Hello Bike forums, newbie here. I'm trying my hardest to install a new shifter after a very annoying accident. I've got a few issues mainly that are stopping me form doing this;

-When I had finally just got into finishing up the indexing half of the fix, I noticed my cable was getting stuck clicking against the wheel and moving out of place essentially. When I went to check the tension on it, I noticed that it had kinked a bunch during my install.

-When I tried to fix this, there is a (clamping) washer (thing?) that constantly pushes the cable until it's bent up and hard to even tighten down. As I fear that I had kinked and ruined the wire too much in my frustration, I gave up and tried not to break it anymore than I already had.

-I also cannot seem to get the chain to move over into the first gear, though it looked like I was close to getting it before the cable shifted my focus..

If anyone can provide a bit of guidance here for me on what I should probably do next, I would greatly appreciate it. I will try to reply on here to any comments when I'm not at work.

Photos or a better description would help us understand where/what the issues with cable install and shifting adjustments are. One can post photos to the gallery and one of us can then post them here in this thread.

Are you sure there's no additional damage from the "accident"? Have you tried to follow written service instructions, like the Park Big Blue Book? Andy

It's easy to find installation instructions on you tube. It's been a while since I dealt with this shifter (on somebody else' bike) so I always go online to refresh my memory. You might take a look at these two which came up instantly when I googled on "Shimano revoshift installation".
Shifter installation - the official instructions from Shimano - https://si.shimano.com/en/pdfs/dm/SL...002-05-ENG.pdf
How to install the cable once you have positioned the shifter on the handlebar

The problem with almost all grip shifters is you have to crack them open to wrap a cable around the inside of it.

Gotta watch out for that part shaped like a chevron which puts friction on the clicks. Lose that and you're buying a new (yet another crappy) shifter.

I would not, and do not waste time of grip shifters- I replace them with thumb or trigger shifters. If ya gotta crack it open, then it's broken. They aren't intended to be serviced.

actually, the most common ones Do NOT require "cracking them open" or wrapping a cable around anything... including the Shimano Revo-shift . In their case, a cover is removed to replace the cable.

to make the process easier, i also remove the cable tension adjuster (mostly found on Front der. shifters), which makes slipping the cable through the exit elbow far easier... then slip the adjuster back up the cable,and re-install it.

It sounds like either... you had the cable in the wrong position at the Derailleur clamp

or.. the Cable was not tight enough when placed onto the Derailleur

or the Shifter was not actually in the "fully relaxed, high gear position when you hooked up the cable...

or one of the Cable housing ends was not in it's place when you set cable tension.

For Any "indexed" clicking rear gear shifter...The Cable MUST BE FAIRLY tight when you clamp it in place! I pull the cable taught, then move the drerailleur inwards a tiny bit Before Tightening the Cable clamp... once released, the cable tension is pre-tightened.

at this point,you can try once more to get it right, but if this time fails,Take the bike to a shop for help... Co-Ops provide help for free, most of the time.. or drop it off and pay them to do a tune-up on the bike... you will appreciate the results, i'm sure!

I wouldn't choose to fit them, but I have them on a couple of bikes and they're better than low end thumbies - I don't anticipate replacing them before they break.
It's often possible to improve the action by cleaning and greasing the mechanism, and replacing the cable, whether or not the manufacturer intended us to do that.