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Oct 2, 2007
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Hi

I recently bought a 1979 FJ40, always thought they were cool and have wanted one for a while. I have a question about it though. The speedometer doesn't work, a friend looked at it and told me he thinks the 'speed pick-up' is the problem. I called toyota and they told me there are 5 for that year and there should be a number on it. I took the speedometer cable off and the clamp, but couldn't see any number. Do I have to take the whole thing out? Is that a difficult task? Thanks, looking forward to getting off road.
 
a friend looked at it and told me he thinks the 'speed pick-up' is the problem. I called toyota and they told me there are 5 for that year and there should be a number on it.
Hi and welcome to IH8MUD.
The term "speed pick-up" makes me think that your friend thinks your speedo is "electronic".
I would have thought it should be exactly the same as on my 1979 BJ40 (ie. - mechanical) but why Toyota says there are 5 versions is beyond me! (I suspect that Toyota parts salesman knows little about your vehicle.)
Mine is driven by a worm gear off the g/box final output shaft (behind the handbrake drum). (Is this what they're calling a "speed pickup"?) It drives the speedo via a flexible cable.
If you undo the round nut securing the cable sheath at the gearbox/handbrake end you should be able to withdraw the inner drive cable (just pull it ALL out). My guess is that yours is broken.
A broken cable is common if it is dry (unlubricated) or if someone has "kinked" the cable into a tight bend somewhere.
It pays to isolate the fault to a particular component before asking about replacement parts.
 
dealer says 5 different gears in the speedo housing .it see 6 but there is only really 4 ,4 different ones if that is what the dealer is talking about 15,16,17,18 teeth on the gear ?
IMG_0077 (Medium).webp
 
dealer says 5 different gears in the speedo housing .it see 6 but there is only really 4 ,4 different ones if that is what the dealer is talking about 15,16,17,18 teeth on the gear ?

Ah. I see. The different numbers of teeth must relate to different diff-ratios and/or different tyre sizes. Thanks. (I hadn't thought about the problems of speedo-correction on mechanical-type speedos before.)
The partsman must know what he/she is taliking about after all.

I wonder if "indecline" found some of the old teeth "chewed off".

(A picture is worth a thousand words as they say.)
 
Thanks. I may have used the term 'Speed Pick-up' incorrectly. You are correct Lost marbles it is mecahanical and the cable seems fine, we turned it at one end and it turned at the other. pbgbottle, that is exactly what the dealer was asking for '15,16,17, or 18'. I'm just not sure how to get it out. We assume it is busted because it rotates freely while the truck is stopped, which doesn't seem right. On another note could anyone recommend a place to find a good manual, I've been looking on ebay, recently. Looking forward to getting out before the snow comes, and after for that matter. Thanks
 
New rig and the only thing you are worried about is the speedo cable? must be one fine-assed rig.
 
Thanks. I may have used the term 'Speed Pick-up' incorrectly. You are correct Lost marbles it is mecahanical and the cable seems fine, we turned it at one end and it turned at the other. pbgbottle, that is exactly what the dealer was asking for '15,16,17, or 18'. I'm just not sure how to get it out. We assume it is busted because it rotates freely while the truck is stopped, which doesn't seem right. On another note could anyone recommend a place to find a good manual, I've been looking on ebay, recently. Looking forward to getting out before the snow comes, and after for that matter. Thanks
Welcome to Ih8mud and congrats on finding this site at purchase and before going it alone. makes Landcruiser life better. The above is why it is such a good site. People out there who know more about the LC than we do and are reading our questions and helping, beyond cool.
 
Thanks. I may have used the term 'Speed Pick-up' incorrectly. You are correct Lost marbles it is mecahanical and the cable seems fine, we turned it at one end and it turned at the other. pbgbottle, that is exactly what the dealer was asking for '15,16,17, or 18'. I'm just not sure how to get it out. We assume it is busted because it rotates freely while the truck is stopped, which doesn't seem right. On another note could anyone recommend a place to find a good manual, I've been looking on ebay, recently. Looking forward to getting out before the snow comes, and after for that matter. Thanks
Another note, Spector off raod has a good selection of Landcruiser repair manuals. Another book I would recomend is by a guy named Moses Ludel, "Toyota truck and Landcruiser".
 
These old things have speedometers? I usually just try to not get in to peoples way. I'm usually more to the right side of the freeway with the truckers. Welcome!
 
Thanks for the replies. I was finally able to get it out, after 3 attemps and a bit of encouragement. It was infact the same 6X18 that you showed in the picture. Now I just need to order the new part. Here are a few pictures of the rig, getting it out in the mud next Sat with a friend and his Landrover (show him what a truck can do). Thanks again
landcruiser1.webp
landcruiser3.webp
 
The teeth were good. The problem was where the plastic gearing goes on the rod, it was spinning freely, inside the plastic gear was worn out, hope I explained that well enough. Not sure if I can get just that part or the whole assembly.
 
I just posted this to a similar thread, thought it would apply here too.

I had a similar problem and contacted SOR to see if they could help.

Found out that there is a number printed on the side of the pinion gear (sorry if I got that term wrong)... the gear that slips over the output shaft on the Tcase.

Very small and very hard to read, but it'll tell you what tooth count you need.
(i.e. 6 x 18, etc.)

I'll include a pic that I had to take through a jewelers glass.

I had a 17 tooth gear, and (as seen in the pic) I need an 18.
photo.jpg
 
Very thoughtful, but I think he might have it all figured out 6 years later. :D

I just posted this to a similar thread, thought it would apply here too.

I had a similar problem and contacted SOR to see if they could help.

Found out that there is a number printed on the side of the pinion gear (sorry if I got that term wrong)... the gear that slips over the output shaft on the Tcase.

Very small and very hard to read, but it'll tell you what tooth count you need.
(i.e. 6 x 18, etc.)

I'll include a pic that I had to take through a jewelers glass.

I had a 17 tooth gear, and (as seen in the pic) I need an 18.
 
Ha!
Just figured if anyone someone did a search on this subject, they'd like to know.
Never thought to check the date :D
 

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