Hi there,
today I tried to fit the speedo cable that came with the car 18 years ago.

It is 71 inches long.....

It is totally wrong and will not fit.

The gearbox end has the correct outer screw on fitting to attach it to the gearbox, but the inner cable is to small to locate in the gearbox entry and just turns around.

The end that attaches to the speedo head end is to small a diameter to hold the cable to the speedo.Also the inner end that is needed is a female end.

My speedo cable has 2 male ends and they are to small for the existing fittings.

Please see the pictures that I have uploaded to see my plight.



I need a cable that has a male one end and a female the other.

I wonder which model this cable is from?

It is in wonderfull condition for its age and if the model that it fitted was discovered, would make someone very happy.

any information on this matter is gratefully accepted
cheers
Peter

Go to your local speedometer shop and they can make you a new cable with the correct ends.

Hi there,
In Australia, we dont have any stores like that to help find a solution to the problem.

Also CLICK the picture in the first post to see the various pix of the cable and speed-head.

If it is impossible to find a solution, I will have to do what many do here, and fit a GPS to the screen and adjust the display to KPH , so as to be legal on the road and for rego.
but that is a last resort..


Peter

I have a bunch of NOS spdo cables with housings for these year cars. What length do you need ? Give me your E-mail address so I can send pictures.

Hi there chevy b,
thank you for your kind offer to help in finding the correct speedo cable for my car.
I was contacted by another local Aussie member CJP's29 (on this forum) who thought that he had a solution.
He searched his garage and found some OLD NOS cables still in their boxes and one he thought might fit mine.
He sent it to me and it fitted perfectly, both ends, now that's a 500/1 chance.
I love the old box that it came in , see my pictures at:



I fitted it this afternoon (the cable not the BOX ) and was very pleased...

cheers
Peter

Peter
Sounds like Chris came to the rescue. That is 1 less problem you have to sort out.
Tony

Hi Tony,
yes that is definitely one less problem now solved.

That's what makes this FORUM so wonderful, someone out there has the time and knowledge and patience to try to help with the query.

This is what it is all about, helping one another across the sea and land, many thousand miles apart yet so close.....

Peter

Hi Tony,
Does the speedo cable have to run in a certain position and where would it penetrate the bulkhead?
Its a heavyish cable and it must have had some type of clips arrangement to hold it steady? any ideas where it runs and how its secured to the car?

Peter

Peter
I havent traced the cable routing for the 34 (have even forgotten where my 38 runs) but I would it run it so that it is clear of everything else without any sharp bends (nothing less than 12" radius). There was possibly 1 (maybe more) small clip screwed to the chassis and another 1 or 2 on the firewall.

My guess is that there will be a suitable sized hole in the firewall reasonably close to where the speedo sits in the dash. It may be a slot about 3" wide to allow the cable, choke cable, oil pressure guage tube and a wiring harness to go through the 1 opening, there would possibly be a rubber strip that supported and protected them from chaffing on the metal edge.

With a lot of the older cars I dont know a lot of the fine detail but do have some books that contain mechanical specs (1933 motors manual) which covers most manufacturers up to then but not the body specs. Knowing the basics generally gets me out of trouble but occassionally gets me deeper in.

Tony

Hi Tony,
thank you for the advice.
I bought a new rubber grommet for that long slot in the centre of the bulkhead, just above the rocker cover.

Unfortunately I do not have the small metal holder or cover plate that secures it to the firewall. Mine is a 4 hole grommet.

That looks like the most likely place for the tube to pass through..

I will also see if I can get the speedo cable through but I think that I will have to drill a larger hole next to the slot, because the ends of the speedo cable are bigger than the actual slot itself!

Peter

The throttle cable, choke cable, oil pressure line and temperature gauge tube go through the center grommet. Vacuum line is in separate hole closer to steering column. The speedometer cable goes from the transmission and up between toe board and inside of firewall. Held by a clamp ~1/2 way up firewall then to the speedometer.

Thought Chipper would chime in and correct me as I was only guessing.

Tony

Tony,
Since I don't own a '34 to check I am also only guessing. Well maybe I checked a few references so my guessing was a bit more accurate.

Chipper
Your "guess" is likely to be more educated and accurate than mine.
Tony