Glinda Gets a GUP

Sunday I informed the lovely Loriann that Glinda would be getting some attention the following evening. So yesterday, after dinner, I pulled her into the driveway and proceeded to reinstall the missing washer and nut for the muffler strap. That was easy fix. Next on the list was replacing the speedometer cable. I had plenty of experience replacing these cables on EMs, but this was my first time with a LM’s. In either model, this cable is thin, flexible shaft inside a coated sheath. It terminates at the rear of the speedometer with a simple nut. On EMs, the driven end attaches to a small gearset in the transmission, and the cable snakes its way under the body and through a hole under the dash. On LMs the path is much simpler emanating from the left front wheel and making a fairly short, straight shot through the hole under the dash. After verifying the shaft had actually broken - by spinning what should have not spun (the end recently undone from the speedo) - I went to obtain my GUP replacement from Betty. I determined it was a GUP by applying the same test and that which should not spin did not spin. I then jacked Betty’s left front off the ground, securely placed a jackstand, and removed the wheel. Two bolts held the driven end to the back of the brake plate and those came off surprisingly easy. Also easily removed was the bolt retaining the shaft to the body – the one that ensured the cable didn’t rub on the tire. Inside the car, I unscrewed the nut at the back of the speedo and pushed that end out through hole in the body. With that part free, I repeated the same steps on Glinda with one small difference. Before being able to push the cable’s speedo end out the hole, I had to remove the grommet that sealed off the opening in the body (Betty’s grommet was missing). I don’t know how GM was able to install that rubber part over the nut, but all the pulling I could manage wouldn’t get the small rubber hole over the significantly larger nut. A couple slits with a razor blade and I finally removed the grommet. After snaking the GUP into place and installing the three bolts (with coatings of anti-seize), I finished the job by slipping on the grommet, screwing the nut at the end of the cable onto the speedometer, bolting on the wheel, and lowering the car back to the ground.

All that, and I had everything closed up for the night by 9.