37 replies to this topic

[fireman-sam]

i have just done that to get my 66 throw his mot i made a bracket of the diff housing to hold the reader and stuck the magnet to the diff cup with epoxy glue you work out how far you go for 1 wheel turn put it in the speedo and away you go dont forget if you do this you have to light it at nite or it will not pass the mot

[Dan]

You don't need to pull the engine to get to the speedo drive, you can replace all the parts of it from the engine bay pretty easily if you remove the radiator, you may also need to support the engine from beneath and remove the engine mounting support bracket depending on how dextrous you are or exactly which parts need replacing. If you find that parts have snapped internally you will have to then pull the engine to make the repairs. I think it is unlikely though, the small Nylon gears that make up the speedo drive have a habit of snapping the steel mainshaft nose before they actually shear themselves however unlikely that may sound. If that had happened you would know about it.

I don't believe the speedo is part of the MOT at all but it is a legal requirement to have one. Passing an MOT does not mean your car is road legal.

Edited by Dan, 27 April 2007 - 11:43 PM.

[Russ528]

I've got similar speedo issues to be honest.

The speedo didn't work, I could hear (and feel) the cable clicking as I was driving along - although I must admit, I'd not noticed it clicking yesterday.

I know the dials work as I've twidddled a screwdriver in the back of them.

I put the front of the car up on axle stands and put it in gear with the cable disconnected from the dials - the cable didn't move.

I managed to unscrew the cable from the back of the engine and moved it slightly one way, then the other using a pair of long nose pliers, and it appeared to move a little.

Somewhat stumped, I put the cable back in the engine, and maybe it was my imagination, but it seemed to take longer to screw it back in that it did to unscrew it. Perhaps it had come a bit loose?

Anyway, not taken the car out since then as I've been doing a bit of paintwork touch-ups and fitting a new exhuast.

Edited by Russ528, 28 May 2007 - 08:18 AM.

[Gazman]

I put the front of the car up on axle stands and put it in gear with the cable disconnected from the dials - the cable didn't move.

I did the same! Eventually got mine working after taking out the radiator although one week later it stopped again.

The problem I think is that the cable seems to be a squashed circle at the gearbox end. Using a mirror I could see that where the bcable connects to is a square. Why can't the cable manufacturers just make them square to match? They do it for the clock end!!

Perhaps someone can tell me where the best place to buy from is......

[Russ528]

What did you do to revive yours Gaz?

[Gazman]

Hard work!! No masterplan just kept trying the cable in different ways.

It would appear to me that as the end of the cable is not square like the speedo gear that it has to go in diagnally across the square.

Ideally I think the cable should be square at the end and not oval but there you go. Basically I found that as you pushed it into the gearbox end it just pushed it out a bit further at the clock end as there is nothing to stop it doing that. Unless you get it seated right it won't work.

If anyone knows where you can get a speedo cable with the gearbox end is actually square please let me know......

Edited by Gazman, 29 May 2007 - 11:04 AM.

[Warmy]

Going back to the start of the thread. The reason your speedo is not working is the speedo drive on your 1275 has a smaller cable size as someone said earlier. The easiest way to overcome this is to change the speedo drive with the one from your 998. Or buy a new one if you discarded your old engine. They are both the same 17 tooth gear just a different cable size. Its an easy job but think you'll have to drain your oil and replace the gasket.

As you say you can fiddle it and it might work but for an accurate reading you'll want to change the drive. unfortunately no cable exists to change from the metro to mini size drives

[Gizzum]

Gaz,

You can use a mountain bike speedo with no problems. I put mine on the back wheel. Drilled and tapped a small hole in the drum, and mounted the sensor with cable ties.

[Gazman]

Any pics?

[Russ528]

I'd like to see pics of where people have mounted the sensor and pickup as well.

I bought a new speedo cable for mine last weekend and fitted it last night. I can get to the cable end pretty easily from above by removing the air filter and putting my arm down the drivers side of the carb, then reaching across the back of the engine/gearbox to get to the cable end on the passenger side. If you jack up the car and put it on full right hand lock, you can see (and just about get to) the cable end through the driveshaft aperture as well, but I found access that way tighter than attacking it from above....by the way.

The cable that came out of the car wasn't broken, but the bit that fitted into the gearbox was a square end - the new one is this oval shape mentioned by others.

At the dial end of things, the old cable had a white plastic bit on the end (which had cracked, incidentally, so didn't grip the cable very tight) - whereas the new cable had just a larger, square end which fitted into the dials fine.

Seeing as my car *had* a 1275 engine in it, I guess when it was swapped for the 998 I guess they could have not changed the cable. So from what I've read above, that would mean the square ended cable would be too small to fit into the drive gear of the 998 - and hence didn't work....yes?

The whole cable thing is bloody annoying, and I'm sorely tempted to go with a magnetic arrangement (found some *VERY* funky lcd dials in chrome pods!) - but I'm skint at the moment, so if I can get away without spending that much money, then all's good.

Incidentally, Gazman....seeing as it may well transpire the old cable I had that didn't work in mine is actually what you need for yours, I'll hang onto it for you if you like, as the plastic bit could be easily glued or taped.

Edited by Russ528, 08 June 2007 - 07:23 AM.

[Russ528]

forgot to say, I think the cable is seated home properly in the gearbox, but I'm not sure - and I don't know how to check.

Anyone got any tips for how to ensure the cable is seated properly in the gearbox drive gear?

Edited by Russ528, 08 June 2007 - 10:40 AM.

[Russ528]

Anyone?

Anyone?

Beuller?

(apologies for bumping, but it's such a common thing, and loads of people seem to have done this, I just thought someone might be able to comment!)

Edited by Russ528, 08 June 2007 - 10:41 AM.

[Jamier101]

.

Edited by Jamier101, 16 November 2012 - 09:14 PM.

[Gazman]

Russ528...any chance of a picture of both ends of the cable?

[Russ528]

Ok. A further update for me.

I've fitted a new cable this weekend. My dials are NIPPON SEIKI, and the cable that was in there (and not working) had a sqaure end in the gearbox and a white cap on the dials end with a little white plastic square shaped cap on the end that fits into the dial drive.

THe cable i fitted has an oval shaped end that goes into the gearbox and a grey cap that connects to the dials. The dial end of the cable is sqaure.

So, the speedo is now working (hurrah!), but the needle jumps about a bit during operation, and also the speedo is a bit out speed-wise (according to my TomTom).

Any ideas chaps?