Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

Salut

Went out for my first real run and had great fun. Of course something had to break and it was the speedo (completely dead) - so don't know if I had the impression I was going faster than I actually was or the opposite!

Anyway, checked the archives a bit - seems the most likely culprit is some small piece of cable/metal in the right-angle drive followed by the cable itself. Is that right?

I suppose if I (first locate) remove the right-angle drive I'll see (immediately) what is wrong?

I also suppose the small bit is straightforward to change after having spent hours and half a can of 3-in-1 to get the right-angle drive out? What about the drive cable itself - how does one change that? Just the inner cable?

For information the gearbox has just been restored - could something have been not done up tight enough? The speedo worked for a while after - maybe a hundred miles or so.

Merci

Vernon

vernon.taylor wrote: Anyway, checked the archives a bit - Vernon

Did you find these threads? HIH...
post80285.html
elan-plus-f13/speedo-speedo-cable-question-t14122.html

Thanks for the links - found some useful info and have eliminated the speedo itself and cable.

Links said that all the gearbox oil won't pour out when I remove the right angle drive - but can I actually drive the car without losing oil? Obviously I'd tie the dangling speedo cable to something.

Merci

Vernon

Hi Vernon,
If you are going to drive without the angle drive - disconnect it from the adaptor by undoing the knurled nut, do not remove the clamping fork which holds the adaptor, bearing/housing and driven gear in place. Otherwise the whole lot may be pushed out of the gearbox as you drive and lost. The speedo driven gear has a spiral groove along the length of the shaft designed to "wind" the oil back into the gearbox as it turns so you may be lucky and not lose any but I would not like to guarantee that.

Regards,

Salut Roger

Thanks for the answer and photo.

@+

Vernon

Salut

Thank you again Roger and everyone on the forum who freely contribute their help and wisdom.

The sticking-out-square-shaped-spring-drive-thingy had cleanly sheared off and I was able to fish it out easily after removing the adaptor (BTW is there a sealing washer/gasket here normaly?). I found the adaptor easier to replace by loosely fitting the clamping fork first.

I borrowed the angle drive for another car for now, so now I have to see if I can repair the original (I read somewhere here that someone bought the offending part for a ?1) or find a cheap replacement. Ebay has a couple for between ?30 - ?40.

Space for photo when I have the chance:

@+

Vernon

vernon.taylor wrote:I read somewhere here that someone bought the offending part for a ?1

It was here.......

elan-f14/speedo-cable-t23468.html

.....or you can make up a replacement out of a suitably sized piece of steel (like a nail) filed square - should last for ever but maybe not worth the effort if you can get one for ?1 !

Regards,

EDIT...."BTW is there a sealing washer/gasket here normaly?"
I think that there was a paper gasket between the bearing/housing and the adaptor but not entirely sure - wouldn't hurt to fit one anyway.

Salut les gars

Bought a speedo quill from Caterham - ?3 + ?3 postage. Question now is how do I get the old one out and the new one in? I removed the circlip to remove the knurled collar to see better and tried pulling on the old one but what was left just broke.

Merci

Vernon

vernon.taylor wrote:Salut les gars

Bought a speedo quill from Caterham - ?3 + ?3 postage. Question now is how do I get the old one out and the new one in? I removed the circlip to remove the knurled collar to see better and tried pulling on the old one but what was left just broke.

Merci

Vernon

Hi Vernon,
I seem to remember the quill is just a short length of speedo cable - if so you could try screwing a long thin self-tapper into the remaining bit and pull it out with that.

Regards,