Speedo and cable spent, questions

[matthon]

My speedo locked up, don't know why yet, the speedo will not turn at all.
It killed the cable. 4 speed car.
It is a 67 Barracuda with the screw type cable, on both ends.

Can I drive the car without the cable hooked up?

I heard Rock Auto has the correct cable, is this true?

Should I replace the speedo gears in the tranny?
From Rock Auto as well hopefully, and I imagine there is a seal as well.
Its hard to tell if they are spent too.

 

[RedFish]

yes you can drive without the speedo and cable. I would think the drive gear and seals are fine.
The speedometer head has a bronze driveshaft in a potmetal bore. There is a oil hole with a fiber wick under a little cap. If the cable pushes on that shaft it will overheat and sieze up. You can remove the cap and wick then flush the bore with 3 in 1 oil , while turning the shaft with pliers. Maybe it will loosen up and live again, maybe not.
If I bought a used speedo off ebay I would do the same things to it before install too.
Servicing the rallye panel is such a chore A restored speedometer is no doubt the best route in my opinion but... You could break the bezel, a circuit board , whatever, while intalling any speedometer. DOH ! happens
Good luck with it.

 

[matthon]

I went through that and it lived again, and now it has passed, again.
I have another speedo that works, but I was hoping this one would work out as it came with the car.
I was worried that the hole in the plastic on the tranny would be chewed up- its hard to see inside.
I just got this whole thing together not too long ago!
Thanks FABO.

 

[RedFish]

I never screw the collecter nut up tight to the instrument. I would rather allow room for movement. The cable is spiral wound so it will grow shorter or longer.

 

[matthon]

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing, but the center kept slipping away and I'd loose the speedometer every so often.
Always good advice RedFish, but maybe I had a bum cable and speedo to start- or maybe I'm the bum?

 

[4spdragtop]

Hey Matt if you are going to get a new cable, I would get speedo gear and seal for what they cost. May as well have a spare sitting on the shelf because they wont last forever. Have your spare speedo checked out and put it in. Keep your orig to fix when you can.

Steve