The below installation procedures were pulled from
Mach V Motorsports then tailored a bit to use the basic tools I have in my garage. Here are Mach V's install instructions --->
Mach V Shifter Cable Bearing Install Help
Necessary Tools & Parts- Mach V Shifter Cable Stiffeners
- Pliers
- C-Clamp
- 19mm socket
- 21mm socket
- Small Piece of 800 grit
My shifter cables already had the basic single roller blade bearings installed in them when I did my 5-speed swap, I always thought shifting felt a bit sloppy though. I started doing some research and found that Mach V's cable stiffeners were actually two bearings tack welded together, keeping the sloppy feeling out of the shifter. You can see in the picture below how much free play there is using the standard roller blade bearing, improvement over stock but still too sloppy for my taste.
- The first step is kind of a catch all since everyone's car is a bit different, just pull whatever you need to so you can easily access the top of your transmission and shifter cables.
- Take your pliers and pull the clip holding the cables into the cable bracket, just get under the lip and pull straight up and they should slide right out.
- Pull the cotter pin(s) and slide the cables off the shifter assembly and pick the one you're going to work on first.
- This is where it can get tricky and patience is important, you don't want to break your shifter cables. Pull out the c-clamp and 21mm socket, then place the back of the socket up against the stationary side of the c-clamp and the shifter cable up against the open end of the socket, then tighten it up in the c-clamp. Pictures are worth a thousand words, hopefully that will clear up any confusion...
- Once everything's centered start snugging it up and press out the shifter cable bearing thats in there.
- Clean up the inside of the cable that houses the bearing with that 800 grit sand paper, don't go crazy or anything since you still want a snug fit.
- Now you need to press in the Mach V shifter cable bearings that are tack welded together. You'll do this by using the c-clamp and to start it and get it square, the 19mm socket.
*Once it gets pressed halfway in move to the next step.*
- Switch to the 21mm socket and finish pressing the bearing the rest of the way into the shifter cable. The reason you switch from the 19mm to the 21mm is because the I.D. of the 19mm socket won't clear the bearing as it gets pressed through the cable, if you don't make the switch you could crush the bearing.
Start at the top and do the same for the next shifter cable bearing and re-assemble the cables back into the cable bracket. Don't forget to re-install the cable clips that hold them securely into the bracket or the cotter pins!
Questions, comments, concerns shoot me a PM and smooth shifting.
