Thanks to the person that sent me the private message about the speedometer cable for auction on ebay, I was the winning bidder.

Claim to fame is the car was used as an extra in the movie Diner with Micky Rourke, Steve Gootenburg, Paul Riser and Kevin Bacon.

thanks , you are very helpful.

Claim to fame is the car was used as an extra in the movie Diner with Micky Rourke, Steve Gootenburg, Paul Riser and Kevin Bacon.

Hello MG! If you are planning to buy a complete cable you might have a small problem getting one.The ones that Carpenter etc sell are for 3-speed manual transmission.About 70 inches long.The one for automatic and overdrive are only 60 inch long which no one seems to have available.I purchased one off Ebay for a 54 Ford with auto because it was 62 long and I was able to use it being only 2 longer than stock.I just purchased another NORS correct cable on Ebay for $17.50 including mailing to Canada.Waiting for it but it does have the expanded end where it goes onto speedo head and will accept the little rubber joiner insert.The 54 cable works but does not have the special end where it goes onto the head.The only cables with the correct end to go into transmission were used from 49-56 when the transmission end was changed in 57.There is a seller on Ebay who has a 2-piece cable with the correct transmission end on it and can make the cable whatever length you want.If I can find his listing I will let you know.Mg if you look at ebay item 250427949236.This is the fellow I mentioned who did have the 2 piece cable.If you don't find it elsewhere you might contact him.61 inch overall cable casing is what you need for automatic.

  

Hi, i have noticed in my 56 sunliner, the FOM had coarse output splines and has the tapered speedo cable end just like a manual trans car, the difference i have noticed is that the original FOM gear had tiny circlip like wire spring that when the gear was pushed into cable popped out into groove inside cable end to keep it falling out, as opposed to same looking Manual trans speedo gear which the end sits up against lump inside trans housing to keep it in place, looks exactly the same but no circlip and hence can work its way out of cable end, i know this because i have been through what original post described. hope this helps. regards, aussie bill.

  AussieBill            YYYY    Forever Y Block     YYYY

 Down Under, Australia

Dennis Carpenter had 4 gears  listed for the speedometer, I bought a 20 and a 22 tooth gear and installed the 20 tooth, speedometer still bouncing so I'll heed the advice given and replace the cable  except I will be more careful this time when disconnecting the cable so I don't lose a gear but how do you determine which gear is correct?, I'm going to do a stop watch speed test on the interstae this week using the mile markers to see where I'm at now on accuracy.

How do you determine the ratio?

Claim to fame is the car was used as an extra in the movie Diner with Micky Rourke, Steve Gootenburg, Paul Riser and Kevin Bacon.

That cable in the pic is 49-56 style like my new one.On mine the clip is apparently missing also because the gear falls off when you pull cable out.I guess I spoke too soon about there not being a clip for which I apologize.Now when I look in my 55-56 parts book it does not list the clip anywhere.Does anyone have a pic of the clip?That cable in the pic is not being used on the C-4 I assume?

  

very similar, mine has an o ring on the top of taper fitting that holds the plastic gear but I didn't see any type of clip that held the gear on.

Claim to fame is the car was used as an extra in the movie Diner with Micky Rourke, Steve Gootenburg, Paul Riser and Kevin Bacon.

Thanks guys for the input, a mechanic on expert.com told me he had a 55 and lost 2 gears in his transmission and put 200k miles on it but I may try the hose on the vac , gotta be a way.

My gear came out partially out with my cable, I grabbed a rag to wipe the fluid off the end of the cable and hit the gear and haven't seen it since.

Claim to fame is the car was used as an extra in the movie Diner with Micky Rourke, Steve Gootenburg, Paul Riser and Kevin Bacon.

The original cable from 49-56 had no clip.The later 57-up had the clip.The end that goes into transmission was completely different from the 49-56 style.C-4 trans is well after 56.The cable end that goes on speedo head is the same thread for many years until Ford went to the type that clips onto speedo head instead of threads.

  

Ford changed to the design that uses a retainer clip to hold gear onto cable in 1957.Now we know why.I did not think the gear could just disappear altogether if it fell off the cable.Now I feel a little lucky I haven't lost mine-yet.MG- just a suggestion.If you can fit a small diameter hose that will fit into the hole in the transmission onto the end of your shop vac you may be able to pickup the gear.Doesn't need to be pretty mavbe duct tape the small hose onto the big one so all vacuum goes through the small hose.Push it in and move around inside the tranny case.Its there somewhere.