Replacing speedo cable

[stanley sweet]

I've always been under the impression that changing a Fulvia speedo cable is a bit of a nightmare. But I've bitten the bullet and bought a new one. The gearbox end is easy but does anyone have any tips about the other end. To be honest I haven't even investigated that end yet. The attachment looks as simple as the gearbox end so where does the nightmare start - is it just accessability?

[rogerelias]

Hi. I have never changed one, but does  the inner cable just have square ends at each end, i.e. could the inner cable go in either way, and where is the cable snapped? if snapped at gearbox end,(sods law says it will always be the speedo end)! then you can pull the inner out, and thread the new one into the outer twisting the inner as you do it, if not employ someone with long arms, and eyes on stalks, who can lie on their back. Hope this may help you. Regards Roger

[Scarpia]

I think its easier to just remove the outer from though the bulkhead and replace and grease the inner whilst out of the car.You can undo the outer screw coupling behind the speedo easily by reaching under the dashboard. The run of the cable under the bonnet is as easy as can be as it passes over the top of  everything else and attaches on top of the gearbox.On older lancias the square ended inner cable at the speedo end is retained by a very fine thumbscrew throught the cable itself in addition to the outer screw attachment which makes replacement very awkward but I don't remember this being a problem on the fulvia (i.e. its a push fit retained in place by the outer cable screw.) 

[stanley sweet]

Thanks for the suggestions. I must admit that just looking at the cable it seemed it should be as easy at the speedo end as at the gearbox end. Famous last words. I'll only be able to tell once the repaired fuel tank is in and I can move it out the garage to see what I'm doing.

[Rags]

Replaced mine with new without a problem.  Took the grommet out of the bulkhead, bit of teflon spray and slips over fitting.  Get on your back in the footwell and a one hand job to screw in dash end.  Job done in no time.  Hardest bit is wriggling out of the footwell.

[stanley sweet]

Cheers Rags. I wonder why any suggestion of it seemed to be met with sucking of air through teeth like a builder looking at a simple job? Looking forward to it now - be nice to have a speedo again.

[ColinMarr]

Stanley,

Just as you are clear as to how you want to do it, can I make another suggestion!

I replaced the speedo cable on my S1 Fulvia Sport a few years ago and don’t remember it being much of a problem. But I cannot ever imagine doing it by getting to the back of the speedo laying down upside down in the footwell and reaching up! It’s not that I am a big bloke with big hands, but there is so little room to get at anything, let alone see what you are doing.

I first detached the cable from the gearbox end. Then  I first took off the wooden instrument panel cover, by undoing the fascia nuts holding the speedo trip and the instrument lights dimmer, and then the knurled nut in the glove box and ease it away carefully from the vinyl trim. Then detach the speedo and pull it outwards until you can get a hand to undo the cable end at the back of it. I then tied a piece of string to the cable end, to act as a pull through to get the new cable back through the grommet. My only anxious moments were getting the wooden panel in and out without cracking it.

Good luck!

Colin

[Scarpia]

Colin's right about this method and I have removed and replaced these a few times.The ease of the wood trim removal varies a bit from car to car with the tight fitting ones increasing the risk of a crack.If you do it this way  you need to flex the wood trim to get it out just to the point where you are worried something might break . However, with care and gentle pursuasion it comes out.The place to watch and take care is the thin section just under the clock adjuster cut out near the dashboard glovebox.

all of this is a "mere Bagatel" compared with the horrors of repairing the heater control rods of course......

[stanley sweet]

Thanks everyone. Plenty there to go on. Funny you should mention heater controls. Mine snapped years ago and that really was met by comments of 'don't bother'. I now just switch the heater on or off by moving the lever in the passenger footwell (mine's LHD). So I just have a summer setting - off, and a winter setting - on. Reminds me of my old '64 Midget where the heater was turned on or off by a knurled wheel under the bonnet which looked like something off a steam engine footplate. Still prefer that kind of simplicity to having to plug a car into a computer.