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Welcome to FordPinto.com, The home of the PCCA => General Help- Ask the Experts... => Topic started by: pintoguy76 on January 27, 2014, 11:18:55 AM

Title: speedometer cable/gears for efi swap with VSS
Post by: pintoguy76 on January 27, 2014, 11:18:55 AM
I put in a 91 mustang dis 2.3 in my 74 wagon - its complaining that there is no VSS connected. Id like to connect that, but need to know what speedometer cable I need? Will a mustang use the same connector at the back of the speedometer or will i have to have a custom cable made or what? I have no idea myself.... lol


Also. Where can I get speedometer gears for this at ?
Title: Re: speedometer cable/gears for efi swap with VSS
Post by: ToniJ1960 on January 27, 2014, 06:16:11 PM
 Is it an electrical vss? I just bought an 84 Corvette last year, and the vss in it is messed up and was even the wrong one. Rather than remove it from the transmission, nd probably find the gears in the tailhousing missing or the wrong ones too like the vss was, I bought a gps speed sender. It can output 4000 or 8000 pulses per mile. The 84 Corvette uses 4000, and sends that to ecm to divide by two to control the tcc. Later years Corveetes used 8000 pulses per mile that went to the ecm first then the digital dash.

 If yours is electrical, you might want to try the gps sender because if you ever change the transmission, or change the tires or rear end, you wont have to do anything. The intellitronix one thy say updates a little less often than the veethree one. There are others too. I bought the intellitronix one.
Title: Re: speedometer cable/gears for efi swap with VSS
Post by: amc49 on January 27, 2014, 09:27:23 PM
Need to know the transmission.. .............. ..and whether the Mustang speedo is digital or not. Cable may not run to it at all.
Title: Re: speedometer cable/gears for efi swap with VSS
Post by: pintoguy76 on January 28, 2014, 12:58:25 PM
Transmission is a stock pinto 4 speed.


VSS was a sensor mounted on the transmission with the speedo gear on the end of it and the cable passes through the back of it. It has wires going to it so Its got to be electrical.


I dont know what the mustang had for sure, but i assume it was a mechanical speedo, as is my pinto.
Title: Re: speedometer cable/gears for efi swap with VSS
Post by: ToniJ1960 on January 28, 2014, 05:47:11 PM
 Well Im not real sure on some aspects of his, if you out a mustang display in your pinto, and the display needs the electrical output from a vss, I dont think theres a vss that fits the Pinto transmission because you have to have drive gears inside the tailhousing. Some cars I guess theyre in the  differential. You can get a mechanical to electrical vss adaptor but theyre over $200. I still say the best thing might be a gps speed sender. Im using one in my 84 Corvette.

 And like I was saying, the 84 Corvete vss inputs to the digital dash then gets divided by two to go to the ecm. The ecm controls the tcc. On newer Corvetes they send the vss to the ecm first, then it gets divided and sent to the digital dash. What all it controls on those cars Im not sure. Or on the Mustangs. But the gps sender sends t he output to the vss input on the car and it cant tell its not coming from the transmission.
Title: Re: speedometer cable/gears for efi swap with VSS
Post by: pintoguy76 on January 28, 2014, 06:44:09 PM
Not trying to put the mustang instrument cluster in my car.. just connect the trans to the pinto speedo, with the VSS in place. Right now its hooked up and working, but there is no VSS. And that is making the engine light come on....
Title: Re: speedometer cable/gears for efi swap with VSS
Post by: amc49 on January 28, 2014, 06:54:10 PM
I have no clue but you'll start by getting some idea of what TYPE VSS you need, how many wires in the harness go to it, or connectors? Two or three? Two says simple mag impulse sensor, three says Hall effect type. Then you'll need to research any early '80s Ford cars that used that trans and a VSS. Use California models, they would have it earlier.
Title: Re: speedometer cable/gears for efi swap with VSS
Post by: ToniJ1960 on January 28, 2014, 08:17:10 PM
Not trying to put the mustang instrument cluster in my car.. just connect the trans to the pinto speedo, with the VSS in place. Right now its hooked up and working, but there is no VSS. And that is making the engine light come on....

