speedometer test with electric drill?

[WmWatt]

Can I pull the speedometer cable out of the transmission and put it into the chuck of an electric drill to check where the
shaking problem is coming from? I guess I need to know which way the cable turns, clockwise or anti- and what's an acceptable RPM
on the drill. I suspect trial and error could damage the speedometer guage end. I'd also like to use the drill to test if anything I do
fixes the problem without having to put everything back together and start up the engine. Thanks.

[Bert]

Easiest test is to install another speedo. Guys that bought mine now have four of them. Worked for me and also initiated me to the joy of Tach clusters with their 'lights on' buzzer that does not feature on any of the pedestrian panels. If you're working with a drill it is quite apparent which way the speedo turns via peeking at the speedo to see if the needle is moving.

[bravekozak]

Does the Festiva odometer work the same as Ferris Buehler's Ferrari?
Does it wind backward in reverse?

[WmWatt]

Bert: Can't think what I'd want with 4 speedometers.
I'm an advocate of dignosing a problem instead of replacing things until it goes away.

I'd like to know which way the cable turns so I don't spin it the wrong way with a drill and possibly
break the speedometer.

I calculate 450 rpm on the drill will show up as 30 mph on the meter.
Divide 450 into the drill speed and mulitply by 30 to predict how fast the meter will show.
I don't want to connect a high speed drill and blow the brains out of the meter.
1200 rpm - 80mph on the meter, that's about max

[bravekozak]

We all have to make sacrifices for the sake of science. I will go online for an answer.

"Yes, older cars used mechanical odometers, which go forward or backwards, depending on which way the gears are turned. Modern cars use electronic odometers. I couldn't find anything indicating over what time period this changed. It was well before my time behind the wheel, though."

"all odometers (USA) would not reverse starting in the 80's to prevent fraud."

[Team Lightning]

One method of determining the rotation would be to pull the cluster, drive around the yard and observe the rotation of the cable end.(After reattaching the transmission, end of course)

[bravekozak]

I am quite certain that the direction of rotation is to the right going into the speedo from behind. You can test it like I did when I checked to see if the cruise sensor connections were OK. I simply spun the speedometer gear with my fingers.

[WmWatt]

Sounds promising. The test I want to do is for needle shaking and noise so it has to run longer and faster than I could do by hand, hence the drill.

[F3BZ]

might try having someone in the car watching the speedo while you twist the end of the cable as fast as you can with 2 fingers. have the driver watch for the needle to jump a little. try twisting both ways. i doubt you'll break it. i remember putting the cable end into a battery drill to roll back milage on a replacement cluster. let it run till the battery of the drill died and the speedo still worked. here's a question. doesn't the odometer go backwards when you drive in reverse?

[Pu241]

It shouldbe stenciled on the ODO 1025 rotations = 1 mile
So if your drill is doing 1025 RPM = 1 mile/minute = 60 MPH on the speedo.
You then should be able to proportion it so that at 308 RPM you should either see 20 MPH or you need to reverse the direction of the drill.
Me thinks the Speedo/ODO should hold up to 20 MPH with out issue if you choose incorrectly.

[htchbck]

If it is on the car in your sig, then its very easy since its is a straight shift. Just unscrew the transmission end from the gear head (17mm wrench if its on there pretty tight), slide the cable all the way out of its sheath, and thoroughly clean it and reinstall with some graphite lube. Takes about 10 minutes, and I'm 99% sure that will take care of the jumping/shaking of the needle. On the autos its not so easy, since the cable can't be pulled out. On those I usually pull the cluster and spray some penetrating oil into the cable will driving around slowly until it works it way down the cable.

[muleskinner]

I did that test too because the needle bounced when I ran it in the car, so I took it out & put a drill to the back of my speedometer and ran the drill slow one way and the needle didn't move, ran it the other way and it moved, then I sped it up to see if the needle would bounce and it didn't. The culprit was the cable. it had a bend in the cable so I put another one in I got from the JY. Fixed.

[htchbck]

Yep^^

[WmWatt]

Mule: Thanks a bunch, that is my intent as well. Good to read someone has already tried it with success.

folklore ditty...
My sweatheart's a mule in the mine
I drive her without any lines
On the bumper I sit
And tobacco I spit
All over my sweathert's behind

[WmWatt]

Here are photos of removing instrument cluster on '89 model, testing with electric drill, cleaning, and lubricating spedometer and cable....

http://s1086.photobucket.com/user/ag384fb/media/FestivaSpeedometer/

(The photos in the Haynes manual of removing the instrument cluster are for a later model.)