While we' on the topic of cables (1 Viewer)

[Jman]

So, I finally got an OEM speedo cable after being dissatisfied with the quality of CCOT's cheepo knockoff even after greasing it (Landpimp, yes, your kung fu is the best, or should I say Mr. Toyoda's is . . . there is a world of difference in quality between a $20 cable and a $42 cable).

Disconnect old cable at xfer case? Check. Remove gauge cluster and disconnect old cable? Check. Remove old cable? Uh, I said, remove old cable? Damn, if it's so fawking hard to get the old cable through the hole in the tranny hump, I'm not sure I'm gonna get the new one back through there. What's the trick I'm missing here? Does the new one go in easy from passenger cabin side? Or do I run a snake down and dry to bring it up?

 

[crucible]

I've replaced two cables in the last 6 months...the first, like yours, was an aftermarket that went after only 200 miles or so.

Anyway, the easiest I found to do this was to go from the top down (make gravity help you) and route the cable from the dash letting it fall onto the floor near the hole (following the route it takes behind the dash of course).

Then, use a bit of lubricant (I used spit at first but it would evaporate too quickly) and you can take one side of the hole gasket and get it in the floor then (deftly) push/squeeze the remainder in making the entire gasket almost do a 360.

Once in, get under the truck and route it accordingly.

Hope this helps,

Cruc

 

[Jman]

Did you route it over or under the tranny? It's hard to tell with the skid plates on, but mine looks like it goes over and is a tight fit. If I drop it down, does it go under?

I'm working without a garage or driveway right now, so taking the skidplates off is not an option.

Thanks in advance.

 

[crucible]

Mine went on the side/under the tranny on the driver's side.

I too work without a garage so I understand-but the main skidplate didn't take but a few minutes to get off (in fact, I can unscrew just the driver's side on mine, loosen the passenger side bolts some, and with the vehicle on the ground, the skidplate on the driver's side will rest on the ground itself, givng me total access without having to take the whole thing off. I think thogh, the whole thing is only (with all the bolts in anyway) 8 12mm? bolts.

(I have my carb out now to get rebuilt and know I need to replace manifold gasket, oil pan gasket leaking, as well as having a noisy p/s bearing, etc. etc. I am not looking forward to it getting really cold as I simply won't be able to work on it much. Sigh.)

Cruc

 

[crucible]

Also, now that I think about it, I'm not sure how you'll be able to to hook the cable up without taking off the skidplate somehow-FWIW.

Cruc

 

[fj40crusher]

speedometer? What's that?

My dash consists of a tach, gas guage, oil pressure, voltage, temp, vacumn thanks to the PO.

 

[red66toy]

I ordered a aftermarket one from SOR and it is way extra long. Are all the aftermarket speedo cables like this?

 

[red66toy]

I don't know if anyone has noticed this but the felt oil seal that goes on the speedometer cable on the transfer end is just like a dremel polishing wheel. I don't know if they would work but might be cheaper to buy them in a 6 pack at Lowes than from SOR( if they worked and all). Just a thought.

 

[Jman]

Now it starts to make sense--the stupid s.o.b.s that fxxxed up the p.o.'s clutch rebuild (uh, how about a new throwout bearing, ya cheap bastads!) ran the speedo cable *over* and that's why it's such a tight fit; probably also why the cable failed.

I can detatch the cable without removing the skid plate, but didn't think about just loosening one side--good idea, thanks Cruc. And it's not so much the cold as the possibility my legs could get run over by some idiot parking his Explorer or get a ticket for working on my truck on the road that bothers me! :whoops:

Anyway, it's not really the speedo I need--I drive by rpms all the time anyway--it's the odometer; I'm losing track of maintenance without knowing how far I've driven.

Interesting point about the seal, but aren't they like $2 or something? I may be cheap, but that's streatching it a bit!

 

[red66toy]

I know they are already cheap. I just thought that is was funny that they were made out of the same stuff and looked exactly the same.

 

[Jman]

Yeah, pretty funny.


Oh, yeah, and by the way, the el cheepo Taiwanese knockoff cable is quite a bit longer than stock--that's what I liked about it. But there is a heck of a difference in the amount of effort it takes to turn the aftermarket versus the OEM cable--I can see why aftermarkets don't hold up, and I'm sure they'd probably screw up the gears turning the cable, too.

 

[xumFJ40]

Jman,

Your problem is that you don't drive a '75 FJ40.

My cable runs from the engine compartmant under the firewall to the tranny.

Glad you got it figured out.