Model T Speedometer Help Needed

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2013: Model T Speedometer Help Needed
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Howard D. Dennis on Monday, December 02, 2013 - 12:51 pm:

As my 1917 Maxwell uses a Stewart speedometer system I assumed it was the same as a Model T. I just received this cable from eBay that was listed as a Model T cable. I now think the very end is missing on one end and the other end doesn't match my drive or speedometer as it just takes a straight slotted drive not the round keyed drive on this cable. The cable itself fits.
What do I have and can I purchase the correct parts for this chain to make this cable work?

Howard Denniscable 1cable 2


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Tomaso - Milton,WA on Monday, December 02, 2013 - 01:06 pm:

Pull the chain out from the keyed end - the other end appears to be the sliding clutch minus the drive end. What does both your ends need to be - slotted ?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Howard D. Dennis on Monday, December 02, 2013 - 01:10 pm:

Seems like I cried wolf too early as I just tried again and the chain seems like it is complete and the wheel end is slotted and the speedometer end is keyed. It appears as if the chain makes several turns by hand and stops. How do I remove it? Does it pull out from the speedometer end?

Howard Dennis


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Howard D. Dennis on Monday, December 02, 2013 - 01:25 pm:

Each end makes several revolutions and the sucks back in and stops. I've pulled as hard as I dare without breaking anything. Chain and casing both seems fine with no damage and no rust or crushed housing. What should I try next?

Howard Dennis


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Val Soupios on Monday, December 02, 2013 - 01:32 pm:

The chain is pre loaded in the cable housing ( twisted in one direction to take up the slack in the chain ) so you need to turn it in the opposite direction and it will expand in the housing until you can remove one of the ends and then pull the entire chain out from the other end. It all needs to be cleaned out and then repacked with some sort of grease. I actually use vaseline in mine but you have to be sure to get all the old caked on grease out or it will never work properly and can destroy your speedometer head.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Howard D. Dennis on Monday, December 02, 2013 - 02:49 pm:

Thanks Val, does it matter which end I remove or does only one end come off?

Howard Dennis


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Roger Karlsson, southern Sweden on Monday, December 02, 2013 - 03:14 pm:

Drench the innards with Kroil or an acetone/ATF mix - maybe old rust and caked grease stops the links from moving freely.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Val Soupios on Monday, December 02, 2013 - 06:39 pm:

I usually remove the end up by the speedometer but they will both come off. The chain links are a bit of a hassle. They come apart easily when you don't want them to and they are hard to put back until you get a feel for the way they have to be maneuvered to go back together.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By KEN PARKER on Monday, December 02, 2013 - 11:24 pm:

Dennis,

Russ Furstnow has an excellent book "The Antique Automobile Speedometer" available from the vendors. Very good. What Stewart head are you using?

The knurled nut is the upper end that attaches to the head. The hex nut end goes on the swivel. 1917 Maxwell seems to use a Stewart 1913 swivel running with 30 inch tires on the car. That is set up to run the road gear and swivel on the right front wheel. That is what we run on the LHD T's. 60 tooth 8 pitch w/ 16 tooth fiber.

Pull a light weight cord through the housing when you pull the chain out and it will aid in pulling patches to clean it. You can pull the chain back in the same way. Check your links when you have them out.

I use regular grease as in the front bearings and swivel. Slick it up good and pull the chain back through the housing. Put the lower clutch end (hex nut end) on the swivel. Jack up the front tire and rotate it forward to "lay" the chain links in the normal running position. THEN screw the knurled nut on the speedometer. DO NOT TIGHTEN TOO TIGHT or you can break the swivel or speedometer. Be sure the swivel fiber gear has some space between it and the road gear teeth. Room for dirt etc.

The only trouble I have had is when someone attached the cable to the speedometer without "laying" the chain links. The chain will tend to break a link if it's "pushing" the chain rather than "pulling" the chain.

Ken in Texas


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Howard D. Dennis on Monday, December 02, 2013 - 11:53 pm:

Thanks Ken, If I can ever get this chain out I'll follow your instructions.

Howard Dennis


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Hal Schedler, Sacramento on Tuesday, December 03, 2013 - 12:47 am:

How do you post such a large picture?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Howard D. Dennis on Tuesday, December 03, 2013 - 02:57 pm:

I'll be honest with you Hal, if I knew how to do this I'd post a lot more. Every time I try it rejects my pictures and I expected the same this time. I just took these off eBay and apparently they were just under the allowable limit.

Howard Dennis


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