the shifter and not the tranny. Once it broke free it loosened up a ton and felt like it was slipping like normal. with it like this I sprayed the cable with wd40 and moved it back and forth.

Once I went to reattach the select cable to the transmission, I noticed that the socket that snaps onto the ball was facing the opposite direction from the ball. I think the cable was twisted this whole time. I twisted it 180 degrees and attatched it to the transmission. With it attached the select cable was giving resistance again. I went to the shifter side of the cable and spun it likewise 180 degrees to hopefully relieve the binding.

This leads me to my next question. Can the cable spin freely within its outer casing? If so my method of flipping both ends should be ok right?

If the cable CANNOT spin within its casing, then would this mean I probably have the whole thing twisted at its mounting points, and should adjust there?

I think the cable itself is fine because it gave very little resistance once it broke free and wasn't connected on the tranny end. This leads me to believe it is somehow kinked or twisted. I'm going to replace the cables with rodney dickman ones at some point in the future, but dont really have the time or extra cash to do so now if I don't need to.

HEY! someone like me!

Just got a fiero and have same problem. AFAIK its been sitting since 2007 under a tree.

Select cable doesn't move, only can go 1-N-2.

quote Originally posted by Elektrey: HEY! someone like me! Just got a fiero and have same problem. AFAIK its been sitting since 2007 under a tree. Select cable doesn't move, only can go 1-N-2.

probably need new cables... after sitting i bet theres junk inside the cable.

quote Originally posted by guitarfreak235: This leads me to my next question. Can the cable spin freely within its outer casing? If so my method of flipping both ends should be ok right?

Yes, if both ends are free, the inner cable should spin. I would try flipping the end at the shifter.

Here is the proper routing:

Fieroguru, I don't know if I've ever seen the top half of that whole image previously. Why does it say "scrap" in regards to that select cable hook attached to the firewall? Is that a description or a command? I assume it means to get rid of it. I don't recall even seeing that particular hook on my Formula. There's another hook which is attached to my engine, but I don't use that one either.

That hook was supposed to be removed and tossed (scrapped) as part of this TSB:
http://www.meisners.net/Fiero/TSB/TSB88726.htm

I lost 5th and reverse in my Formula last week at 31,500 kilometers or 19,500 miles. The pic below shows the inner select cable broke where the outer housing was bent.
The cable was bent from the strain of being pulled up over the hook just below the deck lid hinge as show above in Fieroguru's post.
It's been an indoor car since new; caught in light rain twice and washed a few times a year at most and shows no rust, so it wasn't a corrosion related break.

I replaced it with a beautifully made Rodney Dickman cable which came with instructions for re-routing the cable to reduce the bending strain.

As noted on the TSB posted by Fieroguru above, the replacement is to be routed behind the exhaust heat shield, which results in a more gradual curve to the cable.

I suspect that even now, fewer cables would fail if they were removed from the hook and could relax behind the heat shield in a much lower position.

[This message has been edited by David Hambleton (edited 09-02-2016).]

http://rodneydickman.com/ca...07e72fd77904e71a59a4

ok well it looks like the previous owner had it routed wrong. it was wedged between the clutch line and the coolant pipe. also the heat shield was in the wrong spot. got it fixed now but looks like the cable melted a bit. theres still a bit of drag so im thinking that was it. time for new cables.

is it ok for the cable to rest atop the coolant pipe with the heat shield over it? i cant seem to keep it from slightly touching.