17 replies to this topic

[Ben_O]

Hi all,

My Instrument cluster from the Mini 25 that i am restoring has been flood damaged whilst in storage.

I had already cleaned up and refurbished it last year prior to storing it up but since the flood, it was full of mud.

I have stripped it down again and have been given 2 two clock clusters to use for parts. (mine is the 3 clock type)

 

So i want to use the speedo workings from the donor cluster and just swap over the facings as mine are grey and the donor's are black but i have just noticed that my speedo is a 120mph type and the donor is 90mph type.

So if i use the workings form the 90mph one, will it read accuratly when refitted to the 25?

 

I hope someone can help with some advice as i am right in the middle of doing the job!!

 

Cheers

 

Ben

[Ben_O]

Also, does anyone know how to get the speedo needle off? if it comes off that is!!

 

Ben

[Elliskwleisk]

Also, does anyone know how to get the speedo needle off? if it comes off that is!!

 

Ben

 I would also like to know how the needle comes off if anyone has a technique? 

[Footloose]

Lever it off using 2 teaspoons.

[l_jonez]

They pull off, some can be pretty tight. I've heard people have used a fork to spread the load each side of the spindle and leaver it off.

[Mini Manannán]

I used a little pastry fork (the tines are smaller and tighter and just the right size(if you have a dig through your grannies cutlery collection you'll find the best size )) to lever my needle off.

[Ben_O]

I used a little pastry fork (the tines are smaller and tighter and just the right size(if you have a dig through your grannies cutlery collection you'll find the best size )) to lever my needle off.

Is this method only for the later plastic needles as mine has a metal one with what resembles a telescopic post that it attaches too. I had a practice with the donor speedo with a pair of pliers and it wouldn't budge!

 

Ben

[olly33]

+1 on the fork, mine was plastic needle

[dklawson]

Pause a second before you pull the needle off.

 

On the inside of the gauge you will find an aluminum cup that is connected to the spindle that the needle is on.  Locate that cup.  Manually turn the gauge needle off of zero to the 60 MPH mark.  Hold the needle aligned with the 60 MPH mark and on the back side, make a mark with an ink pen between the aluminum cup and some feature on the inside of the gauge housing.  This will be an alignment mark when you put the needle back on.

 

After you have removed the needle and done what you are going to do with the gauge face (clean, replace, etc) turn the aluminum cup until the pen marks line up.  Hold the cup in that position while you push the needle back on such that it is pointing at 60 MPH.  This will put the needle right back where it was so you won't have to worry about gauge calibration (assuming you put the same scale face on as what you remove).

[Ben_O]

Pause a second before you pull the needle off.

 

On the inside of the gauge you will find an aluminum cup that is connected to the spindle that the needle is on.  Locate that cup.  Manually turn the gauge needle off of zero to the 60 MPH mark.  Hold the needle aligned with the 60 MPH mark and on the back side, make a mark with an ink pen between the aluminum cup and some feature on the inside of the gauge housing.  This will be an alignment mark when you put the needle back on.

 

After you have removed the needle and done what you are going to do with the gauge face (clean, replace, etc) turn the aluminum cup until the pen marks line up.  Hold the cup in that position while you push the needle back on such that it is pointing at 60 MPH.  This will put the needle right back where it was so you won't have to worry about gauge calibration (assuming you put the same scale face on as what you remove).

Thank you, I will try that this evening and report back.

 

Thanks very much

 

Ben

[Mini Manannán]

I just lined my up on zero Doug, will that make mine even more wildly inaccurate?

[Ben_O]

I'm not sure if i'm right but i think everyone is assuming i have the plastic type needle fitted to later cars.

Just in case, i have a couple of photographs of mine so you can see.

I don't see any thing on mine like Doug said above and it really doesn't seem like the needle comes off! surely it must do??

Anyway:

 

 

I hope someone knows as this is doing my head in now!!!

 

Cheers

Ben

[dklawson]

I just lined my up on zero Doug, will that make mine even more wildly inaccurate?

 

The spindle in the speedometer has a hairspring on it which biases the needle against a stop pin near zero.  When you remove the needle the spindle is no longer held against the stop pin and the spindle goes "below zero".  When a needle is placed back on the spindle simply pointing at zero there is no pre-load from the hairspring.  Therefore, the gauge is going to read "high".  It is impossible to say how high as the gauge will have been calibrated to match the spring. 

 

Since you did not make an alignment mark prior to disassembly compare your indicated speed with a GPS unit and write down the error.  Then remove the speedometer.  Turn the needle to the speed you thought you were driving and make the ink mark mentioned earlier.  Now remove the needle and turn the aluminum cup until your ink mark lines up.  Place the needle on the spindle orienting it to the speed the GPS said you were driving, then press the needle down.  That will orient the needle to the speed your GPS said you were really driving.

 

For example, you drive along at what your gauge says is 60 MPH but the GPS says it is really 50.  Remove the speedo, turn the needle to 60, hold it in place and make the ink mark for alignment.  Remove the needle, then turn the aluminum cup until the ink marks line up and place the needle back on the spindle so it is pointing at 50 (your GPS reading).

[Mini Manannán]

Yup, that's nothing like mine

[Mini Manannán]

Got it, great info, thanks Doug!