The teeth on my speedometer gear drive have broken off... just curious before I try something stupid and break my tranny, would JB Quik Weld work on the plastic piece as the new teeth? Or would it just brake off too? Thanks for your input guys! ~Melissa
Mel, I'm no expert, but... I truely believe it will just break off. I don't know of any glue that works really well in a high stress situation. If I were in your shoes, I would get a replacement part and be done with it. JT.
I don't think that something like a plastic gear that is at high speed and handles alittle torque would be a good candidate for JB weld. I am assuming your talking about the one at the tranny. Try a trip to a tranny shop and see if they have a used one laying around they could give you.If not you will have to buy one.
I had thought of just buying a new part, but then I got to thinking... if I could fix it.... I know, I'm just being lazy about going to the parts store but I know that I probably won't go and get the part until it becomes an issue... it's just too easy to drive with the flow of traffic.
What made the old teeth break off in the first place? do you know? There might be something going on thats going to strip the teeth off your new ( or repaired ) part.
Someone makes a epoxy (like JB Weld) for plastice. I picked up some at an Auto parts store. It was that shit that comes in a tube. You cut some off roll it around and fix what you must. Worked for me. Wish I could remember the name or manufacture.
Bein as how you are an attractive young lass who is into cars, I picture the guys at the tranny shop falling all over themselves to find a gear in their parts bin to hand you. As granny cleatus would say "use it til ya loose it missy!"
hahaha! That's hilarious Cleatus! I usually get the "are you sure you know what you're talking about look" and then have to explain to them why I know I need the part I do, or show them the broken part... I think it's a small town thing. I have no idea what broke the teeth in the first place. I sure wish I did.... I was doing some highway driving one day and suddenly there was a buzzing sound coming from the dash. I noticed that my speedometer was no longer reading at that point. When I got home I removed the speedometer from the dash and found the parts were jambed so I put in the spare speedometer from the parts car and couldn't get it to wouldn't work either. Then I pulled the speedo gear drive off of the tranny and found the teeth broken off.
Mel, if its the gear in the tranny that was chewed up it could be that the cable needs to be lubed up with graphite or replaced. The housing might be worn thru to the extent that its rubbing and causing excess friction. I had that happen on my shoebox. Replace the cable first... turned out to be a bad housing. Replaced that and it was golden.
jb weld will DEFINATELY break off. it is wonderful stuff, but not for that- also, the qwik jb is not as strong as the regular. sadly neither duct tape nor bailing wire will help in this case. wow-my whole toolbox, and nothing to help you with
Ok, after looking at it, here's my theory on why it broke...When we took Mel's speedo out of the dash, it was jammed and wouldn't turn till she tore into it, then we discovered the trans gear was broken. My guess is that the speedo stuck , and that caused the drive to bind, shearing the teeth. The only tricky part is finding a new speedo drive pinion for a '59 dodge -Bugman Jeff
Trying any kind of glue on that gear would work about as good a scotch tape on a pair of sunglasses broken in the nose piece... Don't you have a parts Pickup or is that someone else?
I do have a parts car that was turned into a truck, but when I got that speedo gear outta that one, which is manual by the way and the driver is an automatic, the teeth were angled differently and had a different tooth count... I thought, "what the heck, at least it might work", until I realized it had a different thread length on the part that screws into the tranny. some days it just doesn't pay to get outta bed.
I'm sure I don't have to tell you this, but it will probably be a super bitch to find the same gear that you need, but I'm not sure what a 59 Chrysler tranny would have been. If you find one that will fit your cable, it probably won't have the right tooth count or cut, as you mentioned above, for you gearing. Do you have a tachometer? If I ever get off my lazy ass I'm just going to do the tachometer method with a chart for the tranny gears. If you do this, use Richmond's site, they have a good calculator.
Mel, which trans you have? Powerflite or torqueflite? I may have the gear you need. If I dont have it, I have a friend in Milwaukee that would. I may have to see it tho.I'm picking up a couple powerflites today actually. Somehow we should be able to help you.Dave
Shifts-I have the torqueflight trans. And actually, I've been meaning to talk to you about my tranny. Reverse slips in gear and I need to find a place that can fix it... it's been a bitch to find a good place in Menomonie.
Might need just a band adjustment . These were a TOUGH tranny. Call me sometime & I'll look at it for you. Dave
If the gear is the same as the '62-5 trannys, I've got plenty of 17 tooth gears laying around in my shop. Prolly the one you need...
I can't remember if it was a 16 or 17 tooth count. All I remember is the one in the parts car/ truck was one tooth off. I'll double check and let you know. Shifts, I'll call you next week about that. Thanks! ~Melissa
The tooth count should be 16, and they're at a slight angle on the drive. You guys are so cool! ~Melissa
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