Good Afternoon,
restored my 1972 Cutlass S. Original bench seat shift on the column. I put buckets along with a console on the floor and dual gate shifter. I bought a new cable from OPG. I used all of the original shifter brackets at the transmission. Now I can get PRD2, but cannot shift into 1st OR RD21 and cannot shift into Park. I have been told that this may be a geometry issue and there may be a bracket at the transmission that will only work with Dual Gate shifter.
Please advise.

 

Ok, I went back after the fact and found related threads. I think DG shifter and transmission are not clocked. I said bracket, but meant the metal ear on transmission lever. I must have the cable attached the incorrect distance from center of transmission lever.
I see this is a common issue and would still appreciate the most easy fix.
Please 🙏 advise?

 

A shorter trans shifter arm radius is needed to reach all positions. Either use a shorter arm on the transmission shift lever, or use a hole that is closer to the pivot point. I'm not intimately familiar w/ the factory floor shifter, there may be a different position on the console shifter assembly to attach that end of the cable to, in which case you'd need a longer arm radius there.

 

It can be tough to get it to work just right. Use a complete set of trans brackets - the bracket holding the cable and the shift lever arm - from the same supplier. I'd also recommend getting an adjustable cable from Shiftworks.
Most dual gates have a LOT of slop in the mechanism that makes getting park and first tough, as well as hitting the gears when upshifting and downshifting using the gate. The brand new reproductions are actually the worst. Take a real close look and tighten up anything you can. I've welded up and re-drilled holes in some areas.

 

Did you place the shifter and transmission range selector lever in neutral first? Then attach the cable to the range selector lever. Ensure the backdrive linkage, if used, is loose or best yet, not attached to the selector lever as it gets adjusted separately.
Adjustment can be found here. Obviously you don't have a neutral switch on your D/G since it's a 72, but the cable adjustment should be the same. AFAIK, the lever on the transmission is the same for non-D/G or D/G applications.
Hurst Dual/Gate Shifter

I've heard of aftermarket cables not fitting properly as they're sometimes not the correct length.

I've never tried one, but apparently Year One sells a "correct" D/G cable. Not sure how true that is, I'm still running a GM cable. If you ever run across an NOS cable and the price isn't too crazy, the part number is 406266. 29.7" eye to eye If I recall correctly.

1970-1972 Cutlass, 442, W-30, W-31 Dual Gate Shifter Cab...

 

A lot of the aftermarket cables are pretty terrible and will bind up or fail pretty quickly. The Shiftworks cable really is quite good. It's expensive, but not compared to doing the job two or three times.