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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - simple speedometer (cable) question

What is the route for the speedometer cable? I will be replacing the cable (as soon as the part arrives) as I messed up the original one (accidently yanked it too far out of the dash, inner cable is clearly not connected). I figure knowing the route will save me several minutes of trying to trace its path from the guage backwards.

thanks.

p.s. '73 1275 midget.
Chris Edwards

on mine it comes out under the accellerator pedal, loops round the back of the engine, then drops down to the connector on the side of the gearbox

edit:

the cable comes out from the panel below where the accellerator cable comes out, loops round the back of the engine, then dips down to join the gearbox.

I took some pics :)

enters engine bay
http://www.spiny.org/rr/midget/speedo/speedo01.jpg

loops round back of engine
http://www.spiny.org/rr/midget/speedo/speedo02.jpg

drops down
http://www.spiny.org/rr/midget/speedo/speedo03.jpg

attaches to gearbox
http://www.spiny.org/rr/midget/speedo/speedo04.jpg

this is where you will skin your knuckles tightening it up
http://www.spiny.org/rr/midget/speedo/speedo05.jpg
phil near bristol

Excellent! thanks Phil, especially for taking the time to take pics. (incidently, i think our midgets are the same color... is that bronze yellow?)
Chris Edwards

Chris,
is your Midget LHD? If so, then your routing will be different (simpler) than shown by Phil's RHD photos.


Norm
Norm Kerr

here is a photo of a LHD engine bay ('74)

the speedo cable (in this photo looks slightly tannish-grey) comes out of the firewall just inboard, and slightly below the washer pump and makes a straight shot to the transmission (one, big smooth "C" curve around the battery tray)


Norm


Norm Kerr

I figured it was going to be simpler (my car is LHD) but Phil's pics were still helpful, i confess i didn't know exactly where the connection to the gearbox was (on the left side near the oil fill)... and I didn't know if it went through the firewall or along it and then down into the transmission tunnel, etc.

:)
Chris Edwards

Is it possible for the cable housing to get streached out such that the cable inside wont engage on either end? My cable quit working when I was trying to reconnect it to the speedo prior to refitting the speedo. I may have pulled on the cable too hard.
S.A. Jones

I'm having this same problem. I just moved my speedo to it's correct location (PO had tach and speedo swapped) and now it won't work. I took it off and to the bench where I ran it with a drill and it worked fine. Back on the car, no workee. I know the cable is spinning as i have driven down the road with the end in my hand and it spins. I did reroute the cable where it's supposed to go (through the foot well front wall where the steering column comes through--for a '63). I was thinking of adding a spacer to provide more cable end for the speedo side, no idea what's going on.
J Van Dyke

I trimmed a tiny bit off the end of the cable where it goes into the speedo AND I added a spacer. Probably should have just tried the trim first THEN the spacer but in any event, speedo works fine now. No idea if it's accurate at all......
J Van Dyke

This thread was discussed between 10/03/2010 and 18/03/2010

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