[DeTomaso] My Speedometer Cable Challenges.....continued

Mike Reilly reillyms at live.com
Sun Aug 26 13:54:37 EDT 2018


Hi all.  Well, I bought another speedo cable from another vendor and had similar problems.  My original email thread is at the bottom of this mail.  Any suggestions are appreciated.

Problem 1:  The cables I received from both vendors (calling them A and B) have the inner cable installed completely opposite each other in the outer sheaths (see pic attached).  Which is correct?  I no longer have my factory cable as reference (it got tossed by accident).

Problem 2:  I know my speedo is good and the ZF angle drive is good based on other testing described below.  I also have had both cables installed with gentle curves to ensure not binding.  However, neither cable works in my stock 1974 Pantera.

  *   Vendor A cable:  when installed I found that the needle bounces terribly.  I tried various lubes (see earlier thread below) but nothing worked.  I also connected a power drill to the inner cable end on the ZF side with the cable completely out of the car and laying completely flat and straight and only hooked up on the speedo end and still got a very bouncy needle.  Seemed the inner cable was not engaging the speedo fully even though I had it attached fully to the speedo.  Since it was beyond my return window I decided to go with another vendor, Vendor B.
  *   Vendor B cable:  Looks just like Vendor A’s cable so I assume they come from the same source?  Anyway, this cable has the collared part of the inner cable on the ZF side which is completely opposite of how Vendor A sold it.  So I install B’s cable on the speedo end first and routed it with big curves to the back of the car.  I attached a power drill to the ZF side of the inner cable to test it out and find that it works perfectly and the speedo is very smooth.  I’m happy and go to connect the ZF end to the angle adaptor.  I then find that the collared part attached to the inner cable prevents the cable from engaging deep enough on the ZF angle adapter to allow me to thread the outer cable female nut to the male threaded part of the ZF angle adaptor.  Ugh.  So I then take out the inner cable and install it into the outer cable sheath as in how Vendor A had it.  I connect the speedo side and then try the power drill attached to the ZF side test again and get bad speedo needle bouncing just as I saw with Vendor A’s cable.  Ugh!

Solutions?   Any help is appreciated.

  *   I plan to call Vendor B this week for help or a refund since his cable looks the same and have the same issue as Vendor A’s cable and I don’t need two of these that don’t work.
  *   I do remember another member sharing that he had to machine down the thickness of the collar on the inner cable to get his to work and engage properly.  I can’t find that mail thread with his pictures in my files so if he or someone else can send me that mail I’d appreciate it.
  *   I may look at the generic Summit inner cable that was shared in Robert Stroj’s recent mail thread.  I buy from all our vendors and have for nearly 30 years but I may need to go with custom generic inner cable to make this work properly : (

Thanks, Mike Reilly

From: Don Franck<mailto:panteradon at gmail.com>
Sent: Sunday, April 22, 2018 6:27 PM
Cc: <detomaso at server.detomasolist.com><mailto:detomaso at server.detomasolist.com>
Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] Which Speedometer Cable

I had the same problem and tried different lubes.  This one solved the
issue:

https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.acehardware.com%2Fproduct%2Findex.jsp%3FproductId%3D3506024%26KPID%3D5754396%26cid%3DCAPLA%3AG%3AShopping_-_Lubrication_Products%26pla%3Dpla_5754396%26k_clickid%3Dc02368ba-aaca-4449-82f0-6ffb2fde05b8%26gclid%3DEAIaIQobChMIr_G5y57P2gIVCwppCh1D2QDwEAQYAiABEgLEpPD_BwE&data=02%7C01%7C%7Cce6a16104fc643d8176e08d5a8b9514f%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C636600436237107306&sdata=jQmdzIgkbTQ%2FGsnIsKb%2Fd4mr6WksHUqMYYDHxc%2BQEoo%3D&reserved=0



On Sunday, April 22, 2018, Mike Reilly <reillyms at live.com> wrote:

