My son and I replaced the automatic transmission shift cable Saturday in my 2003 C5 Corvette. Took about 4 hours. A lift is a must have.
I removed the shift lever assembly at home in order to drive the car to my son’s where the lift is at. My cable failed at the shift lever and was still attached to transmission lever. I could change gears by manually pulling or pushing on the broken shifter cable end through the shifter open area. This is good to know if the cable fails at the shifter when you’re away somewhere. I now carry the tools in the car to remove the shift lever (10 mm socket, 3” extension, ratchet, and a small bristol screwdriver). If the cable fails at the transmission you have to get under the car and manually shift using the transmission shift lever.
I elected to replace the cable rather than the quick fix of replacing the plastic bushings in each end of the cable. There are two different part numbers for the cable for 2003 corvettes. One cable is used on 1997 through the first part of 2003. The other cable is for the second part of 2003 through 2005. Proper cable is determined by build date of the car.

Procedure for me was:
1. Reinstall shift lever assembly.
2. Shift the floor shift control to NEUTRAL. Be sure that BOTH the floor shift control and the transmission are in NEUTRAL.
3. Raise the vehicle.
4. Remove the catalytic converter exhaust pipe assembly.
5. Remove the driveline tunnel closeout panel.
6. Remove the shift control cable from the driveline tunnel bracket (bracket is about 6” behind shift lever) by pushing it up out of the bracket.
7. Release the shift control cable end clip from the transmission shift lever stud by prying it off with a flat bladed screwdriver.
8. Remove the nuts (2) retaining the shift control cable bracket to the transmission.
Note: 6 through 8 are in VERY tight areas – profanity helps.
9. Remove the shift control cable and bracket from car.
10. Remove the shift control cable bracket from the shift control cable.
11. Install the shift control cable bracket to the new shift control cable.
12. Adjust the new cable transmission end to the exact adjustment of the old cable. Push adjust lock button in.
13. Route the new cable in the same as the removed cable from transmission forward.
14. Position and install the shift control cable to the driveline tunnel bracket. Be sure it locks into the bracket.
15. Install the shift control cable bracket to the transmission studs.
Note: 13 through 15 are in VERY tight areas – profanity helps.
16. Check to be sure that BOTH the floor shift control and the transmission are in NEUTRAL.
17. Align the shift control cable end to the floor shift control lever stud. Be sure it snaps on.
18. Align the shift control cable end to the transmission shift lever stud. Be sure it snaps on.
19. Lower the vehicle; leave the vehicle on the hoist.
20. Shift to Park and start the engine.
21. Shift through all gears to assure proper cable installation.
22. Raise the vehicle.
23. Install the driveline tunnel closeout panel.
24. Install the catalytic converter exhaust pipe assembly.
25. Lower vehicle and road test.
I replaced the stock driveline tunnel closeout panel with the Elite Engineering 1/4” thick aluminum insulated panel to cut down heat radiation into the center console area and help protect the sorry plastic bushings on the shift cable at the shift lever.
I also installed a Themo-Tec clamp on exhaust shield on both exhaust pipes at the transmission to help reflect heat away from the sorry plastic bushings at the shift cable end at transmission lever.

 

Welcome to the forum.

Thanks for the great DIY how-to instructions. 👍 Will probably help a lot of people in the future.