The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk 1959 speedometer trouble

Well Bolters I have done all I can, I really could use some help. I have a 1959 Apache and I have had a problem with my speedometer acting up.
She started "screaming" last month and now she won't work at all. I lubed the cable 2 or 3 times and it looks ok, but the speedometer will still not work so I guess it is the guage itself? what are my options?
cliff59

did you try driveing it w/ the cable disconnected from the speedo and have the end where you can feel if it actually turns, and smoothly?

if you're convinced it's the speedo, take it out and take a look! bit of a drag, but do-able - on the bench you can use a drill to try spinning it [a cable end helps to attach the drill] - if it really is hooped, open'er up and clean'er out - you might find it's just gummed up, which happens

be careful w/ the odometer wheels, they're easy to break - if all else fails, maybe someone can send you another to try, or new ones are available

Bill

bill i indeed drove and the cable is OK.

Cliff59

weeeell, time to rip it apart! unfortunately it does require pullin the gauge assembly out the front, which means disconnecting the wiring - can be done from underneath, but the screws that hold the speedo into the cluster are tiny and ya hafta work half blind - I did it after the 4th or 5th time I hadta pull the thing apart!

I can take some pics of one I've already got out if ya think it'd help

Bill

I will try anything other than having to BUY a new Speedometer. I bet that thing is at least a Sawbuck. I will remove the guage cluster this weekend. the pics may help.

thanks Cliff59

Cliff
I had to take mine apart and found the odometer/ drive gear had a bad spot. It was plastic.I swapped the brass parts from an Ebay gage cluster I bought ~$35 if I remember. It was tedious but do-able. Like was said... the odometer wheels are sensitive I ripped some #'s off but replacement decals are available. Once apart I bet you'll find the trouble.

John
Still driving Dad's '59

Johnny Wah and red58,
I will be working on the Speedometer this weekend, so I will try hard to go slow,(pardon the pun) and do it right. My thanks to you for helping. I found a guage cluster today on e-bay but I want to see if cleaning vs. a part or two might fix up my "crying" speedo. If you have any other ideas please let me know. A special thanks to red58 great pics.
Cliff59

Cliff,

I had trouble with mine right after the truck was back on the road after its restoration. After some trial and error, it turned out to be a bad reducer gear that the speedo shop put in to compensate for the new tires. Replaced that and it works great now! Just a thought.

I don't know if you even have one on your trans, but if you do, it is easy to check. Remove it and reconnect the spedo cable. If it works, the reducer is the problem.

Good luck!

Hey Jim,
What kind if tires did they put on that they had to put in a reducer gear?

Cliff59

I went with P235/75/R15 Diamond Back Radials. They about 29 inches tall and are just over an inch taller than the last set of tires on the truck, so I insisted that the truck be sent over to this local speedo shop I like and they calibrated the speedo for me using the reducer.

It might be overkill, but I figured this would be the last time I have it at 0001 and wanted to make sure the miles I log and speed I was going on the highway was as close to being right as possible.

I haven't actually checked it yet. However, I do know this place where our local weights and measures inspectors check odometers on taxicabs by driving between two marks that are exactly one mile a part. I figure one day I will take the truck over that way and give it a test.

It will be interesting to see if it is right or if I can loose the little gear. I will let you know when I check it out.

Take care!

Jim,
I thought that the old bias tires were about 29 inches as well. What I mean is that when the truck was built only bias tires were used and I think the stance was taller. Now I may be wrong but you really got me to thinking because I just put on some new Coker wide white radials. I need to check the size and see, but I think my new tred is shorter then the origional bias tires.

Cliff59

there won't be a noticeable difference in the speedo/odo readings as long as you don't go from 15's to 16's - in the range of 27-30" will be close enough to factory, which I think is about 28.5" - 205/75R/15 to 225/85R will be about right, but all car sized radials are wider tread [fatter] than original - I got some 700R15LT Yokohama's that have a great look and proper height/width - didn't change the speedo noticeably from the 225/75R I had before

Bill

Bill,

That is good to know. The only reason I even went down this road is because of my experience with the ambulance units at work having to go thorugh weights and measure checks every year and so I just automatically thought to do it on my truck. At work, I have the mechanics send out each ambulance over to the speedo shop to check the speedo when we first change from the stock tires to Michelen tires. Anyway, when I take it on the speedo check I will let you know how it checks out.

cool, that'll be interesting

Bill