I surely can't be the first guy to do this, I have a '51 Ford and I want to hook up the speedo to my TH350 Trans. Anhybody know where I can get a cable to do this? I don't know anything about them so I don't know if its easy to find or not. I wrote one of the big companies and they said they'd make me one for $100, which seems like a lot of money to me, but maybe that's what I gotta pay. I just thoguht I'd see if there was a cheaper way to go, because, well, I'm cheap! here's a pic of the back of my speedo if that makes any difference. Speaking of cheap, I'm converting the gauges in the stock cluster with autometer gauges because I'm too cheap to get them fixed!
I bought a custom made cable to mate my Hydramatic to a late 40's Ford speedo from these guys, price was around $65.00 for a nice cable with a thick vinyl coating, I believe they charged by length. Let them know what you need and they'll give you a price over the phone, my cable was at my door a day after I ordered it. http://www.speedometersolutions.com/
Thank you badger, I'm going to give them a call! I was hoping to find a low buck solution but I may just be out of luck. I'm just cheeeeeeap! thanks man!
This might just be me getting your hopes up and wasting your time but I think Tokyo said something about a late 60s Chevy truck cable working with a Merc, which may/may not be the same hookup as a Ford.
I know that old Fords (pre 48) had the same trans fitting measurement as a late GM trans. Maybe your 51 is the same? Have you even tried to attach it as-is?
you might want to look here. They have some unsual stuff and are very friendly over the phone http://www.transmissioncenter.net
I think Unionville has it; you just need a GM cable with a screw-on speedometer fitting. I believe this means up to maybe 1967 cars, I think a few years later for trucks. After said cutoffs, GM cables end at the top in a funny push and click latch which can't possibly fit anything threaded. There aren't that many different threads on these things, and there may also be non-GM solutions. I'd go hunting at the junkyard with speedometer and the little gear housing from the trans with me.
Get a universal inner cable. Take the ford and Chevy outer cables and carefully cut them so the overall length of the ford top and chevy bottom is what you need. Take a piece of rubber tubing with an inner dia. similar to the outer dia. of the cable housings. Slip in the cut ends, can add shrink tubing to hold. Slide in the inner cable, cut to length and fasten the end fitting. Cheap? RB35
take a look at carquest part # CA 3004...i just put one in a `49 ford with a th350 , fit and works great. it will screw right into your speedo and tranny . this is the answer to your problem this cable is for early GM applications and is 83" long . you can also get one 63" long part # CA 3002 . about $15
I went to NAPA since the Mercury Speedo and Chevy Ends are the Same I just got the Length I wanted 50 Merc & 63 Chevy Auto Trans is the Same Just My 3.8 Cents
I made an adapter once. In my case it was a different trans, but I turned a bushing that would fit over the end of the speedo cable and have the same od as the o.d. of the threads on the speedo. I then cut the bushing in half (axially) so that I could install it over the cable. I then took a piece of steel tube and slit it the long way. The tube i.d. was the o.d. of the threads on the speedo and the bushing. A hose clamp holds the tube to the back of the speedo, and another clamps the cable end and bushing in place. It took a little fiddling to get the alignment right, but it came out to a couple dollars in materials. Sorry, no pictures.
Would this work for the 1954 Ford Astra-Dial speedo in my sedan? EDIT: Dang it you guys are talking Chevy tranny's I have a C-4 in my car.
If you have both cables, just unscrew the one end, flatten the 'pips' (Leave Gladys ALONE!!!) best you can, then put it on the cable with the opposite end (ie: Ford speedo end onto Chevy cable, leaving the trans end alone). Now just re-pip the end onto the cable. That's how I've always mated speedo to trans when they don't match, and it's always been FREE!!! BTW, make sure you put the nut on FIRST, and oriented the right way...its like doing brake lines... Cosmo
The stock temp and oil pressure guage should work with the the chevy motor you have in there. The stock gauges are electrical just buy electrical senders and hook them up, you will need a small 6-volt regulator on the back. Thats what I did with my 302. Oil pressure reads 30 pounds all day. Temp gauge works backwards for some reason, must be something to do with the 6-volt positive ground that they were designed for. I tried reversing the terminals but it still reads backwards. Just remember H is cold and C is hot. Not sure if these stock gauges are accurate but i've been driving with them for going on five years now, talk about cheap!
Those 6v gauges are usually absolute junk, I wouldn't even mess with them. Plus my flathead ran way cooler than any Chevy Ive had, so it can throw off your reading. I had a 55 Olds I put a SBC in and was a little spooked when the temp gauge read about 3/4, little bit less. It was a good clean motor, just run hotter than a Rocket. Even 10 degrees makes a difference, and I dunno about you, but I would hate looking at that all day...freak me out!
Yeah he's probably on the right track with the autometer gauges just cheaper the way I done it. So far mine hasn't overheated or blown up. Hey if you are thinking of putting those autometers somehow in the stock cluster post up a tech piece and show the rest of us how its done please! That would be great because the stock cluster looks so much better than new autometers hanging off the bottom of the dash.
If you were in the Bay Area (vice el Lay), I would recommend these guys: http://www.speedoelectric.com/ ... they've successfully made me some pretty oddball custom speedo cables.
i used these guys.. pretty good, would go back to them again for sure. http://www.scottspeedometer.com
Wow thank you for all the help you guys! If it weren't for you I would've forked over $$$ for a custom jobbie when all I needed was an $11 cable from Carquest!!! I tell ya, that Alliance Membership pays for itself more than a few times over I reckon!! 36 3 window-you really knocked it out of the park with that one! I went over to carquest with the speedo and brought back the shorter of those two cables, cost me a whole $11.50! The guy there didn't have any books so we just tried hit and miss, and now sure enough thanks to you if this one doesn't fit I can get the longer one wihtout any trouble! Thanks man!
i'm glad it worked out for you . i used the longer 83" one and was actually a little too long . depending how you route the cable the shorter 63" may work for you
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