speedometer not working!

[hrvat]

alright guys i finally got down to it , weather permitting since its still cold in canada (grr), and i found that after i unscrewed the cable cord from the tranny, this fell out

i also unscrewed it from the back of the speedo and this is what it looks like, not that i think it matters since its snapped on the other end ahah

so now the question is, where the heck do i get a new cable? do i just pull this old one out?

[Reverend]

Zombie thread revival time!

I had working speedo before i took engine and tranny off. Put them back and BAM, speedo aint working. Sometimes it might jump up and down for a few seconds but after that... nothing. Bad cable or gauge?

[Wade Nelson]

ZOMBIE THREAD! Aim for the master cylinder!!!

[Zed Head]

Zombie thread revival time!

I had working speedo before i took engine and tranny off. Put them back and BAM, speedo aint working. Sometimes it might jump up and down for a few seconds but after that... nothing. Bad cable or gauge?

I've had this happen when I replaced a transmission. It's possible to get the cable housing, or sheath, attached without actually having the cable end inserted in to the speedo drive gear. Disconnect it at the transmission, draw the cable out an inch or so and insert it in to the drive gear (give it a twist while inserting and you'll feel it drop in), then attach the housing/sheath to the transmission. I usually turn the drive shaft while screwing down the sheath attachment to make sure the cable drops in at the speedo end also.

[jonathanrussell]

Thought I would resurrect this thread to add some info that I learned yesterday working on my own speedometer problem. My speedometer on my early 72 suddenly stopped working Friday. My first thought was speedometer cable. I removed and verified that it was just fine. Next thing I tested was the gauge. I was really hoping it wasn't the gauge because I see no practical way to pull the gauge without pulling the dash. Seems like some people have done this successfully but I don't think I could. The way I tested the gauge is I attached the cable to the gauge and disconnected from the transmission. I pulled the transmission side of the cable from under the car so I could hold the transmission end while watching the gauge. As Zed Head mentions above, if you pull the cable out a bit and turn while pushing, you can feel the cable seat into the gauge securely. Once seated I simply turned the transmission end of the cable counter clockwise (by hand, no drill needed) and was able to see the speedometer needle move. So, gauge was fine. Next, I removed the speedometer spindle / housing at the transmission. If yours has been in there a long time it can be a little challenging to remove. Tap on it a lot (without damaging threads). Remove the 10mm bolt and metal piece that slides into the spindle housing slot. I used a flat head screwdriver and the housing slot to kind of pry the spindle housing out. Be prepared for transmission fluid to pour out a bit. 

What I found is that the plastic speedometer gear was damaged badly: the teeth were worn away on one side. I installed a new spare I had on hand and my speedometer works as it should again. Remember to line up the slot square relative to the bolt hole. When you reinstall the spindle and housing, it will feel like there is a lot of resistance. Oil everything up, especially the o-ring (use a new one). Press firmly and it should pop in. Don't hammer (see below). While you are at it, think about whether it is time to replace transmission oil. At a minimum, top off your oil if any leaked out.

Finally, connect the speedometer cable at the transmission. Follow what Zed Head wrote.Rotate the cable pulling and pushing until you feel it seat in the gauge. Then, hold it in position and slide the cable into the transmission spindle slot so that the cable will be driven turned as the car moves. Tighten up the bolt by hand.

I am not totally sure why this happened. I refreshed the transmission last summer and I remember having a difficult time re-installing the spindle / housing. Could be that I got too aggressive forcing it back in.

Hope this helps someone dealing with speedometer issues....and especially eliminate every other possible problem before heading down the path of removing the gauge or worse the dash.