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Help! Speedometer cable for early 66 Dodge Dart 270
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Author:  1966DartGirl [ Thu Mar 12, 2015 8:15 pm ]
Post subject:  Help! Speedometer cable for early 66 Dodge Dart 270

Hello all! First post here, so please be gentle! :D

Last summer I bought a 1966 Dodge Dart 270 Convertible...225 Slant 6 with 727 Torqueflite transmission (whew! That's a mouthful!) It runs great except for the pesky transmission leak at the speedometer cable...which needs to be replaced. I've been told it's an "early" 1966 Torqueflite and has the "odd-ball" push-in style connector...which is where I'm having a problem...I've ordered several from parts dealers, classic car salvage, etc...but none fit. I've been told by a friend-of-a-friend mopar guy that an adaptor may be available to connect original to newer version...

So basically, my new friends, I'm asking if anyone may have a picture of either the elusive cable or this mystery adaptor...or if you know who to call or who has one...tall order, but hoping someone can help!

Thanks, in advance, for sharing any information you have!

Author:  SlantSixDan [ Thu Mar 12, 2015 8:27 pm ]
Post subject: 

Hi there.

You've been told wrong stuff.

For one thing, your car almost certainly has the smaller 904 Torqueflite, not the larger 727.

Also, there is no early/late speedometer cable differences. '65 and earlier transmissions take a different style of cable, but they also take a different style of front universal joint, driveshaft, and shifter, so the odds are heavily against anyone having gone through the extreme work to swap in a '65 transmission. '66 was the first year for the style of cable (at the transmission end) that was used for several decades.

However, what is possible is that you have a '65 car mis-titled as a '66, or a '65 that has had '66 front-end sheetmetal swapped on sometime in the past half-century (it's a direct bolt-on). In that case, ordering a '66 cable will get you the wrong thing.

No adaptor is needed or available. What you need is the correct cable. What that means depends on exactly what you have. Show us some pics of your car, and some pics of the cables you have tried without success to install.

(Also, is the leak because your cable housing has failed/been cut/been burned? Or is it just leaking around the part of the cable that plugs into the transmission? If the latter, probably you just need a new O-ring.)

Author:  1966DartGirl [ Thu Mar 12, 2015 8:32 pm ]
Post subject: 

Thanks for the quick response! I'll send pics from my computer tomorrow along with pics of car!

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Author:  SlantSixDan [ Thu Mar 12, 2015 8:35 pm ]
Post subject: 

From the side, it sure looks like a '66.

Pics of the speedo cables you bought but can't install (at the transmission end) will help a lot.

Author:  1966DartGirl [ Thu Mar 12, 2015 8:43 pm ]
Post subject: 

All the stuff I've done so far has been with 66 parts... The engraved plate decodes to a 66...

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Author:  SlantSixDan [ Thu Mar 12, 2015 10:44 pm ]
Post subject: 

Good, it's a '66. Show us the speedometer cables you've bought that you haven't been able to install.

Author:  1966DartGirl [ Wed Jun 24, 2015 7:37 pm ]
Post subject: 

Sorry so long to respond...here's the winning cable and pin... Fingers crossed!

Here's the winner...30-pin
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Here's where it connects
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Here's the original pin...
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Here's a pic of the new paint...Iridescent Lilac/Mauve 😎
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Author:  SlantSixDan [ Wed Jun 24, 2015 8:52 pm ]
Post subject: 

Errr...nice pics, but none of them shows a cable. You show a yellow speedometer drive pinion which it sounds like you've counted or read to have 30 teeth, and you show a red speedometer pinion adaptor (looks like made of plastic...? Original would have been metal), and you show what looks like a metal speedometer pinion adaptor being held in hand...but there's no cable here.

The correct tooth count on the drive pinion depends on tire size and rear axle ratio. Did you do the lookup to figure out that your car's tires and rear axle ratio call for the pinion you've chosen?

Author:  1966DartGirl [ Wed Jun 24, 2015 9:17 pm ]
Post subject: 

The cable is attached to the other end of the metal in the second pic...the metal thing with the cable and drive pin are "new" and replace the red plastic...once the rain stops I'll take it over to my car guy... Now that we found a new pin, we think we have all the pieces...stay tuned!

Author:  65 dartman [ Thu Jun 25, 2015 6:02 am ]
Post subject: 

That red plastic pinion adapter reminds me of the later ones - maybe from a Volare/Aspen as does the pinion gear.

Author:  Danarchy [ Thu Jun 25, 2015 7:35 am ]
Post subject: 

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Beautiful Car! Great Color Choice! 1966 is my 2nd favorite body style! :D

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