64 replies to this topic

[Dan]

Yes but if you've already stripped it then it won't hold properly however tight you get it. As Doug says check the threads, both parts are easily replaced so finding out now before you put the lump back in will save hours of pain and trouble later.

[Dusky]

Checkes the thread and it seems to be okay, no real damage..

[Gremlin]

Checkes the thread and it seems to be okay, no real damage..

It's quite a fine thread, I would say look more closely (is that a word?) and also clean the threads because a bit of dirt would make it feel tight and then go loose once clears it, also I wouldn't be using mole grips

[Dusky]

 

Checkes the thread and it seems to be okay, no real damage..

It's quite a fine thread, I would say look more closely (is that a word?) and also clean the threads because a bit of dirt would make it feel tight and then go loose once clears it, also I wouldn't be using mole grips

 

Took your advice, cleaned and tightened it by hand as hard as I could, looks quite firm to me :)

[GageHolding]

Bringing this back to life if thats okay?

Tried jacking the car up to get underneath the engine and change the cable there, can get to it easily just cant get enough grip on it to loosen it, is the best bet people reckon to remove the wheel and try get to it from that side or to go from the top with the radiator removed?

Taking the wheel off will require me to actually find some safer axle stands, removing the rad i've never done myself before.

Unless anyone knows of any other intuitive ideas? the Haynes manual "Working under the car disconnect the cable from the transmission unit" makes it sound so easy! 

 

Cheers,

Gage

[alex-95]

Bringing this back to life if thats okay?

Tried jacking the car up to get underneath the engine and change the cable there, can get to it easily just cant get enough grip on it to loosen it, is the best bet people reckon to remove the wheel and try get to it from that side or to go from the top with the radiator removed?

Taking the wheel off will require me to actually find some safer axle stands, removing the rad i've never done myself before.

Unless anyone knows of any other intuitive ideas? the Haynes manual "Working under the car disconnect the cable from the transmission unit" makes it sound so easy! 

 

Cheers,

Gage

have you tried using a hammer and screwdriver, tap the nut around until it's off.

[Guess-Works.com]

Take the radiator out.

 

I find it difficult and that's standing under the car with it on ramp.

 

oh, ps use a tap wrench to undo the knurled nut if someone has tightened it up, they should only be done up finger tight to avoid this issue.

 

http://www.screwfix....in-wrench/14631

Edited by Guess-Works.com, 14 July 2014 - 06:07 PM.

[GageHolding]

Thanks! radiator out will be a tomorrow afternoon job I'm done for the day now, will report back

[dklawson]

An alternative if you have relatively small arms/wrists is to use a 7/16" wrench to remove the bolt holding the cable flange onto the gearbox.  When you get that single bolt out you will be able to pull the cable and flange up to the top of the engine bay where they will be much easier to work on/with.

[GageHolding]

got the radiator and fan out and can get to the connection, its just too bloody tight to get any grip on it!

[GageHolding]

oh, ps use a tap wrench to undo the knurled nut if someone has tightened it up, they should only be done up finger tight to avoid this issue.

 

http://www.screwfix....in-wrench/14631

 

Gave in, didn't want to have to buy more tools for this job but I did, lets hope it works! fiddly getting it onto the nut though!

[7builder]

It's been a few years since anyone posted in this thread but my speedo cable has just given up the ghost and I have read about the nightmares trying to access the gearbox end. Now I have fingers like pigs tits and forearms that don't lend themselves to accessing tight spaces so this is not a job I am looking forward to.

The tip of the inner drive cable has snapped off just where it enters the speedo (3 instrument dash) and I was wondering is it possible to leave the outer part in-situ and just replace the inner core by pulling out the old and re-inserting a new one?

It sounds like a simple fix so I am guessing the answer is no or everyone would be suggesting it but worth an ask any way.

[tiger99]

You possibly can do that, but the old inner cable will have worn into the outer casing and a new one may not run smoothly.

I would just take out the radiator. That makes it almost easy, even for big hands like mine.

[Spider]

As tiger has suggested, it would be best to replace the whole cable.

 

I have removed the radiator to do the job, but the last time, I thought I'd try a different way.

 

I jacked up the passenger's side about 400 - 500 mm and put a stand under the car. Removed the wheel, popped the top ball joint.

 

I was then able to remove the Pot Joint (without draining the Oil) and then remove the Speedo Cable. On this job, I also had to remove the Drive from the Gearbox too.

 

Personally, I found this easier and much faster than removing the radiator and going in from the top.

[tiger99]

It depends on how the radiator is mounted. Very many years ago, when I was a poor student, I had a MK 1 van, and accessibility was a right pain in several parts of the anatomy. There were two horizontal shouldered bolts through grommets to mount the radiator scowling th a bracket bolted on top of the upwards extension of the engine mount bracket with two vertical bolts.

Well, I drilled the threads out of the captive nuts for the vertical bolts, fitted rubber top hats in the holes, welded two plain rods into the vertical holes in the bracket, assembled that back to the radiator cowling solidly with washers instead of grommets, poked the two rods into the top hats, put the top mounting plate back on, to hold the radiator down into the nodded bottom mount, and went and thrashed it until the bodywork was moo good, rust repairs not being cost effective in these days.

I needed to have that radiator out on a number of occasions, and it was a complete doddle. Hoses off, top plate off, pull..... A bodge, but one that worked rather well. And, on one occasion the need to remove the radiator was to fit a longer speedo cable for an 1100 as I made a fairly ugly dash with the speedo in front of the driver.

Having a MK 3 with Paddy Hopkirk grille buttons and the later radiator mounting arrangements was a delightful experience a few years later!