THE speedometer and cable writeup-early cars
#1
THE speedometer and cable writeup-early cars
ok so you say you want to replace your speedo, cable, change the face or fix your odometer gear? Here ya go the writeup for everything at once!
ok first step take of that steering wheel. Pop the horn button off-what ever it may look like- and remove the 24mm nut that holds it on. Before you remove the wheel you may want to mark the spline so you can put it on straight.
ok first step take of that steering wheel. Pop the horn button off-what ever it may look like- and remove the 24mm nut that holds it on. Before you remove the wheel you may want to mark the spline so you can put it on straight.
#2
now check out the three flathead screws holding the turn signals and wiper arms on, and the two small screws that hold the column plastic surround on. Remove the surround and the three screws, pull the wiper/signal unit out and disconnect the highbeam,turn sig., wiper and ignition wiring from the unit.
#3
now you can get to the gauge cluster. Remove the two philips head screws above the gauges and slide the cluster out. You can pop the tach out and stick your hand through the hole to get to the speedometer cable, and twist off the nut that holds the cable to the back of the gauge. Pull the wires that connect from the speedo to the tach, the ground, and the two lights that just slide into the gauge. Now you can remove the gauge. Mine is from a 944 and im switching the face back to the original 924s face as well.
Last edited by xsboost90; 09-29-2005 at 09:11 PM.
#4
The inside of the gauge can be accessed by carefully can openering the face off of the gauge. A small screwdriver can pry around the edge of the black outer ring and you can pop th e clear cover and ring off of the "can".
Then turn the gauge over, remove the two phillips head screws that hold in the tach sensor, and the two flat head screws that hold in the gauge. The insides should pop right out now exposing the gearing.
Then turn the gauge over, remove the two phillips head screws that hold in the tach sensor, and the two flat head screws that hold in the gauge. The insides should pop right out now exposing the gearing.
Last edited by xsboost90; 09-29-2005 at 09:03 PM.
#5
ok so you have the guts out. Looking down the top of the unit you can see the grey gears attached to a small shaft w/ a purple/redish gear on the end-ps of the gauge. If you odometer is not working, this gear-or the entire shaft- has prob. slipped off of the white wormgear under it. Slide the shaft by pushing from the ds of the gauge where there is a brass bushing, and push it in till the brass touches the gauge housing. THE small gear should slide out on the wormgear. Now if you dont shim this gear, it could slide back again, or the shaft could again. If you use gentle pressure and perhaps a small flathead screwdriver you can pry the gear off of the shaft.
I used an electrical connector to space my gear, get a spade connection and cut the loop off the end where a wire would usually get crimped in there. Pry it apart alittle and it works great for a spacer. Now put a drop of superglue on the shaft and reinstall the small gear, making sure it is centered on the wormgear below. Now your odometer should work. You can check by using your fingers to spin the speedo over and you should see it work after a few spins.
I used an electrical connector to space my gear, get a spade connection and cut the loop off the end where a wire would usually get crimped in there. Pry it apart alittle and it works great for a spacer. Now put a drop of superglue on the shaft and reinstall the small gear, making sure it is centered on the wormgear below. Now your odometer should work. You can check by using your fingers to spin the speedo over and you should see it work after a few spins.
Last edited by xsboost90; 09-29-2005 at 09:06 PM.
#6
ok installation is reverse of removal....just kidding here we go. If you are just fixing the odometer you can reinstall the gauge into the pod now and crimp the lid back on using the end of your screwdriver. IF you want to swap out your gauge face, here you go pretty simple. The needle is removed by simply pulling it off of the gauge straight out. There are two very small flathead screws that hold the face on, then swap faces, and install the needle back to the zero position on the gauge. If its not perfect it should return itself to zero anyway.
Last edited by xsboost90; 09-29-2005 at 09:08 PM.
