new speedo cable faulty?

[jvan]

Hey everyone,

While taking apart the dash to install a new blower motor and resistor (new one with the 4th speed added works great and the cheap-o amazon resistor now ~5 months is still going! Though on the 4th speed it really vibrates everything. Also, i think the idea of going for a variable speed dial would be great. One member mentioned it on here in one of the main blower box motor threads. anyways... ), i broke the plastic square male end off the older style speedo cable (the two piece oxygen sensor box kind).

So, after ordering a brand new one piece cable and initially routing it as the same path as the old cable, except not through the oxygen sensor box, the speedo was bouncing and read 3-5mph faster than what the ol' girl was actually doing. The needle also didnt settle to 0 mph and, produced somewhat of a noisy vibration at the speedo insert.

When i re-inserted the old broken off plastic male square end and manually turned...the speedo ran smooth and settled to 0 mph. Yes, i carefully lined up the new square cable into the speedo female square insert.

However,

I took the speedo out and with the new cable inserted, i ran the cable in a straight line and attached the end to a drill. With the cable straightened out about as straight as it will go, the speedo needle performed great though still noisy at the insert and did not settle to zero mph. It does not fit as well as the old plastic one which seems to fit flawlessly.

So, i re-routed the speedo in a path which i thought was less bendy and acute than the previous one. It improved. Great, but still a bit bouncy. So i took it out and ran it again. Though still at last improvement.

The new cable just doesnt like to be bent?

Cable is warpped or uneven?

I dont want to throw Go Westy under the bus, but its from there, anyone have problems with the one piece ~$20 cable?

My wheel bearing dust cap square housing for the speedo is not %100 square. Maybe %95...would this be a contributing factor? Though I had zero problems with the older cable. And to clarify more, when i put the old male plastic end into the speedo and turn...works great, smooth, quiet and settles at zero mph.

Thoughts?

thanks,

-J
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tin top.

[Gnarlodious]

One time I had to take off the bearing cup and pound the metal flat at the square hole. Then the speedometer started working properly.
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Vanagon ’83 diesel AAZ w/Giles injection, 5spd 4.57R&P+TBD and a '78 diesel Rabbit

[djkeev]

I've got the same thing. One piece cable from VanCafe.
I admit that I did not lube it before installing it...... I know better!

But there it is, a minor wobble...... I plan to lube it good but honestly haven't had the time, the ambition nor do I Care all that much I guess.

Dave
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[RCB]

Bought a new cable from CIP1. Shop that does work on my 82 Westy said they have installed quite a few of the " newer ones " from various vendors and they just plain don't work for more than a few months.

Sure enough...they don't work for more than a few months.

[MarkWard]

I replaced the cable in our 82 from the BD to solve a wavering needle. It was actually worse with the new cable. I sent the head out to have it cleaned and calibrated. They advised it was in good working order. Reinstalled same problem. I did then what the original poster did. I removed the cable and even straight out, driven by the drill, the needle wobbled.

Decided to try one from GW. It had an orange conduit. Before installing it completely, I tested it straight with my drill. No wobble. I carefully routed it up the dash and tested again with the drill. Still no wobble. I then installed the dust cap, and took it for a road test. Still no wobble.

Sounds like it is the luck of the draw. I am sure if I caught the problem on install BD would have made good on it. Just too much time had passed with sending the head out that it would not have been right to try and recover the original money. Going forward, I will run a cable straight prior to installing.
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[?Waldo?]

I installed an orange sheathed one in my '91 approx 2 years ago. It works perfectly. I don't recall where I purchased it, probably either AutohausAZ or Van Cafe.

[jvan]

[?Waldo?]

If memory serves, I routed it the same as the one I replaced. I don't think my '91 ever had the mileage counter box (no oxs on the cluster) but I believe the routing is otherwise the same.

[Tom Powell]

Lube before installation.

Aloha
tp

[jvan]

well the good news is ive got the MPH matched to my gps...nearly spot on.
But with some wobble...

