hey im new 2 the site, i just recently got a 1993 f150 xl 2wd reg cab short box, i bought it off some kid who never drove it and got it from a mechanic who swaped the mustang 5.0 into it and converted over to 5 speed manual, the odometer and speedometer didnt work when i got it, or when they had it as far as i know, i found a blown fuse and changed it and the odometer works sometimes, off and on, but the speedo doesnt, i took the cluster out to take it to a auto wreckers to get a new one, but they said for my truck it was kind of a limited cluster and they didnt have any. but i noticed that the speedo needle moves freely if u flip it upside down it goes to 180 kmh and if u keep turning the cluster around it goes from 180 to 0, like there is nothing holding the speedo needle, and none of the other guages do that, what shud i do, im not a mechanic, but i shud be able to fix this with a lil advice and help

 

The speedometer sensor is in the rear end. It could be bad.

 

i thought of the senser, but the speedometer needle seems like its not doin wat it shud, all the other needles have a lil force behind them and go back to where they sit after u move them, but the speedo moves freely

 

Isn't there a cable connection to the back side w/ a square cable drive tip. the connector snaps securely when the cable tip slides into the speedo drive socket? If so, if the cable isn't attached there would't be any resistance on the needle. The Speed sensor is PCM input related. I have an 87' but I just took the complete instrument gauge display cluster out of a 91' at the junk yard because it had a tac and a tripometer which wasn't availiable on 87's. I just plugged my connectors & speedo cable into the back and everything worked, including the tac. The speed is shaft driven & the other guages are electrically driven variable resisstor based on unput range.

 

'87-'91 used mechanical speedometers with a cable. '92-96 use electronic speedometers, no cable.

 

That's strange that the odometer works some times but the speedometer doesn't at all, they are both electronically driven. Check the sensor on the top of the rear end housing, I believe the specs call for it to be 20/1000 away from the toothed wheel around the gear carrier. A bad inner axel bearing will let the carrier move around inside and not register with the sensor. Course it is just a matter of time before the ring and pinion let loose. I know, this has happened to my '93. .