Holy Crap! Need help a.s.a.p!!

[Bdiddy11]

Ok, to start... i've searched but need a direct answer super quick like. I have an 87 Chief. 4.0 Automatic... not sure on the Ax and what not.. does have a D44 rear but I dunno if you care about that. Here's the dealy... so my lovely girlfriend and I are swapping my interior to grey from bourgandy... taking apart the dash I got everything unplugged... while taking the gauge face to put in the new(er) dash..the speedo cable just decided it wanted to come out as well...so I get the new dash in, plug everything back in, stuff the speedo wire back into it's hole in the firewall where it came from.. hook the battery back up to make sure all the instruments work before the finaly bolting in of the new dash... headlights work, heater works better now (no hissing noise like before) rear wipers work, clock works... everything works.. except the odometer, speedometer and temp gauge... battery gauge and the one above that work... so I drive around the block and the speedo needle sits below 5... same with the temp needle. I'm guessing my cable needs to be re-inserted into the transfer case or whatever? I need help... can't be driving my sister's car... also feels like I lost a little power. Would that be due to the cable not in place all the way? If it's the cable... why wouldnt temp gauge work? There are 2 units that plug in the back.. and they seem to fit only 1 way... is that true or am I retarded?
Your help is greatly appreciated!

[87manche]

what year did the interior come from.
Chrysler switched the sending units, also, did you have idiots lights before?
the issue with the temp guage is likely the wrong sender.
The issue with the speedometer and the odometer is the cable.
Make sure the cabe is inserted properly, doesn't have any sharp bends and is intact. You'll also want to check that you didn't pull it out of the transfer case under the Jeep.
If it's broken you'll have to replace the entire cable.

[Bdiddy11]

I didn't change over the guages whatsover... same gauges from before. Only changes made were the outer shell of the dash.. the grey part.. and the rest of the trim in the car.. anyone got a pic of the transfer case and how I get it open or whatever to get the cable back in? I learn better by pictures... thanks!

[fspell220]

If you didn't change gauges then why did you unplug them or even mess with them for that matter?

[Bdiddy11]

I took out the whole dash... in order to change the dash from the windshield to the steering wheel it had to be unplugged because it wouldnt simply angle out like the heat/vent/defrost unit did...am I right assuming that the plugs will only go in one way.. .I tried the other way but they wouldn't go in..

[fspell220]

No, theres only one way it will go in.

[87manche]

if that's the case then it's likely a pin that's not making contact in the cluster.
Inspect the pins in the connectors, and LIGHTLY bend them out for better contact. It wouldn't hurt to take an emery board to them either to clean them up.
The cable connects to the t-case on the drivers side, it's not hard to get out, like 3 bolts maybe.

[Bdiddy11]

Ok, I'll try bending the connectors out a little and get a better contact point. With the t-case... is there a pic somewhere? I'm a little car illiterate and don't know what everything looks like. I think I have an idea of where/what it is, I was looking at it last night... I think:dunno: but I want to make sure that's what it is before I start unscrewing things... and will I just have to push it back in or what? A little more detail on what to do with the cable + t-case would be excellent. Your help is superb!

[87manche]

transfer case is the part that the driveshafts are connected too.
You'll find the cable on the dirvers side, position at the upper part of the case.
It looks like a bike brake cable, once you find it you'll see how it attaches to the t-case. Honestly I doubt you pulled it hard enough to pull it out of the case, it's likely that you don't have it installed properly in the cluster, or that you broke the cluster end.

[Bdiddy11]

Ok... pretty sure thats what I was looking at last night under the car... as far as the cluster end in the gauge area... I did twist it a little thinking I could get it off that way... would that effect it? And the cable came all the way out... I had it sitting in the Jeep with me... dunno why it was so loose and came out so easy. But i'll check it out when I get off work. Thanks again

[fspell220]

That means that the cable is broke. Time for a replacement.

[87manche]

That means that the cable is broke. Time for a replacement.
sounds like it, the cable shouldn't come out of the sheath, and the sheath can't come out because it's secured under the dash and along the body.

[Bdiddy11]

Ok... so the sheath didn't come out, just the cable. With a new speedo cable does it have the housing head that attaches to the back of the speedo gauge or what? I couldn't figure out how to get it off... is it just the cable or a full on unit with housing and what not? Is there anything that holds it into the transfer case or does it just chill inside? I've never looked in there before and would like to know what to look for and know what im looking at before I go and screw something up...and would the cable being loose cause a loss in power?

