1965 98 hub driven speedometer cable removal ?
May 16th, 2019, 11:01 AM
#1
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Location: Marion,Mass
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1965 98 hub driven speedometer cable removal ?
Hi all
I have a65 olds 98 convertible that has the speedometer cable driven by the driver's side wheel hub. Cable is bad so I am trying to remove it, but for the life of me I cannot get any sort of wrench on the bolt that secured the cable into the back of the wheel plate. It seems that the bottom half is recessed in.Anyone ever tackle this project and have any suggestions? Reading the FSM, it seems like no big deal, but I have tired every wrench and angle I can think of.
Thanks
John
I have a65 olds 98 convertible that has the speedometer cable driven by the driver's side wheel hub. Cable is bad so I am trying to remove it, but for the life of me I cannot get any sort of wrench on the bolt that secured the cable into the back of the wheel plate. It seems that the bottom half is recessed in.Anyone ever tackle this project and have any suggestions? Reading the FSM, it seems like no big deal, but I have tired every wrench and angle I can think of.
Thanks
John
June 21st, 2019, 08:40 PM
#2
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Join Date: May 2009
Location: Northern California
Posts: 1,643
I've removed this weird nut this a bunch of times and never found it difficult, but a previous owner may have changed something on yours to make it tough. Maybe a crow's foot would help? Or see below...
There may be another approach: leave the bolted (spiral metal, plastic outside) cable housing in place & simply slip the failed internal wound cable out through the head end. Unless the interior cable has become seriously unwound and stuck, it may simply slip out of the head end of the cable housing.
You'll need to loosen both the speedo head end and the wheel hub end. Then get the cable as straight as you can in the engine bay to make it easy to slip out. I'd start by loosening the speedo head end, then pull the cable through the firewall into the engine bay. Next, pull the wheel hub center (with the squared center) so the interior cable is free at both ends. Maybe shoot some WD-40 or other lubricant down the tube to help things slide. If the interior cable slips out then, great, otherwise loosen up the lower A-arm retainer and the vertical retainer that keeps the housing away from the exhaust. Then try again to slip the cable up through.
If I recall correctly, you can't pull the interior cable through the wheel end since the speedo connection is larger diameter than the inner diameter of the housing shielding. But I have definitely pulled the cable out through the head end a few times.
If you get this far, the squared end goes to the wheel side and the head end will probably need to be cut to length. Use the old inner cable as a guide on length. To cut the new one properly, put a bit of electrical tape around the cut point to keep it from fraying at the cut and use a dremel to cut where you want (ideally the exact same length as old). The tricky part is crimping the new drive end on the round cable. I can't remember how, but maybe someone else knows or you could use pliers or a cable crimper of some kind. Or maybe it's square at both ends, I don't remember. If so, yet easier...
The factory cruise units make this even weirder and more exotic. There are 2 cables and a very hard to find cable end from the wheel to the cruise unit. And even then they don't work all that well. Olds moved on from the unusual 2 way electric motor to vacuum systems within a year or 2.
Good luck!
cf
There may be another approach: leave the bolted (spiral metal, plastic outside) cable housing in place & simply slip the failed internal wound cable out through the head end. Unless the interior cable has become seriously unwound and stuck, it may simply slip out of the head end of the cable housing.
You'll need to loosen both the speedo head end and the wheel hub end. Then get the cable as straight as you can in the engine bay to make it easy to slip out. I'd start by loosening the speedo head end, then pull the cable through the firewall into the engine bay. Next, pull the wheel hub center (with the squared center) so the interior cable is free at both ends. Maybe shoot some WD-40 or other lubricant down the tube to help things slide. If the interior cable slips out then, great, otherwise loosen up the lower A-arm retainer and the vertical retainer that keeps the housing away from the exhaust. Then try again to slip the cable up through.
If I recall correctly, you can't pull the interior cable through the wheel end since the speedo connection is larger diameter than the inner diameter of the housing shielding. But I have definitely pulled the cable out through the head end a few times.
If you get this far, the squared end goes to the wheel side and the head end will probably need to be cut to length. Use the old inner cable as a guide on length. To cut the new one properly, put a bit of electrical tape around the cut point to keep it from fraying at the cut and use a dremel to cut where you want (ideally the exact same length as old). The tricky part is crimping the new drive end on the round cable. I can't remember how, but maybe someone else knows or you could use pliers or a cable crimper of some kind. Or maybe it's square at both ends, I don't remember. If so, yet easier...
The factory cruise units make this even weirder and more exotic. There are 2 cables and a very hard to find cable end from the wheel to the cruise unit. And even then they don't work all that well. Olds moved on from the unusual 2 way electric motor to vacuum systems within a year or 2.
Good luck!
cf
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