Hi Rob,
That can be a nasty prospect. Man were you in the speedo when it went
floating? I'll bet the moon was out last night.
Seriously though I would look first look at the cable. Drive around the block
with the cable disconnected and have someone watch it to see if it looks like
it is binding (speeding up and slowing down). It will grab and then spin free
if this is the problem.
If it looks okay then pull the gauge and and grind a piece of rod flat on four
sides to fit into the speedometer. Mount the rod in a drill and slowly turn it
a constant speed. If the needle is bouncing then disassemble the speedometer
and clean the bearings and the mag plate. This is small work so be gentle.
Reassemble with 3 in 1 oil for the bearings and check again. If this doesn't
fix it then look for another speedometer at the next swap meet.
If the cable is binding then remove the cable and clean the movable cable with
a rag and try again. If it still binds remove the cable sheath and look for
wear spots on the sheath. If you find wear then replace it.
It it is in the tranny, then jack up the rear of the car and spin the drive
shaft by hand with the car in neutral. You should be able to see the square
socket turn that the cable goes in with a mirror. If not reach up and feel
lightly the end moving. It should move while you are turning the drive shaft
and not stop when you touch it. If it stops when you touch it it is inside the
tranny and it engine pull time. If you have to pull the tranny, go ahead and
install the 5 speed kit in her. The engine will thank you for it on the
freeway. You can't rebuild a tranny for the price of the 5-speed kit. It
isn't worth the frustration to rebuild her. Alternate plan find a junk car
with a tranny in it and swap or you can just drive with out.
Cheers
Wrongway Ricky
60 Frog eye "Puddles"
52 MGTD "Sparky"
When driving down the road of life, downshift and nail it on the corners. It
makes drive worthwhile.
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