Rivergate Speedometer issue

[69sprite]

I am wondering if any of you have experienced this and have an "easy" fix.

On the way home from the shop, just after getting my 69 MKIV back on the road last month, my speedometer quit. I thought I had used my old cable during the Rivergate changeover, but it was actually the new one sent to me as part of the kit, along with the angle drive adapter.

The cable wasn't broken. The gear in the tranny looked new. When I turned the speedo cable, the speedo would bump and move. When I removed the angle drive adapter, it looked ok. When I hooked it up to the cable and turned it's shaft, it looked as if it work, then wouldn't. I sent the angle drive adapter back to the the Perry's at Rivergate and they checked it out as fine. I just got finished putting everything back together and taking a spin.

The speedo worked to the end of the driveway, then stopped. I checked both ends to make sure they were tight, which they were. I saw a post about some of the RG speedo cables not having stops on the insert and they would work their was up into the speedometer itself and end up working themselves out of the bottom link in the angle drive adapter.

Has anyone had this experience and have any suggestions for me?

Larry

 

[spritenut]

The Datsun speedo cable is narrower than the original Smiths British cable.
Check out hobby metal at a hobby shop or hardware store, I found square stock brass the exact size of the Smiths cable, I filed down the jap cable flats just a bit and slipped a 5/8" long piece of the brass square stock over the jap cable end and it works perfect, it has for years now.
The square stock is about 1/8 or 3/16 square hollow brass and is about $2 for a foot. My hardware store has it in a small counter top display with all kinds of small metal stuff.

 

[Nelson]

I can't offer any help but I can sympathize. I have a new 5 speed and the speedo worked right from the start when we installed it. After I brought it home the speedo quit working and I haven't had much chance to find the cause. I removed the cable from it and reattached it but it still did nothing. My next step will be to jack up the rear of the car and then see if the end of the cable spins when I have the car in gear. The end of the interior cable appeared to be short but I don't recall how it looked initially.

Good luck with yours.

 

[regularman]

I had this problem. I took a coke can and some scissors and cut out a tiny aluminum strip and wrapped the cable making it into a square bushing and fit into the speedometer square. Been working a few thousand miles.

 

[Pythias]

Bill M. may have some of Paul A.s stock of correct cables. They are custom made with metric fittings for the Angle Drive at one end and Imperial measure square cut to fit the Speedo at the other.

 

[JPSmit]

The Datsun speedo cable is narrower than the original Smiths British cable.
Check out hobby metal at a hobby shop or hardware store, I found square stock brass the exact size of the Smiths cable, I filed down the jap cable flats just a bit and slipped a 5/8" long piece of the brass square stock over the jap cable end and it works perfect, it has for years now.
The square stock is about 1/8 or 3/16 square hollow brass and is about $2 for a foot. My hardware store has it in a small counter top display with all kinds of small metal stuff.

+1 I had to do the same with mine - no problems since