Does the ERA speedometer cable have a square tip of some sort on the speedo end of the cable or is it just the inner part of the cable that stabs into the right-angle drive?
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It's a Smith's reverse. It has not worked since day1. Debugging it from every angle to figure out the problem. Pulled the cable at the trans and spun it with a drill...speedo works. Pulled the speedo and spun it from the right angle adapter ...speedo works. Put it in the car...no luck. I finally think the problem is in the speedo itself. I spun it by hand tonight and it spins pretty easily then after several rotations I feel it start to give resistance. I've been back and forth with Doug at ERA on this. I think I'll call him tomorrow and ask if I can send him my speedo and rightagle adapter and see what they can do for me.
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Cobra Make, Engine: 427 Unique Roadster, FE by FE Specialties, 470hp, Top Loader, 3:31 Jag
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I had a similar problem with my Autometer and the reverse adapter. I don't have time right now to go into detail, but it was that the length of the shaft that fits between the speedo and the adapter - it was to long and was binding and had to be shortened.
If this sounds like what you are experiencing, let me know and I'll explain further and post some photos tomorrow evening.
I know exactly what you are talking about. That little shaft has a retainer or stopper about halfway up. I ended up sliding that down to shorten the end that enters the speedo. Still no luck.
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I have had to completely remove that brass collet that is on the shaft that goes from the reverser to the speedometer. It binds everything up. I don't understand why it's there, but I know of cars with several thousand miles on them without it!
"Pulled the cable at the trans and spun it with a drill...speedo works."
"Pulled the speedo and spun it from the right angle adapter ...speedo works."
I could be missing something here, but I would say the speedo is NOT the problem in this case.
I would check to see if the gear in the transmisson is correct - I guess you can attach the cable to the tranmission, disconnect it from the speedo, and then drive it and look at the cable to see if it is turning - OR you can leave the cable attached at the transmisson and see if you can rotate the cable by hand at the speedo end.....don't attach a drill and break it! Just turn it by hand...it should turn a little but want to spring back - you'll feel the resistance.
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Don't know if this is appropriate here or not.
Had a problem with standard speedo cable and AM speedo. Cable had 3/16" square pin drive. Speedo had 1/8" square drive input. Looks like it fits, but doesn't. Had to make a square pin 1/8" on speedo end, and 3/16" on cable end. Then it worked.
Cobra Make, Engine: 427 Unique Roadster, FE by FE Specialties, 470hp, Top Loader, 3:31 Jag
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Joea,
Okay, here is what happened to me with my Autometer and reverser - a process of step-by-step elimination.
Got the car running and no speddo action.
1. Disconnected the cable at the reverser, drove the car and discovered the cable was not turning. What I found was the cable had snapped and the nylon speedo gear in that inserts into the trans was all chewed up.
2. Replaced the gear and installed a new cable.
3. Drove the car with the speedo cable disconnected from the reverse and insured it was spinning.
4. Connected the reverser to speedo cable (reverser disconnected from speedo) to insure the shaft that goes into the reverser was spininng in the opposite direction as the cable.
5. Connected the reverser (with cable connected to the speedo). I could here an unpleasant noise as I slowly edged the car forward and the speedo wasn't moving. I discovered if I loosened the collar that holds the reverser to the speedo it would work.
6. I pulled that shaft that drives the speedo from the reverser and trim down its length.
7. Presto! Success. The shaft between the speedo and reverser was to long - once I trimmed it all was well.
To answer your original question - the chain has a square end, and the shaft between the speedo and reverser is also square. If you need a reverser and shaft, I have an extra of both (new, in the box).
Thanks for the responses. I figured this thing out tonight. I had pulled the cable at the trans once before and checked the teeth on the gear (assuming they were stripped). They looked fine. I then pun it with a drill and the speedo moved fine. Tonight I pulled the gear off the cable and looked at the hole in the gear where the cable connects. This hole should be square. Luckily I had ordered another speedo gear from ERA. When I compared them the new gear clearly had a perfectly square hole. The existing gear had a rounded hole. I'm 99.99% sure this is resolved. Just need to driver her to prove it.
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A car can massage organs which no masseur can reach. It is the one remedy for the disorders of the great sympathetic nervous system. Jean Cocteau 1889-1963, French Author, Filmmaker
Speedometer cable
Linear Mode
