Without mentioning any shop names, I'm still finding little surprises from work that was done 3 years ago. So I have been having some issue with the shifter cable not being being able to go to park. For fear that the e-brake might give up the ghost while I'm sleeping at night, I was chocking a wheel so that the Trans Am wouldn't roll out to the street.

Anyhow, post rant, I swapped out the shifter cable, which took me less than an hour to do but look at what I pulled out!

I now remember getting a call when they had the car. They said they couldn't start the car. It was because of the cable. So instead of ordering and doing it proper, that's what they did.

The moral to this story is - if you want it done right, do it yourself and that's what I've been doing for 45 years.

 

Wow that’s fucked up. If they were honest and made the right phone call; stating it was simply a fatigued item and needed replacing. they could have made a few bucks more and retained a customer by simply replacing it and charging a two or three bucks.

Now They have a disappointed former customer…


good catch , hope u get it fixed easy enough

 

I agree, been doing everything myself as well on this car. In any case even when I want to pay someone to do it they won't. Flip side to that. I need my tranny pulled to have Frank do some work on the 2-3 and absolutely no one wants the job. 100% can't do it myself either with hardware in my back. I'm about to put this thing out front with a SALE sign on it.

 

Right!!??

Yeah it’s solid after I did the work properly. Doing things correctly for the past 23 years is the reason she’s got 412,000 miles and still running like a bat out of hell!

 

I do all of my own work, on all of my cars. I have touched every single bolt on my Firebird and the only thing I haven't built myself was the T-56 trans. A lot of "mechanics" are hacks who wouldn't know torque specs from torx bits. I'll never take my cars in anywhere for repair. Going to school for automotive service was the best investment I ever made, even though I only ever worked a year in the field.

 

Imagine how bad it is with foreign cars. The **** I have seen on Audis, vw and bmw/mercedes.

The parts are not terribly expensive and available i did my shift cable late 2024.

100 bucks at a chain auto parts store. Pain to r
route when replacing but thats a major **** job.

 

I commented on a YouTube video with you 🤣

Its a small internet world.

 

So from one person who does their own work with top tier attention to detail, it took you three years to find that's how the Shifter Cable was installed?

I get the post wanting to call someone out but you called yourself out too.

 

No. The cable tie job lasted that long. I would never have let it go that long if I had any symptoms. Come on man.

 

No kidding? I guess there’s not too many - if any 4 gen F-Bodies with over 400K on the clock in the world.

 

Clearly you did and this tells us you haven't been under your car in three years to even catch that on just a visual.
Hard for me to read the "why I do my own work" and jab at a shop when you had plenty of time to QC the work that was done with your own 45 year experienced eyeballs.

But that's just me. Atleast you found it and can make it right. I do my own work for that reason, and I know people who are lucky to even see a picture of my cars.

 

Yes about daily driving your 411000 mile ls1 bird.

I replied I daily a 93 lt1 this was a week ago on some solid content via youtube. Funny. Thay number is exactly why not many 411/412k daily drivers around.

Sitting at 184k official round up on the old relic lt1.

 

Clearly? What symptoms? It's not clear to me. Maybe you can enlighten me. I don't usually look at a shifter cable when I change my oil.

 

I did, that whole part about doing a visual and QC the work done that you even quoted.

You overlooked that without any issue so yea we know why you didn't catch that Shifter Cable.

 

Doing your own work to your car ensures that no shenanigans will be going on. The real truth of the matter is that someone came up with a temporary solution to the problem and what would've been fucked up is if they had charged you for a replacement. I took on the challenge of building my first engine the LSX427. I did all of the removal and installations of the driveline, suspension and fuel system with the help of some mechanically inclined friends but that didn't mean that Murphy's Law didn't come into play because well "**** Happens"

I learned that the previous company that replaced the clutch in my car got happy with the prybar and did a number on the transmission tunnel when there's no excuse for it. I've come to realize that this world has lazy half assers that DGAF. When it comes to transmissions and rearend differentials I've never been into one. Could I? Yes I probably could take it on as I did with my engine but then again I'm not experienced in those sort of things and I could make mistakes where those who've had lots of experience would be less likely to make mistakes, well "in theory" but that's what we're paying for right? There's people and companies out there that will take advantage just like there's people and compainies out there that still take pride in what they do and if you make the wrong choice well then that's on you. I've learned that first hand beacuse I've had my share of pitfalls dealing with so-called professionals.

 

I hear you. I obviously don't do everything. My transmission was replaced by a shop at around 200k and did a fantastic job and it's still going strong. The shop that used the cable tie method for holding the length adjustment on the aforementioned cable, had a very good reputation and I was willing to take the TA to them despite being quite a ways away. In my case, there was clearly someone working on my car that half assed a lot of things that I found later. In my case, When father time comes my way, and my cars get willed to my kids, the last thing I want is for them to inherit crap that needs work.

 

Well, they DID make it work properly. HOWEVER, they should have spoken to you and asked if you wanted the cable replaced.

 

I attempted and learned what I have done with my cars because I don't feel like paying people for something I can do myself. That and I know it'll get done right.
T56 6spd Manual Transmissions are super simple, I've built a bunch of them including the one that's currently in my Monte SS. Set the Rear Gears up on the Third Member of the 9" Rear that's in that car also. Gears are easy when you figure out what needs to move where. The 9" is easier than most because there's no Carrier Shims, done a few GM 7.5's and 8.5's also.
Automatic Transmissions yup that's a whole different ballgame. I worked in a Transmission Shop for 3 years did plenty of them. Like anything just put the parts back in the right places, especially the ***** in the Valve Body. I haven't built an Engine in a while, the ones I have done are still running without slinging Rods so something must be right.

 

Yeah I get that, and it's not so much about spending the money for me as it is trusting someone with my car or my engine parts. I'd much rather build my own engines and by doing the work myself allows for more money to be put back into the engine or car. I've always liked taking things apart and putting them back together as a kid so when that day comes I may try and rebuild my own T56 or S60 rather than sending them off to a far away land and having to wait for it to come back. Lately my biggest obstacle is finding the free time.

 

Yep with the labor cost on things nowadays it's definitely better to do your own work and save that money for more mods.