SMHR

I was parking my C5. When I tried to shift the gear from Reverse to Drive, the lever suddenly became very light and the gear was locked in the neutral. I can not shift in any position though the lever can move at any position. can anyone guide what could have happened and how to repair ?

Jeff T.

Sounds like the gear shift cable broke.

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...o-replace.html

JR-01

...or the grommet.

c5dominic

Yep, thats what it sounds like... I had the exact same thing happen to me

jdbuddy

Happened to me too, but I was stuck in Park. Tow driver could not move it so he jacked up one side and zip tied the cable to the transmission arm. That got me to the shop.

GCG

Spunds like your shift cable bushings are gone and need to be replaced.

All you need is the kit. Use the white bushings (the orange ones are for Ford):

And shows you how to do it.

CatCam

The best post for this is here:

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...with-pics.html

03whiteConv did an excellent job here. I followed his directions and did it.

You can (with the e-brake on!) get your hand on the driver's side of your transmission and feel if it is the rear linkage that let loose as it will be "flopping in the breeze"!!

If it is still attached here it is inside under your shifter. CHANGE BOTH OUT!! If one has deteriorated the other is not far behind.

My rear one let loose. I have use of a drive on lift at the base close to my house.....so I rented the lift, and told the attendant I would be driving the Vette over but I could not shift! I had the wife put the E-brake on and hold her foot on the brake, and I reached under the back of the car on the left side of the transmission and with my hand shifted the car in park, Had her start the engine and then I clicked it 3 increments to Drive. We switched and took the E-brake off and drove it to the base, auto hobby shop on to the lift.

Repair took me about 30 min as the replacement grommet was real tight to "snap on" and you do have to use some force to pop it on. But Oh that beautiful sound when it pops on and you know it is done right. I did the front one in my carport a few weeks later -- it was much easier.

Good luck!!

cudaus1

Haven't had this problem yet, but I guess I will at some point. Are the replacement cables better that the originals?

Vanover

It's not the cable,it's the grommets. They get brittle and break. The new ones snap in the holes of the cable.

pjdbm

which is the correct kit number ? one thread says . and this one says

CatCam

If you replace the cable, you have to drop your exhaust and torque tube to install.....that's why we replace the nylon inserts!

GCG

Dorman 14057 is an exact replacement and includes 2 bushings to replace both ends of the cable at once (use the white ones, as the oranges are for Ford).

Dorman 14041 is an assortment, and only 1 of them is the right size. To do both ends of the cable you will need to buy 2 kits.

BRKLYN

Shifter cable very inexpensive part. But hard to do, I fed mine with a shoe string and it worked. I calls for a lot of disassembling underneath, but if you undo the console and have a lift available, it's a sinch. I got the shoe string info on this forum.
You know you can get underneath on driver side, feel for the shift cable in rear, put in gear by hand.
Mine broke on drive way, I started it, put e brake, reached underneath and put in drive, drive to the Chevy dealer I worked as a salesman, placed up on lift. Getterdone, good luck.

pjdbm

thank you for clearing this up!