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Speedometer w/trip odometer

TommyD11730

TommyD11730

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Ok, I know my 91 Blazer has the trip odometer. Did GM put trip odometer's into these trucks that don't have the electronic speedometer?

Thinking about upgrading my 84, if possible to a trip odometer.

Thanks!
 
Yes, they did. I have a cable drive one somewhere. At least I did at one time.

I'm not an expert on these things, but I *believe* the "reset stem" for the trip odometer changed between electric and cable drive speedometers, along with a fair number of other things. Should be pretty easy to ID at a glance.

Pretty good pic:

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(Edit: Ha! Based on below comment don't want anyone to think I was claiming this as my own pic, since it's not watermarked...I just did a quick google search, this image came up. Off the 67-72 page)

I like trip odometers, I use them religiously, but both versions seem to be prone to issues, at least what I've experienced (cars of the same vintage seem to have the same issue) The cable drive one was hard to get to reset, the gear mesh with the reset stem was imprecise, and the electric version took some effort to get it to count miles consistently. When I got it, it would randomly start counting in tens, or not at all. Two applications of 3 in 1 oil seemed to resolve that, no problems for awhile.
 
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I found a little light machine oil got the trip odometer working on my 91 right quick.

So with the exception of having to drill the lens bezel, and possibly the high beam indicator not lineing up they are plug and play?
 
That pic above....looks awefully familiar. :) Especially the book!

I think the trip option probably came in around 87 (assuming they added with EFI). If you find one, I'd also try and get the clear lens too. That way the hole is already drilled and looks clean.

I don't think there is anything physically different if you took an 89' speedo and placed into an 84'. I'd think it would bolt directly in....lens included.
 
I could be wrong, but my 84 has 2 blue high beam indicators. I only see 1 on the speedometer with trip. Hopefully it aligns with one of the 2.

jeff in co said:
That pic above....looks awefully familiar. :) Especially the book!

I think the trip option probably came in around 87 (assuming they added with EFI). If you find one, I'd also try and get the clear lens too. That way the hole is already drilled and looks clean.

I don't think there is anything physically different if you took an 89' speedo and placed into an 84'. I'd think it would bolt directly in....lens included.
Click to expand...
 
My reset stem doesn't seem to work in my '89. I push on it, push-and-turn, etc. - no success. Might a little oil help me out with mine too? You're supposed to just push it in, correct (i.e. no need to spin it too)?
 
shima said:
My reset stem doesn't seem to work in my '89. I push on it, push-and-turn, etc. - no success. Might a little oil help me out with mine too? You're supposed to just push it in, correct (i.e. no need to spin it too)?
Click to expand...

No, you need to spin as well. Would be nice if it was push-reset, Dodge had figured that out back then, GM hadn't, or didn't care. :(
 
What do you smarty pants guys know about putting a vss speedo in a mechanical cluster housing?
I have oem tach housings that I'd like to use to have a part as GM as possible.
 
obijuank5 said:
What do you smarty pants guys know about putting a vss speedo in a mechanical cluster housing?
I have oem tach housings that I'd like to use to have a part as GM as possible.
Click to expand...

Well technically any of them after 1981 are VSS. You mean electronic vs. mechanical I suspect, but I'm being nitpicky. :)

The fonts don't match, no way around that I am aware of, if it matters to you.

I don't see why you couldn't just cut the back out of the cluster housing, there are only three wires to the speedometer itself, the mounting screws are the same. I drilled the PCB traces for each terminal, then ran a wire through the hole, and soldered them in place. DRAC isn't tough at all to wire up or find, but the reluctor on anything other than a 241 is going to be a bit more difficult and costly.
 
I am having to deal with an odometer problem on my 1991 V3500. The 1988 to 1991 square body speedo gauges in aftermarekt are non-existent. There are all kinds of aftermarket mechanical driven speedo gauges for square bodies.
 
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The quick tip off to the VSS based electric speedo is the 6 digit odometer. All the mechanical units before were only 5 digit units.

Even after completely going through the speedo on my 91, the trip odometer has never worked. I had it all apart, cleaned it all and rolled both dials to 00000. Once I got it back in the truck the trip still didn't work. I stopped fretting over it. The speedo and odometer work, they are accurate down to the 10th of a mile after calibrating the DRAC for my tire size and gear ratio too. While it would be nice to reset the trip at trailheads to line up with trail notes and GPS files I have it's been ok without it.

From what I've heard the trip odometers were problematic even when new.
 
IMO speedometers are probably *the* gauge that people should start hoarding now while we still can, both mechanical and electrical. They definitely seem the most prone to failure.

Never had the speedometer assembly apart on the electric version, is it driven via plastic gear off the speedometer drive?
 
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