Removing Needle from Speedo Face?
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2001
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Removing Needle from Speedo Face?
Hey All,
Can anyone tell me how to pull the speedometer needle of the gauge? I need to unscrew the face from the odometer housing to do some work. Does it just pry up or is there a screw in there somewhere?
Thanks...
-Tom
Can anyone tell me how to pull the speedometer needle of the gauge? I need to unscrew the face from the odometer housing to do some work. Does it just pry up or is there a screw in there somewhere?
Thanks...
-Tom
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Re: Removing Needle from Speedo Face? (427_Roadster)
It just pulls straight off. Carefully and maybe with a little wiggle. Grab VERY close to the center.
Dave
Dave
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2001
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From: colorado springs CO
Re: Removing Needle from Speedo Face? (ddecart)
woah hold up!!!
dont take it off!! youll break it for sure!!
rotate the front face and youll be able to unscrew the housing screws through the "bright" holes in the speedo face....
dont take the needle off at all...
you can then dissasemble the entire unit.
:cheers:
dont take it off!! youll break it for sure!!
rotate the front face and youll be able to unscrew the housing screws through the "bright" holes in the speedo face....
dont take the needle off at all...
you can then dissasemble the entire unit.
:cheers:
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2001
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Re: Removing Needle from Speedo Face? (daily_driver)
12 Hours too late!!! :mad :cuss :mad :cuss :jester
Snapped the shaft in half using almost no pressure to pull it off. Another way to do it would have been to hold the shaft with needlenose pliers and twist the needle hub. Came off nice and easy that way(after it was already broke!)
Turns out I needed a new assembly anyway, the gears for the odometer were just about ground away to nothing. Got a guy in PA ( http://www.contemporarycorvette.com/ ) UPSing me one this morning.
Just to complete the night, I also managed to crack the inside of my dashpad.
Found out I'm able to curse in 4 languages I've never studied.
:cheers:
-Tom
Snapped the shaft in half using almost no pressure to pull it off. Another way to do it would have been to hold the shaft with needlenose pliers and twist the needle hub. Came off nice and easy that way(after it was already broke!)
Turns out I needed a new assembly anyway, the gears for the odometer were just about ground away to nothing. Got a guy in PA ( http://www.contemporarycorvette.com/ ) UPSing me one this morning.
Just to complete the night, I also managed to crack the inside of my dashpad.
Found out I'm able to curse in 4 languages I've never studied.
:cheers:
-Tom
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 4,101
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From: NorCal
Re: Removing Needle from Speedo Face? (427_Roadster)
It's only cracked in one place? Wow! Bubba tried to pull mine without lowering the column, and it was prety much just held together with the material :mad . I glassed it back together temporarily (and managed to bend my speedo needle!) until I get a new one. My odometer is also garbage, showing 84,000 miles. Maybe this is why all vettes are low miles :D
Hans
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Re: Removing Needle from Speedo Face? (daily_driver)
woah hold up!!!
dont take it off!! youll break it for sure!!
rotate the front face and youll be able to unscrew the housing screws through the "bright" holes in the speedo face....
dont take the needle off at all...
you can then dissasemble the entire unit.
:cheers:
dont take it off!! youll break it for sure!!
rotate the front face and youll be able to unscrew the housing screws through the "bright" holes in the speedo face....
dont take the needle off at all...
you can then dissasemble the entire unit.
:cheers:
Mine took a little bit of wiggling and some pulling and came right off.
Dave
Advanced
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 87
Likes: 1
From: Oklahoma City OK
Re: Removing Needle from Speedo Face? (427_Roadster)
Sorry to hear you broke your needle! I just changed my speedo from the EPA 85mph model to a 140 mph speedo faceplate.
For future reference.... Lower the steering column, remove the speedo cable from the rear of the speedometer. Take the speedometer out. The needle should come off easily. Rotate it towards zero, then pull out. BE SURE TO PULL ON THE MIDDLE, BLACK, CENTER, ROUND PART- NOT ON THE WHITE NEEDLE PORTION. The black part is metal, the white part is plastic.
