Replacing mechanical tach cable?
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 526
Likes: 1
From: Millington TN
Replacing mechanical tach cable?
My tach broke I think the cable just broke. I can hear a bumping noise and prior to it breaking it was squeaking like crazy despite numerous shots of white lithium. Anyway, is there a way to replace the cable without having the whole gauge out? I can feel the back of the tach where the cable goes in with the center guage cluster out. How does the cable connect to the guage though? Please tell me I don't have to rip the whole thing out!
-CR
-CR
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 65,492
Likes: 230
From: Orange Park Florida
Bottom line....you are screwed by a VERY olde tyme mechanical system in use since the very early daze.....your problems are just starting, so you have to decide if this is an NCRS resto...or you want to ditch that old mechanical crap for a electronic tach....the tach head from a 75-77 will work...vette junkyard....the many and varied problems with rebuilding distributors and the associated gears and then cable assys, then the tach head itself render the typical system a no go cause of COST $$$$$ about 3-500 of them.....not cheep....
IMO, you are better off ditching that old crap for newer electronic oriented stuff....or mounting a large later aftermarket model in the location in some presentable format....
IMO, you are better off ditching that old crap for newer electronic oriented stuff....or mounting a large later aftermarket model in the location in some presentable format....
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 526
Likes: 1
From: Millington TN
Well it's definately NOT going to be NCRS. I just put in a 383 with a full MSD setup including a mechanical tach drive distributor. Much like the vacuum wiper door I somehow find it unique and part of the cars charm. I'd love to keep the stock look. I really don't want a huge guage hangin off my steering colum and I don't want to sheel out the dough for a different distributor if I don't have to. So, what can I do to work with what I have?
-CR
-CR
Drifting
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 1,909
Likes: 6
From: Lake Arrowhead - Georgia > 72 Base Coupe & 74 BB Roadster
YES....you can replace just the inner cable. You will have to order the entire outer and inner cable. Just trim the inner cable to match your broken one. The new one will be a bit longer than the original. You will have to insert it into the old housing from UNDER the dash....not from the distributor end. ZIPcorvette sells the entire cable for about 20 bucks. I just did mine.
Last edited by fotyfobravo; Sep 14, 2007 at 07:47 AM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2006
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From: mount holly NC
2025 c3 ('74-'82) of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
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If you can reach the cable where it hooks to the back of the tach just squeeze the clips and it will pull out, pull it out thru the gromet and put a new one it. PG.
Racer
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 316
Likes: 1
From: Southern California
The effort to replace the cable is not as bad as it seems. And knowing how to deal with your dash will save you some headaches in the future as you will be in there for something again.
Just a bunch of screws and trim to remove and your there. Go for it and be careful to make sure all the dash bulbs get back in place if they come out.
You'll feel better after your done and know that it is right.
Just a bunch of screws and trim to remove and your there. Go for it and be careful to make sure all the dash bulbs get back in place if they come out.
You'll feel better after your done and know that it is right.
