Newbie with a 1989 Civic DX

[some_other_dave]

The speedo and odometer are run by a spinning cable from the transmission to the instrument cluster. Trace it down and see if it has come unhooked at either end. You may have to take the instrument binnacle off the cluster to see the back end of that, and the transmission end is covered by a rubber cover. There's a retaining wire on the trans end that clips into a notch in the cable sheath, I think.

Timing isn't that hard; you find the timing connector and bridge it (with a paper clip or a piece of wire) and hook up your timing gun and check the flywheel marks.

-soD