Speedo cable replacement wont seat in transmission!!!

[79X19]

So I've completed the cable installation and went to insert it into the transmission and the inner cable seems to be a bit too long. I cant get it in far enough to enable the fastener to screw down.
I think I've read somewhere in forum that the end of the cable needs to be trimmed sometime to fit. Is this the case? If so how do you trim it? Kind of maddening as it should just fit!!!

 

[nichol01]

This happened to me too. I installed a new cable and it seemed to long. But i was still able to start the threads at the trans. I drove for a short distance and my speedo knocked pretty bad. So i looked at where the cable mounted to the trans pulled the holdown nut back and measured how far the cable housing was from seating. I then cut off The cable end slightly more than what i measured. I used a handheld grinder with a cut off wheel. Clean up the end and taper the end back on all four corners. This was the answer for me. But i only had to take of about a 1/4". If it is more than that you might have a broken cable still in the trans.

 

[Rodger]

Ditto on my experience with a new cable recently. Do what nichol01 did.

 

[TonyK]

Are you sure part of the old cable has not broken off inside the transmission adapter? This would make the cable too long as well.

TonyK.

Grimsby Ontario Canada.

 

[79X19]

How would I confirm if a small part of the cable is broken off inside the transmission adapter? And if it is how do you extract it?

 

[79X19]

Ok so I cut off a 1/4” off the end of the cable and it now fits into the transmission adapter and I can screw it down but I feel that there is still a bit too much length as I can not screw down the fastener till it’s tight with out feeling as though I’m about to kink the cable.
Should I trim it again or is hand tight on the transmission adapter ok?

 

[nichol01]

With the cable hold down nut pushed back on tbe cable housing. Does the cable housings metal end bottom out on the transmissions adapter?
If you have to push down hard on the housing and the cable seems to bind you will have to cut more off the end of the cable.
Did you make sure there was no broken end of cable in the adapter?
When i did mine i pulled the adapter out and checked to make sure nothing was in it.

 

[79X19]

So I can just pull the transmission adapter out and replace it once I have determined nothing is in it correct?

 

[Rod Midkiff]

Just be careful of the gear dropping into the transmission. It is posable. (I did it on my original transmission that will someday see a rebuild).

 

[nichol01]

I went out this morning and took a few pictures for you. My Motor and trans are currently out. I measured my cable it is sticking out of the housing about 1". Then measured my speedometer drive and it is also about 1". If you duplicate these measurments i think you do not have anything in your speedometer drive. And you just need to cut your cable accordingly. Hope this helps.

 

[79X19]

Thank you for the info and pics!!

 

[DanielForest]

I will check that. My rebuild transmission is in the car (1987) and working fine but the speedo don't. I removed and refitted the speedo cable at the transmission 3 times with no changes. But I notice the inner cable is probably just 1/4 inch long. Maybe I should pull it more to insert into the transmission. That will be my next try.

 

[DanielForest]

The most I can pull the cable is 1/2 inch. I took good care of inserting it in the transmission and that was enough. Now I have a working speedo. Thanks for the tip @nichol01

 

[speedy fiat]

I had a similar issue and had to trim the cable. I found that if the cable is too long it transmits pressure through to the speedo end as you tighten the fixing at the gearbox end. The cable can then no longer spin freely and winds up and releases, apart from not reading correctly I doubt it would last more than a few miles like that.