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Thread: Speedometer cable

  1. #1

    Speedometer cable

    I worked on the ranchero over the weekend and got the new rear leaf shackles and bushings in but now I notice the speedometer has quit working. It appears that the end has come off and the cable is broken somewhere in the line.

    How difficult is it to put a new one in and are there any things to watch out for? It is a 4 speed V8.
    none

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Sequim
    Posts
    2,117
    Speedo cable is pretty easy. Just have small hands and be a contorsionist. The hardest part is reaching up under the dash to screw or un screw it from the gauge cluster. The trans end should have a small clip with one bolt holding it on. Undo that and pull straight out and it should come right out.
    Go for it, you should have no troubles.
    63 Sedan Delivery
    5.0 HO EFI AOD 8" rear

  3. #3
    Hey, thanks so much for the info.

    I bought a new cable and C-clip; the cable has an attached kind of holder with a hole in it and 4"cushion piece around the cable. The end for the dash has a round nut and the tranny end has a push-in fitting with an 'O' do they come pre-lubed or should I add some?
    none

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Sequim
    Posts
    2,117
    Wouldn't hurt to put a touch if gear lube on the "o" ring. If it was an auto use trans fluid.
    63 Sedan Delivery
    5.0 HO EFI AOD 8" rear

  5. #5
    Speedo Cables, if new, are probably pre-lubed, but it never hurts to pull the cable out of the housing and check. Cables are lubed with a special grafite-based lubricant that you can find at most good auto stores, or online. In a pinch you can use Lock-ease, which is graphite based spray to help carry the lube down the housing. And as Steve said, a light film of oil on the o-ring.
    Roger Moore

    63 "Flarechero"
    powered by: 347ci stroker | Tremec T5 | 8" 3:45 TracLoc rear



  6. #6
    Thank you so much for your info, I really like this forum

    Tom
    none

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Mill Creek
    Posts
    1,226

    Speedometer cable

    I just replaced my speedo cable yesterday. The actual installation of the cable is a snap. Mine is pretty difficult because the cross member on the frame is right adjacent to the outlet on the Tremec transmission for the cable. The cable routes through the frame for a distance and exits through the bottom of the frame.

    I originally ground out a section of the frame and thought is was okay, but I noticed a small leak around the speedo at the tranny and saw that when I lowered the tranny onto the support it bent the speedo housing and was causing it to leak around the o'ring.

    I replaced the cable, ground out the hole quite a bit larger and it clears now. Don't let that scare you about installing a new cable. The actual cable install only takes 20 or so minutes. Larry
    Larry Smith
    1964 Futura
    347 stroker



  8. #8

    Speedometer issue has grown!

    My plan was to replace the speedometer cable but in the course of several days here is what happened.

    I stopped at the store and when I started up again I noticed that the temp. gauge was not working nor the fuel gage. Went online and ordered the newer style constant voltage regulator. I thought I'd just put that in along with the speedometer cable and just get into the dash once, also bought some new dash lights. Well, before the part came in the turn signals went out, meaning no blinking dash lights or blinkers outside.

    So today I put in new speedo cable, all new dash lights, cv regulator and a new flasher.

    Guess what the fuel and temp still don't work nor do the turn signals!?

    Here's what seems odd-
    Headlights work, stop lights/tail lights work, dash lights work and dim, horn works, gen and oil lights work.

    What is going on here?
    none

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Sequim
    Posts
    2,117
    GROUNDS. Check all your grounds. Your fuel tank actually ground from being mounted to the frame. I usually run a second wire from the tank to the frame and ground it that way. As far as your temp, make sure the connection on the intake is good. Also check the ohms reading, it may have just gone bad. Mine just did so new sensor fixed mine.
    63 Sedan Delivery
    5.0 HO EFI AOD 8" rear

  10. #10
    I did a quick scour of the wiring diagram to see if there is a common source for these failures, and not really finding one. The headlight switch on this car is the source of power to many things because the fuses are built onto it. Some power comes from within the switch, where a couple others get their +12 volt feed sent to and then out of the switch harness, but are not sourced from within the switch. For instance the flasher +12 volts is fed from the headlight switch, whereas one of the Black w/Green feeds from the IGN switch goes to the headlight switch (to power the switch) but also connects through a fuse to the Heater brown wire.

    For now, key on, check the fuses on the headlight switch for 12 volts on each side of the fuses. Check +12 volts to the Black w/Green wire on the CV regulator. Check +12 volts to Yellow/Black on flasher.

    I tend to think along the line with Steve these may be coincidental failures, but I sure can't see a single ground causing all of them, nor a single source of power failure either. Each are on a separate source.

    All of this, of course, assumes nobody in the past 50 years as messed with any of the factory wiring.
    Roger Moore

    63 "Flarechero"
    powered by: 347ci stroker | Tremec T5 | 8" 3:45 TracLoc rear



  11. #11
    Thank you both for the replies-

    I don't believe both are related either just that both happened so close together. I think I will work on the last that occurred and it may be solved at the switch with fuses (I hope).

    I was figuring that the fuel and temp gauges would be solved with the new (they say improved transistor type) constant voltage regulator from Falcon Parts though. It's a real pain trying to do any kind of work on the dash and related wiring.

    Any other thoughts or ideas would be appreciated,

    Tom
    none

  12. #12
    There's a pretty decent test document on FalconParts.com for testing the dash gauges just to see if it's the sensors or not. It's on this page, which I'm posting the entire page rather than just the link to the page, since there may be other links you or others may not have seen before on this page:

    http://www.falconparts.com/ford-falc...mation-d13.htm

    Good luck!
    Roger Moore

    63 "Flarechero"
    powered by: 347ci stroker | Tremec T5 | 8" 3:45 TracLoc rear



  13. #13

    The mystery continues!?

    I decided to take a ride this morning and do some errands and maybe work on the car later. Made my first stop and after I started up the fuel and temp. gauges started working as usual. Made several more stops and things seemed just fine, the 2 gauges were working like usual.

    I decided to try the turn signals and low and behold both gauges started falling to zero and not working again right before my eyes. Trying to move the turn lever around a little didn't get any response.

    Thoughts????
    none

  14. #14
    I have thoughts, but not sure you believe in that sort of thing or not, so I'll keep those thoughts to myself.

    Could be an intermittent key switch, but other accessories tied to those terminals would also be failing. So... there is nothing else you can find failing? You have tried the heater, radio, door lights, etc. etc.? I'll study the diagram again and see if I have an epiphany.
    Roger Moore

    63 "Flarechero"
    powered by: 347ci stroker | Tremec T5 | 8" 3:45 TracLoc rear



  15. #15
    Are you saying maybe some Gremlins in the Falcon?

    Sure seems to be something shorting that connection when I turn the blinkers on!

    I really thought maybe it would just be a fuse for the blinkers though.
    It does kind of eliminate a lot of things though- CVR, Fuse, Bad Gauges and sending units.

    It's beginning to sound more like a short, rubbed wire etc. but I don't understand the connection between two seemingly unrelated circuits?

    I really appreciate you trying to help me solve this,
    none

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