78 spider Sedometer cable

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MrBlimp
Posts: 88
Joined: Thu Jun 15, 2017 12:03 am
Your car is a: 1978 Fiat 124 Spider
Location: Chichester, NY

78 spider Sedometer cable

Postby MrBlimp » Fri Jun 30, 2017 11:58 pm

I bought the cable with the white clipy thing on one end and the screw on thingy at the other end, BUT, I can't see to figure out where it goes - the speedometer looks like it takes a screw on not a clip, and I don't see any pathway to follow.

Did I get the wrong cable?

I should mention - the car came without one.
69 Triumph Spitfire
70 MGB
78 Fiat 124 Spider
92 Mustang LX
00 Jeep Wrangler Sport 4.0L - Totaled
00 Ford Ranger XLT 3.0L
05 Hyundai Accent

zachmac
Posts: 1278
Joined: Sun Aug 24, 2008 9:20 am
Your car is a: 1978 Spider [1979 2 ltr engine]
Location: Aiken, SC

Re: 78 spider Sedometer cable

Postby zachmac » Sat Jul 01, 2017 7:19 am

78 should be the cable you are describing. The white end goes on the back of the speedo. You push the outer ring back, seat the inner clip (cable must be seated) and then pull the outer ring forward to lock it on. The back of the speedo should have a tapered metal shoulder that the cable goes into. The silver screw on part attaches to the gear drive sticking out of the driver's side of the transmission nose near the rear.
Jeff Klein, Aiken, SC
1980 FI Spider, Veridian with Tan (sold about a year ago), in the market for another project
1989 Spider, sold
2008 Mercedes SL65
2008 S600 Mercedes V12

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blazingspider
Posts: 173
Joined: Mon Jan 28, 2013 8:44 am
Your car is a: 1977 fiat spider
Location: Nanuet, New York

Re: 78 spider Sedometer cable

Postby blazingspider » Sat Jul 01, 2017 7:51 am

Earlier speedometers had a threaded connector on the back of the unit so maybe yours was swapped out. If so then you need the cable that has screw connectors on both ends. As far as the cable route I seem to remember there was an access hole just about in the middle of the trans tunnel behind and down a bit from the dash. Cable routes along driver's side of trans tunnel and attaches to the speedometer drive on the back of the tranny.

User avatar
MrBlimp
Posts: 88
Joined: Thu Jun 15, 2017 12:03 am
Your car is a: 1978 Fiat 124 Spider
Location: Chichester, NY

Re: 78 spider Sedometer cable

Postby MrBlimp » Sat Jul 01, 2017 9:45 am

I just looked at the microfilm and it shows screws at both ends for 77 - 78.

My car's door handles (though the doors could have been replaced), places it as a pre-April build. The VIN number is 9091 after the recorded start of the year's production in Artigue's "Maintaining the Italian Roadster".

Plus, I read in quite a few of his writings that older parts could have been used on any year car.

I have to get in there and get a better look to be sure.
69 Triumph Spitfire
70 MGB
78 Fiat 124 Spider
92 Mustang LX
00 Jeep Wrangler Sport 4.0L - Totaled
00 Ford Ranger XLT 3.0L
05 Hyundai Accent

zachmac
Posts: 1278
Joined: Sun Aug 24, 2008 9:20 am
Your car is a: 1978 Spider [1979 2 ltr engine]
Location: Aiken, SC

Re: 78 spider Sedometer cable

Postby zachmac » Sat Jul 01, 2017 11:43 am

There should be a sticker in the driver's door jamb with the build date. Yes, Fiat exhausted existing stock before new parts so an early 78 could be significantly different than a late 78 build. Sort of like British Leland and Jaguar in that sense.
Jeff Klein, Aiken, SC
1980 FI Spider, Veridian with Tan (sold about a year ago), in the market for another project
1989 Spider, sold
2008 Mercedes SL65
2008 S600 Mercedes V12

User avatar
MrBlimp
Posts: 88
Joined: Thu Jun 15, 2017 12:03 am
Your car is a: 1978 Fiat 124 Spider
Location: Chichester, NY

Re: 78 spider Sedometer cable

Postby MrBlimp » Tue Jul 04, 2017 10:49 pm

zachmac wrote:There should be a sticker in the driver's door jamb with the build date. Yes, Fiat exhausted existing stock before new parts so an early 78 could be significantly different than a late 78 build. Sort of like British Leland and Jaguar in that sense.


