How many of you bought a new body plug/grommet kit and wondered how to get the new grommet onto the speedometer cable?
I just bought a replacement cable online. The picture in the add showed the grommet already installed but it showed up in a separate package...not installed. The new grommet had a razor blade cut through one side which I thought was strange. I emailed the seller and he said that's how he gets them from his supplier...one end sliced so you can put the grommet on the cable.
That sounded stupid but I didn't press the issue. I don't see how that is going to seal very well and if you look at the grommet, you'll see that it's cut. Anyway, I still had two of those same grommets that I didn't use on my Challenger(reused original) so I thought I'd try expending one of them to get it onto the cable in one piece. If the grommet split, it wouldn't be a big deal.
I sprayed the grommet with WD-40 and pushed it onto a 3/8" deep well socket. Then I slid the grommet onto a 1/2" deep well socket with more lube. Then, I slid it onto a 5/8" socket with even more lube. At this point, the center of the grommet was stretched really close to the diameter of the plastic end on the cable.(the piece that locks onto the back of the speedometer housing) Finally, I was able to slowly transfer the grommet from the socket onto the cable end and then down onto the cable itself.
I didn't know if it was possible but I got the new one installed. Maybe that will help someone else.