[Bdiddy11]

k, so I got down beneath the Chief last night to fix the speedo cable. I even bought a new one from Autozone... went to put it in, still no worky. Does the squared end go all the way through the black plastic twist on housing to the transfer case? Cuz when I took the old on out... the cable went to one side and had a hard square like 3" long or so cable on the other... wasn't sure if that's just busted off or if it goes all the way through the housing straight into the t-case? If that's the way it is, that might be why it still doesn't work... I dunno though...The question in a nutshell

Does the speedo cable go through the black plastic housing that screws onto the transfer case?

Thanks

[xjwisconsin]

I had this problem with my 88 when I was replacing some things on dash. when I pulled my guage cluster out I accidently pulled the "bike cable" housing out of the plug that hooks to the back of the guage cluster. what I did was to get a large box wrench 1 1/2 inch I think. get under the jeep. locate where the cable goes in to the transfer case. it should be on the drivers side of the T case. un bolt this from the t case. now follow the cable back towards the engine. there are several mounts to hold it secure before it goes through the firewall undo these so the cable is free. now get inside and slowly pull on the cable so that you have enough to work with. also take the plug out of the back of your guage cluster. I then took hold of the actual interior cable (its gold and kinda ribbed) I pulled it out completly. rubbed it down with some silicone grease I had. and re inserted it. then I took the plug (from the guage cluster) opened up the metal collar on the end and re attached it to the "bike cable". now plug this back in to the cluster. have your girlfriend or someone get underneath the jeep and CAREFULLY pull lightly on the black housing as you push the cluster back into the dash. screw it back down. now get under the jeep. and reattatch the "plug" on the T-case. take a quick ride and verify if its op or not. dont forget to re mount the cable when your done. a word of note on some years the cable is two pieces so.... good luck

[Bdiddy11]

Ok, that was my question... the cable goes from the guage cluster to the black plastic housing that screws into the t-case... goes in one side and stops... on the other side is a square-ish cable piece thats 3" give or take that goes from the black housing to the t-case... is the cable supposed to go through all the way or is that 2nd piece just part of the system? I'm not sure whether or not the cable goes from the cluster through the black housing into the t-case itself? Am I making myself clear...?

[xjwisconsin]

is the square end you are refering to on the end of the cable. the spedometer cable is the gold colored metal thing inside the black "bike" cable housing. the square part thats like three inches long should be the cable itself and at least on my 88 it is one peice approx four feet long. squared off on either end. these square spots are where the cable locks in to the gears on the t case and the gearing inside the guage cluster so i think the answer to your question is yes it is all one peice

[Bdiddy11]

Ok what I got is a cable, one end tha is in the guage cluster is rounded but had a square like metal head to put on it and into the dash gauge. The other square end is what I have going to the t-case. The plastic housing near the t-case wont let the cable go through all the way, only halfway because there is a little rivet/indent that prevents it... so I have part of the other cable on the other side. That could be my problem? Not sure... I was tryng to figure out a way to get the cable throug without breaking anyhing.. And wanted to make sure that's what need to be done. Also, my jeep seems to have lost power when at stand still and I take off... when in motion its fine. What would cause that? I had moved the 4wd handle back and forth to get my center console off... would that have any effect? I made sure to take off the 4wd when I was done... this blows because my speedo still doesn't work... don't know how fast i'm goin and my car takes an extra 5 seconds to start going... a riding lawn mower could beat me off the line... input... thanks!

[xjwisconsin]

can you post any pictures that might help in this.. as to the irradic power not quite sure what you mean.. idle bad stalling ect please describe more in depth

[Bdiddy11]

I can get pictures tomorrow when I go work on it... again. I'll make sure to point out the problem areas so you see what I mean. As for the loss of power and being more specifc... Here's an analogy for you.

I'm at the stop light with an old lady and her walker to my right headed in the same direction. She looks over at me and wants to race.. The light turns green, I stomp the pedal to the metal and she is aready on the other side of the street.

It takes my Jeep about 3-5 seconds to get up to speed. It feels like a weak lawn mower even when I put the pedal down. Until I get up to speed like 5-10 MPH then it drives normal... Its just when it's at idle and I hit the gas it has that power problem.

Thanks again!

I'll get pictures tomorrow..