MG-Cars.net

Welcome to our resource for MG Car Information.

Recommendations

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG MGB Technical - Speedometer Cable

Having a lot of trouble keeping the speedometer cables from moss working.

Lubricating with white litheum grease and then with powdered graphite, still jump all over the place.

Routing is straight forward to right front of firewall, then rounded up to the 90 degree on the speedo. Routing is as rounded as I can get it and it looks good in my 72 MGB with O/D, using the correct long cable from moss p/n 331-430.

Cables last for a few hundred miles and then jump.

Any suggestions? I still have one new cable left.
James Huggins

James,

It may be time to get your speedometer serviced. If it binds, it can tear heck out of the cable. As long as you don't force the bends/curves (and it sounds like you haven't), they usually are not very critical. I do not use an angle drive on my cable connection to the transmission, but if you do, perhaps there could be some binding going on in the angle drive - in response to an old bad cable, or, again, a binding speedo. I've always gotten very good service from Nissonger's, FWIW.

Good luck,
Allen
Allen Bachelder

What rate is the jumping? If several times for each step movement of the odometer then it does indicate a cable problem. If only as the odometer moves then it indicates stiffness in the speedo head.

As far as the cable goes all MGBs seem to originally have had a right-angle drive on the gearbox. American cars additionally had a 2nd right-angle drive on the back of the speedo. The gearbox drive can be eliminated (they are expensive to replace) with a longer cable, but unless you re-route the cable through new holes in the firewall I think you have to have the one behind the speedo. If not, or of you have the standard cable with no right-angle drive at the gearbox, you probably will have problems.
Paul Hunt 2

Thanks to everyone for your replies.

1. I do have angles at both speedo and tranny.

2. The needle jumps and bounces all over the place.

3. It seems to work for a little while after cable replacement.

Allen, I keep hearing about nosinger's??? where, do you have a contact name/address/phone number etc?
James Huggins

On the MGB I care for, the speedometer read slow and was jumpy. APT of Bloomington MN fixed it up for us. They have a website. I was so impressed I had them go through the gauges for the mg td I'm restoring.

www.gaugeguys.com

No interest, etc.

dave
Dave Braun

Nisonger! http://www.nisonger.com/
Paul Hunt 2

This thread was discussed between 09/05/2007 and 15/05/2007

MG MGB Technical index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG MGB Technical BBS is active now.