Speedometer fix?

[Mlloyd]

The speedometer in my 29 Fordor wasn't working when I bought it. I unscrewed the instrument panel and detached the cable which looks new. Drove a ways and the cable is turning. The speedometer moves freely but the hole for the cable appears to be rounded off. Other than paying $220 for a rebuilt speedometer is there a way to connect the two?

[SeaSlugs]

I will attest that "papanick" on here who restores speedometers did a wonderful job on mine for less than your $220 number...If you get it restored properly it will last for years and years so id do it right the first time and not a jerry rig fix.

At the very least call/email pics to some of these guys who restore them and may just fix yours or replace your bad part for a fair price VS total restoration.

[CarlG]

Originally Posted by SeaSlugs

I will attest that "papanick" on here who restores speedometers did a wonderful job on mine for less than your $220 number...If you get it restored properly it will last for years and years so id do it right the first time and not a jerry rig fix.

At the very least call/email pics to some of these guys who restore them and may just fix yours or replace your bad part for a fair price VS total restoration.

X2 for Papanick

[Patrick L.]

Sometimes its possible to carefully 'stretch' the cable a enough for it to bite enough in the head. It shouldn't take much. I've put the cable in a vise and take a measurement then just carefully stretch it about an 1/8".
Of course That may not be your problem.

[Mike V. Florida]

Originally Posted by Mlloyd

... is there a way to connect the two?

Maybe another cable will have a longer end that will reach past the worn part. Maybe you can weld and grind on the end to give a longer square end.

[J Franklin]

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Ford used 2 different speedo cable ends show us what you are dealing with, you may have the wrong cable for the instrument.

[Floats]

How about shortening the outer cable in order to extend the reach of the inner.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Local hardware and hobby stores carry an assortment of square brass tubing. Maybe a short piece of that would work for you.

[coupe1942]

X3 for papanick.

[Big Daddy]

It is possible you may have the wrong speedometer cable end. The proper size for the Oval speedometer is .125" square, the Round Speedometer takes a .100" square.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

It is possible you may have the wrong speedometer cable end. The proper size for the Oval speedometer is .125" square, the Round Speedometer takes a .100" square.

That's what I was wondering, and a short piece of the square brass tubing should fix the problem, rather than buy a new cable. A new cable might be the better solution though, as I think the whole cable is larger diameter.

[tbirdtbird]

"How about shortening the outer cable in order to extend the reach of the inner."

have you ever done this?

Harder to do than one might imagine. Cones and such are crimped on there

[Mark in MT]

The input end of the speedometer head is round from the factory, it becomes square down 3/16" or so, this is the way that they are made. Therefore you must make sure that the end of the cable engages the speedometer far enough to get into the hole to drive it, about 7/16". As Big Daddy says, there are 2 sizes of the cable ends and if you use the smaller cable in a oval head, it will work for a while until it rounds the corners off of the drive. Snyders offers a "special" cable that is mismatched, it is a square drive on the bottom and a large square on the top for those that have the wrong drive at the torque tube for the oval speedometer. You may also find that the cable is going too far down into the drive at the torque tube, making the cable short at the top end. I have solved this by inserting a space in the driving shaft to force the cable up where it belongs.