Speedo cable busted, AGAIN! (1 Viewer)

[Jman]

A week or so after getting some clutch work done last summer, my speedo cable broke right near where it connects to the Xcase. I let it go for a few months and then put another OEM cable in, and now that one just broke.

Of course, there isn't much slack in the OEM speedo cable, the result being that it bends pretty sharply where it connects to the Xcase. (I think the Toyota engineers forgot that LHD clusters would be farther away!!!) I thought my mechanic had routed it wrong when he put everything back together last summer (he ran it over the tranny and along the passenger side to the Xcase) so when I put the new one in I ran it along the driver's side of the tranny and under to get to the Xcase connection, but still there was very little slack.

What's going on? Right before the new one snapped, I had some speedo gauge chatter, but I thought that was just the very cold weather we were having (it went away when truck warmed up).

Is this just bad luck? Or is there an ideal way to route it? Is there some problem I'm not aware of? ???

I'm going to put in an aftermarket cable that's a bit longer but of inferior quality for the time being.

 

[TOZOVR]

Damn, wish I could help, but my 62's just busted...I grabbed a replacement but haven't thrown it in yet...same symptoms though...guage chatter for a few days and then snapola....

Where does the cable enter the passenger compartment...glancing quickly I didn't see it on the upper firewall...how much of PITA will this be? Alldata says .70 hours....any tips?

Thanks
rj

 

[TonkaC]

Auto Meter sales speedo cable extenders and instead of buying a whole cable and housing, you can pick up the internal cable from a parts store like autozone for $5 and just cut it to length. they work pretty well, shorten them for custormers at AZ all the time.

 

[Jman]

[quote author=TonkaC link=board=1;threadid=11251;start=msg101994#msg101994 date=1076354307]
Auto Meter sales speedo cable extenders and instead of buying a whole cable and housing, you can pick up the internal cable from a parts store like autozone for $5 and just cut it to length. they work pretty well, shorten them for custormers at AZ all the time.
[/quote]

Yoiks! Never heard of a speedo cable extender! Hmm, think I could get one at NAPA/PoopBoys?

Any anyone have anything to add on routing it? ???

And Tozovr, the cable goes from the back of the gauge cluster down through a hole in the tranny hump behind the heater ductwork--I was able to replace mine just by taking out the cluster and threading the new cable along that route. The only tough part was getting enough slack to screw it onto the Xcase.

 

[TonkaC]

ok, guess I was talking out my but on the extender. I know I've seen them but can't remember where.... (old age getting to me) I did find out how to help you and it sounds like a better setup. You can call a company called Speedo Services at (414) 463-6660 and they can make a cable for your specifications. I got a guestement on the price: an 8' piece with cruiser ends with plastic housing is $49.50, if you use the steel with plastic it is an extra $10.00. He said the price vairies by about $2 a foot for shorter or longer.

Hope this helps you out, Chris

 

[Jman]

[quote author=TonkaC link=board=1;threadid=11251;start=msg102078#msg102078 date=1076361997]
ok, guess I was talking out my but on the extender. I know I've seen them but can't remember where.... (old age getting to me) I did find out how to help you and it sounds like a better setup. You can call a company called Speedo Services at (414) 463-6660 and they can make a cable for your specifications. I got a guestement on the price: an 8' piece with cruiser ends with plastic housing is $49.50, if you use the steel with plastic it is an extra $10.00. He said the price vairies by about $2 a foot for shorter or longer.

Hope this helps you out, Chris
[/quote]

Hmm, I'm option-rich right now. First, I think I'll try the easy route of getting a core at NAPA and trimming it to length and inserting it in the housing. If it breaks, I'll install the longer aftermarket cable that I have ($20 from CCOT). If for some reason that doesn't work, I'll call speedo services with an order.

Thanks.

 

[theo]

Is it breaking because of torque? Stretched kind of tight then you stomp on it and stretch it more? Just a thought.

 

[Jman]

[quote author=theo link=board=1;threadid=11251;start=msg102096#msg102096 date=1076363743]
Is it breaking because of torque? Stretched kind of tight then you stomp on it and stretch it more? Just a thought.
[/quote]

Yeah, it's that rapid accleration the 2F provides! The cable just can't keep up!

Considering it's breaking right where there is a pretty tight turn, I'm sure that's what's doing it--I just don't know how to get enough slack in the cable so that turn is less drastic.