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Speedometer help

mgFray

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IMG_4963.jpeg

In the above you can see the end of the speedometer cable broke off in the speedometer. Does anyone have a clue how I can get it out of there?

thanks!
 

Mogman

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If it broke off there the speedo may be seized and not worth the effort.
 

Mogman

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Sorry not a clue, the only thing I can think of is using a power supply one side connected to the brass ring and the other connected to a nail with a sharp tip, the idea is you weld the point of the nail to the broken piece, it would take some experimentation on another portion of the cable to get the volts/amps right.
I guess you have tried tapping it on a table with less than destructive force :)
 

mgFray

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Sorry not a clue, the only thing I can think of is using a power supply one side connected to the brass ring and the other connected to a nail with a sharp tip, the idea is you weld the point of the nail to the broken piece, it would take some experimentation on another portion of the cable to get the volts/amps right.
I guess you have tried tapping it on a table with less than destructive force :)
I may try the welding idea. I've definitely tapped in on my hand, then a table.. doesn't move. I'll keep trying. (Looking up the parts, including a new speedo, it's only $130 + shipping.. so I may go that route and skip the headaches if I don't make any further progress today.)

Side note, I believe I have the 84' cable, it comes out the side by the fuel filter.. My HMMWV is a 1988, so fairly low vin and definitely an original (A0) model. If the 117" cable might be right, I'll have to disassemble things and measure it.. but was hoping to avoid doing that today!

Thanks!
 

Mogman

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Is it just a 60MPH gauge? a used one should be relativity cheap, I think I even have a couple floating around here, but new is nice also!!
 

mgFray

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Is it just a 60MPH gauge? a used one should be relativity cheap, I think I even have a couple floating around here, but new is nice also!!
Edit: Yes it's the mechanical 60 MPH...

If a new one had been $300+, I'd quickly have gone the used route, but Mac has a new one under $100.. For that price, seems like new is better.. then I can stick the old one away as "proof" if anyone questions the mileage. (Not that my title doesn't already say mileage 'exempt' instead of the last odometer reading... clearly nobody trusts the "original" odometer, who knows if it really is original!)
 

Milcommoguy

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You asked... so here's my 2 cents. Get a grip (easy... not honking vice grips) on the brass spinnnnie part and wire drills # 80, 70, 60, etc . Hi speed Dremel tool and perform a "root canal" 🦷on the little bugger. Let the tool do the work. Don't be in a hurry. Step up hole to next size, get a pointed small wood or tapping screw to get a bite and... yank it out. Open W I D E. What to have to loose ?

Drill baby DRILL, Dr. CAMO

drills.jpg 619vt7k95jL._AC_SL1001_.jpg
 

mgFray

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Got the speedometer and cable replaced.. Was a messy job, but not overly difficult. Start at the dash and work back to the transfer case, reverse the order for install.

One thing, my new speedometer/cable is causing the needle to bounce a LOT. Is there some sort of lube I should drop into the dash side of the cable to hopefully let it spin more freely?
 

Mogman

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Got the speedometer and cable replaced.. Was a messy job, but not overly difficult. Start at the dash and work back to the transfer case, reverse the order for install.

One thing, my new speedometer/cable is causing the needle to bounce a LOT. Is there some sort of lube I should drop into the dash side of the cable to hopefully let it spin more freely?
If it is a new cable I would be looking for where it is kinked, on a used cable pull the entire center cable out of the jacket (top), grease up the entire length with bearing grease and put it back in. NOTE if the jacket was not damaged you could have just replaced the inner cable
 

Mogman

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One thing you can do is pull it off the T/C end and see if it still turns freely, there is a small possibility it could be in the drive or the speedo itself, but a pulsing needle is almost always a cable.
If it is the speedo you would feel it get tight as you turned it (at the speedo)
 

Mogman

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You should also be able to pull the center out and put it back in relatively easily (from the top) if not there is an issue with the jacket. (outer cable)
 

mgFray

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I pulled it off the speedo, pulled the cable out about 3 inches moved it in/out a bit, and rotated it. (It is VERY greasy so lube wasn’t the issue.). Put it back together and speedo is smooth as it was before. So must have been an internal kink.

GPS compared to the new speedo, 1MPH difference at 55, 2 at 60MPH. Seems like a successful repair!

thanks!

image.jpg
 

mgFray

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Argh I forgot to connect a wire and had to disconnect and reconnect it and now it’s doing it again…. Wish I know what magic will fix this again.
 

mgFray

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I’m giving up for today. It was working great ONE time now it’s jumping again. I’ll try tomorrow and pull the transfer case side and spin it by hand with someone in the cab to watch it.

with the cable lose and driving about 10MPH the cable visibly turns smoothly, and if I use my fingers and pinch it resistance is smooth no jerking that I can feel.

Turning the input on the speedometer I can smoothly set it to 10MPH for a few seconds and I’d don’t feel any resistance. So the new speedo feels fine.

I’m at a loss to explain why it’s jumping.
 

Mogman

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Make sure it is sliding in and out the firewall when you pull/push on the cable and not getting a bend in it when you put the panel back in, or maybe pull on the cable from near the master cylinder and see if you can pull a little bit out. (easy on it!)
 

Mogman

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Otherwise is it possible you are cross threading the cable nut? just one thing it could be.
 

mgFray

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Make sure it is sliding in and out the firewall when you pull/push on the cable and not getting a bend in it when you put the panel back in, or maybe pull on the cable from near the master cylinder and see if you can pull a little bit out. (easy on it!)
This is the original style, the cable goes out the side of the firewall by the fuel filter. But I will double check this tomorrow. Just frustrated why it worked once, and now a dozen more tries same failure mode.
 
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