RR69

I'm pretty sure my passenger side head gasket is leaking. So I'm going to put on new head gaskets and ARP head bolts.The ARP bolts for the stock heads well work with the AFR heads, right? My engine is stock( 93 lx 5.0 5spd), I plan I getting some AFR heads but that'll be awhile from now(don't have that kind of money right now). What gaskets should I run, since at some point I'm channging the heads out. I don't wanna buy the really nice expensive ones. Are the cheaper ones that will hold up good for awhile? Got another question to. My speedometer doesn't work it'll work if I spin the cable with a drill. I put on a new vss but that didn't fix it. What makes the cable spin? I know the vss has a gear on the end but what does that gear engage with, cuz I don't feel or see anything, is something missing grom my tranny or what. Any ideas guys? Thanks Matt

fast83gt

I'm pretty sure the spedo is spun by a small gear in the differential connected to a cable that runs to the speedo itself. If you motor is stock the cheap head gaskets should be fine especially if you are replacing the heads soon.( assuming you'll get good head gaskets when you change heads)

nemethjames1

speedo cable connects to trans, the cable goes into the guage cluster... nothin to do with diff

mustang_mike_2003

If your going to buy some new heads later on down the road (reguardless of what type) dont try to get cheap but reusing the same head bolts... thats a big no no in the world of mechanics... its cheap insurance to just buy new ones, and in compariosin to the cost of the new heads the new bolts are nothing... and cheap head gaskes will be fine for now. if it starts to leak again let us know and we'll help you from there...if you want to find out where your speedo problim is coming from. have a friend help you and jack up the rear end of your mustang so the tires are off the ground and SECURE THE BACK END WITH JACK STANDS... the last thing you want is your car doing a ferris buler (probibly to young to remember).. put the jack stands on each side of the diffrential axel housing tubes. Disconect the speedo cable from the transmition tail (if its even conected at all) and make sure theres no damage to the speedo cable input gromit inside the hole you pulled the cable out of...it should look like a square or tryangle, NOT a rounded hole. it could be striped as its only plastic... (to me it sounds like you dont have one at all) if you dont youll have to have a guy at a transmition shop install one, shouldnt cost much. BUT if you have one, and if its not striped have your friend start the car and put the car in gear, look at the plastic speedo cable input gromit, it should be spinning while the tires are spinning. If it spins put your finger on it to see it it still spins with the add pressure from your finger. if for any reason the gromit isnt spining while your cars tires are moving, you will have to have a guy at a transmittion shop install a gromit. Im sure youll find the problim by now but keep reading, If its still spins CAREFULLY have your friend put the car in netural!!! and turn the car off.. this keeps your friend from trying to put the car in park thinking that pressing the breaks will stop the rear tires from spinning.. it dosent as the power of the car will push past the stock break drums ability to stop the tires from spinning... puting the car in park while the tires are still moving (even just a little) will destroy your tranny... ANYWAYS after the car is OFF. have your friend pull the e break and put it in park after the tires have stoped... reinstall the speedo cable to the trannie tail and lower the car back to the ground. Pull out the other end of the speedo cable by pulling out your guage cluster from the dash and disconecting the other end of the cable. have your friend drive down the street and and sit in the pasenger seat. Check to see if the little speedo cable input gromit is spinning. If its spining, hold your finger on it and add pressure, if its not spining for any reason while the car is moving, replace your speedo cable! taaa daaa

RR69

I thought you could use ARP head bolts more than once because they weren't torque to yeild, not trying to be cheap just thought you could. Now to the speedometer I know the cables good cuz I replaced it before in an attempt to fix the problem, it was a little worn out any ways. Then I replaced the speed sensor, so I don't think thats the problem. On the speed sensor is where the driven gear is, but what does that gear hook into? Does it hook into the drive gear? If so where is the drive gear cuz I don't see it. Oh hey I remember the seen in Feris Bueller where he's trying to turn back the odometer then gets mad and kicks the car (jag right) and it flys backwards, funny movie.

nemethjames1

if you replaced cable already, did you make sure the gear on the end of the cable going into trans was good?.... could be a faulty gauge, could be prob with trans..

roundman

you can reuse ARP head bolts as often as you need to as they are not made to be used only once like the stock head bolts.

RR69

Yeah that's what I thought about the ARP bolts, thanks. I'm pretty sure its not the gauge or atleast not the problem right now. Because I took out the cluster so I could see the cable and it was moving when in gear. What does the gear go into. Does someone have a schematic of the tranny that would show this? Or can some tell me what the gear engages with, I'm thinking whatever spins the gear isn't there. Oh yeah would the Fel-Pro Head Gaskets - 1983-93: Pre-Flattened Steel
Bore: 4.100'
Compressed Thickness: .039'
be want I want for the time being? The longest the stock heads will be on is 2 years. I'm hoping to change them over the summer but it depends on cash flow. And I need to get my car to pass emision in June. Starting April 1st emsission test start here, Chattanooga TN. So I want to be able to drive my car, so the money I was saving for heads now has to go towards getting some cats and hooking back up some of the smog things. I got the car when I lived in Michigan and there where no test, so at some point somebody discounted parts of the emission system, oh well thats the joys of working on cars

mustang_mike_2003

man im sorry to hear about that...sounds like someone had a few parts cars hanging around and took slaped your mustang together... ill call your mustang frankenstein mustang!!! well youll have to take the car to a tranny shop because your missing the plastic gear that spins your speedo cable.. i wouldnt want to mess with that job my self.. you can really mess things up in there and if you dont know exactly what your doing then you could break somthing...costing you more in the end.. becides it shouldnt cost you more then 50 bucks at a tranny shop to have them fix you up..your choice. And im so sorry to hear about your immissions stuff missing... thats not going to be fun...all that work just to get it back to the way it was...kinda like taking one step foward, and two steps back..thats why i never get why some guys hack there mustangs...choping out there cats out...ditching the smog pump... and every other dumb thing that makes the car not able to pass immissions.. all for what??? because they THINK that there not going to have to deal with any conciquences later on down the road?? simply put ..its just not a smart thing to do... i hope your storie keeps guys from making the mistake that you didnt do..but have to deal with good luck fixing that speedo cable.. and let us know how things go with making that mustang immisions leagle

RR69

Thanks guys, I figured something was missing, atleast now I know somethings missing. Thanks for all the help again