6610 tach cable

[David G]

I am replacing the small cable that goes down into the engine. The old one was all separated and unwound.

Is there anything I should know about before tearing into it?

Thanks.
 

[showcrop]

probably the most likely complication would be pulling wires out of the dash, so don't hesitate to pull sheet metal off in order to be able to see the back of the dash.
 

[Bern]

No need to pull any sheet metal - he will be cursing you if he tries to pull the hood off after spending an hour trying to get the steering wheel off. Simply unscrew the 4 screws holding the dash in place and pull the dash out far enough to expose the end of the cable.
 

[RodinNS]

I can't imagine why you'd pull the sheet metal OR the dash for this job if in fact it's only the drive that's broken.
What you do... remove the oil filter, then the bolt in the top of the drive (loosen) the work the drive out of the engine. When you get that out, pull the drive gear out and fish the broken pieces of the cable from the center of that... reinstall in reverse of removal. Just make sure you get the new cable properly placed in the drive gear before you bolt it all down solid.

Rod
 

[Bern]

Rod,

It has generally been my experience that when the short cable breaks, it's because the longer one is binding up. I usually replace both when the shorter one is broken.
 

[RodinNS]

Sometimes... I also find that the routing of the longer one is quite frequently responsible for the breakage... particularly around the hydraulic pump on the 30 series tractors. Too much kink and the drive breaks.

Rod
 

[Bern]

Yep, agree also on the misrouting and too much kink. One wants to install the tach cable with as gentle a bend as possible.
 

[Brian in MA]

I also have experience shutting it in the hood and kinking it that way, which lead to a broken cable also. I couldn't understand why it was so hard to latch the hood, but that didn't stop me from doing it