Speedo ist kaput

[ReMorton]

A few weeks ago the speedo quit working. So, time for some winter cobra projects. I called about a new cable, Hillbank said that the angle drive is a frequent failure point also.. and of course, offered to sell me one for $125.
Before I start playing contortionist and getting claustrophobia under the dash, or removing the seat, any troubleshooting advice before I start taking stuff apart?
Thanks in advance
Bob

[pgermond]

The first thing I would do is take the adapter off the speedo, drive the car and make sure the pins is spinning coming out of the reverse adapter. If it isn't disconnect the reverse adapter and drive the car checking to insure that the chain (cable) is spinning. If everything is working after those checks then your speedo is bad. If you determine it is the adapter here is one for almost half the price of what you were quoted from Autometer - 90 ° REVERSING ADAPTER FOR SPEEDOMETER CABLE, 5/8"-18THREAD You can pick up a chain/cable at any auto parts store.

Good luck.

[Karl Bebout]

I've installed a GPS speedo from SpeedHut and am very pleased. It was super easy to wire and install. Required absolutely no calibration and is dead nuts accurate. I did have problems, that SpeedHut was very good about dealing with. It turned out that the speedo was fine, but my car was the fault. After three installations and multiple rechecks of my wiring, I just happened to notice that the needle went nuts, when my radiator fan kicked on. My alternator was a 66 amp, old style Ford unit, with an external regulator, and did just fine keeping my battery charged but the 30 amp draw of the fan created a voltage spike that the electronics in the speedometer didn't like. I installed an alternator putting out 118 amps and my problem is cured. The speedo has many GPS features, but won't give driving directions. It will give altitude, directional heading, top speed attained, 0-60 and 1/4 mile time, has a resetable trip odometer,and there is a procedure to set the odometer to your old speedometer's reading, or what ever you want. The unit is made in America (well, Utah) and the folks at SpeedHut give all their gauges a lifetime warranty. Their customer service is excellent. The new speedo can be customized to match existing gauges, which is included in the price. Size, face color, pointer style and color, bezel shape and they'll even put "Stewart Warner, or what ever, on the face. They also have custom images that can be used for a very reasonable price.(I got a Cobra image on mine, go figure) That's my 3 1/2¢ worth. Check their web site for more info.

[ReMorton]

Thanks for the tips. Nice after Christmas project

[grego]

My Smiths speedo failed on me as well, and after looking at numerous options I chose the Speedhut GPS speedometer. It works great, was very easy to install, is extremely accurate, and is close enough in looks to the original that it doesn't detract from the panel. I tucked the GPS antennae up under the dash and reception is excellent. I like it so much that I will be looking to replace speedos in my other rigs if/when they fail. The only criticism I have is the face is made of a clear resin or plastic instead of glass. I hope Speedhut goes with a glass option soon as that would look better next to the other gauges and would not show small scratches from cleaning like the plastic face does.

[Chilibit]

Just disconnect the clamps on the speedo and it pulls out in your lap and it is easy to work on.

[ReMorton]

I finally got to work on non functional speedo. Disconnected cable from angle drive and cable rotates. Pulled angle drive from back of speedo connected to cable and angle drive output rotates also. Put it all back together, drove it and the odometer or speedo still dont work. So, the conclusion is the speedometer has failed. Was only able to get speedometer out about 1/2 way out from dash, so will wait for later to continue the fight with the junk behind the dash to extract the unit.
I guess my options are to replace with new unit or send it out for repair. Checking with Park Place Motors in Bellevue (Local Hillbank rep) today to get pricing on new unit. My preference is to stay with the original analog setup as I want to keep the car as original as possible. Any experience with rebuilds, or cheaper supplier than Hillbank?
Thanks
Bob

[pgermond]

What's the make of the speedo, i.e Autometer, Smith, etc?

[Chilibit]

Nisonger speedometer repair enjoys a good reputation. The appeal of a unit tweaked by talented human hands might exceed that of a new unit for me.

[ReMorton]

Smiths. Hillbank quotes $390. The parts guy at Bellevue suggested revisiting the angle drive again, his experience, right or wrong is that the speedos don't fail that often. Hope he's correct. Pretzel time again.

[patrickt]

You might want to check out my thread on diagnosing Smiths speedo problems. Lubricating the Smiths Speedometer Cable To Stop Needle Bounce You can actually spin the Smiths speedo with your fingers up to a good 20MPH by just reaching up under the dash.

[ReMorton]

pgermond: Finally got time to work on problem. The reversing gear failed. Cheap plastic. Bought the recommended part, $85 including shipping. metal gear and steel speedo insert and now woks fine. Thanks for the tip.