Anxiety, depression, laziness...Can the nameless wonder change? page 242

[ezeflier]

The Mustang also needs a new drive gear for the speedometer. Boyfriend's dad has changed the cable, but the speedometer still doesn't work. Unfortunately, I think this means the transmission has to come out, but my dad has done this on his Jetta in the driveway, so I'm wondering if we can do it at home. Figuring out which gear is the right size for the transmission is the tricky part. The engine was originally a V8, but it was swapped with a 2.3L turbo and transmission from the same year.

Rather than getting scared of the work this car needs, I'm excited. Somehow, it seems much more accessible than the bug was. Probably because there's nothing mysterious about it (yet).

Rear wheel drive cars, like the Mustang, almost always have the speedometer drive gear in the tail of the transmission - just ahead of where the drive shaft connects. Shouldn't need to remove the transmission to access / replace the gear that would likely be broken. Changing the gear may be messy though, as the gear is driven by the output shaft of the transmission, so may be submerged in transmission fluid (a type of oil). When you pull the cable out, fluid may start draining out.

I would be tempted to replace the gear with the rear of the car placed on ramps or jackstands (not the jack) to reduce (or eliminate) the amount of fluid that comes out during the process. Or park on a hill or curb. Anything to lift the rear of the car. Chock the wheels if on a hill.

Replacing the gear should only take a couple of minutes. You'll probably need a socket/wrench (set), a drain pan, and maybe a pair of needle-nose pliers. I'd have a flashlight ready too. You may have to remove a little electronic assembly which sends vehicle speed information to the cruise control.

If you have a clean container ready for the fluid, you can use that to replenish the transmission. If not, you'll want to have some new fluid. Is it a manual transmission? Or automatic? If it's a manual, it may be a bit of a hassle to refill.. Probably have to have a pump to do it. Or I've done it with a turkey baster (no kidding).

If you get the wrong gear, the worst that will happen is the speedometer may be a bit off.. Not that big of a deal. Check it with a stopwatch over a known distance. Or, if your smart phone has GPS, its speed information is super accurate - assuming it's getting a good signal.

Ford speedometer gears have different colors for different ratios. You could pull the cable (and maybe speed sensor) off and check the color before deciding which gear to get - assuming it has the correct one installed now.

Another option is to figure out the gear ratio of the rear differential, as that (and tire size) determine which speedometer gear you need - less so than engine size.. The differential ratio is usually marked on the housing (pumpkin) - probably something like 3.27:1 or 3.73:1. If it's not marked, you can determine the ratio experimentally.. Chock the front wheels, lift one rear wheel. Put a chalk mark or similar on the drive shaft. Release parking brake and put transmission in neutral (engine off). By hand, turn the lifted tire 10 revolutions while watching and counting the marks that go by on the drive shaft. Divide the number of marks by 10. If you get 33, you have a 3.27:1 axle ratio. If you get 37, you have a 3.73 ratio. 41, then you have 4.10:1. If you're smart with math, you can get away with fewer turns. Maybe even just one turn.. This method might not work if the car has limited slip differential.. You'll find that you can't turn the tire with just one wheel off the ground.

From the ratio, your dealer could tell you which speedometer gear you need - you don't have to buy it from them.

All this assumes it's the plastic gear that's broken. That's probably a safe assumption, as the gear that meshes to it is hardened steel - unlikely to break. It's also slightly possible there'a little metal clip broken in there..


Ah.. Turbo Mustang.. That explains the blown head gasket.

BTW, I drove a car with a disabled speedo for several years.. I was a broke college student and couldn't find/afford the right cable to go in it so I just put a rubber freeze plug in the opening... I did find a factory tachometer for the car for free, so I figured out what speed equated to what engine RPM (in several gears) by timing how long it took to cover a known distance at a steady RPM. A little math and I knew a few key RPMs which would keep me out of trouble with the law.


Good luck! If you made it through a head gasket, this will be easy.


Matt-

[ezeflier]

The Mustang also needs a new drive gear for the speedometer. Boyfriend's dad has changed the cable, but the speedometer still doesn't work. Unfortunately, I think this means the transmission has to come out, but my dad has done this on his Jetta in the driveway, so I'm wondering if we can do it at home. Figuring out which gear is the right size for the transmission is the tricky part. The engine was originally a V8, but it was swapped with a 2.3L turbo and transmission from the same year.

Rather than getting scared of the work this car needs, I'm excited. Somehow, it seems much more accessible than the bug was. Probably because there's nothing mysterious about it (yet).

Oh yeah.. And, you can check to see if it's the speedometer itself by disconnecting the cable from the back of the speedometer. After disconnecting it, you'll need to locate it somewhere that you (or a passenger) can reach it while driving. If that can't be arranged (cable too short), just lift the back tires off the ground and turn them forward (transmission in neutral, brake off). The core of the cable should rotate as the wheels turn. If it does rotate, there's nothing wrong with the gear, but there is with the speedometer itself.


Cheers,

Matt-

[tomi]

Good luck on the car --- a MUSTANG! what year is it? You'll have to post pics........ mustangs are awesome!

[namelesswonder]

1986. It's as old as my sister =P I'll post pictures once I get some. Haven't been able to catch it in daylight lately.

[justyouraveragecavemen]

What do you need a speedometer for anyway? Wouldn't that damper the excitement of driving? Just make sure that you're not passing everyone on the road and you should be OK, amirite?

