Update, Cable Replaced
I got my speedometer cable replaced and wanted to list what I found incase it could help others. My 1981 has an automatic with cruise. The transducer for the cruise had been bypassed before I got it and the cable went straight from the trans to the dash. I was able to unscrew the cable from the trans without jacking it up, there was a metal clip near the front of the trans holding the cable close to the body, i simply sliped the cable up and out of that, there was one ziptie just past that holding it close to a wiring harness, and I cut that. Before I pulled the cable out, I fed the new one down from the engine and ran it beside the old one so I was sure I followed the same path. DO NOT reattach it to the trans yet, it will make it VERY hard to attach the other end if you do. Next I took out the Speed and Tach. 4 phillips head screws in the outside see through cover, then 5 hex head screws on the black plastic face plate behind that. the tach and speedomoter are two seperate gagues when you get down that far. Three small bold head screws to remove the Speedomoter and pulled it forward. There are two wires attached but not sure what they went to, they were bolted on and didnt see an easy way to get them off, i was able to leave them on anyway though. There is a clip holding the cable to the gague, you PRESS the clip towards the gague and it will allow you to pull the cable back off. The clip is not made to come off, so dont try to pry it off, It works by putting pressure on the cable lip to hold it on. Pull the old cable ouf of the firewall and fish the new one in, Point it sharply down and angle it towards the passengers side, once its inside, you can reach it easily from under the dash and then angle it back up to get it through the Speedomoter Gague hole. Hold the gague firmly and slide the cable up on the end and it will snap behind the clip. You HAVE to leave the other end of the cable loose so that the inside of the cable is free to turn on its own so that it does slide up in the square slot of the Speedomoter. Replace all the dash parts in reverse order, and then get under the car and attach the cable to the transmission. You may have to turn the interior part of the cable slightly and gently to get it to line up with the hold in the transmission, DO NOT FORCE IT, when you have it lined up right, it will slip right in. Make sure you tighten it up good, and be sure to check your transmission fluid level. Do so with the engine running and the transmission in PARK. Hope this helps someone!! It was not THAT hard, but did seem to make me Cuss more than I have in a year. : )
