speedometer froze up

Hi John- If the cable isn't broken and the speedometer head still turns freely, then most likely the drive gear inside the T-case has stripped or broken. I've heard of guys using a drill to test the function of the cable and speedo from the T-case end of things.

 

Thats a great idea! Will need to try that! Thanks....

 

"When I removed the cable from the speedometer I could spin the innards easily."

Possibly the cable core is not engaging with the drive gear, especially if the length wasn't precisely manufactured.
Are you sure it was fully seated when you tried turning it?

 

I called Tacoma Speedometer last week. I told the guy what I had done, what I thought was wrong with it, and why I didn't want to be the one to take it apart (bezel crimped all the way around).... He said "I'll be honest with ya, all we're gonna do is pry the bezel off with a small screwdriver and look inside it. There is no special tool or anything to do it".... So with that I proceeded to pry off the bezel this weekend and get into it. I started with the large chunks and then used 150psi with a precision air gun to get the rest of the small bits out of the magnet. I'm happy to report it works fine again and now is also backlit so I can see it in the dark!

 

Well, I removed the cable at the transfer and it does seem as the cable is rounded and not square as much as it should. I also removed the gear drive and all looked well with little wear. I then used my drill to test the speedo and was pleasantly surprised it worked great. I am going to reconnect it all and see if it works. The drill was a hot tip!