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TR4/4A Speedometer Cable Routing

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mweg87

Freshman Member
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We just buttoned up the gearbox cover on our 1964 TR4. We have the speedometer cable exiting from the rear of the cover, through the floor with the handbrake boot. We are not sure where to go after this. Somehow we need to get into the engine bay, over to the driver's (left) side, and into the speedo. How is this routed? Are there special clips or holes in the frame or anything like that? Any help and/or pictures would be greatly appreciated!
 
I think it would have to be OD as I don't see how you could get the cable through the hand brake boot on a non OD transmission. On my TR3, which I think is routed similarly to the TR4, the cable goes from the hand brake boot down under the main case of the transmission and then up in front of the left hand firewall and to inside through the same grommet as the non-OD used. It is not an elegant solution but seems to work. Of course since my OD is not original, it may be a poor example.
Tom
 
Original route for a cable coming from an OD box with an angle drive on a LHD car takes it forward along the gearbox, then crossing the engine bay along the front edge of the battery box (P-clip there I think) then on to the usual grommet on the LH firewall to the speedo.
 
Geo Hahn said:
Original route for a cable coming from an OD box with an angle drive on a LHD car takes it forward along the gearbox, then crossing the engine bay along the front edge of the battery box (P-clip there I think) then on to the usual grommet on the LH firewall to the speedo.
Click to expand...

Thanks Geo, My set up certainly didn't look very tidy coming through the handbrake boot but apparently this was a common hack with OD conversion, rather than buying the 90 degree adapter.
Tom
 
The angle drive wasn't introduced until later, at TR4A (where the handbrake boot was no longer in position to provide the passage). They are enough of a pain that IMO the early setup is actually better.

Keep in mind you don't want any sharp bends in the speedo cable. Minimum radius installed is 6", with no bends at all within 2" of connections.
 
Update: On further inspection I found a couple of clips on the right side of the frame that obviously were for the cable. Then ran into engine bay near the starter, past the battery area, and into the cockpit. We don't have a battery box yet so I just zip tied it to the heater pipe on the rear of the engine for now. Thanks for the help!
 
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