How easy should the square hole where the speedo cable enters turn? If I use a odometer reset cable, should it turn the speedo cable thing?

If it doesn't turn at all, what is my next step?

Thanks

If you have the trip meter reset cable out of it's place, you should be able to inset it into the speedometer and turn it counter clockwise very easily....If it doesn't turn something is goobed up inside.

Also, the odometer reset cable is only suppose to turn one way. . . IIRC, the handle has a spring that prevents turning it backwards. . . the drive for the speedo is easy to turn. . . you can put in a small bladed flat screwdriver and it should turn freely

It is not turning. Any suggestions?

You will need to disassemble the speedo ( there is a thread some where,do a search) clean, relube and reassemble.

see if the reset cable turns. . It may be bound up and hopefully you can free it up. . . if not, what have you got to lose. . take it apart. . it's pretty easy and straight forward unless you want to pull off the needle. . . uncrimp the cover, remover the glass and the screws in the back and you'll see the gears. .
worst case is you'll have to buy another on if this one is destroyed. .. . and yes you can reset the mileage with a little tinkering. .

Used a little screwdriver and got it to turn very freely. . It just hadn't been used in a while I guess and needed more direct torque than I could provide with the odo reset cable. It did NOT take "undue force" or anything, just direct action-two fingers and thumb-turning the screwdriver.

Of course, now I discover that the cable is not turning. How likely is it the cable? How likely is it the angle drive?

(The old speedo was worked as described here before it quit and I assumed it was finally completely dead: No odometer function. The needle bounced 20mph up until about 60, then steadied. It also read about 20% high, 8-10% of which was accounted for by tire size).

Thanks for your help!

The cable wont turn unless you disconnect it from the angle drive if you are trying to turn it from inside the car!

I drove the car with the speedo out. Cable did not turn whilst the car drove. I should've mentioned how I knew the cable wasn't turning.

unscrew the cable at the angle drive.. see if the cable turns. . if so hook it to the speedo and see if the speedo works.. if so, Jack up the car and spin the wheel and see if the angle drive turns. . .
You can pull out the angle drive but it will leak out the trans fluid so you get to do a trans fluid change too. . there is a slip joint inside the angle drive that may be loose. . take the 2 halfs apart and you should be able to figure it out. . If not, get a new angle drive. .

Thanks

I might have an angle drive if you need one!

The angle drive is a separate piece from the speedo drive in the trans. You can unscrew the angle drive without draining the trans or losing fluid. Look for the big, thin hex next to the trans.

I removed my angle drive to replace a leaking o-ring.
I jacked up the passanger side of the car high enough to get an 8" ramp under the tire. This adjusted the fluid far enough away from the hole so that I experienced no spillage. Good luck, Chris