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Shifter Cable Popped off

XuperXero

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#1
So... Spirited driving, wanted to do a hard launch from a green light. Powershifted 1st to 2nd. Approaching redline.... Time to shift 3rd!! *shifter stuck* OMFGWTFBBQ STUCK IN SECOND GEAR

Quite a fun experience I must say.

Turns out my gear cable popped out from the shifter ball pivot thing. Which is lucky because I can just pull the shift boot out and push it back in. But to my curiosity, I wondered if I could make it happen again. Sure enough at the next light, I did another hard launch. It popped off again.

I have the Boomba short shift lever and Mountune short shifter working together. It has never been a problem until today.

I also tried to replicate this problem by slamming 1st into 2nd while stopped and slamming it again while cruising with clutch in, both times the cable stayed in place.

But during my launch, both times I had 1 or 2 wheel hops when entering 2nd gear so I'm 90% certain wheel hop is causing this. I do have the Boomba RMM, but on certain surfaces, the car will still wheel hop, just not as bad as factory RMM.

My question is, now this problem is occuring, it means that it's possible I have enlarged the bore on the shifter cable causing it to jump off the pivot ball on wheel hops, how can I rectify this issue or prevent it from happening again?


FYI May not apply to all cars with Boomba products, may be an isolated issue because Boomba is designed for US spec and I have Euro spec and I'm mix-n-matching with Mountune short shifter.
 


meFiSTo

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#2
This sounds very similar to a problem that I had with my SVT Focus and that I had my mechanic pre-emptively fix to on my Fiesta ST. In the case of the Focus, the shifter cable popped off the attachment linkage assembly leading into the transmission. We put a big zip tie around the linkage to keep it from popping open. Is that where your shifter cable disconnected? Sourskittle also reported a disconnection up at the shifter end of the cable.
 


D1JL

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#3
I had a similar thing happen at the track one day.
It only happened once when I missed a shift.
I just crept back to the pits and popped the cable end back on.
It has never happened since.



Dave
 


OP
XuperXero

XuperXero

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Thread Starter #5
This sounds very similar to a problem that I had with my SVT Focus and that I had my mechanic pre-emptively fix to on my Fiesta ST. In the case of the Focus, the shifter cable popped off the attachment linkage assembly leading into the transmission. We put a big zip tie around the linkage to keep it from popping open. Is that where your shifter cable disconnected? Sourskittle also reported a disconnection up at the shifter end of the cable.
Thanks, looks like I'll be zip-tieing it today.

Popped off again on the way to work, didn't even launch or anything, just a quick 1-2 shift. Something is definitely wrong. I need to take a closer look.
 


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XuperXero

XuperXero

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Thread Starter #6
Further analysis today concludes that the bore is definitely larger and loose. I could even make it pop off just by throwing it without much force. Zip tie didn't hold up well so I ended up making a nylon bumpstop.




[MENTION=1045]Boomba Racing[/MENTION] Just a suggestion, I think it might be a good idea to prevent this by adding a rubber stop to the back of the shifter like I did to prevent this issue should it arise for other users.
 


meFiSTo

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#7
That looks like what Sourskittle experienced. My pre-emptive zip tie was at the other end of the cable connection. I'll see if I can get a photo of that sometime. The shop did it. I figured is was the same deal as with the Focus. I'll keep an eye on this problem cropping up. I try hard to avoid hard shifts, even at the track. And launching is just not an issue for me -- especially on the street.
 


DHM1

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We had the same issue on [MENTION=9]rodmoe[/MENTION] 's car. the angle at which the ball head is at is not idea. The ball that the shifter cable snaps into should be perpendicular to the cable. We used some zip ties as a quick fix.

Russ
 


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XuperXero

XuperXero

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Thread Starter #9
How did you guys use the zip ties? Mine broke the moment I did any above average forceful shifts
 


JPGC

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This happened to me last week at the Dragstrip. Lol, I rolled from a little under the 1/8th mile, past the 1/4 mile mark, to the turnoff with no tranny usage. It kind of caught me off guard as this was the first time that its popped off.
 


