• The Roadster Factory Recovery Fund - Friends, as you may have heard, The Roadster Factory, a respected British Car Parts business in PA, suffered a total loss in a fire on Christmas Day. Read about it, discuss or ask questions >> HERE. The Triumph Register of America is sponsoring a fund raiser to help TRF get back on their feet. If you can help, vist >> their GoFundMe page.
  • Hey there Guest!
    If you enjoy BCF and find our forum a useful resource, if you appreciate not having ads pop up all over the place and you want to ensure we can stay online - Please consider supporting with an "optional" low-cost annual subscription.
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this UGLY banner)
Tips
Tips

TR6 Speedo Angle Drive

Gerry M

Member
Offline
My speedo stopped working. I think my angle drive is the problem. I disconnected the speedo cable at the tranny and tested the cable with my electric drill. The cable is OK (speedo needle moves). I then took out the angle drive (see pic). Not sure what the end that connects to tranny is supposed to look like but mine has what looks to be a short twisted off cable end. What should this look like - does anyone have a pic of what it should look like? Is it possible that the rest of this twisted cable is still stuck in the threaded piece that goes into the tranny? How do I get the tranny piece out to check it - just loosen bolt on top? Thanks.
speedo.jpgangle drive.jpg
 

Geo Hahn

Yoda
Country flag
Offline
Mine broke in a similar fashion:

AngleDrive_zpse62e1409.jpg


I was able to extract the missing bit from the gearbox fitting without disassembling any further (there was some sticking out I could get hold of).

SpeedoDrive_zps7e384b44.jpg


I was also able to pick out the remains of that piece from the angle drive and make a replacement piece from the end of an old speedo cable I had.

That piece is just a short length of speedo cable with a square end (looks like the end of you long speedo cable). I stuck that short piece is with JBWeld.

AngleDriveCO25547_zpsee5c4e70.jpg


Hmmm - that may be a new angle drive in that picture, no photo of the one I repaired but it looks the same.

On mine there was a special rubber or plastic washer/grommet that fit over that short cable before it is offered to the drive on the gearbox. If yours has that is may still be in there or may have fallen to the ground when you removed the angle drive.

Unknown_zps042d3b5e.jpg


It seems the system is designed so that, if the speedo head binds, the $90 angle drive breaks to save your $18 cable.
 

TR3driver

Great Pumpkin - R.I.P
Offline
It seems the system is designed so that, if the speedo head binds, the $90 angle drive breaks to save your $18 cable.
Just to emphasize Geo's point, the speedo head may be the real problem even though it moved when you spun it with the drill. When the bushing gets dry, friction causes it to heat up and bind after some time of continuous operation. Once it cools, it turns fairly easily again.

When I bought Stag #2, the previous owner had just replaced the angle drive. Less than 100 miles later, it broke again. The speedo head turned fairly easy when I got home, only a tiny bit of drag, but it was the problem.
 

Bob Claffie

Jedi Knight
Country flag
Offline
On my MGB, when the angle drive went bad (just like the pictures above) rather than replacing the $$$$ angle drive I bought a slightly longer speedometer cable and eliminated the angle drive completely. Never another problem. On the MGB there was plenty of room to make the angle drive unnecessary.
 
OP
Gerry M

Gerry M

Member
Offline
Geo when you say "I was also able to pick out the remains of that piece from the angle drive ..." does that mean that it will pull out (e.g. not permanently attached inside the angle drive). I've given mine a light pull it didn't budge much. Should I just apply more 'pull power'?
 

Geo Hahn

Yoda
Country flag
Offline
...Should I just apply more 'pull power'?

That's what I did. I really thought I'd have to do something mechanical (perhaps a drill) to clean it out but there was enough to get ahold of with needle nose pliers and I just yanked for all I was worth.

It is just twisted wire and I'm thinking I pulled it out one strand at a time. Done that way, no single strand has very much holding it in there.
 

TR3driver

Great Pumpkin - R.I.P
Offline
Just for clarity, the broken stub that pulls out is inside the transmission drive gear, not in the angle drive. I got ahold of one strand with a pair of hemostats, and the whole thing slid out. But it no doubt depends on how badly chewed up it is.
 

