Mechanical speedo cable.

[cherokee]

I've got the dash unhooked in my project truck except for the pesky speedometer cable. Does it twist out or am I not seeing how a clip works? Or is it something else? Haynes manual says nothing, and I haven't managed to find the details in my search here.

 

What is it I'm missing?

[JeepcoMJ]

reach around from under the dash, reach up to the speedo cable, and follow to the back of the gauge cluster. there's a clip at the end of the speedo cable that you push in. Push that in and keep pushing til the gauge cluster comes loose. easy as pie.

[mjeff87]

actually, there are two different types of speedo ends. One is the flared metal ending mentioned, which is held by a metal spring clip that pushes in to release, and the other is a plastic end that has two locking tabs that you have to squeeze the opposite sides of to release. Think of a bottle of something that has a child-proof cap (like mouthwash, toilet bowl cleaner, etc...) and you get the idea of what I'm talking about.

 

In any case, you should be able to pull the cluster out far enough to get a peek behind it to see what you're dealling with. In case you can't, the cable is held in place under the cab by a clippy thing that slips over the UCA bolt on the driverside...you can pop that clip off to create some slack in the cable to be able to pull the cluster out some.

 

HTH,

 

Jeff

[Eagle]

An '88 should have the second type that Jeff referred to. The "child-proof cap" will be white nylon, and the part you squeeze is the outer ring/collar thingie. If you squeeze it correctly, it pops right off. Squeeze it just a little bit wrong and it just sits there and laughs at you.

[cherokee]

Definitely the second one...

I'm being beaten by a child proof speedo. :oops:

 

Thanks for the info!

[Duner]

Ok my 90 mj has the metal push type you just hold it down and the cable practically releases itself. I asked my dad he said all his experience has had the metal clip but hey mfgr's are always looking for cheaper solutions.

[JohnQ]

My 88 has the child proof connector and it kicked my arse, until I read this post on how to loosen the speedo cable, thanks mjeff87.

Now I just have to get the oil and temperature sending units.

 

 

 

:D

 

[mjeff87]

your welcome John.

 

I forgot to add that you can tell what type of cable end a cluster uses by looking at the two screws that hold the speedometer faceplate on. They will either be phillips or straight......and if my aging mind remebers correctly, phillips screws denote the metal clip and the straight indicates the plastic clip thingy (or it may be the other way around :oops: ).

 

Either way, if you're looking in the 'yards for a cluster to swap and don't want to pull alot of clusters out to find out, only look at ones that have matching screwheads to your original cluster. Or else remember to grab the cable along with if it's different.

 

Jeff

[JeepcoMJ]

phillips would denote the child proof one

 

but there's no straight one, it's hex heads on the faceplate of the other one.