Series 3 speedometer question

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85Santana3

85Santana3

Active Member
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Merry Christmas and happy new year to you all
Trying to fix electrical problems in my Landy (installing a new regulator to make the fuel gauge wok properly) I opened the speedometer panel and put it back again. Next day I noticed that speedometer needle is not moving and km counter is not advancing although the light behind the panel works.
Is it possible that I have disconnect a wire? In another word is there any electrical thing needed for speed needle and counter to work ?
Or is it speedometer cable that is moved out of position?

Thanks in advance and I wish you a very joyful holiday.
 
It turned out that the cap that fits the cable to the speedometer was broken. I found one and replaced it and while at it we took out the cable, cleaned and oiled it and put it back. No good. Now we have another problem:
The place the cable fits in the gearbox has gotten bigger so the cable does not rotate as much as it should.
Mechanics I consulted say wait till you have to do a major job on gearbox and then fix this at the same time.

I am hoping that you resourceful Landy owners out there have a hack for this without doing a gearbox job. Any ideas?
 
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85Santana3 said:
It amazes me that the professional mechanics could not think of this! Thank you Phill.
Click to expand...
You cannot bodge the speedo drive on a series to suit the cable. It's not like the LT230 setup on a RRC or Disco. The shaft for the pinion gear is 16mm or 5/8 inch diameter with the square hole machined through it's centre so no chance of crushing the hole to fit the worn cable. I've just been doing my own where the cable had sheered inside the hole and got seized. Needed heat and patience to remove. A real PITA. You on the other hand will probably have to start with a new cable and work from there.....Good luck.
 
You can clean the cable and run some solder or braze onto the square end to make it a bit bigger then file the shape back. Just the last 1/2". While the hole could be worn the cable also wears so getting the cable back to shape may do it. Also if the cable is a bit short the top part of the drive may wear but there can be a square bit left inside.
 
Flattening the end of the new cable a little usually works. Speedo drive pinions are very expensive to replace ie generally dearer than a second hand gearbox.
The other thing to check is that the rear output flange nut on gearbox is tight as the speedo drive gear is nipped between bearing and flange nut slack it slips.
 
Thanks everybody for your help. I opened the middle seat and got easy access from the top to the area although it turned out that it was easier to open the screws from under the truck.
I separated the cable without any problem. Photo bellow shows the end of cable.
I have two questions:
1. Does the cable look to you like it is still usable or is it too worn?
2. How do you take the seedpo drive (last two photos) out? There are no bolts, screws or possibility of rotating or twisting it!?
Thanks a million in advance
1.jpg
 

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That looks broken, there may be a short square bit left in the drive. I would get a new cable as my first task. The cable gets dry and twists off just where it looks like yours has. A sure sign is if it is now to short to reach the speedo.
 
The speedo drive has two counter sunk screws plainly visible in your photo. If you remove drive oil will run out of transfer casing.
I would try a small screwdriver in the centre where the cable has been removed to see how deep the hole is and then compare depth with protruding cable end.
The cable end if flattened with hammer a little will probably work ok.
Have you tried spinning the inner piece of cable with your fingers to see if speedometer moves.
Sometimes the cable inner will snap especially if the outer casing has been trapped or sitting against exhaust pipe.
What is the item welded on to the left of arrow in 2nd photo?
 
I don’t remember the end of mine looking like that (oo er Mrs).
Just check that thin wire hasn’t been wound round the end of the cable to pack it out a bit. It looks to me like the square solid end is protruding out slightly. If so remove it and beat the end flat so it engages in the drive.
 
Blackburn said:
What is the item welded on to the left of arrow in 2nd photo?
Click to expand...
I be damned if I knew, probably a coat hanger. The former owner of this poor truck had done some really idiotic thing (including bolting shut the opening where crank starter goes in! For the life of me I can't imagine why anyone want to do that). It has taken 6 years to bring the truck back to LR standards. Still anywhere I look I see another stupid modification.

OK guys I put a new cable and it did not improve anything. I drive at 70 and it shows 45. I guess the odometer will be wrong too which is important since that is more accurate than fuel gauge.

I took to truck to a garage this morning to double check my work. Cable is installed properly. They said it is not the cable or the drive (the thingy with two screws). I asked them to take the drive out. They said if it was the drive speedo needle would not move at all (is that correct?).
They say the only way to solve the problem is to open the gear box and change the gear that makes the drive rotate.
That is a very expensive job and I do not want to do it. But I would like to know your opinion.
Needle moves and shows lesser speed than reality. Does this show that problem is only the gearbox and nothing else?
thanks in advance
 
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Remove rear propshaft from handbrake drum and check the nut below it is torque up to 85ftlbs. This nut nips the speedo drive gear between bearing and output flange.
If that is tight you need to get speedometer checked the speed part is magnetically coupled and deflection set by a hair spring so not easy to fix.
The mistake some people make is to put to much oil / grease into cable this migrates into speedometer head and causes issues.
One last thing you can try take cable out of speedometer and put a tiny drop of very light oil around the section the cable goes into the bush there if dry will cause drag and affect speed reading. Have a look at the attached pdf.
 

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