Hi all,

1955 Olds 88 4 door hardtop. 342 engine and hydramatic transmission.

Installing a new speedometer cable. Noticed that the transmission end of the cable housing has some slack after being installed on the gear housing. Circled area in pic.

is there supposed to be a washer, spacer or o-ring of some sort where the transmission end of the cable attaches? See pics.

I didn’t see anything on the original cable and I don’t have it anymore to check.

Thanks!!
Bob

 

Hi…to follow up. I couldn’t find any information regarding my described issue, but solved it with an o-ring.

Now I’m finding that the female square hole for the transmission side of the speedo cable does not turn if I turn the driveshaft. I removed the bullet assembly with the driven gear and I can feel the drive gear on the output shaft turning, but when I install the bullet and driven gear, apparently it is not making contact.

I have a 55 Olds FSM, but I can’t tell if the driven gear is machined into the output shaft or is a slide on gear. Can the drive gears go bad and be replaced? Again, all my searching and looking at the FSM isn’t giving me much information.

Thanks!
Bob

 

My cars are a decade later than yours, but as far as I know, you want the speedo cable lubricated in the outer wound housing and spinning as freely as possible driven by the squared off end from the wheel up to the speedo.

An O-ring to reduce up/down or in/out movement sounds very sensible at the speedo head end. If it were the wheel end, I'd use a metal washer of just the right diameter and thickness to inhibit cable movement and stand the heat of a spinning wheel. An O ring at the speedo head just won't feel much heat like a wheel...

From my experience the main thing you want is a well lubricated cable fully engaged at the wheel dust cap spinning freely enough to give a consistent signal to the speedo head.

I've spent a little time on this problem, but really with respect to complex goofy Perfect Circle Cruise Control systems in the middle. Dig around under my user name and you'll see what I've learned. Good system, but snapped nylon cable ends in the dust cap, lack of lubricant and kinked cables can lead to a wobbling speedo needle.

Warmest wishes for a solid solution.
Chris

 

Thanks for the info Chris.

Very frustrated. I lubed the new speed cable. Attached it to the transmission driven gear. Turned the driveshaft by hand and the speedometer cable appeared to move freely within the housing and at the speedo end.

Simply attached the cable to the speedometer, started the car, put it in gear and nothing. Removed the cable from the driven gear and sure enough.it snapped.

I'm lead to believe that the speedometer itself is frozen, but if that was the case, I'd think the cable would snap at that end, not the transmission end...