[TR] OD Speedometer Cable Route, TR3A

[Randall]

> But next up is to pull the speedometer cable because I'd like 
> to have the speedometer needle stop wobbling plus/minus 10 
> miles per hour on the road.

One potential problem is if the end of the inner cable protrudes too far at
the speedo end.  It can push against the mechanism and cause it to bind.  An
easy test is to loosen the nut and take a short test drive.  If that
improves the 'wobble', you may need to shorten the cable a bit.  Usually,
there is a plastic sleeve that can be slid up the inner cable to effect the
change.

> Does it seem likely that the cable 
> is buggered up inside and should be replaced, since I'm going 
> to all the work of removing and reinstalling it (and don't 
> want to have to repeat it).

Personally I would inspect it first.  Slide the inner cable out, clean it,
look for any bright spots, wear or delamination.  But yeah, it's probably
safest to just replace it and hope your new one isn't defective.

> 2) Does anybody have a trick for routing the OD cable?B  For 
> instance, is there supposed to be a 90 degree elbow off the 
> transmission, something like that?

The factory setup did not use an angle drive.  If you want to try
converting, you'll also need a shorter cable to go with it.  The factory
cable routing did make fairly gentle curves, I'm not sure the angle drive
would improve that any.  It should come off the OD, go fairly straight
through the handbrake boot and the hole in the floor behind the handbrake
lever.  I have a piece of heater hose slid over it at that point, to reduce
abrasion against the edge of the hole in the floor.  Then it swings out all
the way against the frame rail (where I think there should be a clip),
curves up the face of the firewall and crosses over the body on the ledge in
front of the battery.  Should be a clamp on that ledge, to hold it in place.
Then the sharpest curve is to turn and go through the firewall, and straight
on to the speedo head.

Randall