Evening guys, been a while!

So on my '91 F350 4x4, E4OD just got it running again after fuel issues, (pump, lines, everything that can make it hard on the starter) anyways thankfully that's over and done with.


I did pull the cluster out few days ago, but driving today, speedo started acting up, and dropped to 0, soon as it did, heard some light clicking/grinding noise behind the dash for a min or so. Guess I didn't plug the speedo cable back in properly....


But soon as that went dead, the tranny lost TC lock up, and started shifting in every gear it could going down the road doing 50mph! It shifted down to 2nd out of no where, shifting up and down, it finally calmed down and acted normal again, but now it's got no more TC lock up? It does go in to Overdrive gear though.


Why would this even happen, it's a '91 bricknose truck, with a cable driven speedo?? Or coincidence with some other issue? OD light isn't flashing, or even on.

Rear ABS light is on, but that's since I pulled the fuse years ago.


Any ideas?


Was hoping to get one more winter out of this falling apart rotted piece of crap.

 

Either the drive gear is striped or the cable broke.

 

Not real knowledgeable about the e4od, but I do know that the speedo input is used by the e4od in its shifting etc.

 

The non working speedo doesn't bother me, be the 3rd vehicle I have that doesn't have a working speedo haha.

The tranny bothers me though, it was working perfect till that. I know on the 92+ trucks with the electronic speedos, those are hooked to the tranny for shift points, but no way for that on a cable driven speedo.

 

Follow the cable down to the trans. On my c6 there is a speed sensor in on the cable near where it cable plugs into the trans. Currently it is used by the cruise control. In my research on an e4od swap US Shift said that this signal could be used as the speed sensor input for their stand alone e4od controller.

I can get a pic tomorrow if that would help.

If you do a search for ford cable driven speed sensor you can find them.

 

Ahhh thanks for that, it could have a stand alone computer, as this truck was originally a 5spd, the E4OD was swapped in many years ago, and the wires off the tach sensor, run down the engine, their not routed in any factory wiring.


I sure hope it didn't break, and just popped out from behind the cluster.

 

I thought the cable speedo trucks with an E4OD still had a VSS in the diff for RABS and the trans.
I could be wrong...
(I thought I was wrong once, but I was mistaken...)

 

I think the stock setup may get its VSS from the diff, though I am not too familiar with it. I just know that my c6 with a cable driven speedo gets a signal from the sensor on the end of the cable and that it could be used as a VSS signal for an e40d stand alone controller. If his truck was converted to an auto it may have a separate controller.

 

Well the cable is still properly hooked up behind the cluster, great. Hopefully I finish early enough tomorrow to go look under.

 

$16 new fits in trans cable fits in it sends speed signal the same as VSS in rearend pre92 also has to see RPM from sensor on IP drive gear $50

 

Update:

So got a new cable in, (6$ at Autozone), had to take the cluster back off 4 times after installing the new cable, speedo still wasn't working, first time, it just popped out from behind the cluster, didn't click it all the way in, 2nd, 3rd and 4th time, speedo wasn't working still, so I took off for a drive with the cable just sticking out, keeping an eye on it, the cable wasn't turning.

So after playing around with it with needle nose pliers, got it properly in the transfer case from inside the cab, and got it turning while driving, perfect, click it on the cluster, put everything back together, start driving, no speedo still??? Just bounced up to 10mph a couple times and went dead.

Take it all apart again!, this time when I unclipped the cable from behind the cluster, the cable part stayed stuck in the cluster abiy, so it pulled the cable out of the transfer case, and haven't been able to align it or play with it to get it back in since.


Any ideas or tricks? Could the thing inside the t-case that holds and turn the cable be done??



The tranny shifts all gears properly now according to speed, but no more TC lock up, and it shifts EXTREMELY hard into Reverse and 2nd gear. It'll chirp the tires on dry pavement just shifting to Reverse, it's bad.

 

on the 91 with E4OD the speedometer is cable driven.
the trans is controlled by a VSS where the speedometer cable connects in the transfer case tailshaft. on the end of the speedometer cable is a gear. if it is not secured to the cable with the little clip the speedometer will not work properly.
you need to remove the cable assembly from the tailshaft of the transfer case.
and hopefully the gear comes out with the cable and does not fall into the tailshaft.
the VSS in the top of the rear differential housing is for the RABS only.

the trans also needs proper tach signal to work on top of the VSS signal

 

I removed the clip to remove the old broken cable, stuck the new cable in the hole, and put the clip back on?

You have to remove the whole thing to do it properly is what you're saying?


Tach works great, always has, so no issue there.

 

yes, you have to remove the gear off the transfer case side of the cable, put the new cable in the housing, then put the gear back on the cable and install the clip, then put the assembly back into the tailshaft and put the bolt in. it is possible the cable side of the gear is stripped and the cable is slipping in the gear.

 

Ahhh I see, didn't know that, thanks! I'll give it a try once the temp warms up abit, -10*F here right now for 3 days.