Simplified speedo cable

["content22207" <brobertson@xxxx>]

Are 90 degree angle gears really necessary? Couldn't you secure a
single cable to whatever size threads are on inside of spindle (don't
ask me. Is bigger than any of my flat wrenches. Used a crescent
wrench), with enough cable protruding to reach square drive on wheel
disc? A big S shaped loop would handle change in angle from footwell
to wheel without binding. Only hangup is engineering a fitting on
inside on spindle (has to hold cable sheath and be weathertight). 

What parts houses did you try? If I can match square drive in town,
might splice new end to my old cable. Have a thin gauge spring to use
as connector. Would solder spring to cables. Might also solder square
end to itself to ensure never unwinds again.

Speedo died at 80 mph. Wonder how many RPM's wheel was spinning? I'm
just happy the angle drive survived.

Ford Motor Company attaches speedo cable to transmission, as radical
as that seems...

Bill Robertson
#5939

>--- In dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, Don Ekhoff <ekhoff@xxxx> wrote:
> 
> Bill,
> 
> Just last night I finished (well almost) going thru almost the
identical 
> thing. My cable was unwound as you describe however it had also come 
> out of the drive gear as well on it's own. This has been an education 
> so please bear with as this might get a little long.
> 
> To disassemble the right angle drive, I took a dremel tool to the four 
> staking spots holding in the larger steel disk set into the casting. 
> Ths allowed the disk to be lifted out. Behind this was a shim and a 
> coined disk that acts as a thrust plate for the gear. The gear than 
> simply slides out. I would suggest this level of disassembly to
attempt 
> a repair of the flex cable itself.
> 
> The cable is larger than standard and the end square drive is 1/8" . 
> This is referred to in the industry as "heavy duty" speedo. cable. 
> There is a ferrile swedged onto the flex cable ~1/2" long that is 
> precision ground after swedging to a .236 " dia. This ferrile than is 
> pressed into the gear which has a bore that is tighter at the gear
end. 
> I exhausted local resources and then contacted
"www.speedometerplus.com" 
> (Los Angeles) with a description of my old cable and the remains of the 
> old cable mailed to them in an envelope. For $39.95 I got back a heavy 
> duty cable with the required square end formed on one end and a crude 
> crimped ferrile on the other. I then rigged up a centerless grinding 
> operation to shape this lump to a precision .237" dia. feature that I 
> was able to press into the drive gear. It might be possible to "J.B. 
> Weld this in but I followed factory proceedure as much as possible. 
> Reassembling the clean, greased parts was a simple reward. All that is 
> left is to install it into the car.
> 
> My next question is how to reduce the load on this assembly as I agree 
> the cable is vulnerable to "unwinding". I would think a single new 
> cable all the way to the instrument panel (eliminating the Lambda box) 
> would be a step forward. Has anyone done this and is it available
for sale?
> 
> Contact me off-line with questions.
> 
> Don Ekhoff
> 6543
> 
> 
> 
> content22207 wrote:
> 
> >Finally autopsied speedo. Right angle grears fine (yay!). Problem is
> >short cable that passes through spindle. Square cimp end is unwound
> >and mangled. In its infinite wisdom DMC wound in opposite direction of
> >predominant wheel rotation. All it takes is disturbance to one strand
> >and cable will destroy itself from wheel movement alone.
> >
> >Wheel disc is fine BTW.
> >
> >I've got angle drive off car but can't figure out how to remove short
> >cable from its gear. Does anyone know how to separate the two? If I
> >can remove short cable, will replace with cut down parts house cable.
> >More complicated back up plan otherwise -- will post if that's what it
> >comes to.
> >
> >Bill Robertson
> >#5939
> >
> >
> >
> >
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