 Ok then still I would use the gps sped sender. If you want to find one that fits that transmission in your car Im sure youll have to at least replace the tailshaft but I kind of doubt its even that easy. The vss has to be driven by a drive gear inside the transmission. Or use a mechanical to electrical vss converter you might find one cheaper than the ones I saw. I bought the intellitronix one for $107 then I saw a veethree one for $70 I almost talked myself into buying it for my pinto, just in case I decided to try to update my display. I guess in your case youre concerned about the ces light or a code? , I dont know whats causing it, what the vss controls in those Mustangs.
Title: Re: speedometer cable/gears for efi swap with VSS
Post by: amc49 on January 28, 2014, 11:11:18 PM
PCM puts VSS and TPS info together to calculate engine load for EFI........... .............. VSS signal necessary also for electronically controlled ATX with solenoids if car has one.

Dunno if that trans used that far back but if PCM also looking for solenoid outputs you will always have a light and PCM may even go into failsafe and not run right. They sure do it now. Meaning PCM and harness need to be off MTX.
Title: Re: speedometer cable/gears for efi swap with VSS
Post by: ToniJ1960 on January 28, 2014, 11:54:33 PM
    If Im getting it right this time, he wants to hook up the Pinto transmission to the Pinto speedometer, but still needs a vss signal. The gps speed sender would make that easy. Power ground and vss output. Mount it under the dashboard. The one I have has dip switches to set it for 4000 8000 16000 pulses per mile. Since the Corvette odometer runs off the vss, mines set to 8000 pulses, Im building a cmos circuit to divide by 800 an output a pulse every 1/10th mile to drive a electro mechanical counter that Im going to set in place of my odometer. My instrument clusdter input isnt working so Im building new circuits to take its place :)
Title: Re: speedometer cable/gears for efi swap with VSS
Post by: pintoguy76 on January 29, 2014, 11:29:47 AM
PCM puts VSS and TPS info together to calculate engine load for EFI........... .............. VSS signal necessary also for electronically controlled ATX with solenoids if car has one.

Dunno if that trans used that far back but if PCM also looking for solenoid outputs you will always have a light and PCM may even go into failsafe and not run right. They sure do it now. Meaning PCM and harness need to be off MTX.

Harness and PCM used ARE from a car with a manual trans :)  I have a stumble on hard throttle @ low engine RPM that i think the VSS might correct. Mileage isnt as good as it could be either it doesnt seem.
Title: Re: speedometer cable/gears for efi swap with VSS
Post by: amc49 on January 29, 2014, 07:32:08 PM
I changed my MTX to ATX in my '80 wagon. IIRC I used the same speedo cable by simply changing to the ATX type used (a C-3), That trans used in later stuff and maybe same sensor on later A4LD as well since an A4LD is a C-3 with longer case and OD. So, rummaging through like '81 and later VSS used on earlier Fords may get you something that can piggyback a VSS on top of the cable itself. A few years in there did it but you will have to research. Ford went to FI across all models in '86 so something there needs VSS input.
Title: Re: speedometer cable/gears for efi swap with VSS
Post by: pintoguy76 on January 29, 2014, 07:57:14 PM
Ok heres an update. I went to the local you-pull-it yard and got a speedometer cable from a ranger, a VSS & connector from a MT F150, and some wire from the parts store. I hooked it all up to the pinto. One little modification was all it took to make it all hook up and work. Now I have a working speedo and VSS both. Also hooked up the brake on/off wire while I was at it. That pretty much completes all the wiring for the efi swap. ...
Title: Re: speedometer cable/gears for efi swap with VSS
Post by: amc49 on February 02, 2014, 10:39:23 AM
Whaddi tellya? A man has to have rummaging skills, you passed the test.......... ..........LOL. Parts are where you find them.......... ...........