RE: alfa-digest V9 #610

["Kevin Redden" <kredden@xxxxxxxxx>]

Brad,

I'm going through some speedometer woes myself on my '86 (see next
posting).  Can't tell you about why your cable might be chewed up, mine
is not exhibiting that behavior.

I don't think replacing the cable should be *too* hard, the hardest part
would be routing the cable sheath without a lift as it really winds
around in there.  If your sheath wasn't torn up I'd say to just
disconnect the cable from the sending unit, pull out the old one, if
broken disconnect at the other end and pull that part out and then put
the new cable into the sheath but I guess that won't work for you.  I
haven't tried this myself as I don't think my probs are the cable but I
might resort to it if everything else fails.  Anyway, if you look
underneath from the passengers side up past the catalytic converter you
should be able to see where the cable enters the transmission.  To get
at it would be much easier to put it on some ramps or jack stands.  That
might even give you enough room to route the new cable sheath...

Kevin
86 Spider

-----Original Message-----


Date: Mon, 30 Jun 2003 14:35:30 -0400
From: Brad Karp <bkarp@domain.elided>
Subject: speedo cable on 86 Quad Spider

Ciao, amici,

The speedo has just stopped working on my 86 Quad Spider; it rests on
the pin at the minimum reading, and doesn't move. The odometer has
ceased to increment, as well, so it would appear there's no input
arriving at the instrument.

Same thing happened in late 2001. I had the speedo cable replaced (by
Britalia in Berkeley), and all was well.

After my speedo stopped working this time around, I popped the hood to
see how the cable looked. To my surprise, the rubber exterior is chewed
up fairly badly in the region where the cable is held in place by a
clip. The clip holding the cable is bare metal.

A few questions:

1) What would cause the exterior of a speedo cable to be chewed up so
badly in just 1.5 years? Is it possible I'm missing some sort of soft,
rubber lining for the clip that holds the cable in place?

2) How hard a job is it to replace the cable myself? I have the CarDisc
for the car, but I cannot find a diagram anywhere for the *drivetrain*
end of the speedo cable. Do I need to jack the car up to reach the
attachment point for the lower end of the speedo cable? I slid under the
car on my back yesterday, but the cable disappears under a heat shield
above my exhaust pipe...

3) I now live in Pittsburgh, PA. I've heard from several locals that the
factory-trained Alfa techs in the area are now all at Exoticars in the
South Hills. What recommendations do people have about great Alfa shops
in the area?

Thanks,
- -Brad, bkarp@domain.elided
'86 Spider Quad
'02 BMW 325xi
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