speedometer cable length question

[Dave and Heidi Janous]

I’m looking for someone with speedometer cable replacement experience to help me work through what I believe to be a cable length issue I’m having with a new cable I bought from Rick. Rick is telling me it’s the correct cable but the actual hardened steel inner cable is longer that the one I took out. It does not appear to be seating properly at the speedometer head end, extends out much further than the old one. Rick advised not to try to cut off the hardened cable. Not sure what to do next.

Any help with this would be greatly appreciated.

Regards,
Dave
djanous@hga.com

[Michael Hartman and Donna Bissey]

Alpine or Tiger? Any pictures showing the issue?

Alpine speedometer cable lengths are:
LHD 4 speed
84″ all cars up to B395002175 which is early series 5
75″ from B395002176

LHD with Overdrive
84″ up to B395002181
81″ from B395002182

RHD 4 speed
66″ up to B395002182
63″ from B395002183

RHD with Overdrive
72″ up to B395002178
66″ from B395002175

Mike

[Dave and Heidi Janous]

Thank you for your reply, Mike. The car is a ’66 Tiger. My question was not with the overall cable/sheathing length but with the length of the cable inside the sheathing. With the gear installed on the new cable, the internal cable extended beyond the opposite end about 7/8″ further than that in the existing cable/sheathing. This made that internal cable too long to fit into the speedometer. As noted previously, Rick M. suggested I not try to shorten it myself as it is a hardened steel cable. Since my posting, a neighbor recommended Speedometer Service Company here in Milwaukee. As a walk-in yesterday, they were able to replace the internal cable with an appropriate length cable, refitting the ends as I waited. Per Doug at Speedometer Service, the appropriate length of the internal cable should have it extending 3/8″ at the speedometer end. It now does. I can’t recommend this business highly enough for anyone in need of a repaired or new cable. As of last night, with Tom Jeffers advice and encouragement, the cable is now installed. We’ll see if all’s working later today. Crossing my fingers….

[Michael Hartman and Donna Bissey]

Sounds like you have it sorted.

I don’t think the internal shaft is fixed in its position. You should be able to lay the cable flat and straight and then move the shaft from end-to-end. So maybe the shaft position had moved a bit too much towards the speedo end of the cable and it could be moved back towards the gearbox end.

Mike

[Dave and Heidi Janous]

The speedometer’s is now working and spot on per phone speedometer app. One down and many more to go!

[Clyde and Valerie & Valerie McLaughlin]

I recently purchased a cable from SS, no problem with inner cable..But I shortened the complete cable by 13 inches so that I felt it fit better with my 5 speed Trans..I liked the originalfitting at the speedo head end better than the new replacement so I shortened from that end. I carefully cut the end off the old cable close to the metal part and with a drill removed the rest of the outer cable from inside the metal end, I then put the new outer cable with the cut end into the old end fitting and crimped it, then cut the inner cable to the appropriate length and installed a new square drive piece to the cut end of the inner cable from a cable repair kit from NAPA #615-1795. That kit comes with a new inner cable so if you mess one up you have an extra. And another note: if your car has headers be mindful of the cable routing as to avoid damage to the cable, don’t ask me how I know this can be an issue, I have also covered the cable with heat reflective insulation

[Dave and Heidi Janous]

Thank you Clyde. Agreed regarding the headers and the heat protective sheathing. Without it, the local speedometer repair shop recommends a 3” minimum space from the header for plastic encased cables and 1 1/2” for metal encased.

[Sean Johnson]

Dave,

You haven’t lost your mind. I bought a new speedo cable from Sunbeam Specialties and, it too, was overlength for the inner cable. (by about 1/2″) I ordered a replacement cable 2 months later and it was spot on for length… It must be a problem at the manufacturer.

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