My build is 2/78.

The clip cable seems to be the right one only it isn't turning. I even drove the car up and down the street with the gauges out of the car so I could see the cable.
69 Triumph Spitfire
70 MGB
78 Fiat 124 Spider
92 Mustang LX
00 Jeep Wrangler Sport 4.0L - Totaled
00 Ford Ranger XLT 3.0L
05 Hyundai Accent

zachmac
Posts: 1278
Joined: Sun Aug 24, 2008 9:20 am
Your car is a: 1978 Spider [1979 2 ltr engine]
Location: Aiken, SC

Re: 78 spider Sedometer cable

Postby zachmac » Wed Jul 05, 2017 6:21 am

How far out is the inner cable sticking? It should be almost flush with the end of the clip if the other end is fully seated at the transmission. The inner cable slides unrestricted within the outer so if it is sticking out too much it means it isn't seated at the transmission tunnel gear drive end.
Jeff Klein, Aiken, SC
1980 FI Spider, Veridian with Tan (sold about a year ago), in the market for another project
1989 Spider, sold
2008 Mercedes SL65
2008 S600 Mercedes V12

User avatar
MrBlimp
Posts: 88
Joined: Thu Jun 15, 2017 12:03 am
Your car is a: 1978 Fiat 124 Spider
Location: Chichester, NY

Re: 78 spider Sedometer cable

Postby MrBlimp » Wed Jul 05, 2017 6:11 pm

zachmac wrote:How far out is the inner cable sticking? It should be almost flush with the end of the clip if the other end is fully seated at the transmission. The inner cable slides unrestricted within the outer so if it is sticking out too much it means it isn't seated at the transmission tunnel gear drive end.


I installed it this way:

1. Speedometer cable into speedometer
2. exterior cable onto speedometer
3. clip moved into place
4. exterior cable onto transverse train

What I noticed is there is a rod sticking out of the train. Is that the way it should be?
69 Triumph Spitfire
70 MGB
78 Fiat 124 Spider
92 Mustang LX
00 Jeep Wrangler Sport 4.0L - Totaled
00 Ford Ranger XLT 3.0L
05 Hyundai Accent

zachmac
Posts: 1278
Joined: Sun Aug 24, 2008 9:20 am
Your car is a: 1978 Spider [1979 2 ltr engine]
Location: Aiken, SC

Re: 78 spider Sedometer cable

Postby zachmac » Thu Jul 06, 2017 6:05 am

MrBlimp wrote:I installed it this way:

1. Speedometer cable into speedometer
2. exterior cable onto speedometer
3. clip moved into place
4. exterior cable onto transverse train

What I noticed is there is a rod sticking out of the train. Is that the way it should be?


Not understanding the last part? What is a
transverse train? Pictures would help/
Jeff Klein, Aiken, SC
1980 FI Spider, Veridian with Tan (sold about a year ago), in the market for another project
1989 Spider, sold
2008 Mercedes SL65
2008 S600 Mercedes V12

User avatar
MrBlimp
Posts: 88
Joined: Thu Jun 15, 2017 12:03 am
Your car is a: 1978 Fiat 124 Spider
Location: Chichester, NY

Re: 78 spider Sedometer cable

Postby MrBlimp » Thu Jul 06, 2017 10:34 am

zachmac wrote:
MrBlimp wrote:I installed it this way:

1. Speedometer cable into speedometer
2. exterior cable onto speedometer
3. clip moved into place
4. exterior cable onto transverse train

What I noticed is there is a rod sticking out of the train. Is that the way it should be?


Not understanding the last part? What is a
transverse train? Pictures would help/


transverse train is spell check correction for trani transfer unit - the right hand turning gear like device that goes into the trani that the cable screws into.
This thing:
https://www.ebay.com/b/Car-Truck-Transm ... n_23836864
and that add answers my question - the piece sticking out should be. Should I have inserted the cable in this end first?

I do not know how to do pictures on this type of site. I assume it requires I host them "somewhere else" (which I do not have).
69 Triumph Spitfire
70 MGB
78 Fiat 124 Spider
92 Mustang LX
00 Jeep Wrangler Sport 4.0L - Totaled
00 Ford Ranger XLT 3.0L
05 Hyundai Accent


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