T5 Mechanical To Electrical Speedo Sensor?

[Dane Brahler]

I want to eventually run all digital gauges in my 86 fox and I just came across that the Chevy s10 t5 trans uses an electronic speed sensor in place of the little plastic gear the stangs use. Has anyone experimented with trying to use this sensor in an electronic setup? I want to switch to the intelittronix gauges. Any input would be great thanks!

 

[broncojunkie]

The 99-04 T5 in the v6 Mustangs had electronic speedo. In fact, I have one or two of the tailshafts lying around from them. They should be a direct swap. IIRC, there is a plastic ring that just slips over the main shaft, which the sensor reads. The sensor is in the tailshaft housing, itself. You could probably just swap yours over or better yet, find you a T5 from a 99-up V6. It's rated for higher torque than your 86 (if it's the original t5) and they are usually in pretty good shape. 300 ft/lb rating I think.

I put one of these in my 88gt after having a hard time finding a decent one from a v8 fox. I just swapped the fox tailshaft housing over, along with the input shaft, retainer, and bellhousing. If you use one, you'll probably want to swap your input shaft and retainer over and use your old bell. Or...you could, I believe, use an sn95 bell which matches the length of the input shaft. I'm pretty sure the 3.8 bell has a different bolt pattern, which is why you can't just use that one. Double check, though. I'm not too knowledgeable on the v6. Using the v6 input shaft and sn95 bell would set your shifter back a little. The only reason I mention this is because I wish I had gone this route with my 88. For some reason, the shifter seems like it's just a hair too far forward.

 

[broncojunkie]

Here's a pic of the two housings side by side. The electronic speedo sensor is located differently than the mechanical speedo gear opening.

Electronic on left...you can barely see the sensor in the bottom of the pic.

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

Why bother? If you are going to convert to a digital gauge set just get a GPS based sender (It's what I have) No worrying about fitment, or whether or not it'll work. The only thing a GPS sender needs is a clear view of the sky.

 

[General karthief]

Does the setup you are thinking about using have a converter that will work? Never worked with digital gauges, although I did spy on a conversion that was done on a tri five chevy. They had to keep reseting the speedo everytime it was driven, seemed like a pain to me, I will ask if they ever resolved it and how the owner likes it later today when I get over there.

 

[a91what]

You can just use the VSS sensor that's on your Speedo now. Or if yours does not have VSS get a sender that does. Splice two wires into your new gauge all it's looking for is a pulse signal typically once you start calibrating you tell it you're not moving then hit the button again and drive for exactly one mile this calibrates the speedo. Do it a second time to fine-tune the speed. The good ones have battery back up inside of them so they don't lose the pulse count

 

[Dane Brahler]

Why bother? If you are going to convert to a digital gauge set just get a GPS based sender (It's what I have) No worrying about fitment, or whether or not it'll work. The only thing a GPS sender needs is a clear view of the sky.

I thought about a gps sensor if i cant find another way to do this... where do you have the gps module mounted?

 

[Dane Brahler]

You can just use the VSS sensor that's on your Speedo now. Or if yours does not have VSS get a sender that does. Splice two wires into your new gauge all it's looking for is a pulse signal typically once you start calibrating you tell it you're not moving then hit the button again and drive for exactly one mile this calibrates the speedo. Do it a second time to fine-tune the speed. The good ones have battery back up inside of them so they don't lose the pulse count

Now when you say VSS sensor, are you referring to the end of the speedo line behind the dashboard or the VSS on the 99-04 t5's? my t5 has the mechanical "gear" speedometer cable.

 

[Dane Brahler]

Here's a pic of the two housings side by side. The electronic speedo sensor is located differently than the mechanical speedo gear opening.

Electronic on left...you can barely see the sensor in the bottom of the pic.

Those two tailshafts... so if i were to switch mine out, I'd have to find the plastic spacer that the sensor reads?
all the inner parts of the trans stay the same?

 

[Dane Brahler]

okay so i just found this at summit:
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/izl-s9024/overview/

all i'd have to do is make the electrical connection to the new gauge, but on the mechanical side, do all ford speedo cables connect the same way?

 

[broncojunkie]

Yep. I may have one, but I'd have to do some digging lol. It's easier to swap to electronic than the other way around. Mechanical speedo uses a drive gear attached to the main shaft with a small clip, which needs a small hole drilled into the hardened shaft to attach it. Very hard to drill into the main shaft! But iirc, the electronic speedo ring just slides on the shaft. I'll see if I can find one lying around.

But as I said before, you could also swap to the v6 t5 and sell yours. You'd probably come out ahead and have a stronger tranny.

Just saw your post above concerning the Summit part. For some reason, the "quote" function isn't working from my phone. Sorry for any confusion.

I don't know anything about the part you linked to. I know you used to be able to buy a "speed-cal" device which was plug & play. I think they stopped making it though. I really haven't messed with electronic speedo much, other than changing it back to mechanical lol

 

[Dane Brahler]

Yep. I may have one, but I'd have to do some digging lol. It's easier to swap to electronic than the other way around. Mechanical speedo uses a drive gear attached to the main shaft with a small clip, which needs a small hole drilled into the hardened shaft to attach it. Very hard to drill into the main shaft! But iirc, the electronic speedo ring just slides on the shaft. I'll see if I can find one lying around.

But as I said before, you could also swap to the v6 t5 and sell yours. You'd probably come out ahead and have a stronger tranny.

Just saw your post above concerning the Summit part. For some reason, the "quote" function isn't working from my phone. Sorry for any confusion.

I don't know anything about the part you linked to. I know you used to be able to buy a "speed-cal" device which was plug & play. I think they stopped making it though. I really haven't messed with electronic speedo much, other than changing it back to mechanical lol

so say i did find a v6 t5, would it be as simple as running wires from the gauge to the vss on the new trans?

 

[a91what]

Your stock speed sensor has the vss cable plugged into it. Goes to the ecu for cruise control ect....

Or you can use this.

https://m.summitracing.com/parts/sum-800600fmc

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

** Sigh**

Whether or not you use the little square box that is the GPS sender, or a VSS sensor that can be had to convert the standard TS splined gear into signal generating pulse counts,...It's two-three wires.

A signal,.and either a 12v or gnd depending on your specific gauge.

 

[mikestang63]

why on earth would you swap out tailshafts when you can just use a GPS or VSS sensor with your existing one... Autometer sells both for their gauges.

 

[Dane Brahler]

why on earth would you swap out tailshafts when you can just use a GPS or VSS sensor with your existing one... Autometer sells both for their gauges.

I'm probably gonna go that route anyway but it's helpful that the tail shaft swaps an option lol.

 

[Dane Brahler]

Your stock speed sensor has the vss cable plugged into it. Goes to the ecu for cruise control ect....

Or you can use this.

https://m.summitracing.com/parts/sum-800600fmc

My stang doesn't have cruise control so would the sender that connects to the mechanic gauge actually have the wires running off it? I can't remember if it did or not the last time I took the dash off

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

My stang doesn't have cruise control so would the sender that connects to the mechanic gauge actually have the wires running off it? I can't remember if it did or not the last time I took the dash off

Use something like this to completely replace the current speedometer cable....this obviously plugs into the transmission.

Or in alot of cases the transmission is already plumbed w/ an internal VSS sensor (Tremec). I had a set of digital guages on the red car (Same set I have on the current car) There was an internal sender on my TR3650, but I do not remember if I used it or one like I pictured above. Either way, the new gauge is looking for a pulse count. It is calibrated like Steve described a dozen replies back.

So,...to recap...Sender at the trans. push the button on the speedo while powered up and sitting, push the button again after driving one mile,....done