Guys/Gals,

I've been gearing up for a T56 swap into my '88 Iroc for awhile now. In fact, I've had the new tranny sitting in my garage for about six months now. I've been scowering the net looking for an answer that doesn't cost north of $300 regarding my cable driven speedometer.

It would seem that the simplest and cheapest/cleanest solution would be to find an electrical speedo that will fit the socket in my dash. I've contacted a couple of shops that specialize in speedometer calibration and repair to see if they could come up with something viable but neither were interested in persuing the question. I've come across a couple of threads that hinted at something like this, i.e. analog gauge out of a TA but no follow-up/definitive answer.

After all this time, is there a better solution that doesn't involve me sending my tail-housing off to be modified? I'll spend the money to have a mechanical vss installed before running the Abbot converter box. Do any of you know of someone who has solved this with another speedometer while keeping it semi-stock looking?

TIA...

those are pretty much your 2 options, or,run a autometer speedo.

Does autometer make something that will fit while retaining the rest of the gauges or would he have to fab up a new cluster alltogether? Would he still need something to calibrate the signal from the VSS? I seem to remember reading that autometer's gauges are supposed to self-calibrate if you follow their procedure. Do you know if it works?
Jon

Hey, I'm with you on this. I'm hopefully doing the T56 swap soon and would like a cheaper solution than a 300 dollar converter box.

Basically here are you options that I know of.

1. Get the tail housing machined to work with cable drive speedo
2. Use the Abbott Cable X box
3. After market gauage
4. Swap in gauage cluster from 90-92 camaro.

The first two options will allow you to keep the stock speedo and both cost around $300. If you go this route I would strongly suggest option 1. It works better. An after market gauge would work and most are adjustable or self calibrating. You would just need to find a gauge that fits that you like. You may be able to swap all the gauges for a 90-92 gauge setup but not sure what all is involved. You would also need a converter box or computer reprogram if you go this route.

There was no way I was going to get rid of my stock gauge so I went with option 2 because I was affraid to take the tail housing of the tranny. I didn't like the Abbott box so I sold it and sent the tail housing off to get machined. It was really no big deal to take the tail housing off. Obviously do this before you put the tranny in the car. The main reason I changed my mind was because the 2nd gear syncro was shot so I decided to rebuild the tranny and figured I might as well have it done since I had the tranny appart. It was worth it to me.

where do you go to get it machined? How much does that work cost?

http://southweststreetworks.com/index.html

This is who did mine. He charges $550 according to the website but I was able to get him to do mine for $325

I do them for $325 plus $20 return shipping. This includes a new set of speedometer gears to match your tire size/rear ratio. I'm doing one for Livewire now, and Deanj has the one I did for him for a month or two now.

Hi Vexter, as Alloy said, he converted my T56 tailhousing and it is working flawlessly. My car is also 88 camaro. Consider the amount of work with the other options. That is what made up my mind. Install tailhousing ,not hard at all. Then install trans, hook up cable,DONE. I also wanted to keep my stock 145 mph speedo. One more thing to consider is that our VSS is on the back of the speedometer on our '88 model year camaro! Later, Dean.

awesome, I may be looking you up in a few more weeks. I'm kinda in between doing a T56 or TH350. More street car or more strip kinda situation

Since I broke/melted 2 speedo cables in the past 5 years, I couldn't wait to get rid of that setup. The Autometer speedo is a pretty close match to our factory setups, and it doesn't take much work to fit it in.

http://www.eecis.udel.edu/~davis/z28...xh_speedo_web/

You can use the same VSS signal into the '730 ECM so the idle controls still work. If you don't need the trip odometer button on the autometer, you don't need to modify the stock plastic face cover of the dash gauges either.

mike

Just wanted to let everyone know I have to increase the price on the tail housing mod. The speedo gear I was paying $8.50 for now costs me $36. It was discontinued by GM. So the price for the mod is now $325.

Thanks
Dan

Hey sorry i am not that good with electronics stuff. I have a 1985 camaro and just got my t56. I want to get the autometer guage that would work and is self calibrating. If anyone could get me the part number they used that would be great and also how hard is it to wire in? do i need anything else other than the guage if its a self calibrating? Does anyone have a wiring schematic?
Thank you in adavance if anyone can help me with this.
Dave

Same link 2 posts up....

http://www.eecis.udel.edu/~davis/z28...fob%20006.html

Autometer 3989


Your ECM will still need a signal somehow, especially if you're running a manual trans and need the idle controls.

Calibration is across a measured 2mile run (Interstate mile markers work great), just push the button, drive 2 miles, push button again. Done.

So i still am not sure how to run the signal from my transmission to my ecm and then to my guage. How is that wiring done and is it complicated? would anyone happen to have some pictures. I would greatly appreciate it.

Dan, Been a few yrs since this post u still doing these mods?
Dan

Yes I am. On my 7th year of doing them. At last count I've done over 300 of them.

I'm also doing S10 T5 cable drive mods now.

Here is a link to my website

www.t56cablespeedometer.com