Speedometer cable not turning but not broken?
 

The speedometer and odometer in my car were not working when I got it, I drove the car with the cable disconnected from the cluster and it does not spin while driving. I pulled the other end at the transission and spun it by hand and it spins at the cluster end, so the cable is not broken, I reinstalled it to the transmission but still it does not turn. Looks like something inside the transmission is not working? Is it a lost cause or not? Thanks for any help.

What car?

78 300d

I had a transmission like that, the plastic gear in the tailpiece was busted. It was a lost cause for 8 years of the PO having it, then I got it and switched the transmission out.

It looks like the tail end of the transmission can be removed without too much trouble, would I be able to get to the gear that way? If I stick a screwdriver into the little slot where the cable goes I can turn it but it feels like something is slipping or broken, it's not smooth, and I would guess it shouldn't turn at all.

Sounds possible, the hard part is finding the replacement for the broken part.

yeah that's what I was thinking, so if anyone has a broken transmission they want to take some pieces out of let me know.