Okay, guys. This is officially the third time I've had to replace this stinking clip now. That 5 cent piece of junk keeps breaking off the retaining tab in the mainshaft and the gear comes loose so it's no longer operating my VSS. Can someone explain to me why this is the 3rd time I've had to replace this thing? This is the second one in 2 years I've had to replace and the 3rd ever since 2006. Is there one out there with either a longer or bigger retaining tab that isn't GM? They're not cheap from the dealer and replacing them is not exactly my idea of a fun day. Right now I don't have a speedometer thanks to this thing.

 

Is this a cable speedo, or electronic VSS?

 

Same electronic speedo parts I had in my 87 Bird... Same trans too. Not that it matters. The clip is the same for both cable and electronic, so...

 

True dat; but a cable, when its parts go bad, can put AHELLUVALOT more force on that clip. A VSS can't do that. So that possible explanation is ruled out.

Any possibility the driveshaft yoke is hitting the side of the speedo gear?

 

Stock driveshaft? Not autocrossing, not running a Baja race, not hardly driven hard at all? Doubtful. The clip was fine when I replaced the tail housing due to a crack a few months ago. That's the weird part.

 

"Stock", "autocross", "hardly driven", etc. are irrelevant. It would only take ONE good poke from a mismatched component to pound the speedo gear right off.

So instead of pooh-poohing just about the only plausible explanation there is, did you check how far up in there it goes?

 

I hardly believe the word STOCK, as in FACTORY, parts being installed is irrelevant. How are the parts mismatched if they were that way coming off of the GM assembly line? Nothing has been modified between the engine and the rear wheels. The rear LCAs have been replaced, but I highly doubt Founders is making their LCAs shorter than the factory ones (and if they are I would like my money back for that as well as the fact that I ordered red and got black). I never had this issue in the 4 years I ran this trans on the back of this engine and this rear axle in my 87. Not once.

 

That is pretty odd.
Any idea how/why the housing cracked? Pic or description on where it cracked? Something has to be in a bind somehow, someway.
Is the VSS going bad? rough spots in it when spun? (I don't know what's in them)
Any odd wear to the drive/driven gears?
Trans mount broken?
Is there a certain way the clip faces? Loop to the front of the trans? (At least I think that's the way it goes)

 

The stock 7 or 9 tooth gears are splined and should only move linear along the mainshaft. There is a slim possibility with used parts someone used some that'll work but aren't splined. Either way, I would start with new drive gear. As for the broken part, me, my pliers, and Dremel would have made a H.D. version instead of the dealer.

 

So, how far up in there does the yoke go?

See my signature for the importance of actually LOOKING instead of ARGUING.

 

First: This: ( see fig 164 )




Next; buy yourself a replacement DRIVE gear; They are cheap and you;ve got to fix this anyway,.... might as well remove the existing gear to ensure it's not the cause.

Then; electric DRIVEN speedo Gears and cable speedo gears are not the same,.... I wonder if it's possible that the wrong type of DRIVEN gear is installed on the sending unit.

Finally; I've busted off the little locking tab on that DRIVE gear clip before during installation. I've got to wonder if the locking clip is getting bent/damaged during installation causing it to weaken and fail after it's installed.

Good Luck !

 

T5 ! Opps ----> OK; Now I don't know if the electric and cable DRIVEN gears are the same. ( I am only SURE that the auto gears are different ! )

 

In T5 third gens,

There were plastic one-piece gears used for cable speedos.
And there were steel shaft, plastic gear assemblies used for cable speedos.
The gear from the 2-piece assemblies fits the VSS.