Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

Has anybody managed to change the speedo cable with the gearbox still in the car? it seems to me that I need 11" long and very thin fingers to reach the knurled nut. HELP, I need suggestions.

Have you the car on a ramp? or lying under? Just looked at my car and on the ramp I can access the part ok. How about taking it along to your local exhaust shop and asking him to slacken it or remove it for you.

Hope you get to it ok..

Alex....

bandjie wrote:Has anybody managed to change the speedo cable with the gearbox still in the car?

I think you will have to specify what gearbox you are useing as the four speed is easy to get to, are you useing four speed, Type 9, Lotus five speed, MT75 or something else?

it's a Lotus 5 speed in a 73 +2

Same combination,I found it easiest to work from the top.remove the centre tray and a thin long reach socket can remove the single fixing screw......not easy but then what on a Lotus is??

John

Sorry if I sound a bit of a plank but are you saying there is access to the gearbox from inside the car with the center tray removed?

Yes,as I remember it when I last put the engine back,it looked like the speedo cable was fitted O.K. but when I went for a test drive...no speedo....same access problems as you...unable to access from underneath...so attacked it from the top...removed the tray and was able to access the angle drive from above (might of had to remove a little fibreglass)...the inner cable was not centred...fixed.

John

That's a big help John, thankyou. I will have a go this weekend and let you know how I get on.
Thanks again.

I have managed to access the cable through the top as you suggested. Only had to cut away a small piece of glassfibre coming back from the gearstick hole. It turns out it's not the cable but the small piece of inner cable that connects the right angle drive to the gearbox that has broken.