>    Hi all.  I own a 1974 Pantera and my speedo needle was bouncing quite a
>    bit.  I had the original speedo cable and lubed it previously to fix
>    any bouncing but it was time for a new one recently as lubing it failed
>    to work any longer.
>
>
>    I bought one from one of our vendors and installed it using the same
>    routing as my old cable.  The bouncing was now WAY worse and noisy to
>    boot (clicking noise that increased with speed).  It seemed the inner
>    cable was catching and then releasing within the outer sheath.  I
>    pulled the inner cable and it looked pretty dry so I lubed it with
>    white lithium grease.  No improvement.  I then cleaned off all the
>    grease from the inner cable with parts cleaner and also ran parts
>    cleaner down the inside of the outer sheath until it came out clean on
>    the other side.  I noted some metal fragments stuck inside the sheath
>    on the trans end of the sheath opening.  I pulled them our with
>    tweezers (2 small pieces).  I didn't see any missing metal from the new
>    inner cable.  Anyway, I then lubed the inner cable with dry graphite
>    lubricant and installed it back into the sheath from the speedo side.
>    I hooked up everything and checked that the routing had nice gentle
>    curves.   The speedo needle still bounced a lot and made a clicking
>    noise.  I disconnected the speedo cable from the speedo end and drove
>    around and still heard the clicking.  I put my hand on the end of the
>    speedo cable and felt it turning but it a jerky motion.   I believe I
>    got a crappy speedo cable.  I didn't contact the vendor as I don't
>    think they will take it back after I tried two different lubes on it.
>    I also don't think I want the same one in return as it seemed of poor
>    quality.  I've bought plenty from them before but really don't want
>    another one of their speedo cables.
>
>
>    Any recommended speedo cables that folks have found to be of high
>    quality?  I see some vendors have what they call "heavy duty" cables.
>    I don't mind paying more for a good product.  Not sure if all the
>    vendors source these from the same place or not.  My speedo seems in
>    good shape (car only has 30K miles) and the angle drive on my transaxle
>    is in great shape.  I also know to get the angle drive nut adjusted in
>    the proper way to get it's fork fully engaged on the transaxle output
>    drive tab.
>
>
>    Thanks in advance, Mike R.
>


--
Don


-------------- next part --------------
   Hi all.  Well, I bought another speedo cable from another vendor and
   had similar problems.  My original email thread is at the bottom of
   this mail.  Any suggestions are appreciated.


   Problem 1:  The cables I received from both vendors (calling them A and
   B) have the inner cable installed completely opposite each other in the
   outer sheaths (see pic attached).  Which is correct?  I no longer have
   my factory cable as reference (it got tossed by accident).


   Problem 2:  I know my speedo is good and the ZF angle drive is good
   based on other testing described below.  I also have had both cables
   installed with gentle curves to ensure not binding.  However, neither
   cable works in my stock 1974 Pantera.
     * Vendor A cable:  when installed I found that the needle bounces
       terribly.  I tried various lubes (see earlier thread below) but
       nothing worked.  I also connected a power drill to the inner cable
       end on the ZF side with the cable completely out of the car and
       laying completely flat and straight and only hooked up on the
       speedo end and still got a very bouncy needle.  Seemed the inner
       cable was not engaging the speedo fully even though I had it
       attached fully to the speedo.  Since it was beyond my return window
       I decided to go with another vendor, Vendor B.
     * Vendor B cable:  Looks just like Vendor A's cable so I assume they
       come from the same source?  Anyway, this cable has the collared
       part of the inner cable on the ZF side which is completely opposite
       of how Vendor A sold it.  So I install B's cable on the speedo end
       first and routed it with big curves to the back of the car.  I
       attached a power drill to the ZF side of the inner cable to test it
       out and find that it works perfectly and the speedo is very
       smooth.  I'm happy and go to connect the ZF end to the angle
       adaptor.  I then find that the collared part attached to the inner
       cable prevents the cable from engaging deep enough on the ZF angle
       adapter to allow me to thread the outer cable female nut to the
       male threaded part of the ZF angle adaptor.  Ugh.  So I then take
       out the inner cable and install it into the outer cable sheath as
       in how Vendor A had it.  I connect the speedo side and then try the
       power drill attached to the ZF side test again and get bad speedo
       needle bouncing just as I saw with Vendor A's cable.  Ugh!


   Solutions?   Any help is appreciated.
     * I plan to call Vendor B this week for help or a refund since his
       cable looks the same and have the same issue as Vendor A's cable
       and I don't need two of these that don't work.
     * I do remember another member sharing that he had to machine down
       the thickness of the collar on the inner cable to get his to work
       and engage properly.  I can't find that mail thread with his
       pictures in my files so if he or someone else can send me that mail
       I'd appreciate it.
     * I may look at the generic Summit inner cable that was shared in
       Robert Stroj's recent mail thread.  I buy from all our vendors and
       have for nearly 30 years but I may need to go with custom generic
       inner cable to make this work properly : (


