Shifter Cable Crunch?

[85_Ranger4x4]

Do they compress/change over time?

I have a B&M Unimatic on my C4/5. I have noticed for awhile that it makes a weird pop noise changing from reverse to forward and vice versa once in awhile. I have been going thru everything, shift linkage was tight, wheels are tight, spring bolts are tight, driveshaft and u joints are tight... been driving me nuts. Last weekend I was driving home and it buzzed a bit... I know what that is.

So last night I popped the cable off the shift linkage on the trans. Checked the lever on the shaft, it is still pretty much centered so it hasn't moved. The peg on cable that goes into the lever was short 1/4" off from going back in then. I readjusted the cable so it easily slips in and out of the hole on the lever but I am perplexed what changed...

It was getting dark and raining so I haven't tried driving it again yet.

I have had this shifter since 2011 and haven't touched it since I had the trans out in 2012...

http://files.dpbrands.com/bm/instructions/80775.pdf

 

[Transman304]

Make sure you have enough groundstraps on the vehicle. General Motors had a huge problem with shifter cables in the F body cars in the early 80s due to this. The cables would fray on the inside of the shielding from being a ground strap from chassis to body. Just a thought. Keep us posted as to what you find out.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

That is interesting...

It seems solid though, I tried to pull and push checking for slop at the shifter up above the trans (that you can't see) and I couldn't get anything to move. If it was weak that way I think it would have shown.

I added a big ground going from the inner fender to the engine block when I did the swap, before that it only had a little wimpy 12ga wire (that I didn't know until I started going culling unneeded wiring)

I just got an EVTM last week, I might go back thru it and see where all there is supposed to be grounds.