Your bowden cable connects to the accelerator linkage at the IP. It is held out with a large coiled spring, and should be all the way out with no slack at idle -- it retracts into the transmission with accelerator travel.

However, your problem is most likely a vacuum issue rather than the bowden cable. The cable really controls shift point, the vacuum system controls harshness. If you have high rpm slamming hard shifts (bangs the diff on the floor in back) the vacuum system is out of whack.

You should shift into 4th at around 30 mph at light throttle, very smooth shifts.

There are several vacuum lines on the IP -- there is a little aluminum box connected to the throttle linkage. The black one is a vent, the white one is vac supply, the the other one goes to the tranny.

I'd gues that the rubber connectors for the hard plastic lines are shot and there isn't enough vacuum. You could also have a bad vacuum pump, or something else in the vac system (the EGR vacuum acuator, for instance) leaking. There is also a restriction in the servo supply that can get clogged, resulting in low vac.

Does you AC work properly, or does it blow conditioned air up the windshield? If it does , you have low vac.

Peter

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1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!