In order to use an aftermarket ie Autometer, Equus, Stewart Warner, etc speedometer with a 5/8 x 18 threaded speedo cable hook up
you must order a cable that has the correct threaded end on it for around 60 dollars, or you can buy a new oem speedo cable for
your g-body from your local parts store and a brass fitting from your local hardware store and do about 30 minutes worth of work
and save yourself 45 dollars and have the satisfaction of knowing you did it yourself.
First of all youll need a few tools. You need a little pipe/tubing cutter, nothing big, what you would use for brake
line. A pair of pliers, your call on needle nose, slip joint or what have you. And a dremel tool or something to cut slots into
the modified cable end.
Your cable when you purchase it (if you want to use your existing cable, you must take it out of the vehicle, or at least bring it out
into the engine compartment) should look like this. (I already cut mine, but it will be a solid piece of metal on this end.
The first step is to take your tubing cutter and cut along the area Im pointing to in the picture below, be careful as to not cut into the
cable itself, just the metal is what you want to cut off. This is why it would be a good idea to take the cable
completely out of the car so you can remove the internal drive cable prior to cutting this piece off. Regardless, cut at the area indicated
below.
And you should have this left over
The next step is to purchase and install a 3/8 inch flare nut. The Ace Hardware part number is 41156 and lists for 2.99. You should be
able to find these at any hardware store or parts store. Simply slide it on the cable as shown for the time being.
Now you need to take off the remaining crimped on metal that is on the speedo cable that you cut off in step one.
Take your pliers and gently work it off as to not mutilate it. Once off, you need to cut a slot at 12, 3, 6, and 9 o' clock about 1/16th
of an inch deep down the sides in order to mushroom the top portion to retain the flare nut that you installed in
the previous step. I took my pliers and bent the sides down a little and place the piece in a vise to mushroom them out evenly. Once you have slid the piece back onto the cable, in the same orientation as you took it off, carefully crimp
it back down with you pliers as to not distort the interior cable tunnel. It should look like the picture below when done.
And thats pretty much it, you can now slide the flare nut up to the end and reinstall the interior speedo drive cable if you uninstalled it.
You should now be able to thread the flare nut onto your new speedometer. Be sure not to overtighten the nut as to cause the speedometer drive cable
to bind up and not turn. The cable should have some friction on it when you turn it, but not so much as to not allow it to turn from the other end.
It should look like this when you are done. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me or respond to this post.
you must order a cable that has the correct threaded end on it for around 60 dollars, or you can buy a new oem speedo cable for
your g-body from your local parts store and a brass fitting from your local hardware store and do about 30 minutes worth of work
and save yourself 45 dollars and have the satisfaction of knowing you did it yourself.
First of all youll need a few tools. You need a little pipe/tubing cutter, nothing big, what you would use for brake
line. A pair of pliers, your call on needle nose, slip joint or what have you. And a dremel tool or something to cut slots into
the modified cable end.
Your cable when you purchase it (if you want to use your existing cable, you must take it out of the vehicle, or at least bring it out
into the engine compartment) should look like this. (I already cut mine, but it will be a solid piece of metal on this end.
The first step is to take your tubing cutter and cut along the area Im pointing to in the picture below, be careful as to not cut into the
cable itself, just the metal is what you want to cut off. This is why it would be a good idea to take the cable
completely out of the car so you can remove the internal drive cable prior to cutting this piece off. Regardless, cut at the area indicated
below.
And you should have this left over
The next step is to purchase and install a 3/8 inch flare nut. The Ace Hardware part number is 41156 and lists for 2.99. You should be
able to find these at any hardware store or parts store. Simply slide it on the cable as shown for the time being.
Now you need to take off the remaining crimped on metal that is on the speedo cable that you cut off in step one.
Take your pliers and gently work it off as to not mutilate it. Once off, you need to cut a slot at 12, 3, 6, and 9 o' clock about 1/16th
of an inch deep down the sides in order to mushroom the top portion to retain the flare nut that you installed in
the previous step. I took my pliers and bent the sides down a little and place the piece in a vise to mushroom them out evenly. Once you have slid the piece back onto the cable, in the same orientation as you took it off, carefully crimp
it back down with you pliers as to not distort the interior cable tunnel. It should look like the picture below when done.
And thats pretty much it, you can now slide the flare nut up to the end and reinstall the interior speedo drive cable if you uninstalled it.
You should now be able to thread the flare nut onto your new speedometer. Be sure not to overtighten the nut as to cause the speedometer drive cable
to bind up and not turn. The cable should have some friction on it when you turn it, but not so much as to not allow it to turn from the other end.
It should look like this when you are done. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me or respond to this post.
