speedo cable
While Im waiting on gaskets, I started my speedo cable.I have the assembly manual but i cant really make out the routing.I know I dont have the sheild where clutch spring goes. My cable seems to be the same lenght as the old one. My old one has a sheild , It was near the trans to make the bend towards the front . Is that correct or does that go up by firewall. I think the cable is 40 inches long. Do you need to drop steering housing to get cable routed under the dash . Thanks again, Tom
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The "shield" you refer to on the transmission end, is it made of stamped aluminum? If it is, this is a common piece on 60's and 70's GM cars, particularly with manual transmissions. The old piece should be able to be removed from the old cable by carefully bending the tabs that attach it to the cable and then re-bend them around the new cable. As for routing under the dash, it is pretty much a straight shot from the hole in the firewall to the back of the speedometer. When I have installed them in the past I have removed the dash bezel, the plastic lens covering the gages, and the metal trim plate covering the gages. Un-screw the speedo from the plastic dash and slide it out just far enough to get your hand behind it release the spring clip to free the cable and then set the speedo aside. Once the speedo is out you can get a clear picture of the end of the cable and routing under the dash. Make a mental note, or take some pics so you remember the routing. Or, just tape a piece of wire about 3 feet long to the end of the cable housing, to be used later to pull the new cable back into position. On the engine compartment side, remove the heat shield below the wiper motor to expose the cable. Then pull the firewall seal that is around the cable away from the firewall. You may need to reuse this seal if your new speedo did not come with one. Simply pull the old cable into the engine compartment until the piece of wire is protruding into the engine bay. Untape the old cable and remove it. From under the car feed the new.cable up to the hole in the firewall and then tape the cable housing to the piece of wire. Then from the driver's seat simply pull the new cable back into position. Snap the cable to the back of the speedo, reinstall, reassemble the dash, then from the engine compartment push the firewall seal into place around the new cable and reinstall the heat shield. Inside the trans tunnel there should be some sheet metal tabs that hold the cable to the side of the tunnel, make sure to use them as they halp keep the cable away from the hot header.