1975 Speedometer

Hello everyone, I need some help. I have a '75 CJ5 and I am trying to figure out what to do about the speedometer. I am trying to keep the Jeep visually as stock as possible, and would like to have the "correct" speedometer in it. The one in it now is (I believe) the original one but is inoperative.

I have searched through the archive and scanned the speedometer threads and I didn't see one exactly like mine. As you can see in the attached picture, it is a 90mph face, says 'Unleaded Fuel Only', and does NOT have the oil and amp idiot lights.

The only replacements I can find (Whitney, eBay, other internet stores) are similar but do not say 'Unleaded Fuel Only' and have the idiot lights. Does anyone know of an outlet to buy my version new or NOS? Or am I looking at sending it out to a rebuilder to retain the original unit?

Here's the pic:


Thank you
Scott
75 CJ5
Memphis

 

The picture is really small, but it looks like this part might be right

http://www.xtremeterrain.com/p89.htm


Part number 914845 for $99.95

 

That doesn't look like a stock speedo. For one thing, the gauge motions are backwards. I think the high beam indicator is also in the wrong location. Since you have an oil gauge and a voltmeter, you wouldn't have idiot lights for oil or amps. My 75 didn't have senders for lights, only gauges.

 

Looks just like mine. I know it's original, bought it in 1977. But mine does work....

 

That is most definitely the stock speedo/cluster for a 75. It is identical to the one in my 75, which my wife bought new in 75.

What is the problem with yours? There's some pretty good info out there on speedo repair...

 

Its the same as my '72 as well.

 

I have not investigated the problem. I have read some threads about speedo repair. Neither the speedo or the odometer work. Open for suggestions

 

Please don't whack me for the obvious, but is your cable good? If both don't work there may not be a cable turning them.:v6:

 

x2 on the cable check. If that works, there is a good speedo repair, at least a couple, that will walk you through taking the speedo apart and cleaning and oiling it.

I just finished a '56 cleaning and oiling. Came out very good in my opinion and not real hard.

 

Yes, I have checked the cable

 

If you have checked the cable, I'd chuck in a square drive (#2?) in to a veriable drill with a 90* attachment. Where the speedo cable screws to the back of the housing, the back of the shaft has a square hole that matches the speedo cable, and the square drive. Try to use the drill, slowly at first, to turn the speedo. If it moves the pointer, the speedo is fine. If not, remove the 4 nuts and pull out the speedo. Remove the wires but make sure you identify all of them for reattachment.

There is some good speedo repair info in the following links -
http://www.earlycj5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=42640

http://www.earlycj5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=43043

http://www.earlycj5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=53434

Hope this helps

 

More progress:

I took the speedo out, took it apart, and cleaned/oiled it as described in other threads. The needle moves like it should. I also fiddled with the cable a bit and loosened it up.

The odometer now works...though I feel like it is counting miles faster than I am traveling them. May be my imagination, I will measure with my truck to see. If it is counting fast, how do I address that?

The speedo is a bit of a puzzle. When going forward, it just slowly winds up, and up, and up. When I stop, it stays put, then starts winding up again when I move. If I unscrew the cable from the back of the speedo, it goes to zero. Is this a bound up cable???

Scott

 

Yes, something is binding. If the speedo worked as it should when you took it out, the the speedo is fine.

ie, you spin the back input and the needle goes up and comes right back down.

However, I suspect something in the speedo. If you look at the links again, the actual speedo pointer is on a shaft. The shaft has a spring attached to it that returns it back to zero. The pointer shaft does not in anyway physically attach to the speedo cable.

From your description, I'd check to see of the pointer is ligthly touching either the glass or the face of the speedo and not allowing the pointer to freely return to zero. Or there is a small amount of dirt between the spinny thing and the thing the spinny thing spins around at the back of the pointer shaft. There can be no physical conatact between these two parts. The speed of the spinny thing creates an induction field that moves the pointer.

Check both areas. This is all it can be.

 

It is none of those thing. The mechanism is tip-top as far as I can see. I think it is a cable problem, I will investigate more tonight.

 

The saga continues....

Right now, I have the cable barely stuck into the back of the speedo, not screwed in at all. It is working great and even appears to be fairly accurate.

It seems the problem is that the inner cable (the square thing that turns) is too long and when I screw it in it is binding up in there. I saw in some of the other threads where some have shortened this cable. What tool did you use to do that? It seems like a pretty substantial piece of metal to cut through.

Thanks

 

When I installed my new cable about a year ago, I hooked up the Speedo first, then the to the tranny. I couldn't even get the threads to grab because the inner cable was too long.
I ground mine down on my bench grinder, worked great, and you can clean up the burrs with it when you're done.

 

to go on a slight tangent, i see in your photo that you've got a volt-meter instead of an ammeter. it has been discussed in other threads here, but the opinion seemed to be that ammeters were stock in '75's, rather than voltmeters. otoh, my '75 has a voltmeter, and i'd always thought it was stock. hmmmm.

 

Voltmeter stock on my 75 purchased new.

 

I would be very surprised if mine isn't original.

 

My original 75 had a similar problem and shortening the cable solved it. A dremel tool with
a cut-off wheel will make short work of the cutting. You can test the 'fix' first by just inserting the cable into the gearbox mount and not tightening the threaded collar. Drive around a bit and if it works properly, your problem is solved. Merely shorten the cable by cutting.

Voltmeters were the standard gauge for the '75 and you are correct in that the '75 was the only year (afaik) that had the UNLEADED FUEL ONLY imprinted on the speedometer.

Please post some more pictures when you get a chance......good look'n jeep.........