#7
While the gauge is out why not replace that pesky old speedo cable w/ a new one. I got mine at pelicanparts.com for like 36 bucks but they should be available a few places. Pull the drivers wheel off the car, and in the middle of the bearing cover there is the end of the speed cable sticking out w/ a small clip on it. Push the clip off carefully-not sure where you would get one- and the cable can then be pulled out of the spindle by pulling on it from behind the brakes. Once its off, it can be fished through a few brakets and pulled up under the hood. Then it can be pulled from the inside of the car till its totally out.
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#8
You MAY want to note how the old cable is run around things under the hood and under the dash before you pull it. If not, not to fear, pretty easy install. The new cable should go straight down over the column over the defrost hoses and the bent upwards to the front of the firewall straight above the brakes. Once its through the firewall again, pull it throught until just enough is behind the gauges to connect it to them. Fish the line down into the first braket under the hood which should still have the rubber grommet, against the frame and into the second braket just over the lower contol arm. I tied the cable to an a/c line to hold it from rubbing the steering shaft as i have had troubles w/ that before. Now push the cable back through the spindle and rotating the rotor it should pop through the dust cap pretty easily. Reinstall the clip.
Last edited by xsboost90; 09-29-2005 at 09:14 PM.
#9
ok back to the gauges. The gauge simply just pushes into the cluster panel. originally they had white guides that fit them level into the panel but most of those are gone by now. Reinstall the ground wire and lights into the speedo and then reaching through the tach hole reconnect the cable. Put tach back in w/ wire from the speedo and the lights THEN push it back in straight, push panel back into dash and reinstall the two phillips screws that hold it in.
Last edited by xsboost90; 09-29-2005 at 09:17 PM.
#11
thanks almost done i guess. I had to resize all the pics to get them to load quicker.
now you can reinstall your wiper switch etc, plug everything in and make sure it is sitting flush on the column before you tighten it down. Reinstall the column surround and the two small phillips screws that hold it together. Make sure your wheel is straight and tighten your 24mm nut on the wheel. Ok you did it, feel better now? Go drive it!!!!!
oh, anyone need a 944 cluster or speedo face? cheap?
now you can reinstall your wiper switch etc, plug everything in and make sure it is sitting flush on the column before you tighten it down. Reinstall the column surround and the two small phillips screws that hold it together. Make sure your wheel is straight and tighten your 24mm nut on the wheel. Ok you did it, feel better now? Go drive it!!!!!
oh, anyone need a 944 cluster or speedo face? cheap?
#12
Originally Posted by xsboost90
Now you can reinstall your wiper switch etc, plug everything in and make sure it is sitting flush on the column before you tighten it down. Reinstall the column surround and the two small phillips screws that hold it together.
One thing to add (in addition to above quote).
It is a good idea any time you have disassembled the wiper stalk/ignition switch assembly to take a long thin screwdriver, go in to the back of the ignition switch plug and make sure the connector is pushed onto the ignition switch nice and snug (don't ask me how I know...... ).
The battery should be disconnected for this also.
Also, old gauge faces make good coffee table coasters at GTG's.
#13
Good write up. I have been into mine 3 times over the past weekend. My odometer is the problem. The worm gear that everyone talks about was in full contact with the red gear driving the odom number shaft. The problem is with the initial odom gear centered just off the main cable drive big black gear. This white odom gear is quite a strange looking gear since it is shallow in the middle where it rides on the circular speedo main gear.
Well there is play in this odom gear rod on both ends. I had to shim it on both sides to take the slop out. The odom works fine now but the speedo needle jumps every rotation due to I guess a bad tooth on the odom gear mentioned above. I have a whole cluster coming from a seller on ebay. I hope all gauges work as he stated.
I really like the look of your 924 gauge faces. Does anyone sell these 924 faces aftermarket? I see a lot for the later 944's on ebay, but none for the early ones.
Well there is play in this odom gear rod on both ends. I had to shim it on both sides to take the slop out. The odom works fine now but the speedo needle jumps every rotation due to I guess a bad tooth on the odom gear mentioned above. I have a whole cluster coming from a seller on ebay. I hope all gauges work as he stated.
I really like the look of your 924 gauge faces. Does anyone sell these 924 faces aftermarket? I see a lot for the later 944's on ebay, but none for the early ones.