Repair part and method for repairing transmission detent cable

Claim 1

A repaired original equipment detent cable for an automatic transmission, said detent cable having an elongate interior cable member and a sheathlike cable housing surrounding the elongate cable member and having an integrally formed end fitting at one end of the cable housing adapted for extending into the transmission housing, and wherein the integrally formed end fitting of the detent cable normally includes a circumferential external groove adapted for receiving a sealing member, but wherein the seal-receiving groove of the end fitting has been damaged and the detent cable has thus been rendered unserviceable and would normally require replacement of the entire detent cable, and in combination with said damaged detent cable, a replacement end portion replacing the damaged portion of the end fitting and thereby permitting reuse of the otherwise serviceable portions of the original equipment detent cable, said replacement end portion comprising an elongate hollow tubular body of one piece molded plastic construction having a circumferential external groove formed therein at one end thereof located closely adjacent the endmost axial portion of the tubular body, said groove being of dimensions closely approximating the dimensions of the undamaged seal-receiving groove on the original cable housing end fitting, said elongate tubular body having an integrally formed outwardly extending mounting flange adjacent to said groove, and said elongate tubular body having an axially extending socket formed therein at the end of the tubular body opposite said groove, said socket being of an inside diameter closely approximating the outside diameter of the integrally formed end fitting of the detent cable, and said socket receiving therein the portion of the end fitting which remains after the damaged end portion has been severed and removed, and said socket including an interior abutment located a predetermined distance axially inwardly from the open end thereof for limiting how far the remaining portion of the original end fitting is received within the socket and for facilitating proper positioning of the replacement end portion on the end fitting, thereby permitting replacement of only the damaged portion of the end fitting and facilitating reuse of the otherwise serviceable portions of the detent cable, and means securing the remaining portion of the original end fitting to the replacement end portion.