'63 Speedometer Not Working - Baffled

[Norm B.]

Hi Everyone

My '63 speedometer packed it in last year. I pre-arranged with a well known instrument supplier to do an exchange at Carlisle to avoid shipping across the border. They said they bench tested it before they packed it up and I have no reason to not believe them. When I got it in the car and all hooked up it wouldn't work. There was no noise, no squealing, or anything to indicate it was trying to work, it just sat there like a lump. Well, I have it out of the car again and it spins up just fine on the bench. The cable seems to be well lubricated, not broken, the ends are not chewed and before I pulled the cluster I unhooked the cable and it spins just fine when the car is driven. Before I pulled the cluster out I double checked and from everything I could see or tell the cable was in the back of the speedometer straight and was snug.

I could just put it all back together and try again since I am getting real good at pulling and reinstalling the cluster but it's not one of my favorite things to do. I am going to call the supplier tomorrow but in the meantime does anyone have any thoughts on where the problem may lie? Did I miss something in installing it? Is something missing off the end of the cable?

[John D.]

Re: '63 Speedometer Not Working - Baffled

Norm, Sounds like the problem is the transmission gear. John

[Dan B.]

Re: '63 Speedometer Not Working - Baffled

Norm, Sounds like the problem is the transmission gear. John

Good call, I would check the plastic driven gear first. Maybe it's broken ot stipped and a simple R&R of like color will do the trick.

[Norm B.]

Re: '63 Speedometer Not Working - Baffled

Thanks for the suggestion guys. I thought of that at first but when the cable was disconnected from the back of the speedometer it spun when the car was being driven. I tried doing that before I decided to pull the cluster again. I just now put the cable back into the sheath and tried to turn it by hand but once a little bit of tension is taken up, about 1/4 turn, there is full resistance in both directions. You would think I would not be able to turn the cable by hand if the transmission gear was stripped. I won't have an opportunity to gt under the car for a while but if I can't resolve it by then I will definitely pull the gear and have a look.

[Richard M.]

Re: '63 Speedometer Not Working - Baffled

I had a recently rebuilt '60 speedometer that included a new main shaft/magnet assembly. After installing the assembled cluster in the car after bench testing I noticed the transmission end of the cable wouldn't spin any longer. Good thing I checked before connecting to the tranny. The new cable and new speedo main shaft wouldn't play together. I had to cut the tip of the cable a bit up at the speedo end. It was binding when the cable capscrew was tightened, even by hand.

Try loosening the cable capscrew a bit up at the speedo head. In your 2nd photo it seems it's not down all the way. Howver, testing it will require you to disconnect the transmission end.

Rich

[Norm B.]

Re: '63 Speedometer Not Working - Baffled

Thanks Rich, good point, I never thought of checking that. It is all still sitting on the bench so I will have a real close look tomorrow. If it even appears to be binding I will nip a bit off at the speedometer end as it is a bear to reconnect the cable to the speedometer once the cluster is back in the car. I am using the old cable but like yours this speedometer has a new main shaft/magnet assembly. The old cable may be just a tad too long.