Programmable speedometers?
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Senior User
Joined: Oct 2003
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From: Joyce, WA
Programmable speedometers?
OK. Need some help from the more electronically inclined people. I currently don't have a speedometer in my truck. How can I make a electronic/programmable speedometer work in my old truck? I would ideally have it read accurately in both low and high rear end gears, but will settle for high only. Help me out here. This looks a little over my head as far as the electronic part, I turn wrenches and swing hammers. Not keyboards and touchscreens.
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2004
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From: Durham NC
There are electronic senders for the programmable speedos that replace the transmission speedometer cable. Calibrating my Dolphin speedometer is super easy. Don't know of any that will hold two calibrations tho you could calculate the important speed readings in the other gear ratio and memorize them.
Posting Guru
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From: Waynesboro, Virginia
I just calibrated my older Cyberdyne electronic speed/tach yesterday....most are fairly easy to calibrate. This one is a little tougher; you have to be going 45 mph and then push a button. The newer ones even from these people are much easier.
I had to replace the drive gear sender in the C6. It reads fine from top to bottom of scale.
Paul
I had to replace the drive gear sender in the C6. It reads fine from top to bottom of scale.
Paul
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From: Glendale, AZ
I have a VDO, all of the electric speedos have a pulse generator that adapts to where the cable attaches to the trans. Wiring is straight forward and easy. To calibrate the speedo, your push a button, drive a measured mile, push the button again and you're done. If you change gears or tire size, recalibrate and off you go.
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Senior User
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From: Joyce, WA
I don't have anything now. I am doing my research before I decide which route to go. You guys make it sound so easy. The sender replaces the drive on the transmission, make the electrical connections and then calibrate? That is it in a nutshell? Sounds almost to simple.
Elder User
Joined: Sep 2002
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From: Smithville TX.
It seems to me your biggest obstacle will be with the two speed rear end. There is no provision in the programing to allow for a two speed rear. However all is not lost. Your truck with the two speed axle should have a two speed speedometer adapter attached to the back of the speedometer housing where the cable would normally attach. The cable will be attached to this adapter. If you remove this adapter and move it between the transmission and the Hall Effect sensor (that is the sensor that the speedometer reads off of) It should be accurate in both high and low range. I am sure with the wide range of adapters that are made for these sensors and speedometer cables that you would be able to find what you needed to make it work. I am running a VDO programmable speedometer in my 56 F-100 and when I wanted to install a cruise control I found a Hall Effect sensor with a through way on it so I could run a speedometer cable off of the sensor to my cruise control speed sensor. It works flawless. There is a wire that attaches to the two speed adapter that is behind you speedometer, that wire is part of the wiring harness between the two speed switch and the two speed motor on your rear axle. You will of course have to move or lengthen that wire to where ever you move the two speed adapter to.
Michelle
Chelle's 56 Hauler
Michelle
Chelle's 56 Hauler
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Hotshot
Joined: Nov 2000
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From: Pflugerville, tx
Originally Posted by 56f600
I don't have anything now. I am doing my research before I decide which route to go. You guys make it sound so easy. The sender replaces the drive on the transmission, make the electrical connections and then calibrate? That is it in a nutshell? Sounds almost to simple.
Sam
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From: Joyce, WA
I have done some more looking and have done something different than was originally planned. I do have the speedo gearbox for the two speed. It was hanging by a zip tie under the dash without cables and had been forgotten. I went to order the programmable speedo, thinking the same thing about the sender. For $80 I can order a 3 3/8 80MPH mechanical speedo, or for about $200 I can do the programmable route. Budget says? Yep. Mechanical it is. Will be here by the end of the week. Thanks for all the info. guys and gal.
Hotshot
Joined: Nov 2000
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From: Pflugerville, tx
We're all interested to know if the mech speedo will read correctly.. These are usually designed to work with specific tranny drive gears..
I know I could never get the later model mustang speedo right with the tranny/rear/tire combo I had. I tried all the available speedo gears..
Sam
I know I could never get the later model mustang speedo right with the tranny/rear/tire combo I had. I tried all the available speedo gears..
Sam
Elder User
Joined: Sep 2002
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From: Smithville TX.
Originally Posted by sdetweil
We're all interested to know if the mech speedo will read correctly.. These are usually designed to work with specific tranny drive gears..
I know I could never get the later model mustang speedo right with the tranny/rear/tire combo I had. I tried all the available speedo gears..
Sam
I know I could never get the later model mustang speedo right with the tranny/rear/tire combo I had. I tried all the available speedo gears..
Sam
Michelle
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Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 615
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From: Smithville TX.
Originally Posted by 56f600
I have done some more looking and have done something different than was originally planned. I do have the speedo gearbox for the two speed. It was hanging by a zip tie under the dash without cables and had been forgotten. I went to order the programmable speedo, thinking the same thing about the sender. For $80 I can order a 3 3/8 80MPH mechanical speedo, or for about $200 I can do the programmable route. Budget says? Yep. Mechanical it is. Will be here by the end of the week. Thanks for all the info. guys and gal.
Michelle
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Joined: Nov 2000
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From: Pflugerville, tx
Originally Posted by ms_michelle
Sam, I had a friend that had a similar problem in his Mustang, he had tried all the gears. I suggested he try a different driving gear instead of replacing the driven gear. The drive gear is the one that is on the out put shaft and drives the plastic gear, he did so and the very first gear that he had bought was the magic one. You can usually get it dead on the money by replacing the right combination of gears. The Ford parts manual give you some guide lines on how to figure what drive and driven gear combinations work for different read end ratios and tire sizes.
Michelle
Michelle
Sam
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From: Joyce, WA
ms_michelle
The speedo gearbox was always there. I've had hooked up to two different speedos in two different cabs. This last time I knew I wasn't going to have a speedo for awhile and tucked it up under the dash to hide it. Just plain forgot it was there. The two speed wiring has always ran thru it. Now all I have to worry about is the speedo gear being somewhere in the ballpark of accurate.
The speedo gearbox was always there. I've had hooked up to two different speedos in two different cabs. This last time I knew I wasn't going to have a speedo for awhile and tucked it up under the dash to hide it. Just plain forgot it was there. The two speed wiring has always ran thru it. Now all I have to worry about is the speedo gear being somewhere in the ballpark of accurate.