60 Tach cable problem

[Larry P.]

The first time I hooked up a cable to my tach it worked, for about 10 minutes.
I purchased a new tach cable, I think from ZIP. When I installed it,
it didn't work either. I ran another cable off the generator and verified that it was turning. I ran the generator side with a drill motor and still no tach. I gave up. This was all about two years ago. The tach was rebuilt by Corvette Specialies of Maryland.
Last weekend I removed the cable from the generator and tried the drill again with no success. I could turn the drive cable with my fingers. Today I noticed the rubber on the cable is all wadded up about two inches from the generator end. The rubber is separated so you can see about an inch of the metal braiding. I removed it again and now the drive in the cable is frozen solid. I can't turn it with a pair of pliers. ?????????????
What happened. What could have damaged the new cable after 1000 miles.
All I did was remove it from the generator, test it and replace it.
Larry

[Joe Maulsby]

Re: 60 Tach cable problem

I had something similar happen on my 1960, with the speedometer cable. The speedometer was frozen up so that caused the cable to twist up inside the cable cover. Or the cable just got twisted up inside the cable cover due to a rough spot inside the cable cover. I believe there are only two sources of the problem, the tach not spinning, and something binding up the cable inside the cover. Hope this helps.

[John H.]

Re: 60 Tach cable problem

Larry -

If the drill test was done in the wrong direction, it could have un-raveled the cable windings and torn up the inside of the casing.