71 Duster street machine, 340/W2 with TTi 1 7/8 step headers with full exhasut, 904, Summit deep pan with thick flange, B+M Pro Ratchet shifter with 5 foot cable, mini starter.

Shifter was originally installed when the car had a bench seat but that was removed recently for buckets. During seat mockup, the shifter got moved farther back on the tunnel because it was more comfortable with the new seat position, thus altering the effective length of the cable. It was initially looped around the starter and was tied to the trans support brackets. It seemed to be OK there, not burned or anything. The hole in the tunnel where the cable goes through the floor is pretty far up towards the firewall.

But now since it's moved back a little, there is not enough length to loop it around the starter anymore - it basically sits right between where the headers and starter is and right on the header tube. Not good.

Clearly I could drill another hole and move the point where the cable goes through the floor but that doesn't really solve the problem of the extra length.

Before I start messing with it, I wanted to see if anyone had success with a 3 foot cable? Seems to me the shorter one could seem to solve the issue of all the extra length and where to put it so it doesn't melt or bind. The threaded boss where the kick down linkage used to bolt to looks like a perfect place for a clamp.

I have read through several posts on here about these cables, seems like a common problem with routing. I didn't see if anyone solved the issue with the shorter cable though. Just for reference, I have a big ground strap on the passenger side and heat shielding.

Thanks for any input.

- Greg

Take your cable off and measure it, then get one that is a next size longer to fit your needs, I think they come in 3,4,5 foot lengths, I had run into this problem when I first installed mine and just bought a longer cable to fit.

I had one melt while using the car on the street!
Luckily my 12 year old son was with me, he held the brake while I crawled under the running car and manually shifted into 2nd. Then we drove home

I thought the b&m shifter cables attached to trans from the front, so you had to go towards engine then loop (the longer the better)around to tranny. i went with turbo/action because cable attached from the rear

Route around the passenger side around the pan looping under the bell housing. I have a dei reflective heat shield on mine and have it strapped to the pan bolts.

OK, thanks for the replies. I might go out and fight with it to see what I can come up with.

Still wondering though if anyone has used the 3 foot cable with success?

When I replaced mine I used a longer one and ran it inside a product I got at Fittings, Inc. in Seattle. It was called FireSleeve and it was a heat resistant insulated sleeve that is used in industry. The B&M QuickClic (?) shifter I used then has long been obsolete (no reverse lockout) but as I remember the cable came to the trans from the front and therefore the cable was exposed to the headers. The shifter I am using on the new project works from the rear and does not attach to the pan bolts.

I had issues on a few A-bodies in my younger years burning up B&M shift cables. I actually found that going to the 6ft cable instead of the 5ft cable let me route the cable anywhere I needed and prevented binding better then the shorter cables.

Just my 2 cents.

I did too, but I ran mine through a 5/8 heater hose that was 10 years ago--- I forgot about that. It works!! Still working!!

So I guess the consensus is to stay with the 5 foot or get a longer one?

If its looped around the bell from the pass. side clearly a longer one would be good. Guess I just wasn't sure if the 5 foot would be long enough to do it that way.

But based on what barracuda7199 said in his reply it seems to work with the 5 foot cable.

I run the 3' cable on my Satellite . melted several 5' cables and even a 4' one . I now also use a aluminium waffle type heat shield between the headers and cable . haven't had an issue since, maybe 3 years . I still carry a spare in the boot all the time . Mine is a daily driver / racer

Tex

So I was able to make the 5 foot cable work.

I drilled a new hole farther back on the trans tunnel so the cable was closer to the shifter. It goes towards the passenger side and loops back around the bell to the driver's side. Seems to work OK, possibly better than before since it has a more gentle loop now.

I wrapped it with heat shield tape where it gets near the exhaust but its no closer than it was before it was moved and it never burned.

Thanks for all the replies, glad I didn't spend the coin on a new cable.

Glad you were able to get it worked out. That's the best way I have found to route the cable in my experience.