Not sure this is the right forum, mods feel free to move.
The speedometer on my 79 doesn't work. The owner said that it was probably the cable and that his mechanic had told him you had to remove the motor mounts and drop the engine to get access to the output from the transmission. From what I have read this doesn't seem to be the case.
Also, yesterday I dropped the steering column and pulled the interment cluster. I found that the speedo cable had been disconnected from the gauge. I pulled backward and forward in the driveway a couple of times and the cable didn't spin within the sheaf. I went a head and hooked it back up in a vain hope that I just couldn't get up enough speed in the driveway, this was to no avail.
So my first thought is that the cable has broken and just needs to be replaced. Not sure if it should spin freely within the sheaf or if upon breaking it would get in a bind and be movable. To complicate matters, the tripometer is stuck at 444 and the gauge perpetually reads 10mph. So the gauge could be bad as well. Any thoughts?
first, the mechanic doesn't know Spiders. No need to deal with motor mounts. Just disconnect the cable at the left rear of the tranny. Once it's disconnected on each end you should be able to spin the inner cable. Generally when they break, they're bound up and won't spin. Check the speedo by inserting a very small screwdriver into the square drive on the back. Spin it quickly and you should see the needle jump.
for some reason, speedo cables here in michigan tempt the patience of even a priest (or Pope). but, none to fear. with the proper knowledge you can overcome this malady.
Like Mark said, crawl under the driver side of the car, and unscrew the cable from the transmission. being careful to study the path the cable takes from that point all the way up and through the firewall, remove the cable from the car and inspect it. it should push/pull and twist freely inside the sheath. if not, or if it binds...time to order another.
also, what frequently happens is that the tip of the cable (either end) will break off, rendering the cable useless. if your cable has a flat end, and not a pointed end (both ends) then suspect some breakage. Look inside the speedometer or inside the bracket at the transmission for the broken tip.
i do not care for the "snap on" cable end Fiat designed for the later model speedometers. in my experience, this connection does not like to stay connected. I've taken to adding a hose clamp to secure those plastic fingers into place. it is possible in your situation that this is all that needs done....but i would perform the push/pull & twist test to be sure there is no binding before i merely installed the cable back on the end of the speedometer.
for under $30 you should be able to get a brand new cable & sheath delivered to your door. other than a pair of needle nose pliers to pull out the broken tip, i cannot think of a tool that is needed to perform this simple procedure. Motor mounts? Sounds like a guy who was clueless and did not want the job.
sometimes, if you are really lucky, the tip breaks off at the meter end, and can be pulled out of the sheath from the gauge panel side. when this is possible, you can replace the inner cable without disturbing the installed sheath. Makes the job a lot easier. Be sure to use a minor amount of lithium (white) grease on the cable as you install it into the sheath.
dropping the steering column is not difficult, and is highly recommended anytime one needs to pull the gauge panel from the dashboard. BE CAREFUL not to pinch any wires when you re-mount the steering column. You could short out a circuit and spend weeks looking for the cause.
chapter #3 in my soon to be published book on Spiders is titled "Speedo Cables - The Scourge of a Great Weekend"
Thanks mbouse. I have dropped the column on it already when I removed the instrument cluster and the cable was not secured inserted into the gauge. I figure I'll pull the cable in the next couple of days and have a looksee. Thanks again.
Took another look at the speedo cable at the speedometer. When I removed the connector the cable stayed in the gauge.I was able to remove the inner cable w/o disturbing the sheath. Both ends looked good and the gauge spun freely (though I could not see if the dial moved at all) I reinstalled the cable into the sheath. It's snowing now so I will have to wait a while until I can check the transmission side of things *thinking that it may not be connected at all*
