I have lost the plastic gear that attaches to the speedometer cable, I have tried mirrors , my little finger inside the housing doesn't locate it, it has to be inside the extension housing some where but I can't find it. The guy I bought the car from came over yesterday and thought it would be a snap, he couldn't find it either.

I even put a new bag on my shop vac and put over the opening hoping that woukd bring it forward but no luck.

My question is, can the plastic gear get into the out put shaft and cause a problem if I drive the car and if not I will order another speedometer gear and  go on about my business.

Looking at the extension housing cut out there is plenty of room for the gear to be where you couldn't see it.

Appreciate your help.

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.

If you took the seal out of the back of the tail shaft would it come out that way,just a thought.   Carl

That's a thought but somebody that's knows more than me would have to answer.

Thanks for your input.

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.

MG:

It won't come out the back with the seal out, but a thought just struck me.  Maybe you can take the driveshaft out and take a wire and poke it into the back and push it back forward where you can get it out.  If it stays in there, it may work its way up to the governor and get beat around by it, and then there may be little pieces of plastic.  However, if they worked their way to the oil pan, the screen would keep them from getting sucked into the oil system.  There's a good chance it will do no harm.  This is an automatic trans, isn't it?

John - "The Hoosier Hurricane"

yes , Fordomatic 2 speed. 55 Fairlane

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.

Same thing happened to me about 4 or 5 years ago .. When I changed from FOM to FMX .Speedo didn't want to work ,so I climbed under the car and removed cable from auto .Removed and replaced cable a few times to make sure everything was fitting OK . The last time I pulled cable there was no plastic gear ?? That's easy, I'll just put my little finger in the hole and grab it ...ooops ??? Must have lost the clip that holds the plastic gear on the cable .To this day ,thats where they be . Lynne still complains that the speedo doesn't work . I have got used to driving without one .I will fix the speedo ,right after I install the MSD ????

Lon

yblocksdownunder

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.

  

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.

  

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.

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.