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speedometer problems

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Old Jul 12, 2021 | 03:32 PM
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Default speedometer problems

I have a 1978 pace car and very low milage , was working fine and the odometer was working then after about 300 mile the speedo needle start ticking and flicking as it ticked, on the way home I realised the odometer stopped recording , When I arrive I unscrewed the speedo cabe to the cruise and spun the cable with my fingers and was free then tightened up then free again , That accounts for the ticking I believe that theres a plastic gear thats had a wobbler , Has anyone had the speedo out and were you able to access the problem , Another friend up Scotland with a pace car and his has just stopped recording as well bit no flicking of the needle , it was just like you had a broken cable ,
any help appreciated, Geoff

Last edited by Geoff Leach; Jul 12, 2021 at 03:33 PM.
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Old Jul 12, 2021 | 04:50 PM
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Mine was ticking and not working, replaced the cable into the transmission and not only did the ticking go away but the speedometer worked again! Good Luck
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Old Jul 12, 2021 | 04:57 PM
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My '68 does not have cruise so I can't advise you about that part. I have some pics in my thread about the odometer problem I experienced.....it may or may not be the cause of your problem.
You can unscrew the speedometer cable at the transmission to see if the plastic gear inside has worn teeth or the female end of the gear shaft is rounded rather than square-shaped.
The link below will take you to the speedometer repair in my thread.
NOTE: Removing the speedometer from the dash should be a LAST RESORT after all other repairs fail to solve the odometer problem.

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...post1590139457
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Old Jul 12, 2021 | 06:03 PM
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The cable from the Speedo to the cruise unit is only short so when I turn the inner cable it turns a few turns ok the gets stiffer so the problem must be inside the speedo as it’s not moving the miles meter but the speedo needle is moving with the little jerk when it gets tight .you’ve got your work cut out there bud , we’ll done to you .Geoff
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Old Jul 15, 2021 | 11:22 PM
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Originally Posted by Geoff Leach
The cable from the Speedo to the cruise unit is only short so when I turn the inner cable it turns a few turns ok the gets stiffer so the problem must be inside the speedo as it’s not moving the miles meter but the speedo needle is moving with the little jerk when it gets tight .you’ve got your work cut out there bud , we’ll done to you .Geoff
The pics below show the damage that caused bouncing needle/inop needle........inop odometer also.

Removing shaft @1 with damaged teeth


Damaged teeth om mating shaft.......


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Old Jul 16, 2021 | 01:33 AM
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I had the manual tranny rebuilt, along with a new clutch / flywheel, plus a new plastic gear for the speedo. Attempting to get the speedo to work. After all that the speedo worked for about 150 miles, still bouncing before it finally quit. So I removed the tach / speedo then sent them off to be rebuilt. Putting them back into the car was a nightmare, because trying to move the 48 year old wiring harness around and putting the drivers dash back in, was the worst project that I ever done. If you go to the trouble of removing the speedo / tach, make sure you take them to a competent professional that knows how to repair them. Good Luck.
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Old Jul 16, 2021 | 09:09 AM
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Change the speedo cable FIRST, before digging deeper... If you put 'lube' on the cable, make sure that you use ONLY dry graphite powder lube. Any kind of oil/grease will gum-up the cable/sheath assembly and could work its way up into the speedo mechanism. If you find oil/grease on the present cable when you remove it, I highly recommend that you use a spray cleaner or mild solvent to shoot thru the sheath (both ends removed from speedo/trans) from the speedo end, to clear that stuff out of the sheath before you install the new cable.
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Old Aug 12, 2021 | 05:09 PM
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We I left it a couple of week after oiling it slightly and check the inner cable and it was smooth when turned ? So connected it up and guess what it works fine!!!! Speedo smooth and odometer working perfect, tooth fairy must have been !
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