Geo Hahn

Yoda
Country flag
Offline
Actually, I had a broken stub in both pieces. The one in the gearbox end came out easily as it just slip in there when the drive is mounted to it. The remains in the drive itself (shown in first photo above) was what I had to yank out strand by strand.

I do not know what was holding them in there but whatever it was could be over come with force without damaging the rest of the unit. The hole left was clean and I used an angle grinder to slice off a length from the end of an old speedo cable to use as a replacement. Measured carefully to be sure I would have the right amount of cable projecting when it was done.
 

Geo Hahn

Yoda
Country flag
Offline
...I have now a really good way to fix these.
There will be a new topic shortly showing how I do this.

It's bound to be better that cutting off a piece of a nail (which is how one person I know 'fixed' it).

Interesting photos of one disassembled - don't think I had seen that before.
 
Similar threads
Thread starter Title Forum Replies Date
Jim_Stevens TR2/3/3A OD angle drive engaging the speedo cable Triumph 8
P Help with Speedo Angle Drive Austin Healey 2
B Longbridge 100-6 Tach Cable and Speedo Angle Drive Questions Austin Healey 7
Gerry M TR6 Speedo Angle Drive Triumph 2
glemon Speedo Angle Drive Triumph 6
M Speedo Angle Drive Austin Healey 5
glemon Angle Drive Speedo Cable Different Size Ends Triumph 12
M Speedo angle drive MG 3
SwamperCa Speedo angle drive MG 8
angelfj1 Right-Angle Speedo Drive Triumph 6
TonyPanchot "A" Type O.D. Speedo Angle Triumph 8
2wrench Speedo gear/speedo angle parts Triumph 9
R TR6 Speedo Experts: Troubleshoot question… Triumph 10
J TR6 speedo Triumph 0
mctriumph For Sale Speedo Cables Supra / Tr Triumph Classifieds 4
mctriumph For Sale Speedo Cables Supra / Tr Triumph Classifieds 0
Darrell_Walker TR4/4A Speedo Drive removal (non-OD) Triumph 8
J Wanted Original BJ 7 speedo Austin Healey Classifieds 0
algot1901 1950 Prefect Speedo Cable Other British Cars 8
George Zeck Speedo Cable? Spridgets 3
Dnickels Spitfire Speedo help Triumph 4
Got_All_4 TR6 Routing Speedo cable for a J type tranny in my TR250 Triumph 4
R Speedo High Beam Warning Light Color Austin Healey 14
P TR6 72 TR6 Speedo cable Triumph 2
4tecdog Speedo drive gear Spridgets 15
N Speedo identification? Other British Cars 4
F TR6 speedo gear reduction Triumph 3
S TR2/3/3A Routing the OD speedo cable Triumph 9
S TR2/3/3A grounds the tach and speedo dash lights Triumph 1
T TR2/3/3A Drive end of speedo inner cable to large for pinion Triumph 2
T TR2/3/3A Question on overdrive pinion & bearing assembly for speedo drive Triumph 11
Jeepster Oily speedo Austin Healey 8
Bob_Spidell Disassemble Speedo Adapter Austin Healey 2
S TR4/4A What is the routing for the speedo cable Triumph 2
jfarris TR2/3/3A Which speedo is correct for a 1956 TR3? Triumph 8
MY66AH Speedo rebuild Spridgets 5
B TR2/3/3A Gearbox speedo drive seal Triumph 1
longbridgehealey Speedo cable from 59 Bugeye Spridgets 1
MY66AH Speedo problems Spridgets 15
doc50 TR2/3/3A Speedo WAY off... Triumph 10
Patrick67BJ8 Speedo calibration Austin Healey 22
paul9999 Speedo...just gets quicker and quicker! Other British Cars 2
KVH TR4/4A Long Speedo Cable for Overdrive--where does it get tied down? Triumph 7
mgedit TR2/3/3A Bouncy Speedo ... Lubrication Triumph 4
trotti Speedo ignition light Austin Healey 12
B Speedo needle Austin Healey 3
Rut MGB OD install, speedo drive gear MG 0
doc50 TR2/3/3A Speedo reads way too low Triumph 13
M_Pied_Lourd TR2/3/3A Another Speedo Cable Routing Question.... Triumph 5
6TTR3A TR2/3/3A Speedo in KPH Triumph 21

Similar threads

Top