Replacing the Speedometer Cable in '71 Super Beetle

[Longmont1302]

My speedometer cable broke. So I looked in the Bentley on how to replace it and learned that the cable is actually connected to the hub of the car, which spins the cable. That seems ingeniously simple. The Bentley also indicated that the cable is attached with a circlip, but my old cable used a cotter key or split pin.

So I ordered up a new cable and the related items JBUGs offered: a circlip, a Speedometer Cable to Body Seal, and a Speedometer Cable thru Drum Seal. My first hurdle was that the Cable to Body seal wasn’t shaped anything like the hole in my body.

I was not able to get this thing inside the exisitng hole so that the grooves in the side of seal fit over the body on the top and bottom. Instead, the whole seal is just sitting on top of the hole; it might stay put and do the job, but it doesn't seem like it was designed to fit a hole that size. Was it? Or is there another seal that would fit? Either way, this hole in the trunk was the only hole I ran the cable through until I reached hurdle #2; the tired rubber seal seen in these three photos:

Any idea what to call it or where to find one? I ended up reusing the old one but it’s no longer very effective.

My third hurdle was that the new cable didn’t seem to want to fit through the end of the hub; the circlip model cable end seems a little larger than the old cotter key model. In the end it simply took some extended wiggling and fussing.

Out on the road on a cool crisp evening I thought the speedometer might be over reporting as I got close to 70 pretty quickly. So I downloaded a free iPhone app (Speedometer Simple) for comparison. Assuming the app is accurate, the Super Beetle speedometer seemed – if anything – to underreport, showing, for example, 50 mph when the app said 53, but this didn’t seem consistent, so I’m saying the whole thing is pretty close.

[Cusser]

I've replaced the speedometer cable on my 1970 standard bug, but my 1971 Super still has its factory speedometer cable. So can't help there, except to say that either an e-clip or a cotter/split pin would be fine to secure the end in the squared hole in the dust cover on the drum.
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1970 VW (owned since 1972) and 1971 VW Convertible (owned since 1976), second owner of each. The '71 now has the 1835 engine, swapped from the '70. Second owner of each. 1988 Mazda B2200 truck, 1998 Frontier, 2014 Yukon, 2004 Frontier King Cab. All manual transmission except for the Yukon. http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335294 http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335297

[bnam]

According to the parts book the grommet you used is only for regular beetles not supers. Supers don't seemed to have used a grommet. Perhaps just mastic to seal around the cable.


The other part...
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/the-new-battl...d=msedgntp
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1971 1302LS Convertible (RHD) owned since '74
Click to view image
1965 Karmann Ghia Coupe - under restoration
1966 Fiat 1500 Cabrio (with 1600 Twin cam)
1952 Citroen TA 11BL

[P-Bear]

If it helps, I went and looked at my 74 Super speedo cable and I do not have a grommet next to the gas tank but I do have one under the fresh air box.

[Longmont1302]

Thanks for the feedback, friends.

[raydog]

The mastic he is referring to, in the HVAC trade, is commonly called "thumb gum, duct seal, putty, etc". All of my Supers 71-72, always had putty to seal the hole, no grommet.

[bnam]

[Longmont1302]

Thanks, raydog and bnam.

[Maddel]

VW classic Parts Spare Part Catalogues:
https://www.volkswagen-classic-parts.de/en/catalogues_spareparts

VW Super Beetle Spare Part Catalogue:
https://www.volkswagen-classic-parts.de/catalogues/Kaefer-1302-1303/index-sd.html#/1

Speedometer Cable Super Beetle:
https://www.volkswagen-classic-parts.de/catalogues/Kaefer-1302-1303/index-sd.html#/912

[Longmont1302]

What a great resource. Thanks, Maddel!

[owdlvr]

It's been a few years, and the rally bug doesn't have a speedometer cable going through the original hole, but I don't recall a grommet being there on any of the 1302's I've owned or parted out.
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Instagram: @DaveHord
1971 1302s - Salzburg Tribute the #RallyBug
1958 Beetle
1975 Beetle
1973 Super Beetle
1993 C3500 with Cummins swap
1967 MGB
1963 MG Midget