I replaced the instrument panel on my old truck and never got the gas gauge to work right again. So I couldn't get gas without filling it up completely and then had to use the trip meter to estimate when I needed to get gas again. I never ran out.

[namelesswonder]

Booter, you are right. I mean, I can survive without it, but that means the odometer doesn't work either. It's not a huge priority, but I'd still like to fix it. The gas gauge was busted on my beetle for a long time. We had to replace the floater and then it was fine, I think. My dad was the one driving it then, and he got used to estimating how far we'd get. It got about 27mpg on average, I think, which in retrospect, was pretty damn awesome for a 30+ yr old car.

I got my stamped RMV-1 form today before work I'm going to get to the RMV first thing tomorrow morning to take care of the registration. It opens at 9AM, but it's in a high traffic area. It's only 4 miles away, but I will probably leave at least 30 minutes prior to opening so I can be in line before the doors open. Good thing I'm used to waking up at 6:30.

Tuesday 10: Tips For An Awesome Thanksgiving | theclothesmakethegirl
#5: Eating crappy food out of habit - not something I imagine myself struggling with on Thursday, but I do have this issue from time to time, or when drunk. Slowing down will help, I think, because I'll realize whatever I'm eating doesn't taste as good as I want it to. I have to remind myself that it's okay to throw something out if that will stop me from eating it, no matter if it came from my hard-earned money.

Sleep: I wasn't in bed till 11, then I was close to sleep but Boyfriend got home around 11:30, so I chatted with him (he's a temp so he doesn't get paid for Thanksgiving, so he's trying to put in 10 hr days this week to make up for it). I'd guess I might've fallen asleep sometime after midnight. I woke up too early, but got out of bed okay, aside from being tremendously grumpy. How did the cat get damp cat litter on the blanket halfway across the apartment, WITHOUT tracking it anywhere else between the blanket and the litter box? My trouble with falling asleep probably was partially due to not taking 5-HTP at the right times (took it all rather late instead of spaced out).

Food: My appetite is still mostly missing. I made some coconut flour pancakes for dinner last night (also cooked up some steak strips, but it was too late to eat by then). Next time, I need to add more coconut milk & not forget the baking powder/soda (I forget which it called for). The coconut flour absorbs the eggs quite a bit if you let it sit after mixing, so some added liquid would've helped them spread out a bit, not to mention upping the fat content. I had a chocolate coconut milk whey protein shake this morning to get my supplements down with something substantial. Half a can of coconut milk is 200-300 calories of fat, I think, which isn't enough for a whole meal, but it's better than nothing when I don't feel like eating.

Supplements: Still waiting for the Vitamin C to catch up. I'm happy with the energy boost from the maca root supps, but I think the rest of my body is going to have to get sorted out before it can potentially aid the sex drive. I've read about people taking up to 6g, but I'd worry too much about effects on my thyroid. It's probably not worth it to buy a bunch of this stuff so I can take more (that would add up, cost wise), as much as I'd like to have a sex drive.

Body: My knee still bloody HURTS. A LOT. It didn't hurt this morning till I walked up the stairs to the office, now it hurts while walking. I'm really hoping when my gut catches up, my body will decide that it's okay to NOT BE INFLAMED. I'm still all bloated from falling behind on Vitamin C this past weekend. This ssuuccckkksss

[namelesswonder]

Plans for keeping busy tonight: wash hair, blow-dry or let dry so I can put in some color (not sure what I want to mix yet), make/consume dinner at some point, go to Trader Joe's after 8PM (butternut squash, fuji apple, pear, dried cranberries, sweet potato, brussel sprouts on stalk, pecans, Kerrygold butter -- I think I have enough ingredients to make two pies, including two crusts), get 2 pyrex pie dishes from Boyfriend's mom, pick up arrowroot powder if my mom is able to get it for me (I haven't seen it in stores, wonder if Whole Foods would have it, but there's a local spice shop that does, I just can't get to it before it closes today).

Tomorrow: RMV first thing, chopping up side dish for Thanksgiving (probably later in the day), baking pies!, maybe meeting Pebbles67 for tea?, getting my scooter up to my parents house for the winter (and clearing space for it).

Unless something comes up, I will probably be off MDA for a few days after today. I'll report in on my holiday eats at some point. I'm hoping Boyfriend's mom makes ham again so we can have amazing leftovers. I really wish I could drive myself up and back from Maine on Thursday, but Boyfriend doesn't want his car making long trips like that with the broken engine mount. Plus the transmission has been really shuddery in 1st and 2nd gear recently, I think it just badly needs a fluid change.

Our BJ's Wholesale membership expired yesterday. I'll renew it next week, when I go again for more frozen veggies. I've had to make a lot of payments this week and didn't want to throw on another $50.

[Pebbles67]

As far as I'm concerned, we are meeting...unless husband really protests loudly or ties me up. I'm already in trouble anyway. Can we take pics to put up here?

[namelesswonder]

Yes, I would love to!

[namelesswonder]

Crap, I just realized that if my mom makes mashed potatoes, it's probably going to be with Smart Balance or some equally offensive-to-my-belly faux-fat. Either everyone but me gets to eat it, or everyone but my (vegan) sister gets to eat it. Not worth the effort to make my own.