Push on Speedo Cable - Causing me some pain in all the wrong places!

Bruceynz

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Hi Guys,

If you have been following me you will know I am fitting a mag and a non lock up 904 into my doba, I have the trans ready to pull out and the engine ready to lift but I hurt my neck which is effecting my arm (not working on the car playing with the kids) and its slowed me down!

How do you get the push on speedo cable off the trans, I have pulled on the cable so hard that my sphincter turned inside out! So this suggest it does not pull out as I thought, what is the trick to getting them undone with out casing me to get hemorrhoids?

Thanks
Bruce
 

Aspen500

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You have to pull the adapter out of the trans and then take the sire clip off. The cable will come out then. Don't forget a drain pan, fluid will come out.
For assembly, have the clip installed in the adapter slot and put it on the trans. The cable will push in and lock afterwards.
They're kind of a quick connect deal, not quick disconnect. Translation: Quick and easy on the assembly line. Slow and hard in the repair bay.
 

Bruceynz

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Thanks for the info, I undone that U shaped bracket around the speedo cable that holds the nylon speedo gear and pulled so hard I popped my sphincter! Do I need to some how hook it to a 10 ton ram to pull it out! I didn't think I was that weak I couldn't pull a little speedo gear and cable out, enlighten me to my mistakes, do you need to turn the gear 90 degrees to unlock it or something? If I pulled any harder I think I would of busted myself internally! Face went red, feet on trans, cable gripped tightly, starting to feel like I am going to pass out! If that thing let go the way I was yanking on it I would of shot across the garage floor like a dog on heat!
 

Aspen500

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I misunderstood what you were asking before.
The adapter housing should pull out if the hold down is removed. You can try turning it with a pliers to see if that frees it up. They usually aren't real tight in the hole. There's just an o-ring on the adapter to seal it.
Sounds odd but, if the aluminum corrodes, it can make even plastic parts get stuck. Corrosion expands the metal around the plastic part (speedo gear housings, ABS wheel speed sensors, crank position sensors, etc).
 

BudW

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Using this kind of pliers
Pliers.jpg

I can usually get the adaptor out (with cable still attached to adaptor) using one of two different methods:
- Grabbing a hold of one of the adaptor reinforcements, I can generally rotate the adaptor (gently) in its hole (will only go a bit in one direction – more so the other direction). After I get it to rotate a bit, then generally rocking the assembly gently, the assembly will pop right out.

- The other method is to grab ahold of the cable with same style of pliers and using the cable to gently rock the adaptor out – but I will say this method damages the speedometer cable more times than not.
I think that you are not going to re-use the cable – if I recall correctly.

- There is a third method – which is what Aspen500 mentioned, and that is to remove the transmission extension housing, then with a pry bar, to pop the adaptor out from inside out. This works better for the metal adaptor as the plastic ones get damaged fairly easy. Use this method as a last resort (a lot more labor intensive).

Tip: when you reinstall the speedometer adaptor, use plenty of ATF on the seal. It goes in a lot easier and makes removal a lot easier.
BudW
 

Bruceynz

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Got it sussed, leave it on and pull it out with the trans and then I can take to it with hammers, chisels, heat, vice grips, spanners and pliers! I tell you the thing is welded in! In the other rebuilt 904 trans just pops out by hand easy as!

I had a starter motor once I couldn't get out of a 318, people said I was insane, you undo the bolts and it drops right out, yeah right, I undone the bolts and jacked the car up and that thing would not come out, my friend came over and he was blown away too. Starter came out in prices, we had to smash it out! thank god we never broke he bell housing! Do you know how hard it is to smash a starter out of a car on your back! If I had oxy acetylene I would of melted the thing off it I thought it would not damage the bell housing!
 

BudW

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I believe you and know your pain - they do get stuck in there – mostly from corrosion.

I have a 998/999 transmission in my garage that still has the speedometer cable still attached to it – for this very reason. I wanted to save the cable as well as save the speedometer gear itself – but not necessarily save the adaptor.

It’s had a bunch of penetrating oil added to it (and, um, untouched) for 5+ years now.
I didn’t want to spend too much time on it under the car, so I loosened the cable at speedometer head and pulled it out, and just took the cable out with transmission.
I get frustrated when things don’t go my way from underneath the car with “stuff” dripping in my face – so I went another direction (to save for another day).

Once transmission was out, I put a couple doses of penetrating oil on it, then. May need to do it again before I attack it the next time (one of these days . . .).

With that said, be careful of using a flame. The housing and cable are made from plastic and will burn (as well as ATF). Heat most likely will not help the matter.

Taping on the housing a few times with a hammer, around the adaptor – might jar it loose.


I have seen a couple of stuck starters, as well – so that does also happen (but thank goodness, not very often).
Same trick for them, I generally take a 2 or 3 pound sledge short handle hammer, and tap upwards from bottom a couple of times, then once from top. A couple of taps on transmission case, then repeat.
A couple of times and starter will be out. The problem is doing that in car (which I hadn’t had to do yet). My cases were with engine and transmission out of car.
BudW
 

volare 77

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I had to break the plastic to get mine out. I now use the older style metal housing and the older style gears.
 

Bruceynz

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Update and its a bad one - I have yanked on bolts, pull on speedo cables until my sphincter turned inside out! Yet no damage to the body. Played with my kids and did my left shoulder! I am out of action on the car front, shoulders are dam painful when they go wrong! Ouch, doc got me on some good meds but I don't want to over do it!
 
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