Broken Speedometer

[Jordan Livingston]

My speedometer needle suddenly stopped working today. I watched the needle begin to sputter for a bit and then cease to move altogether. Previously, it was working perfectly with no jerkiness at all. Any suggestions?

Thanks,

- Jordan

[PJ Grady Inc.]

My speedometer needle suddenly stopped working today. I watched the needle begin to sputter for a bit and then cease to move altogether. Previously, it was working perfectly with no jerkiness at all. Any suggestions?

Thanks,

- Jordan

Start by R&Ring the L/F wheel and checking the angle drive, adapter cup, and lower cable. 90% of failures involve those parts.
Rob

[Gregadeth]

Yeah mine's been bouncing around for the past couple months. Now half the time it works, half the time it doesn't. One of these days soon I plan on doing exactly what Rob just suggested.

Is there a specific type of lube to use for the angle drive, etc?

[Jordan Livingston]

Start by R&Ring the L/F wheel and checking the angle drive, adapter cup, and lower cable. 90% of failures involve those parts.
Rob

Please forgive my altogether newbie ignorance; are these components accessible from the inside of the car, or does one need to get inside of the binnacle and / or underneath the car?
Thanks,

- Jordan

[fnzen]

Please forgive my altogether newbie ignorance; are these components accessible from the inside of the car, or does one need to get inside of the binnacle and / or underneath the car?
Thanks,

- Jordan

Jordan

Rob gave instructions Ill try to make it clearer

Not inside

Remove left front wheel by taking the lugs nuts off

There is a plastic "adapter cup" that is in the middle of the axle wheel hub

that is the source of most of the issues as the speedo cable has usually stripped the inside of the adapter cup

sometimes you can stuff paper inside for a tighter fit most likely you need a new one

the angle drive is connected to the inner left hub

the lower cable connects to this

you can search and find pictures

[Gregadeth]

http://store.delorean.com/c-351-5-1-1-speedometer-drive.aspx

dust cap is #18
angle drive is #13
lower cable is #11

[Jordan Livingston]

Jordan

Rob gave instructions Ill try to make it clearer

Not inside

Remove left front wheel by taking the lugs nuts off

There is a plastic "adapter cup" that is in the middle of the axle wheel hub

that is the source of most of the issues as the speedo cable has usually stripped the inside of the adapter cup

sometimes you can stuff paper inside for a tighter fit most likely you need a new one

the angle drive is connected to the inner left hub

the lower cable connects to this

you can search and find pictures

This is EXTREMELY helpful - thank you! Doesn't sound too challenging to attempt myself... Or am I crazy?

- Jordan

[DMCMW Dave]

This is EXTREMELY helpful - thank you! Doesn't sound too challenging to attempt myself... Or am I crazy?

- Jordan

Do you own a floor jack and a 1 1/4" open end wrench?

[Jordan Livingston]

Yep!


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[PJ Grady Inc.]

Yep!


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You'll need a loooong wrench! Better to use a crow's foot with a breaker bar or put a strong extension tube over the wrench for leverage.
Rob

[Jonathan]

Do you own a floor jack and a 1 1/4" open end wrench?


You'll need a loooong wrench! Better to use a crow's foot with a breaker bar or put a strong extension tube over the wrench for leverage.
Rob

For the sake of clarity...

On the DMCH angle drive replacement instructions, it mentions getting the backside nut (adapter nut on the angle drive) torqued to 165 ft lb and then to get the hub nut on the front side as tight as you can (using air tools if available).

The thing that always got me wondering was how I can get a torque wrench, breaker bar, whatever you want basically on the front side nut, but have never found anyway to get anything other than the 1 1/4" open ended wrench on the backside nut, just because of the angle drive getting in the way of a socket (not to mention the top of the nut on the lower ball joint interferring).

What's the secret? Is the "crow's foot" you mention Rob like that offset socket you have to get an oxygen sensor out?

I did my angle drive recently (along with one-piece speedo cable, dustcap and new adapter nut... trying not to jinx myself for the time being since my speedo/odo moved for the first time in 3 years. Yippey!!) and got on the open ended wrench with as much leverage as I could and then on the front side got it to at least 165 ft lb (verified by my torque wrench and 32 mm socket).

Curious more than anything if there is some trick I am missing to get to those values listed in the instructions or whether there is a practical side to it that's "good enough." Thx.

[davidc89]

For the sake of clarity...

On the DMCH angle drive replacement instructions, it mentions getting the backside nut (adapter nut on the angle drive) torqued to 165 ft lb and then to get the hub nut on the front side as tight as you can (using air tools if available).

The thing that always got me wondering was how I can get a torque wrench, breaker bar, whatever you want basically on the front side nut, but have never found anyway to get anything other than the 1 1/4" open ended wrench on the backside nut, just because of the angle drive getting in the way of a socket (not to mention the top of the nut on the lower ball joint interferring).

