How do I check to make sure it is broken?

Should I be able to turn the shaft with a pair of pliers, or should NOT turn unless the car is moving?

 

Which end of the cable are you turning it from? If you are at the lower end (at the trans) you should be able to turn the cable with your fingers (don't use pliers). If you are at the speedo head, you should NOT be able to turn the cable unless it is disconnected from the trans. If you can turn the cable from the speedo end with it connected to the driven gear, the gear or cable is broken. If you cannot turn it with the lower (trans) end disconnected, the cable is bound. If the cable is bound, you should replace the entire assembly instead of just the inner cable, since the housing was likely damaged and can eat your new cable in a short time.

 

Lord Vader,

I was turning it on the speedometer end of the cable. Turns very easily.

So I can replace the shaft only, I don't have to replace the entire assembly?

I'm obviously an inexperienced idiot. All of my experience with speedo cables have resulted in a no-doubter broken cable, in which case I had to replace the whole thing!

 

OK. I can't find the cable coming out of the fire wall! What gives?

My car was originally equipped with cruise control, but someone has removed the transducer, and of course there is no cable where it used to be.

 

Your next step will be to remove the cable from the driven gear end to see if the gear is moving freely or the cable has snapped. We're all hoping that the gearis intact and you have only a failed inner cable.

 

Vader,

I'm lazy by nature. And living in the middle of no where, I have no concrete to lay on. Just good old fashioned dirt.

I was hoping I could find the cable in the engine compartment and see an obvious problem......and avoid having to jack the car up and climb under there.

Well, I couldn't. So I figured while I had everything torn apart (I'm changing the heater core and some other things) I'd also swap out the broken electric antenna.

Well, I couldn't get my arm and head in there at the same time, so I ended up jacking up the car anyway. At least I changed the antenna successfully!

I disconnected the speedometer cable from the tranny (T-5, recently rebuilt). I had my wife watch teh other end of the cable and I turned it with my hand, easily. The other end turned. So I hooked up the speedometer to it and the needle moved.

So now I have to see if the gear is moving in the tranny right?

 

Pop the little speedo gear housing out, check the condition of the gear. They do wear out, and occasionally break, and even sometimes trash the gear on the trans mainshaft which requires major disassembly. That doesn't happen too much though, odds are your driven gear has its little square hole destroyed where the cable goes into it.

 

RB,

I disconnected the cable from the drive and I was able to turn the gear with a piece of the cable itself and my finger. It turned in both directions..............so I was kinda like, WOW, I'm either really dumb or something else is goin' on.

That's gotta be it.

How difficult is it going to be to find one?

 

Depends... the dealer is the only place, their ability to look them up is quite limited, but since you have the old one, they should be able to see what color it is and count the teeth. That's how they can find them.... 19 teeth white, 21 tooth red, 42 teeth green, etc.

 

My local dealership has one guy who is good........the rest SUCK. They couldn't find the rear tranny mount in the book, even though I had the old one with me.

They asked me to come back "tomorrow" b/c the guy had the day off!

Anyhow, while I'm down there, I might as well change the tranny fluid. I know that the shop used whatever cheapie they have....

What brand would you recommend?