engine and drivetrain 5 speed speedo drive toast?

[goofycarp]

Hi, Have 5 speed conversion in my 73tii. Have brand new auto speedo cable that turns freely. Installed the cable into the transmission, and appears to seat properly...test drive and speedo cable doesn't turn at all...so flimsy reasoning says that the speedo drive in the transmission is not working. If that is the case, how does one get it out?

Thanks, Cort Chambers

[jgerock]

Look for a small bolt that secures the speedo cable to the drive gear on the back of the transmission. I think it takes an 8mm wrench.

Back it off then pull the speedometer cable out. Then use a pair of needle nose pliers to pull out the drive gear and bushing assembly.

IF the bushing is worn out, the entire assembly may come out with the speedo cable like mine did (Getrag 242 4-speed). This is a common leak point in the BMW transmissions.

Here is the bushing assembly which consists of (I think) 4 parts. The new one on the right in my pic is missing the o-ring. Not 100% sure, but these parts may be the same for the 4 speed and 5 speed O.D. transmissions.

[goofycarp]

Thanks a lot for the photos. This really helps !!

Cort

[BMtroubleyou]

I am going through the same exact problems on my 75 02' and am very close on just buying a new speedo cable on my 5 speed converted tranny. Now that you are saying the bushing assembly may be an issue, i'm curious. I didn't have to use pliers to pull mine out. the whole assembly with the drive gear all came out as one when I pried a little with a screw driver after removing that retaining bolt at the flange.

there was a bit of in-out play at the buttom of that bushing. Do I need to replace that????

Thank you. I'm so fortunate i'm not alone with these speedo issues

[goofycarp]

Hi, I have yet to pull my speedo drive out but I am fairly positive that whatever part engages and spins the cable is shot. I have a brand new cable that spins freely but when inserted into the speedo drive does absolutely nothing when driving around...will post a follow up when I pull the speedo drive out in the next few days.

Best of luck, Cort

[jgerock]

If the drive gear comes out with the speedometer cable, then more than likely the (4) bushing/seal/ring parts are worn and need to be replaced.

The gear should NOT fall out of the transmission.

Do it once and do it right.

See parts # 19,20,21 & 22

[BMtroubleyou]

Thanks a lot for the photos. This really helps !!

Cort

so where can I purchase this bushing and o-ring at? I can't find it on bavauto.com.

[jgerock]

Thanks a lot for the photos. This really helps !!

Cort

so where can I purchase this bushing and o-ring at? I can't find it on bavauto.com.

Blunttech.com is one place. Your local BMW dealership can also get them. Helps to be a CCA member to take advantage of their discounts.

[goofycarp]

Hi, Finally got my drive gear out. Is the bushing that sits on top the shaft seal, the part with the rubber O ring, supposed to spin freely in the assembly?

I had to take it out with a vice grip...

Thanks, Cort

[BMtroubleyou]

Hi, Finally got my drive gear out. Is the bushing that sits on top the shaft seal, the part with the rubber O ring, supposed to spin freely in the assembly?

I had to take it out with a vice grip...

Thanks, Cort

same question with mine, it looks like a fuel line disconnect off a Ford however I couldn't find a press point to POP it off. U have to pry it off with pliers?

[goofycarp]

Thinking about it now, it appears that the bushing is press fitted in order to center the gear drive. Underneath the bushing is a small seal to keep the transmission fluid from leaking out down the speedo cable. My gear drive is fine so now I am thinking that the gear inside the transmission is haywire so this maybe an exercise in futility and may not lead to solving the problem. I am going to get the 4 parts that make up the assembly and put it back together and see what happens but I am not hopeful at this point. I'll keep you posted.

[BMtroubleyou]

Thinking about it now, it appears that the bushing is press fitted in order to center the gear drive. Underneath the bushing is a small seal to keep the transmission fluid from leaking out down the speedo cable. My gear drive is fine so now I am thinking that the gear inside the transmission is haywire so this maybe an exercise in futility and may not lead to solving the problem. I am going to get the 4 parts that make up the assembly and put it back together and see what happens but I am not hopeful at this point. I'll keep you posted.

So what have you discovered 2 weeks later now? My new speedo cable just came in from 3 weeks ago and I am trying to find the best way possible to pull the bushing adapter off the old cable. Did one of you say to just yank with brute force with some Vice grips?

[goofycarp]

I plan to put everything back together tomorrow. But if I understand your situation: your old speedometer cable is fused to the drive gear that was pulled out with the bushing assembly when you attempted to replace the speedo cable? The end of the drive gear is merely a square hole that the speedo cable fits into to cause it to spin, nothing holds them together once they come out of the transmission, so I would say that you should separate them by pulling them apart, if I have understood your problem...

[BMtroubleyou]

Thanks a lot for the photos. This really helps !!

Cort

so where can I purchase this bushing and o-ring at? I can't find it on bavauto.com.

Blunttech.com is one place. Your local BMW dealership can also get them. Helps to be a CCA member to take advantage of their discounts.

Ok, neither Blunttech.com nor BMW dealers seem to carry this bushing adapter. ****Goofycarp where did you buy that new adapter at???*** Do I need to reference the Part#'s to Getrag and get them that way?

[goofycarp]

Hi, Of the 4 parts that make up the lower part of the speedo drive, the bushing at that the drive gear goes thru is nla, not even in Germany. You can still get the other 3 parts but it's kind of pointless as you need all 4 to make the assembly since you put it together one time. I ended up getting a complete used assembly from this forum and replaced the "O" ring with a new one that I got from Penske parts in Rhode Island. I did get a new lower housing and seal but without a new bushing it's useless as you can't really remove the bushing from a used assembly without distorting it...I tried that already and it's impossible to get the seal out once it's in....personally I'd look for a used assembly both 4 & 5 speeds use the same one and replace the "O" ring with a new one...good luck, sorry for not being more helpful... Cort