Andrew Frink wrote:
> Just got my first (of many, I'm sure) parts order in today. One of
> the things I needed was a new speedo cable, since the speedo isn't
> working right now. PO said she replaced the cable, and the guage
> worked briefly before stopping. When I bought a new cable, I got the
> one marked for an overdrive tranny (which I have). ...[S]hould I track
> down a right angle drive for this cable?
No, the long cable is what you need.
First, a safety warning. I have to admit to a recent dumb current owner
move. When I reinstalled my rebuilt gearbox I rerouted the speedo cable
with lovely generous sweeping loops. One was so generous that in a few
days it allowed the speedo cable to tangle with the steering column
flexible rubber donut. This prevented me from turning the wheel, and
would have been disastrous had the tangling happened anywhere other than
backing out of the driveway. I subsequently zip-tied my generous loops
out of the way of anything that moves.
Back to your problem. A hosed speedo sounds likely, but it's also
possible your PO installed the cable with too sharp a bend or it got
pinched somewhere, so her new cable bound up soon after installation.
When you remove the old speedo cable, check to see if it's moving freely
without binding. If the cable seems fine, look hard at the speedo. It's
also possible she lubed the new cable too enthusiastically and the
grease worked it's way into the speedo innards. Which is a bad thing.
Some folks including me have had trouble with a slightly-too-long inner
cable, so the inner cable binds and the speedo jumps wildly. I found
that my speedo worked fine once I loosened the connection at the back of
the speedo a turn or two. Since it won't stay loose, essentially it's
self-tightening, if this turns out to be your problem you'll need to
grind a millimeter or two off the end of your cable.
Steven Newell
Littleton, CO USA
'62 TR4 x 2
|