What's the secret? Is the "crow's foot" you mention Rob like that offset socket you have to get an oxygen sensor out?

I did my angle drive recently (along with one-piece speedo cable, dustcap and new adapter nut... trying not to jinx myself for the time being since my speedo/odo moved for the first time in 3 years. Yippey!!) and got on the open ended wrench with as much leverage as I could and then on the front side got it to at least 165 ft lb (verified by my torque wrench and 32 mm socket).

Curious more than anything if there is some trick I am missing to get to those values listed in the instructions or whether there is a practical side to it that's "good enough." Thx.

A crows foot is basically just the open end of a wrench with a square slot so you can put a ratchet on it.

[Jonathan]

A crows foot is basically just the open end of a wrench with a square slot so you can put a ratchet on it.

Thanks. Just looked on Google images. I known what you mean now.

That backside nut has the wrench or ratchet really close to the tip of the ball joint bolt tip right at the nut and also part of the steering rack ends when you pull down on the wrench getting it tight. Seems I'm either going to break something on the car with the force put on it (enough to see the wheel and control arms deflect) or take a few layers of skin off my knuckles when it slips and you're really leaning into it.

Really tightening the front side nut in effect pulls in the backside one tighter, oui?

[DMCMW Dave]

Really tightening the front side nut in effect pulls in the backside one tighter, oui?

Non. Well, not exactly.

The back side of the spindle is a taper lock into the knuckle. That is why you MUST tighten the inner nut first when assembling everything. You don't want the outer nut pulling the spindle "out of lock".

OTOH I do find it easier to loosen the inner nut if the outer one is loosened first, so there are forces involved at both ends of the spindle.

One other note - if using a crows foot on a torque wrench, be sure to do the calculation to add the length of the crowsfoot to the length of the torque wrench, or you might be undertorqueing the fastener.

[David T]

Non. Well, not exactly.

The back side of the spindle is a taper lock into the knuckle. That is why you MUST tighten the inner nut first when assembling everything. You don't want the outer nut pulling the spindle "out of lock".

OTOH I do find it easier to loosen the inner nut if the outer one is loosened first, so there are forces involved at both ends of the spindle.

One other note - if using a crows foot on a torque wrench, be sure to do the calculation to add the length of the crowsfoot to the length of the torque wrench, or you might be undertorqueing the fastener.

It is bad practice to use an ordinary "Crow's Foot" on a torque wrench. If you HAVE to use one it should be the type that goes around the nut like a flare nut wrench does so you are not pulling on just 2 flats. The other problem as Dave S mentioned, is that you MUST do the calculation for the increased lever length or you will under-torque the fastener.

[Jonathan]

Non. Well, not exactly.

The back side of the spindle is a taper lock into the knuckle. That is why you MUST tighten the inner nut first when assembling everything. You don't want the outer nut pulling the spindle "out of lock".

OTOH I do find it easier to loosen the inner nut if the outer one is loosened first, so there are forces involved at both ends of the spindle.

One other note - if using a crows foot on a torque wrench, be sure to do the calculation to add the length of the crowsfoot to the length of the torque wrench, or you might be undertorqueing the fastener.

I have found this to be noticeable too. I think the first time or two I took out the angle drive, I fought with getting that inner nut loose without loosening first the outer one. Considering how much easier/safer it is to get a breaker bar on the outer one, it helps immensely once loose to get the inner one off fairly easily.

[DMC5180]

It is bad practice to use an ordinary "Crow's Foot" on a torque wrench. If you HAVE to use one it should be the type that goes around the nut like a flare nut wrench does so you are not pulling on just 2 flats. The other problem as Dave S mentioned, is that you MUST do the calculation for the increased lever length or you will under-torque the fastener.

When using any kind of offset torque adapters. Placing the adapter 90 degrees from the handle requires Zero torque re-calculation. Of Course every torquing situation can present limitations that won't allow clocking the adapter at 90 degrees

[Bitsyncmaster]

One other note - if using a crows foot on a torque wrench, be sure to do the calculation to add the length of the crowsfoot to the length of the torque wrench, or you might be undertorqueing the fastener.

Wouldn't added length over torque the fastener?

[BladeBronson]

I too am now in the broken speedometer club. The square cable that runs through the spindle was broken about half an inch from where it meets the dust cap. I assume this is an angle drive replacement? Can just that cable pull out and be replaced?

[Chris 16409]

I too am now in the broken speedometer club. The square cable that runs through the spindle was broken about half an inch from where it meets the dust cap. I assume this is an angle drive replacement? Can just that cable pull out and be replaced?

It depends on which unit you have. On the OEM unit, the shaft cannot be swapped out. The angle drive I bought from Martin several years ago has the ability to swap out a bad shaft.