The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline NEED HELP: Using a 1988 T5 Tranny with a 1955 235 Speedo Cluster

Need help figuring out how to connect a 1988 T5 transmission to a new 1955 2nd series gauge cluster. Does the cable need an adapter? Has anyone run across this before?

I bought a T5 from Silver Sport Transmissions for my 53 first series. They supplied the speedo cable. Other venders might sell them too but that's the only one I know of that does.

I cannot swear that all 1988 S10 T5 transmissions had a cable speedometer, but 1988 was the last year the cable speedometer was offered in an S10 T5. Starting in 1989, the S10 T5 used a VSS speedometer system.

Inside your T5 tail housing (if you have a cable speedometer connection) will be a plastic drive gear. Remove the driven gear housing bullet to see the drive gear on the main shaft. If the drive gear is blue, then it has seven gear teeth. If the drive gear is red, it will have nine gear teeth. Those are the only two possibilities.
The correct driven gear in combination with the drive gear, will make your cable speedometer accurate.

There are calculators online that can help you choose the correct drive gear and driven gear combinations to make your cable speedometer work.

This may not help with a 1988 T5 but here's the speedo cable that was sent with the transmission I bought new. My tranny was set up for mechanical or electrical. I ended up buying new gauges and went with electrical.

odie55,

While we await your return and hopefully posting of a picture of your existing '88 T5 transmission (more specifically the speedometer drive connector in the tailshaft housing), let me say "Welcome to the Stovebolt" as this is your very first post.

When you do come back to visit and check on your question, would you take a moment or two and introduce yourself and your truck over in the Welcome Centre?

Please do add some pictures of your truck with your introduction. If you don't, everyone is going to pester you till you do - haha!

If you need a bit of help posting pictures, click this link How to add pics... which you can also find at the top of the "Welcome Centre" forum.

Dan

Thanks to all who have responded to my first attempt at posting. I will post photos as soon as I get more fimiliar with how to use Stovebolt. My Truck is a 1955 2nd Series, 3100 short bed step sise. My Dad purchased it in Jan 1957. I was almost 13 years old @ that time. After my Dad's death, it was in storage roughtly 25 years. My son & I begain to work on restoring it in Feb 2015. We are getting close.

My firse attempe at posting was concerning the speedo cable it. I read sone threads about the T5 Tranny behind the 235. I got very interestrd in the T5. We bought 2 T5's & followed the outline in that Forum. It was an easy conversion & we love the preformance it delivers, it's very smoth & we love. Of course the girls woun't try it but love riding in it.
Back to the speedo question. I understand anout the T5 drive gear & the driven gear ratios. What I don't know is, will the stock speedo cable hook up to the T5, or do I need some sort of adapter between the speedo cable & thr tranny. As of this posting I have failed to find any direct comments on that question.

Looking forward to hearing from those of you who have gone through the drill.

On another note, I have purchased two (2) sets of door vent windows with cromb frames. As misfortune would have, neither set has fit the door. again I will post photos when I figure out how to do it.

Thanks a bunch, lookinf fordward to hearing your experienced & comments.

Odie55

Odie55,

Check out this page and all the T5 related links and info offered by our very own member "Lugnutz".

https://lugnutz65chevystepside.weebly.com/t5-info-page.html

There some great pictures that show the difference between a cable driven and VSS sensor connector on T5s (to help us know which setup your T5 has).

I think once you can confirm which speedometer drive setup you have, folks can better try and provide suggestions on connecting to your existing mechanical speedometer.

Let us know so we can continue to try and help.

Dan

The above artical & photos by lugnutz is what convensed my to have the courage to give it a try. I followed the directions & photos & I am very happy with the results.

Thanks,

Odie55

Odie,

On this question:

"On another note, I have purchased two (2) sets of door vent windows with cromb frames. As misfortune would have, neither set has fit the door. again I will post photos when I figure out how to do it."


In the Shops area is a Paint and Body forum, and actually a Doors sub-forum. Read thru those and see where you think a post will fit. If a wrong guess (happens to all of us), the Moderator will move it to the correct spot. Klhansen happens to be Moderator for P&B, and an over-all Global Moderator (a wrench-bearing spirit hovering over all the forums, with special powers!) so he can help with it all at once.

Try to remember to post a question in the forum that covers it. Like looking for milk in the bread aisle. Doesn't work very well.

You are doing great. I bet we can do images next phone con.

Glad to hear your comment about Lugnutz website. You seemed anxious to check it out. That drop-down menu under the *name* is a huge help for tracking people down and crucial for Private Messages (PMs). (Getting the lingo, 'Bolter. )

I'm always delighted to read that someone has found my web pages useful. I will presume you have an S10 T5 with the cable style speedo connection. The VSS speedo connection cannot be converted to accept a speedometer cable (unless you send it off and have a metal fabricator modify it).

Anyway, most speedometer cables have square ends. The T5 driven gear is a plastic gear that lives inside a bullet shaped housing mounted on the side of the T5 tail housing. One end of the cable fits into the stem of the driven gear and the other goes into the back of your factory instrument cluster where it connects to the speedometer. Since the T5 is likely longer than your original transmission, you should measure the distance between the 2 parts with a piece of rope or figure out how much your current speedo cable falls short.

Here are some pictures to get you thinking.

As I mentioned in my prior post, you will need to make sure you get the right combination of DRIVE GEAR and DRIVEN GEAR to go along with your REAR AXLE GEAR and REAR TIRE DIAMETER. All 4 factors are important if you want the speedometer to be accurate. You might need to change the drive gear (comes in red = 9 teeth or blue = 7 teeth) in order to find the correct combination because DRIVEN GEARS are only made with certain tooth counts (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 teeth)

When I installed a T5 in my 1965 C10, I needed a longer than factory speedometer cable. I bought a new cable at NAPA for a Chevy NOVA. I can't remember the length, but it works perfectly fine. GM didn't change a lot of simple things like speedometer cables from year to year. I doubt that you will need an adapter.

If by chance you have a tail housing with the VSS connection, then we will need to have a whole different discussion.
These photos and web pages might help answer some questions. A TH350 driven gear housing is the part you'll need to hold the driven gear if yours is missing.

Drive Gear and Driven Gears for a T5 Just disregard the stuff labeled for a Camaro. It doesn't apply to your T5.

Jay,

On behalf of *everyone* ... thanks bunches! Very, very good info.

Peg

Thanks Lugnutz,

Been crazy around here the last few weeks. My wife & I have been task with her Brother-in-law's death & his Estate Buisness, hoping to conclude it by end of April.

Now to the Spedo question. Your last post indicates that it will easier than I had anticipated. The tranny is working very well & we are very pleased with the results. We will get to the speedo cable next, after we solve another issue. We are currently working on finding the correct vent window frames & getting them installed to close up the cab. Can't enjoy driving in south Ms without the proper windows, too much rain in the area.

Again, thanks for your kind help.

Odie55

I don't recall where I read that a Napa 75" spedo cable will worh in my 55 2nd series with a 88 S10 T5 manual tranny with manyal spedo, however it was in a Sovebolt posting. I tried it and it works very well. It was an easy hookup. I still have to check it for accuracy. Put the truck on jack stands. Got it installed & started it up and let it idel in 5th gear, it ran very smoothly. Many thanks to the bolter who maid the suggestion. As all can tell I am still struglening using Stovebolt. With your patience & endurance I will learn. Wish I had joined 8 years ago when I started this resturation.

Many thanks to everyone.

Odie55.