Paul L

Thanks Jeremy. I appreciate the reply. I ordered a new cable from Willcox and will install that when it arrives.

Paul L

I did a 120-mile cruise today. Five miles from home the squeak-squeak-squeak that I could hear at low RPMs from the dash/tach and was no doubt there at higher RPMs disappeared. Yes, the tach no longer works. The cable I ordered from Willcox is not here yet but hopefully that will remedy the problem when it arrives.

Love these old cars: just one thing after another.

Paul L

OK, I can't see or feel that tach cable from under the dash. If I pull the upper dash cover will that expose it? Yes, I know the dangers of that procedure; I did it last year (successfully).

Paul L

I would appreciate some help on this. I can't reach that cable from underneath the dash. The Willcox cable is now here. What has to come off?

Paul L

I know a tach cable is much ado about nothing but these little problems intrigue me.

-I can't pull the cable out from the distributor end so the cable is not broken
-if I manually twist the cable the tach flickers so it is functional
-the distributor drive mechanism rotates so the internal gearing seems OK

Staring at my navel, a beer, and that cable last night I suddenly realized that the distributor end inner cable is no longer square: it is ROUND! Very strange. But certainly a good reason for things not to work....

This may indicate damage to the brass coupling inner passage. I'll fight with the cable again today under the dash. No luck in releasing it so far. If the coupling is damaged I will replace it as I have a spare, newly rebuilt distributor at hand.

Paul L

OK, I'm much bloodied. I can't reach that clip. The Corvette wins and goes tachless. So be it.

0Willcox Corvette

Hey Paul,

Can you get your finger on the clip?



If so, you have to push the clip in and at the same time push the cable towards you. Sometimes the clips get hung up on the cable housing.

Of coarse you’ll have to get upside down in the seat to pull this off but it can be done.

Paul L

I've been rightside, leftside, sideways, upside-down. And that's a trick at the age of 60. I can't get near that clip. My right hand is bloody, bruised, and badly swollen. I give up. It will be a tachless summer.

I tried from underneath by hand and through the grommet hole with a bamboo stick. That cable will not come out....

0Willcox Corvette

Good think your wife didn't video this, I know mine would have

Got any kids locally that could reach in there for you? Also, you might try taking the three screws loose from the top, the two in the center console and the outer dash pad screws and pull the pad out a little. (like the cheat trick used on the headlamp switch). If you unscrew the tach cable from the distributor, this would allow you to pull the pad toward you possibly enough to reach in there.

Good Luck,

Willcox

langlj00

Sorry Paul,
Hadn't seen the cotinuing saga!
I did what willcox suggested and did manage to get up in there from underneath.

Got a son / grandson with smaller hands ?

Jeremy.

Paul L

You can't do that from underneath. Even with a skinny arm. No way on earth. On a convertible there are cross braces blocking every port of access. In other words no access.

And the tach end is not screw-on, it is a clip. Wow, Willcox finally made a mistake...OK one allowed .

My Brother and I did the job. Pulled the driver's dash out about 6" and I was able to reach in and release the cable from the clip. Installing the new was more problematic as the angle of attack into the tach head was off by ~ 30*. You need three hands in there to hold the clip out and position the cable while someone pushes from the firewall side. Finally I heard the click of satisfaction at the tach head. No electrical leads seem to have been pulled. OK to drive. The tach works. I did a graphite lube of the inner cable before installation. Hopefully this cable will last another 35 years.

Kudos to the Wife for band-aid detail. Do you know how many ways you can cut your hands under a Corvette dash? But after a few beers and a T-bone BBQ later who cares? On with life although this job irritated me. But you know these small jobs can drive you crazy!

0Willcox Corvette

Paul,

Busted on a typo, you got me!!!!! man that's cold!

It should have read to un-screw from the distributor. Sorry!

Willcox

VCuomo

Interesting - the instructions for this lube fitting say to use white lithium grease. Is it OK to use this type of grease, or will that mess up the tach and speedo like ordinary grease?