Stewart Warner Mechanical Speedometer

psychoSEAL · #1 (**permalink**) 04-03-2010, 05:20 PM

When I reinstalled my gauges after applying vinyl to the dash the only thing that does not work is the mechanical SW speedometer. I have attached and reattached the cable to the back of the gauge trying everything possible and still no movement. Is there a special installation of the cable to the back of the gauge housing? Any ideas! THANKS!

Rick Parker · #2 (**permalink**) 04-03-2010, 06:14 PM

Are you sure the inner cable is being inserted into the receptical on back of the housing. Any change in direction of rotation? Is the inner cable turning while driving?

psychoSEAL · #3 (**permalink**) 04-03-2010, 06:55 PM

Rick, The inner cable can be moved in and out about an inch or so. I am sure it is going into the housing attachmnt on the gauge. I will check to see if the inner cable rotates when driving. It was working fine until I reinstalled the gauge and cable. Has me stumped. I will let you know. THANKS for your help.

dcdoug · #4 (**permalink**) 04-04-2010, 08:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by psychoSEAL

Rick, The inner cable can be moved in and out about an inch or so. I am sure it is going into the housing attachmnt on the gauge. I will check to see if the inner cable rotates when driving. It was working fine until I reinstalled the gauge and cable. Has me stumped. I will let you know. THANKS for your help.

I had the same problem at one point. Make sure it is full seating into the driven gear that plugs into the transmission. I can feel like it goes in, when it doesn't (the cable just pushes back up into the cable sheath. Push it lightly until you feel it go into the gear.

psychoSEAL · #5 (**permalink**) 04-04-2010, 08:48 AM

I'll give it a try. Took the odometer out last night to get a closer look at how far the cable goes in. I am thinking the same, the cable is dislodged from the trans gear. Will push it back to see what I can get. THANKS for the help!

psychoSEAL · #6 (**permalink**) 04-04-2010, 11:06 AM

Unhooked the cable pushed in didn't feel any different. Drove car with the cable unattached and it does not turn. I guess I'll have to get underneath to see what it might be. Anything else that I am missing? THANKS!

Rick Parker · #7 (**permalink**) 04-03-2010, 09:09 PM

Can you attach it (the Transmission end) to a Variable speed drill, sometimes even spin it in your fingers and the gauge will show movement.

dcdoug · #8 (**permalink**) 04-04-2010, 07:37 PM

Use Rick's suggestion and connect a drill to the cable at the transmission end and see if it turns the speedo. If it seems to work at different speeds then the cable is not seating into the transmission speedo gear properly.

psychoSEAL · #9 (**permalink**) 04-13-2010, 03:28 PM

I found the problem(s) with the speedometer cable. While turning the cable from the trans end the speedometer does move. The problem is the gear at the trans end has some how fallen off into the trans. I have a C4 trans in the car. Is there a way to fish the gear out of the trans? If left laying in the bottom of the trans, will it damage anything? I have a cross member that is welded in not bolted. The trans guy told me there were 2 options. 1. Remove the tail section of the trans and fish out the gear. 2. Try to see what gear (color) that has fallen off into the trans and replace with a new one leaving the old one in the bottom of the trans. I dont know how the gear fell off because I didn't pull on the cable when I was working with the speedometer. Any ideas on the fix? THANKS!

Dangerous Doug · #10 (**permalink**) 04-13-2010, 04:02 PM

Before digging around in your transmission, I'd look with a flashlight into the cable hole to verify that the gear COULD fall off, into the transmission. It's hard for me to envision an engineer that would design the transmission in a way that the speedo gear could fall off and drop into the pan.

I'm thinking the gear came off with the cable and then fell off when you weren't looking.

At least, that's what would happen to me...

...and I'd probably find it after I pulled the pan on the transmission...

DD

psychoSEAL · #11 (**permalink**) 04-13-2010, 05:03 PM

That didn't happen. There were 2 of us present when we pulled the cable form the trans. One would think if something would fall, one of us would see it. I think the clip was missing. I will be using a borescope to view inside to see the gear. Thanks

Rick Parker · #12 (**permalink**) 04-13-2010, 05:05 PM

Normally there is a metal clip that holds the gear onto a tubular (about 1" diameter) spindle adapter that fits into the transmission tailshaft and locates the gear correctly so it will mesh with the worm gear on the output shaft. Then the entire speedo cable screws onto the above mentioned adapter. Unless the clip was not attached, I can't see how the gear would be able to fall off???

Ibr8k4vetts · #13 (**permalink**) 04-13-2010, 06:59 PM

I would just get a new gear and clip...but thats just me! but how do you plan on servicing the trans?

psychoSEAL · #14 (**permalink**) 04-13-2010, 08:00 PM

I will have to figure out which is the correct gear. This trans is a '69 c4 out of a Torino. What happened to the clip? I don't know. Probably in the tailshaft with the gear. I think I will be able to pull off the tailshaft and take a look. Hopefully the clip and gear or whats left of the gear will be there.