shift cable problem

hey guys i have a 1992 accord ex automatic with the 2.2L 177,000 miles

my shifter became very hard to move yesterday (it can't go lower than D4 at all) and the tranny doesnt seem to actually go into park or reverse, even though i can put the shifter into those positions. It seems to stay in drive, but can start when i have the shifter in neutral.

I'm thinking its my shift cable. i did a search and it seems like a semi-common problem. Since it seems like kind of a pain to fix (i dont have a lift) i was thinking of getting it done. i was wondering how much i should expect to pay as a fair price. I know it will probably be around 200ish for the part right? so how much total do you guys think it would be.

If it exceeds 5 or 6 hundred i might just try to do it myself, but i'm going to have trouble finding the time.

thanks any help/advice would be appreciated

Most shift cables I've done (but not on an Accord) are a breeze, you replace them from the top, and they run through an opening in the firewall. Disengage any retainers and holdowns, feed it through the hole, put the retainers back on the ends, replace holdowns, adjust, done.

k, well haynes says i'd need to take off an exhaust pipe, a cross beam, the "engine stiffener", the torque converter cover and the shift cable cover(next to the torque converter cover). Plus the things you mentioned.

that seems like kind of a lot to me, plus i have school every day and then work after that, and work on the weekends.

i got a quote for around $100 plus the price of parts (around 170 for the part)

does that seem fair?

k, well haynes says i'd need to take off an exhaust pipe, a cross beam, the "engine stiffener", the torque converter cover and the shift cable cover(next to the torque converter cover). Plus the things you mentioned.

that seems like kind of a lot to me, plus i have school every day and then work after that, and work on the weekends.

i got a quote for around $100 plus the price of parts (around 170 for the part)

does that seem fair?

Wow. That's a lotta crap for a shift cable. I can put one in the Lumina without even getting my hands dirty.

If you gotta do all that, it sounds fair. Are you sure THEY know what it's gonna take? That's an hour or hour and a half labor, it sounds like it could take longer. Unless that is more time, and their labor rate is just really low. Typical around here is $75-$100 an hour.

That's a good price. Take it.