Resolved 1990 style shift cables adjustment

[sacrileger]

I have swapped 1990 1.8L 4g37 for 1992 4g63 including tranny KF5M222VPZ / PA9159. I left the 1990 shift cables in. Now when I shift there is not enough travel/throw to fully reach 1st and 3rd gears (only half-way) but there's enough travel to engage 2nd and 4th gear. The whole offset of the gear shift moved 'back', so to speak.

Taking into consideration this 1990 shift cables discussion:
Help! 1g shifter cable

and before I rip the central console apart as suggested here:
First gear problem - How to fix it ?

is there any quick and painless way to adjust the shift cable offset so that all gears can be fully engaged?

 

[sacrileger]

...is there any quick and painless way to adjust the shift cable offset so that all gears can be fully engaged?

Grasping for any type help with this issue here, I am trying to answer my own question as best as I can. It became very clear to me immediately that the offset and geometry of the gear shift mechanism changed. Investigating further, I noticed that the 1990 tranny (KF5M221VPKS / HR6467) has a shorter and differently shaped lever compared with the 1992 KF5M222VPZ / PA9159 tranny. The difference is about 5/8" difference. The following pics are slightly misleading due to the ruler being suspended in mid air at the pivot.

1990 tranny (KF5M221VPKS / HR6467)

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1992 KF5M222VPZ / PA9159 tranny

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What are my options here?

1. Do I risk it and drill a hole in the 1992 lever that is matching the 1990 distance from the pivot and install my own pin for the shift cables?
2. Do I transfer the 1990 lever including the rest of the mechanism to the 1992 tranny? If yes, how does one separate the lever from the pivot shaft. It appears the lever is anchored by some kinda pin. It's all rusted in. Is it safe to knock it out w/o damaging anything inside the tranny? Is it threaded? Has anyone done this...?
3. Do I experiment with adjusting the cable below the shift stick in the center console?

 

[mitsubishikid]

No to all 3, do option 4

Option 4:
pull the "90 shift cables and shifter base out of the car, and swap in the "92 ones and don't forget to use the "92 shifter cable mounting bracket as well.

Now I don't know if options 1-3 would work, to be honest they likely could work if you don't mess it up in the process, but I would not want to risk messing it up, especially if I know the "91-"94 dsm items are mostly bolt on, it just takes some disassembly, and yes you have to tear into the center console to take the 90 stuff out, just take your time.

 

[sacrileger]

No to all 3, do option 4

Option 4:
pull the "90 shift cables and shifter base out of the car, and swap in the "92 ones and don't forget to use the "92 shifter cable mounting bracket as well.

It was only this afternoon when I noticed the 1992 mounting bracket was different size and shape compared to the 1990 setup (see below).

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I was certain that was what I needed since the bracket dialed back the shift cable offset which is what I needed to reach 1st and 3rd gear. So I installed the '92 bracket. While 1st and 2nd gear popped right in, now I cannot reach 2nd and 4th gear with the 1992 mounting bracket installed.
I cannot think of one single reason why DSM would change the length of shift cable, size and geometry of the mounting bracket as well as the shape of the lever !

Actually, I should say I am not certain at all if the 1990 shift cable length is different. I went to NAPA parts website and the shift cables for 1990 and 1992 eclipse are listed under the same part numbers...so I dont know where the additional difference is; perhaps it's the shifter base and not the length of cables that adds to the change in cable offset. Odd, very odd...

 

[mitsubishikid]

the cables are different for "91-"94 dsms you would use part number MB659866, and for "90 dsms the part number is MB484624, I think only difference on the 90 cables was 1 of the cables was different length compared to the "91-"94 cars and I have heard of guys adjusting the cables to get them to work but don't take it as gospel.

 

[sacrileger]

the cables are different for "91-"94 dsms you would use part number MB659866, and for "90 dsms the part number is MB484624, .

Thanks for the clarification. One of the cables being the same makes sense. The NAPA aftermarket parts list is not detailed enough to make that distinction clearly and it would account for the parts number overlap.
Furthermore, it is clear that the mounting bracket offset for the cable responsible for the drive gear vertical positioning is the same for both the 1990 and 1992 brackets while offset for the cable responsible for the drive gear lateral positioning has different 'x' coordinates.
Again, makes one wonder what the reasons were for changing the cable length, mounting bracket offset and lever travel path all at the same time between 1990 and 1992.

 

[mitsubishikid]

some more good info on this subject here http://www.dsmtuners.com/threads/90-shift-linkage-vs-91-94-shift-linkage.93739/

 

[sacrileger]

some more good info on this subject here http://www.dsmtuners.com/threads/90-shift-linkage-vs-91-94-shift-linkage.93739/

, the thread you just linked to is the absolute top notch gold authority on this subject. And the vfag links within this thread as well. thank you so much. you're the shit mitsukid

btw, I reviewed my numerous searches parameters with "shifter cables" being one of them to see how come I did not find it... 10 pages of results I just went thru again and the thread you provided is not one of them...yet 'shifter' and 'cables' keywords are used nearly in every post within that thread.

 

[jakk220]

I had shifting issues with my girlfriends 1993 1g when we got it. Come to find out it had a 1990 transmission in it. I swapped over the gear selection lever on the transmission, shifter cables, shifter assembly, and the shift cable bracket on the transmission, all to 1990 parts. Shifts like a dream.

 

[mitsubishikid]

, the thread you just linked to is the absolute top notch gold authority on this subject. And the vfag links within this thread as well. thank you so much. you're the sh** mitsukid

btw, I reviewed my numerous searches parameters with "shifter cables" being one of them to see how come I did not find it... 10 pages of results I just went thru again and the thread you provided is not one of them...yet 'shifter' and 'cables' keywords are used nearly in every post within that thread.

Thanks for the complement, but the real credit/ mad props should really go to the guys that made that thread, but I suppose we all want to contribute to help others on this site but still in the moment when we are documenting stuff we rarely think someones going to get good info from it and then bam here we are in 2018 getting help from the past... 2003 to be exact .