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TR4/4A Speedo Angle Drive

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KVH

KVH

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Well, as you can see, the copper washer didn’t exactly save my angle drive. Snapped and twisted right off. What’s the deal with these?

Also, I need a new speedo cable. The 8 foot overdrive one seems too long. As I recall, people here recommended using the standard length and routing over the top of the transmission. In fact, the one I have is the standard length. Confusing to me.

Finally, I can see there’s a need to avoid the exhaust pipes located nearby. My car is a TR4A, overdrive.

Thoughts welcome as usual.

IMG_0285.jpeg
 
KVH said:
Well, as you can see, the copper washer didn’t exactly save my angle drive. Snapped and twisted right off. What’s the deal with these?

Also, I need a new speedo cable. The 8 foot overdrive one seems too long. As I recall, people here recommended using the standard length and routing over the top of the transmission. In fact, the one I have is the standard length. Confusing to me.

Finally, I can see there’s a need to avoid the exhaust pipes located nearby. My car is a TR4A, overdrive.

Thoughts welcome as usual.

View attachment 102301
Click to expand...

If this has been happening maybe you should consider a look at at your speedo or the cable.
Charley
 
The angle drive broke; that’s the mating shaft on of the angle drive you’re seeing—snapped.
 
Interesting. Mine failed similarly, but differently. Instead of the mating shaft breaking, it simply "spun" inside the shaft. I fixed it with solder; I suppose you could do the same thing, but perhaps there is too much resistance in your speedometer?? In this thread, https://www.britishcarforum.com/community/threads/o-d-right-angle-drive-choices.128749/#post-1218867, Bob mentions he had a broken gear in the odometer.

Again, grasping at straws... there is always the twice as expensive version from Rimmers??
 
I just took my new one apart. It’s so simple and cheap. Even the snap rings don’t have grooves, just a machined seat to hold them in. Now I wish I did order a different one. And I’m not buying that copper washer “fix” advisory. My copper washer did nothing. It’s either quality or it’s not.
 
On most cars the cable can be safely tucked between the floor and the frame rail by wedging the pan up a bit.
After 5 to 10 inches it can come back out and be routed the rest of the way to the gage.
Mad dog
 
Thanks. That’s my fun project for today. I did cut out an access panel, and with rivets and some rubber stock I made a cool seal so the panel pops right in. I’ll report back how it all goes.
 
KVH said:
Well, as you can see, the copper washer didn’t exactly save my angle drive. Snapped and twisted right off. What’s the deal with these?

Also, I need a new speedo cable. The 8 foot overdrive one seems too long. As I recall, people here recommended using the standard length and routing over the top of the transmission. In fact, the one I have is the standard length. Confusing to me.

Finally, I can see there’s a need to avoid the exhaust pipes located nearby. My car is a TR4A, overdrive.

Thoughts welcome as usual.

View attachment 102301
Click to expand...
Happened to me as well once. It was the cable. Too much resistance for the weak angle drive to spin the cable.
 
You can also remove the cable completely, douse it out with some lube spray, get it nice and clean and oil it upon reassembly. Be sure not to have too many tight bends in the cable as well.
 
I'd like to explore this further in case there's a consensus on the best "fix.".

The long "Triumph" speedometer cable presumably is for something. It's listed in Moss as being for, among other things, the TR4A with overdrive.

I've been all over the threads here, including from years back. The 4A, of course, has no emergency brake boot through which to feed the cable. If the angle drive is to be used, the shorter 6 foot cable works fairly well, but there are three problems. First, the cable is too close to the exhaust pipes, Second, angle drives are a constant source of failure. Third, without an access plate, or the car interior and transmission tunnel are removed, servicing the angle drive is near impossible.

The longer cable, 92" I believe, is promising if an access "cut out" is made to the transmission tunnel. This is so because the cable can be routed over the engine at the battery box (like the shorter cable) and then downward and along the frame, through the frame access holes, and then up through the jack hole plug, through the access cut out, and then screwed directly into the transmission speedometer drive without the need for an angle drive. The cut out panel can then be reaffixed (with a slot for the cable), and the angle of connection avoids kinks in the cable. But, of course, all this means that about 3 inches of the cable is under a small part of the carpet and underlayment adjacent to the tunnel. A purist won't like that, but unless the passenger is stomping a foot hard near the transmission tunnel, it doesn't appear problematic.

Has anyone routed the longer cable in this manner? Is there a cleaner, better, way, to install a cable and dispense with the angle drive?
 
As far as I know, you don't have to have the angle drive. However, you do need to be able to have a safe radius in the cable to affix it along the chassis. The TR6 has a clip or two that snap onto the edge of the floor and on the edge of the chassis to hold the cable away from other things. Having a cable that's basically 3ft longer than your original can pose a problem for routing it, but if it helps with an initial loop under the car to avoid the exhaust, it may be better. Can you get away with a large loop and clipped on both sides of your floor openings along the transmission?
 
With the longer cable and no angle drive, I have no kink in the line, but I can only get back to the overdrive connection (straight line connection) if I come up through the passenger floor board plug. Seems really a bit forced and awkward, especially since the shorter cable works with the angle drive and the longer cable has way too much length for an angle drive connection. I’ll slide under the car again and see if I’m missing anything.
 
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