Different Speedo cable connection on an 87 than 88+ ???

I went to put my new guage cluster ('90 vintage) in my '87 waggy this evening and the Speedo cable from the 87 is a different animal from the several 88-90 units i have seen/ pulled.

There is a spring metal retainer clip on the guage side of the 87 that holds the non-barbed cable pigtail to the connector.

The 90 cluster I am putting in apparently uses the internally barbed style that I am acustomed to seeing.

The new guages did not come with the speedo cable pigtail so I'll drive using the Tach to determine my speed until i get my hands on the correct cable.


Has anyone else ever come across this???

Interesting. I swapped in a '90 cluster, and then later an '89, into my '87 Pioneer. The cable connections were identical. '87 was the first year of the newer cable type, but mine was built in Jan 87 and IIRC they started using the newer type beginning in Sept 86. Do you know when yours was built?

Yes, there are two different types of speedo ends. One type is a plastic, squeeze-type (think of a bottlecap on a bottle of mouthwash...you have to squeeze it to release two plastic tangs 180 degrees apart), and the other is a flared metal-tipped end that is held by a tang on the back of the cluster.

Look at the screwheads that hold the speedometer faceplate on the front of the cluster. If they're phillips head, the cable end is the plastic type. If they are slotted, the cable end is metal (or vica-versa...I can't remember which offhand). You could probably make one work with the other, but you'd be better off just getting a new speedo cable. They're about $15 new, cheaper from the junkyard

HTH,
Jeff

Outside of a build sheet, how might I determine/decrypt the manufacture date of my XJ?

Jeff in VA said:

Look at the screwheads that hold the speedometer faceplate on the front of the cluster. If they're phillips head, the cable end is the plastic type. If they are slotted, the cable end is metal (or vica-versa...I can't remember which offhand). You could probably make one work with the other, but you'd be better off just getting a new speedo cable.

Click to expand...

Actually the Older (metal end) uses Hex head screws and the newer (plastic) uses phillips.

I used the cable pigtail that I had but it didn't work. I do admit that i didn't try very hard. I'll be getting a new cable pigtail either from my leftover parts pile or the guy who sold me the guages.

Some early 87s came with the 84-86 speedo cluster (same goes for the seat belt latches, 87 was the first year of the new style but some of the early 87 models got the old stuff) anyways..

All you'll need is an intermediate cable from the later style cluster and attach it to your main cable. You can trash your old school intermediate cable.
The intermediate cable is only a foot or so in length.

84-86 top (and of course some early 87s) metal clip retainer
87-90 middle
91-96 bottom (electronic, no cable)