Hope this helps someone.
For future reference.... Lower the steering column, remove the speedo cable from the rear of the speedometer. Take the speedometer out. The needle should come off easily. Rotate it towards zero, then pull out. BE SURE TO PULL ON THE MIDDLE, BLACK, CENTER, ROUND PART- NOT ON THE WHITE NEEDLE PORTION. The black part is metal, the white part is plastic.
Hope this helps someone.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 2,280
Likes: 0
From: colorado springs CO
Re: Removing Needle from Speedo Face? (ddecart)
woah hold up!!!
dont take it off!! youll break it for sure!!
rotate the front face and youll be able to unscrew the housing screws through the "bright" holes in the speedo face....
dont take the needle off at all...
you can then dissasemble the entire unit.
:cheers:
How do you do that? You can't separate the back/mechanical portion of the speedo from the faceplate to do anything to it with the needle in place.
Mine took a little bit of wiggling and some pulling and came right off.
Dave
dont take it off!! youll break it for sure!!
rotate the front face and youll be able to unscrew the housing screws through the "bright" holes in the speedo face....
dont take the needle off at all...
you can then dissasemble the entire unit.
:cheers:
How do you do that? You can't separate the back/mechanical portion of the speedo from the faceplate to do anything to it with the needle in place.
Mine took a little bit of wiggling and some pulling and came right off.
Dave
but it does separate enough for complete dissasembly and ability to change ALL gears!!! (even the odometer gear in the very bottom.)
sorry i didnt respond sooner.... but havent checked forum for a while....
:cheers:
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,004
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From: Gainesville, Florida
Re: Removing Needle from Speedo Face? (daily_driver)
daily_driver....I just posted for help w/my odometer & then I saw this post. Is the odometer problem remedied by just replacing the gears or do I need something more? Also thanks for the heads up on the speedo needle removal.
Mark
Mark
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Joined: Jul 2000
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From: stockport Cheshire
Re: Removing Needle from Speedo Face? (mdsmith)
I had to repair my speedo with new gears, I was advised to warm the metal part of the speedo needle with a souldering iron and it pulled off easy !
Mark.......
Mark.......
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2001
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From: colorado springs CO
Re: Removing Needle from Speedo Face? (mdsmith)
daily_driver....I just posted for help w/my odometer & then I saw this post. Is the odometer problem remedied by just replacing the gears or do I need something more? Also thanks for the heads up on the speedo needle removal.
Mark
Mark
you can order the odometer gear from corvette central for 9.99
its black nylon..... (it will probably break again!!!)
hahahaha
:lol: :lol:
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2001
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From: colorado springs CO
Re: Removing Needle from Speedo Face? (mdsmith)
ill see if i can find my spare speedometer in the closet later tonight and ill post a pic from my digital camera so u can see which gear im talking about....
:)
:)
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2001
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From: colorado springs CO
Re: Removing Needle from Speedo Face? (mdsmith)
in this pic you can see a partially dissasembled speedo (the # wheels removed...) this is my spare parts speedo...and yup! i broke off the needle on it :lol: ...... you can see the long white gear... that is 1 of the odometer gears that might be worn....
here you see the cylindrical can removed (2 1/4 inch screws holding it on...)....my bottom gear was broken so it isnt there for you to see it, however when u remove the cylindrical can then youll see a long black gear (or ive heard brass also??) that drives the white gear... this is most likely your problem.... it usually snaps in two or is worn. the gear goes where i have painted in the picture (although it goes under the center spinning thingie)
here you see the cylindrical can removed (2 1/4 inch screws holding it on...)....my bottom gear was broken so it isnt there for you to see it, however when u remove the cylindrical can then youll see a long black gear (or ive heard brass also??) that drives the white gear... this is most likely your problem.... it usually snaps in two or is worn. the gear goes where i have painted in the picture (although it goes under the center spinning thingie)
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2001
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From: Gainesville, Florida
Re: Removing Needle from Speedo Face? (daily_driver)
daily_driver....I've annotated your image for discussion purposes.
