For all of you who have pulled the gauge cluster...HELP!

[norma]

How did you get the friggin' speedo cable back in? I've been struggling for over an hour to feel around up under the dash to insert the cable into the back of the cluster and then tighten the nut over it to secure the cable. Is there a trick to it? The cable's not long enough to insert it before I put in the cluster so it's strictly by feel. You have little room for error. The cable has to go in the right place and it's a real struggle. Anybody else run into this and how did you solve it? Thanks. (By the way, I grounded the temp and gas gauges and it works. No more jumpy needles.)

[dogmuddybuddy]

Huh?

The speedo cable is the last thing I put in but after I have snugged the panel in tight with those two round nuts.. and I would look up from the pedal box area. matbe I had more "slack" on the cablemy biggest problem was the multiplug but my wife has tiny hands took care of that one

Good luck

[02hobiedave]

I would check in the engine bay down by the pedal box. The cable runs in front of that from the transmission then up into the firewall. I made sure i took up the slack and fead it through to the spedometer. There is a small groove in the pedal box insulation that the cable fits in. There is not much slack but its just enough. You then have to feel the square cable into the back of the speedometer and then slip on the large nut like connector.

Good luck

Dave

[bcthomas122279]

Doesn't seem like the cable should be that tight....trace it's path for slack opportunities???

[norma]

Thanks guys. I'll try to free up the cable a bit. And put the two cluster nuts on first. A problem I've got is that there's umpteen wires up behind there so it makes getting my hands in there a struggle. I'll keep trying.

[Scott Sislane]

I have to be looking at it while I plug the cable in. Are you looking up in there while you do it? Or blind? I find plenty of slack as well, no struggling.

[DanOKC]

It should be easy if you had the cable hooked up before, if you put in a new cable, you may not have enough cable inside the car. Do it by feel, but try to feel the part the back of the speedo, the part the cable plugs into, then grab the round shell that holds the cable to the speedo & should go right in. Might be easier to leave the thumb screw nuts off, then if you are close to the right spot, you may see the console push out as you push the cable into place, then you know you are at least there, You can always push the console back in place with the other hand.

[shipm_8]

Definitely get that cluster secured with the knurled nuts and rubber washers first so you have one less moving part. Then see whether any other stuff in there is using cable slack, like the wire harness or aftermarket installs....I had a mess of wires which I eventually tidied up, so it's a straighter run than before. Get the speedo cable in place and feel it be straight into the speedometer gauge, and then tighten that big nut.

Once the nut is tight....gracefully recover from the On Your Back, Facing Up, Under Dash Work Position without breaking anything like dip switches or turn signal stalks...

And stretch. You must always stretch after doing this kind of work.

William

[c.d.iesel]

......and from the Right Coast :

you disconnect the cable from the trans FIRST

attach cable to the speedo - plenty of freedom to work

now dive back under and attach the cable to the trans.

[Napes]

Just did this the other day, and, what normally takes about 15 sec. took about 5 min. for some reason (and it seemed like half an hour.) At my age I don't crawl upside-down under the dash - I do it by feel, but after having done his many times over the years I know what I'm feeling up there.

And, by the way, if you have an automatic transmission, you may not want to follow c.d.'s suggestion. You may end up with a leaky speedometer drive if you do, and you cannot get a new o-ring to seal it - you have to purchase a whole new speedo drive.

Bob Napier