DHM1

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This happened to me last week at the Dragstrip. Lol, I rolled from a little under the 1/8th mile, past the 1/4 mile mark, to the turnoff with no tranny usage. It kind of caught me off guard as this was the first time that its popped off.
I feel like this is to common of a problem. Think about if it happened on a road course track time is not cheap. We went to the drag strip 7hours and only two passes if one was bad because cable popping of lol would suck for sure

Russ
 


JPGC

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I feel like this is to common of a problem. Think about if it happened on a road course track time is not cheap. We went to the drag strip 7hours and only two passes if one was bad because cable popping of lol would suck for sure

Russ
I definitely need to work in a fix. I'm sure it's agitated by the boomba shifter being set to the shortest throw due to the angle, but I really like the shortest throw, lol. I'm gonna try the bump stop idea and see how it goes but funny thing is...mine popped off on the 3-4 shift. It was probably loosened on the 2-3 shift though.
 


rodmoe

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#13
I feel like this is to common of a problem. Think about if it happened on a road course track time is not cheap. We went to the drag strip 7hours and only two passes if one was bad because cable popping of lol would suck for sure

Russ
Kinda like hitting a limiter eh LOL[poke]
How far do you have to tear the console apart to get at this again ??
 


DHM1

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Kinda like hitting a limiter eh LOL[poke]
How far do you have to tear the console apart to get at this again ??
Haha [emoji23][emoji24][emoji26] yes lol

Just pop off the black part around the shift boot and heat controls. Then lift the boot up and you can get to it right there.

Russ
 


meFiSTo

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#15
Is this (the cable assembly disconnecting up at the shifter end) only a problem with the Boombe short throw (or any short throw) shifter assembly? I've got the mountune quick shifter under the hood, but nothing up at the shifter That's all stock. Or is this happening with stock hardware as well?
 


westcoaST

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#17
It probably an accumulation of tolerance stack up between the ball on the shifter and the socket on the cable. One possible solution involves the use of a captive clip like the ones used for the rear gas struts on many vehicles. These clip onto the socket, and reduce the chances of the ball popping out after the ball and socket are connected. Two holes are drilled into the socket, and the clip is pushed into these two holes, and then clips around the socket. If it were me, however, I would get a new socket. The OEM one is probably elongated, or worn. Electroless nickel plating the socket would also work.

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...UGqDseaic_hM&ei=_ON1Vb-IHsr8yQTU4IAY&tbm=isch
 


DHM1

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It probably an accumulation of tolerance stack up between the ball on the shifter and the socket on the cable. One possible solution involves the use of a captive clip like the ones used for the rear gas struts on many vehicles. These clip onto the socket, and reduce the chances of the ball popping out after the ball and socket are connected. Two holes are drilled into the socket, and the clip is pushed into these two holes, and then clips around the socket. If it were me, however, I would get a new socket. The OEM one is probably elongated, or worn. Electroless nickel plating the socket would also work.

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...UGqDseaic_hM&ei=_ON1Vb-IHsr8yQTU4IAY&tbm=isch
while the captive clip ball and socket would be optimal you still should have a 90deg angle in neutral. with the boomba it is closer to a 45-60deg angle so when you pull it in to 2nd gear and that angle reduces even more 30ish deg or less you reach the most the ball and socket is good for and it pops apart because it goes into bind.

Russ
 


DHM1

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while the captive clip ball and socket would be optimal you still should have a 90deg angle in neutral. with the boomba it is closer to a 45-60deg angle so when you pull it in to 2nd gear and that angle reduces even more 30ish deg or less you reach the most the ball and socket is good for and it pops apart because it goes into bind.

Russ
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1433794841.962383.jpg

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1433794851.265609.jpg

This is the angle in neutral. Look at the angle the cable is coming from the lower sleeve. It's hard to get a pic of the ball and socket angle but it's no were near the 90deg it should be in its neutral position.

Russ
 


westcoaST

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How about using a spherical rod end with a teflon bushing and changing the engagement angle by drilling the shifter to eliminate the bind as much as possible? That type of connection should not pop off.
 


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