Ford 4610 Tachometer Cable

[ETpilot]

I have searched but I was not able to find much info on the Ford 4610 tachometer cable. So I write this post. It may help someone. The first time I replaced the tach cable it was an easy thing. Disconnect at the tach drive and the tach instrument. Then just remove and replace. This next go around was a bit different. When I removed the tach cable, it was frozen and not turning. I installed the new cable, tested the tach to make sure it would work. Started engine and no go. Tach did not work. It is always good to lubricate the tach cable. Lol.

A parts search revealed that in addition to the tach cable there is also a short drive shaft cable that drives the tach cable. I pulled the old driveshaft cable and the end was really mangled and twisted. So I needed to buy a new drive shaft tach cable.

The drive assembly is on the left side of the tractor just under the oil filter. There is a bolt that holds on the drive shaft adapter, aka the cover. Under the cover is the drive shaft adapter mounting base. To remove loosen the bolt on the cover just enough to fit a pry bar under the cover. Then very carefully pry the cover up. The cover will pull the mounting base with it. The mounting base has a compression ring and a rubber seal. You need to be careful with them.

Once the cover and mounting base are removed you can look inside and see the square drive on the oil pump gear. In my case part of the broken drive cable was still in the square drive of the oil pump gear. I removed the broken piece and checked that my new part fit properly. And it did.

Now came my fun part. How to reassemble? The short cable enters at a 45* angle then inside it turns vertical to go straight down into the square drive. Only 2 ways to do this, I think. One is insert the cable into the cover. Install mounting base. Then work with a tool, thru the bolt hole, to get the cable square end into the drive gear. This one is just my thought and I did not even try this method. The second method is to assemble the cover to the mounting base then insert the cable. Holding the cable end so it does not push out, you can easily insert the square end into the drive gear. Now you place the assembly into the opening and tap the cover so the mounting base slips into position. This is a tight fit. This is how I did mine. I may have to tap the assembly down a bit more. I will do this when I get the tractor to operating temperature for an oil change. I don't have any leaks so it is good as it is.

You can run the engine with the tach cable disconnected to make sure the drive cable rotates under engine power. If it rotates attach the tach cable and you are done.

It is a good idea to make a mark on the throttle rod and instrument panel case to indicate the PTO speed. This is so if you lose the tach you can still find the PTO speed. I did not do this so I used my stroboscopic tachometer to find the PTO speed. When I fixed the tach problem, I checked my mark against the tractor tachometer and it was dead on.

Anyway a few helpful pictures.

 

[Dandinas57]

I have searched but I was not able to find much info on the Ford 4610 tachometer cable. So I write this post. It may help someone. The first time I replaced the tach cable it was an easy thing. Disconnect at the tach drive and the tach instrument. Then just remove and replace. This next go around was a bit different. When I removed the tach cable, it was frozen and not turning. I installed the new cable, tested the tach to make sure it would work. Started engine and no go. Tach did not work. It is always good to lubricate the tach cable. Lol.

A parts search revealed that in addition to the tach cable there is also a short drive shaft cable that drives the tach cable. I pulled the old driveshaft cable and the end was really mangled and twisted. So I needed to buy a new drive shaft tach cable.

The drive assembly is on the left side of the tractor just under the oil filter. There is a bolt that holds on the drive shaft adapter, aka the cover. Under the cover is the drive shaft adapter mounting base. To remove loosen the bolt on the cover just enough to fit a pry bar under the cover. Then very carefully pry the cover up. The cover will pull the mounting base with it. The mounting base has a compression ring and a rubber seal. You need to be careful with them.

Once the cover and mounting base are removed you can look inside and see the square drive on the oil pump gear. In my case part of the broken drive cable was still in the square drive of the oil pump gear. I removed the broken piece and checked that my new part fit properly. And it did.

Now came my fun part. How to reassemble? The short cable enters at a 45* angle then inside it turns vertical to go straight down into the square drive. Only 2 ways to do this, I think. One is insert the cable into the cover. Install mounting base. Then work with a tool, thru the bolt hole, to get the cable square end into the drive gear. This one is just my thought and I did not even try this method. The second method is to assemble the cover to the mounting base then insert the cable. Holding the cable end so it does not push out, you can easily insert the square end into the drive gear. Now you place the assembly into the opening and tap the cover so the mounting base slips into position. This is a tight fit. This is how I did mine. I may have to tap the assembly down a bit more. I will do this when I get the tractor to operating temperature for an oil change. I don't have any leaks so it is good as it is.

You can run the engine with the tach cable disconnected to make sure the drive cable rotates under engine power. If it rotates attach the tach cable and you are done.

It is a good idea to make a mark on the throttle rod and instrument panel case to indicate the PTO speed. This is so if you lose the tach you can still find the PTO speed. I did not do this so I used my stroboscopic tachometer to find the PTO speed. When I fixed the tach problem, I checked my mark against the tractor tachometer and it was dead on.

Anyway a few helpful pictures.

Got exact same problem. Did you have to drain down at all or remove Filter out of way??

 

[Dandinas57]

Have exactly same problem. Did you have to drain down at all to fix, or remove filter for access?

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

So scientific. I have replaced many already. I never concern with pto speed. If the engine bogs, either drop a gear or give it rpm. You'll find that not running full speed pto saves hours on your tractor. I cut hay at 1600 rpm. If it's a little thick, I adjust my gearing. I ain't running no diesel over 1600 rpm. Oldest new diesel was bought when Jimmy Carter was in office, and she still runs great. So my treatment must be wrong. I've put two water pumps over the years, o ring for lift, bought two new rear tires last year. That is the maintenance record on that machine. Used it years, over twelve years, for truck patch on 40 acres, only tractor there. We used it in the fall, in fact I'm missing that memory right now. We had family land that was huge. This very weekend each year, everybody was here and we bushogged right of ways and cut limbs all weekend for deer season. Them times are gone and I miss them folks, but thanks for the memory.

 

[TractorTech]

Have exactly same problem. Did you have to drain down at all to fix, or remove filter for access?

To answer your question, you only have to remove the engine oil filter and you lose a little oil of course.
The other method to replace the cable, if that is all you are doing, is to remove the cap, remove and replace the stub, and thread the boss end of the cable through the cap. Make sure the base stays in position in the block.