74 Engine Drop Help Needed
 

Car is a 74. The engine is ready to come out, but I can't move the nut holding the mechanical speedometer cable. The motor was out only a year ago, so the nut shouldn't be welded in place. I've done this before on a 73, but I'm wondering if this connection is somehow different. The piece I'm trying to move has a hex head, 27mm I believe, like my 73 but somehow it doesn't quite look like a nut that will turn. Not terribly good pic below. What I believe is the aluminum hex head of the speedo nut is just to the left and below the "54102." It is on the passenger's side of the shift rod. Can anyone confirm I've got the correct fitting? Help much appreciated.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1236523523.jpg

The speedo connection on my 75 was just a large nut with a couple of ears on it that I could turn by hand. No tools necessary - maybe a large pair of pliers just to get it moving. I may be wrong, but I'm concerned that you are trying to remove something that is not supposed to come off.

Thanks Rex, me too. But I don't have a part like you are describing, and the piece I'm looking at isn't threaded to receive anything on the outside. Jim

The speedo nut on my 73. 5 is as Rex describes too. Have you moved the rubber boot in the picture to see the top of the nut? If so, you should be able to confirm that it is part of the speedo cable also. All I remember from replacing my speedo cable is the area where the nut is located is tight and I had uto use long nose pliers to get any torque on the nut but I didn't tighten it to any great degree.

Hmm, my earlier experience was also with a 73.5. But I sure didn't see anything that looked like a wing nut. Guess it's time for another trip under the car! Thanks, Jim

The part that looks like the 27mm hex is one end of an aluminum extension...the other end of the Al extension is threaded and screws on to the speedo drive on the nose of the gearbox. You should be able to get your wrench on the hex part and just unscrew the extension. The Al extension part stays connected to the speedo cable. Here's a pic from my '74 that may help (green arrow points to the hex that is visible in the pic you posted):

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1236529260.jpg

I notice in the parts catalogue that there's a specific cable for 1974 - weird. The pic isn't great, but it doesn't look like it has the wings on it. I've had mine off a few times, both for replacement and engine drops, and every time it's been a piece of cake to get off. I start turning it by placing a screwdriver on one of the wings and just tapping with a hammer, then loosen the rest by hand. But if you don't have the wings on it, then it will be more difficult. But as far as I can tell from your pic, that is indeed the speedo cable. The 54702 is your reverse light switch in the tranny. Do NOT pull that, unless you want a huge mess of tranny fluid on your floor!

To make access to the speedo cable nut easier, you can take the transmission mounting bracket off. Support the tranny with a jack, then remove the 2 big mounting bolts, then the 4 smaller nuts that hold the bracket to the tranny housing. That should give you a lot more room.

Bob, Chistien, many thanks to you both. Your pic Bob pretty much nails it. I think I'm going to cut off the rubber sleeve which is well aged anyway; this should let me see what I'm doing. If that doesn't work, we'll drop the tranny an inch.
Bob, don't I remember that you got my stock air pump a couple of years back? Thanks again,
Jim

Jim, that was me that got the air pump (thanks!).

You won't have to cut off the rubber part, besides it is used to help seal up that area when you're done. Just put a wrench on that hex and unscrew it from the transmission...it shouldn't be/doesn't need to be very tight. That's why the extension with the hex is there...so you can access it with a wrench through the space between the front trans mount and firewall. If it didn't have the extension placing the hex where you can get to it you would have to remove the front trans mount to get the speedo cable off.

I can take some better pics if you need.

Thought that was you. I remembered Lakeland Fl for some reason.
Didn't cut the rubber; the replacement is too expensive! Did drop the tranny an inch for space but it didn't help. For some reason, I can't get this thing loose. Will borrow a proper wrench tomorrow and try again; I've been trying with a channel lock which just won't do it. Don't know how it got so tight, as I said the motor was out only a few months ago. Oh well, it will come. Thanks again, your photo was invaluable. Jim

It may sound stupid, but are you sure you're turning the right way? I struggled with what I thought was a stuck oil drain plug on my boxster for forever until I realized I was turning the wrong $&%^ way! I get confused all the time when working upside down.

Good thought. I've done dumber things! You're right...being upside down and backwards changes everything. I'll think carefully again about it tomorrow with the next try. Thanks,