Speedometer Cables Broke -SOS!

[Jeff Wilk]

I posted a long time ago on this when my speedometer stoped working on the 1975 Eldorado after about two days of bouncing all over the dial. Well I finally got to that while my dash is apart and what I find is that both speedometer cables are broken completely. The car does have Cruise Control. The first break appears to be from a melted cable housing down at the transmission that someone used a sort of reddish orange thick epoxy or something to try and repair. That cable is now hanging down next to the transmission. The other cable runs from the firewall mounted Cruise Control unit to the speedometer in the dash. That cable is snapped off and pulled clean out of the feral housing at the Cruise Control unit. When you look at the end that is pulled out it looks seriously twisted and twisted and twisted.  So three questions:

1. Any ideas about what happened to the cable up at the Cruise Control unit?
2. Where do I get both new cables?
3. How the heck do you put a new cable with the mounting ferrels through the firewall?

Thanks everyone and on the bright side I guess I am never speeding nor adding miles to the car when I drive 😎😎😎😉

Jeff

[bcroe]

Be aware, the old mechanical cruise controls tend to have a rather short
life. They in turn can break cables, etc.  My personal solution is to chuck
all that junk and install a straight through cable.  If you want cruise, you
can do that and find an electronic pickup type, or somehow find and replace
all those old parts.  good luck, Bruce Roe

[Doyle]

Hi Jeff. I just checked on www.rockauto.com. They list both cables upper and lower.  The price might be a little bit of a sticker shock.  It might cost you a little over $20 including shipping.  Good luck.

[gary griffin]

As for installing them I suggest using the existing cables to pull the new ones through.  Hard to describe but basically tape the old and new together end to end after figuring out the existing route. Remove any clamps holding the old ones in place and have a friend guiding and pushing gently on the new cable as you pull the old one out. I would attach a strong nylon or similar ribbon to them keeping them lined up. Make sure they are not fatter than the holes they will be going through. Worth a try!! Slow and easy and clear communications with your helper.  Good luck!!

[Jeff Wilk]

Thanks guys. I got a new correct xable from Autozone to go direct from the transmission to the dash head unit bypassing the Cruise Control altogether. Speedo now works fine again. I will live without the cruise for now but one day will want to see about taking that apart and trying to figure iut what happened.

As for getting the new one through the firewall it was not bad. I did not realize that the head unit piece was that much smaller than the connector at the transmission. It basically came right out with the firewall grommet. Now to somehow get that grommet back on!!!  Or maybe some modern day plumbers duck seal putty will do the trick on the nickle sized hole.

Thanks again!!!

Jeff