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Hi guys, I have a question. I have a 1948 custom 8 and when I got the car it sat in the barn for another 10 years. But this summer I got it out and got it on the road. But after sitting 56 year lots of things didn't work. So at first I thought the speedometer was just rusted but after working to get the wipers working and the blinkers working I realized that there is no speedometer cable. Since I have never seen one on ebay and any flea market what do I need to look for and where does it hook to. I do believe it connects to the the transmission. Any think you can provide will be most welcome. Thanks

John

What do you have in the car now--are you just missing the cable out of the housing or is there nothing at all connected to the back of the speedometer or side of transmission.

Ok it has nothing at all. I haven't even a clue after it comes off the back of the speedometer where it goes to from there. There is a cable that hangs down at the back of the engine but I think that is for the overdrive ( that the mechanic said was unhooked). J

There should be a steel armored flexible housing that is about 5/16 in diameter. It attaches to the back of speedometer by a round or hexagonal screw on collar, goes through the firewall grommet and down to the trans. It attaches at the rear just before the driveshaft. If you have overdrive, it will be on passenger side of the OD, but don't remember exactly where on regular trans. Inside the housing will be the actual speedo cable. Without something connected down at trans, there should be a large hole leaking oil.
Check the cable you have hanging and verify what it is then let us know what you do have and we can help you start identifying what is missing..

Also there should be a driven gear in the hole at the rear of the transmission. They come in a variety of types. One for the r9 overdrive, one for the r11, and different ones for transmissions without overdrive.

Hey I finally had time to go and check the cables that I have. Well good news I do have the cable that runs to the transmission. An it was hanging pretty bad so I pushed it back threw the firewall. Then I said oh what the check lets see if it will work. I have heard a noise in the dash and I believe that was the cable. So I hooked it up and backed the car out. No that didn't work but I could hear it rotating. So I unhooked it and looked at the cable to see if I could see anything and then realized something in the back of the speedometer could come free and that was a small thing that was about a inch long square end and the other looked like it could but up against the cable and when tightened down would move the speedometer. But when I put that up to the cable and moved the car it only moved somewhat. So now what should I try?

Thanks

John

Not quite sure what you've got going on but nothing should be loose. The picture is of a 47 speedo (very dirty) but everything should be very similar to yours--perhaps some minor differences due to instrument styling. The top 2 pictures are the back of the speedo and the cable end that screws on. Note the approx 3/4 inch of actual cable with square end protruding. That square end fits into a square recess or socket in speedo and provides the drive. The transmission end also has a square section that fits similarly.

The bottom 2 pictures are of the housing with approx 6 inches of cable pulled out on left and the transmission end without the drive gear attached. If yours doesn't look very similar then there is a problem. It almost sounds as if your speedo cable is broken off at top end as that's all I can think of that would be square and an inch long. If that is the case, replacement cables are available but there probably is a serious problem in the speedo that will have to be repaired by one of the instrument shops or replaced before a new cable.

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It sounds like the loose part you found in the back of the speedometer is the end of the cable that has been twisted off. the end of the cable should be square about an inch or so long. If that is the case you will need a new cable. Lubricate the new one and slide it through the housing and in to the driven gear in the trans and into the back of the speedometer and it should work. Make sure there is no kink in the cable housing.

Ok the picture of the cable end does not look like the end that I have. It must be broken and that is the reason that it doesn't work. Now lets see if I can find one. Thanks guys.

John

As mentioned, if it's broken off then I strongly suggest you look at the speedometer before another cable. There is normally very little load because there is nothing more than a spinning magnet and a couple of gears inside. I've seen cables dry out or kink from no lube or too sharp a bend in housing, but to actually break there has to be a substantial load or misalignment. I would just verify something has not been either damaged or the lube totally dried in the speedo head to cause the break.