   Thanks, Mike Reilly


   From: [1]Don Franck
   Sent: Sunday, April 22, 2018 6:27 PM
   Cc: [2]<detomaso at server.detomasolist.com>
   Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] Which Speedometer Cable


   I had the same problem and tried different lubes.  This one solved the
   issue:
   [3]https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww
   .acehardware.com%2Fproduct%2Findex.jsp%3FproductId%3D3506024%26KPID%3D5
   754396%26cid%3DCAPLA%3AG%3AShopping_-_Lubrication_Products%26pla%3Dpla_
   5754396%26k_clickid%3Dc02368ba-aaca-4449-82f0-6ffb2fde05b8%26gclid%3DEA
   IaIQobChMIr_G5y57P2gIVCwppCh1D2QDwEAQYAiABEgLEpPD_BwE&data=02%7C01%7C%7
   Cce6a16104fc643d8176e08d5a8b9514f%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C
   1%7C0%7C636600436237107306&sdata=jQmdzIgkbTQ%2FGsnIsKb%2Fd4mr6WksHUqMYY
   DHxc%2BQEoo%3D&reserved=0
   On Sunday, April 22, 2018, Mike Reilly <reillyms at live.com> wrote:
   >    Hi all.  I own a 1974 Pantera and my speedo needle was bouncing
   quite a
   >    bit.  I had the original speedo cable and lubed it previously to
   fix
   >    any bouncing but it was time for a new one recently as lubing it
   failed
   >    to work any longer.
   >
   >
   >    I bought one from one of our vendors and installed it using the
   same
   >    routing as my old cable.  The bouncing was now WAY worse and noisy
   to
   >    boot (clicking noise that increased with speed).  It seemed the
   inner
   >    cable was catching and then releasing within the outer sheath.  I
   >    pulled the inner cable and it looked pretty dry so I lubed it with
   >    white lithium grease.  No improvement.  I then cleaned off all the
   >    grease from the inner cable with parts cleaner and also ran parts
   >    cleaner down the inside of the outer sheath until it came out
   clean on
   >    the other side.  I noted some metal fragments stuck inside the
   sheath
   >    on the trans end of the sheath opening.  I pulled them our with
   >    tweezers (2 small pieces).  I didn't see any missing metal from
   the new
   >    inner cable.  Anyway, I then lubed the inner cable with dry
   graphite
   >    lubricant and installed it back into the sheath from the speedo
   side.
   >    I hooked up everything and checked that the routing had nice
   gentle
   >    curves.   The speedo needle still bounced a lot and made a
   clicking
   >    noise.  I disconnected the speedo cable from the speedo end and
   drove
   >    around and still heard the clicking.  I put my hand on the end of
   the
   >    speedo cable and felt it turning but it a jerky motion.   I
   believe I
   >    got a crappy speedo cable.  I didn't contact the vendor as I don't
   >    think they will take it back after I tried two different lubes on
   it.
   >    I also don't think I want the same one in return as it seemed of
   poor
   >    quality.  I've bought plenty from them before but really don't
   want
   >    another one of their speedo cables.
   >
   >
   >    Any recommended speedo cables that folks have found to be of high
   >    quality?  I see some vendors have what they call "heavy duty"
   cables.
   >    I don't mind paying more for a good product.  Not sure if all the
   >    vendors source these from the same place or not.  My speedo seems
   in
   >    good shape (car only has 30K miles) and the angle drive on my
   transaxle
   >    is in great shape.  I also know to get the angle drive nut
   adjusted in
   >    the proper way to get it's fork fully engaged on the transaxle
   output
   >    drive tab.
   >
   >
   >    Thanks in advance, Mike R.
   >
   --
   Don

References

   1. mailto:panteradon at gmail.com
   2. mailto:detomaso at server.detomasolist.com
   3. https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.acehardware.com%2Fproduct%2Findex.jsp%3FproductId%3D3506024%26KPID%3D5754396%26cid%3DCAPLA%3AG%3AShopping_-_Lubrication_Products%26pla%3Dpla_5754396%26k_clickid%3Dc02368ba-aaca-4449-82f0-6ffb2fde05b8%26gclid%3DEAIaIQobChMIr_G5y57P2gIVCwppCh1D2QDwEAQYAiABEgLEpPD_BwE&data=02%7C01%7C%7Cce6a16104fc643d8176e08d5a8b9514f%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C636600436237107306&sdata=jQmdzIgkbTQ%2FGsnIsKb%2Fd4mr6WksHUqMYYDHxc%2BQEoo%3D&reserved=0
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