Whats your method for lubing the cable? I used a drill and ran the cable while elevated and lubed away. From both ends. I think its safe to say the thing was thoroughly lubed. Overkill?

So i carefully re-ran the cable for the 4t time...this is after first carefully inserting the square speedo end into the speedo. The thing sat as good as it will get with that cable.

With the front driver seat down (i have no cabinets behind, so yes lays flat ) i extened the speedo box PAST the seat and sat on a box. I then began to run the cable as straight as it would go through the fire wall and down to the hub.

This produced as much bounce and wobble in the needle as i had before though with adjusting the needle my mph was pretty god.

Driving with the cover off the speedo and the cable removed...you can clearly see the cable wobbling. Spinning while also circling.... I mean i ran the thing about as straight as it will go and there are ZERO sharp bends. Bad cable?

As i stated earlier prior to breaking my old speedo cable end, i had zero issues with bounce, though MPH were about 1-2 off gps.

I also tested the speedo itself again, this time though by inserting the old broken off square speedo cable end and fitting the drill to that...rises and falls smoothly. ZERO bounce.

So...

call me crazy but i jammed the new speedo cable end into the old plastic end and attached to speedo. Not noticeble whether the old square end fits more snug than the new, but perhaps it does. Maybe extra firm end helps stabilize the cable wobble, because...

Currently still some bounce, but minor compared to before. Adjusted the speedo needle also again a bit and is more accurate than its ever been. Cool.
But this makes me question why ever get one of those boxes or have i now put more stress on the speedo spring?
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tin top.

[insyncro]

Those finding out that the wobble gets worse with a new cable....have an issue at the connection at the speedo on the speedo side.
Once the mating area is peened out a bit, a new cable, especially if jammed into the socket, and actually worsen the wobble.

You have to be very careful when connecting the cable...if someone before you jammed it...the speedo side needs to be addressed now.

GW rebuilds them and someone on eBay does so for $75...no experience with either.

[Ahwahnee]

[insyncro]

In cold climates excess lube with create issues when the temp really dips....a little goes a long way.

[atomatom]

i have had the wobble and a grinding sound when at +80km/h, but refitting the cable seems to fix it. to take some of the stress off the speedo connector, i used a zip tie on the metal bracket to hold the cable up in place. who knows what made the difference, but it seems stable, for now. it'll probably start at me again now.
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[insyncro]

You can usually hear it when it is a cable issue.

Yes, keeping the cable as secured as possible is best...no hard bends.

[jvan]

[jvan]

Just wanted to update on this for any one looking to buy a new speedo.

Buy the rockymountain version? I believe so...

Last week i received it and installed this weekend. Immediately zero bounce and more quiet than the gowesty cable i had previously tried. Also, the connection at the rear of the speedo is considerably more firm (while similar the clip and housing is clearly different). The key? That and maybe because the cable does not wobble when turning manually?

To note, the cable shown currently on rockymountain site is different than what i received. Its not "orange" and does not have the thicker black part near the connector. The connector is also not white but black. Other than that it is a speedo cable...

Anyways...van on...
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tin top.

[RCB]

A little update on the speedo cable. Since posting my original comment, my speedo head crapped out on me and its at the Palo Alto Speed Shop getting fixed (its now fixed and will have it reinstalled on Thursday ) The original cable I got from Cip1 had the end snap off a few Months later.
I lucked out and found an original VW cable from a seller on Canadian E Bay.
It will also be installed along with the speedo head on Thursday.

I cant remember if the one I got from cip1 had any Orange on it or if it even had a sleeve on it, its been awhile.

From what I understand Van Cafe now sells a newer type of cable that is supposed to be beefier and a much better fit than the older style ones that were being sold by the various vendors.

[jvan]

[flomulgator]

My Syncro speedometer has always bounced and caused a little noise at lower speeds. During the holiday weekend I did some offroading and softroading and noticed that after all the rough driving it would sometimes get MUCH louder, to the point of being actively annoying. I've removed this cable several times not knowing about seating issues, but the low speed bounce existed the day I bought it.

So the question is: Cable or speedo housing?
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