I was able to remove the housing by removing the 2 screws at 2 & 8 o'clock. But how do you remove the drum from the rotor to expose the worm gear? I don't see any screws on the outside of the drum.
PS...I tried to heat the bottom of the needle where it attaches to the speedo shaft as suggested by British Mark but it wouldn't budge.
This is getting ridiculous. I'm a pretty capable gearhead but this thing has got me stumped.
Mark
I was able to remove the housing by removing the 2 screws at 2 & 8 o'clock. But how do you remove the drum from the rotor to expose the worm gear? I don't see any screws on the outside of the drum.
PS...I tried to heat the bottom of the needle where it attaches to the speedo shaft as suggested by British Mark but it wouldn't budge.
This is getting ridiculous. I'm a pretty capable gearhead but this thing has got me stumped.
Mark
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2001
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From: colorado springs CO
Re: Removing Needle from Speedo Face? (mdsmith)
the rotor and drum are not connected in any way.,....
the needle does seat down a bit in the rotor (the needle shaft rather....)
once you undo the (2) 1/4 inch screws holding the cap to the drum, then the cap of the drum and the drum should pull out a bit to the top peice of the housing...
the needle does seat down a bit in the rotor (the needle shaft rather....)
once you undo the (2) 1/4 inch screws holding the cap to the drum, then the cap of the drum and the drum should pull out a bit to the top peice of the housing...
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Re: Removing Needle from Speedo Face? (daily_driver)
if your speedo works and your odometer doesnt, then id put my money on a broken black plastic gear in the bottom of the speedo (i think the originals were brass?? dunno) but its all the way in the bottom of the speedo.. if you follow my method of dissasebly, its a bit tricky, but you can replace that gear.
you can order the odometer gear from corvette central for 9.99
its black nylon..... (it will probably break again!!!)
hahahaha
:lol: :lol:
you can order the odometer gear from corvette central for 9.99
its black nylon..... (it will probably break again!!!)
hahahaha
:lol: :lol:
While we're on the topic though, does anyone know about calibrating the speedo? My odo reads perfect but the speedo is a good 25-30% low. :confused:
Dave
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,004
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From: Gainesville, Florida
Re: Removing Needle from Speedo Face? (daily_driver)
the rotor and drum are not connected in any way.,....
Thanks for all your help.
Mark
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 2,280
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From: colorado springs CO
Re: Removing Needle from Speedo Face? (mdsmith)
hahahha...
well good luck with it!!!
on both the speedos i took apart the drum did not stick...
my guess is your needle is really stuck/rusted into the rotor center...
the drum is connected to the cap of the drum by a coil spring....
the rotor turns creating a "something" effect (okay i forget the name.... :rolleyes: ) cuasing the drum to turn a bit up against the force of the coiled up spring thus cuasing your needle to register something...
the odometer gear turns becuase the shaft that the rotor connects to has a built in screw turns in it to turn the gear....(direct drive..)
so see if you can turn the drum without the rotor turning...(by hand..)
its possible you miught hand bent the drum during dissasebly??
it should just come off easily.
well good luck with it!!!
on both the speedos i took apart the drum did not stick...
my guess is your needle is really stuck/rusted into the rotor center...
the drum is connected to the cap of the drum by a coil spring....
the rotor turns creating a "something" effect (okay i forget the name.... :rolleyes: ) cuasing the drum to turn a bit up against the force of the coiled up spring thus cuasing your needle to register something...
the odometer gear turns becuase the shaft that the rotor connects to has a built in screw turns in it to turn the gear....(direct drive..)
so see if you can turn the drum without the rotor turning...(by hand..)
its possible you miught hand bent the drum during dissasebly??
it should just come off easily.