1981 Automatic with Cruise.

My speedo is not working and registering Zero all the time.
I used a drill at the transmission end and the Speedo did not move from Zero.
I want to disconnect the incoming and outgoing speedo cable lines at the cruise control transducer, but I can not loosen them at all. Any ideas on how to do this? The space is tight. Any special pliers out there you guys know would work?

 

Nope, just a smaller pair of slip joints....

IF you had one, maybe a basin wrench....specialty plumbers tool for faucetts up and behind the sink basins.....

 

A basin wrench sounds like a good idea but I can not get either one off and there is only 1/4" of space between them (if that). I don't think I will be able to get a basin wrench with such a small wrap around to take the first cable off. Man these things aren't even budging.

I guess I just ought to abandon the cruise control and install a transmission to speedo cable - Bypassing the cruise control. If I do this do I need to unplug the power going to the cruise control transducer to fully take this item out of the system?

 

see if you can get the mount bolts for the bracket out of the fender skirt. There are 2 of them. With them out you should be able to move the transducer around enough to get the cables off.

 

I will try this, but it looks like rivets, not bolts.

 

This may sound silly, but did you try reversing your drill motor while testing the speedo cable? I'm not sure which direction the speedo cable should turn. I know the tach cable (mechanical type) runs counterclockwise (drill motor reversed).
Just a thought.

Jim

 

It is counter clockwise

 

I took the connection off the back of the Speedo...waiting for the wife to get home so she can verify if this end turns when I use the drill at the transmission side.

If her end does not turn I'm replacing the two short cables with a single cable and bypassing the cruise control taking it out of service. 5 years owning this car and I haven't used it once. Don't even know if it works.

If her end turns...what could be the cause?

 

On the part your trying to turn with your fingers are grooves to improve your grip-Put the blade of a screwdriver on one of the grooves and hit the end of the screwdriver-that grooved nut will spin

 

Yes, I did try forward and reverse. No go either way...thanks for the input.

 

DWncchs...Good idea, I'll try this, I hope I do not ruin the connection.

 

Gently

 

News on the troubleshooting front before I start hitting the connections with a screw driver:

Still waiting for wife to get home from some friends...I took the speedo out and put a small screw driver in the cable connection. Turned the screw driver fast and the speedo works. As stated before by "Artsvette73" the speedo works with a COUNTER CLOKWISE turning of the cable. Just wanted to enter that info for those who read this years from now.

So more than likely my cables are bad. When my wife gets home I will verify...but for now I am now going to use the screw driver method of loosening the connections at the cruise control transducer. If I destroy them, (just remember righty tighty...left loosy) I can always use my back-up method of installing a single cable and by-passing the transducer. Wish me luck...I would like to keep all systems working and/or installed properly if possible. I have never done anything to this car so far to use bubba methods.

 

Its more than likely the transducer is locked up which sheared the lower cable off.Get the non-cruise cable.

 

I used the scre driver method of loosening the top cable from the transducer (the upper cable going to the speedo). It came off very easy once I lossened it with one or two hits. GREAT ADVICE!!! THANKS!

I took the lower cable off (I have a new lower cable to compare it to). The old lower cable has been sheared and the sheared piece is still in the transducer. Is the shearing the cause of the transducer locking up, or did the red plastic piece attached to the cable finnaly wear and shear? I guess to anwser this I would have to get the sheared piece out and install the new lower half and see what happens. What a pain.

or hook up the speedo again, and do the little screw driver trick to the input of the transducer and see if it moves the speedo!!! Sounds good, but I am sure it will be much harder than it sounds.

 

Just try to spin the part of the trans. that the red plastic is stuck in.If it wont spin its locked up.

 

It does not turn counter clockwise (I guess that is good, don't know if it should free wheel both directions). It does turn Counter Clockwise, but hardly, there is a lot of resistance. I would think there should be hardly no resistance to allow the "plastic" to turn it. I am going to by-pass the transducers and take it out of the system.

Any ideas what I should use to cap the In and Out of the transducer?

 

I have recently been through this with my 79 and it was also the cable from the transducer to the transmission. The cable end broke off in the transducer the same way as yours. I had the transducer apart and there was no way to get the broken end out from the inside. After removing it from the car, the end came out by tapping it with the open end down and extracting it with a tiny needle nose plier. I got a universal speedometer cable, inside only, and replaced the broken original. The cable will cost $7 at Autozone or your Chevy dealer will sell you a GM universal fit cable for $32. You will need to cut and fit the square end with a crimp tool that comes with the kit. I applied some JB Weld before crimping the end on the cable. No need to go back and have to fix a loose end.

BTW...my cables came off the transducer purdy easy, but I had to remove my washer reservoir filler neck in order to get in there. I had already remover my charcoal canister so that was a help. Since I was into it that far I removed the washer reservoir to clean and replace the pump, so I don't need to be back there again. Oh-yeah...I also cleaned and painted inside the fender, so when you look into the gill opening it is fresh black. It is easy to get the 'while I'm at it fever'.

 

Dont worry about capping the transducer-its history-unless you want to retain it for originality.Somebody might rebuild them-I used to make them into what I called a Cruise Control Transducer Eliminator by removing the guts,leaving the gears and pinning the drive bushing.It appeared stock with both cables but the cruise didnt work.

 

The transducer is most likely locked up. Mine was loaded with carbon build up. I cleaned it up and it worked for awhile then the clock spring inside broke. I purchased a rebuilt unit at Autozone 69.00