In my 87 5-speed it took both hands to shift into first and reverse. Researching the problem I found out it is the select cable and the problem is the way it hooks up to the transmission Fork. Seems that water's able to go down the inside of the cable and it gets stiff. Well I wasn't ready to put on a new cable so I started to squirt the end of the cable with WD-40 every chance I got. After a month and a half of this and I have no problem whatsoever with any of the gears. In fact it shifts better than my 6-speed Corvette. Just an idea for anybody that is just as cheap as me.


Bob

It's possible that this is just a short term solution.

It's been posted here many times (probably by The Ogre among others) that trying to lubricate these cables will eventually cause them to break down internally.

How long ago was it that you first began squirting WD-40 into this cable? (By the way WD-40 isn't a lubricant, but it is supposed to displace water.)

About a month-and-a-half ago

Yes, I suspected that it probably hadn't been that long. But hey, it's definitely worthwhile trying if the cable is already giving you problems. Just don't be caught by surprise if it gets to the point where more WD-40 (or something else) squirted into the cable doesn't continue to rectify the stiffness. The select cable in my Formula is the same way. Rather poor design!

On a previous car (Saturn S-series sedan) I had problems with the parking brake cables sticking in winter.

I ended up forcing WD-40 through the cables once per year, before winter. It worked for at least 5 years or so...

********************************************************************************

On my current Fiero, the select (or was it shift) cable started sticking. I do not blame the cables, I would instead suspect my custom exhaust pipes submitting the then new Rodney Dickman cables to too much heat.

I dripped motor oil into the end of the offending cable, and the problem has been solved for the last two driving seasons

********************************************************************************

My experience is that oil does not spell instant death for cables.

********************************************************************************

I think that cables are often PTFE (Teflon) lined, so oil should not attack them. However, I am not sure if the lining is always PTFE.

If oil is not used in production, I would suspect that it is considered not usually necessary, and the oil wouldn't last long enough for a production car.

I actually have work colleagues (in a different division) who focus on cables, but I am not chummy enough with them to ask these questions for no reason.

[This message has been edited by pmbrunelle (edited 12-21-2021).]