How do I re-attach the speedo cable?

[Zack1978]

Hello,
When they took my radio out yesterday they of course had to take out the entire dash, including the cluster. Well now I have no speedo, so I guess the cable is not on correctly. How do I fix this? IS it easy? Is there any slack in the cable? What are the steps involved?

Thanks,
Zack

 

[Jman]

There *might* be enough slack. Take out the screws necessary to pull the gauge cluster and gently pull the cluster out. The cable probably is sitting rigth there--trace it down to where it comes out of the tranny hump gromet (right behind the heater ducts) and see if you can pull some slack through into the cab, then try to snap the cable back onto the back of the speedo.

If that doesn't work, you can crawl under the truck and disconnect the cable where it attaches to the housing for the rear output shaft of the transfer case, create some slack, attach it back to the speedo, then reattach it to the transfer case.

I've don't this more times than I want to remember.

 

[Jman]

Oh, gawd--I said "tranny," "hump," "cable," and "speedo" all in the same post--people are gonna think I live in the West Village.

 

[coffmantx]

I just got finished replacing my dashpad, so I went through this. When I went back in to put the gauges panel back in place, I had to put the radio side toward the dash first, that would allow me enough wiggle room from the door side to get my hand in there and attach the speedo cable, which has no slack. This was the only way I found to work, there is no room from underneath, and not enough cable slack to approach from the radio side. It used to make noise in the morning, now that seems to have gone away.

 

[patride71]

should be easy. i've had to do it a couple of times. if you unscrew the instrument cluster then it should either be sitting right there...unplugged.
if its still plugged in, then you got other problems...busted cable, but still an easy fix.