How do I take Speedometer out, apart?

[Warren G.]

[RaveRanger]

[glutamodo]

Sounds like you got it sorted.

Usually when I find a press fit no longer works, I try to "knurl" the shaft itself, by pinching on it with some diagonal pliers in a few spots. (that's how I got the odometer working in my 85 Golf. At that time I set it around what a previous owner thought the actual milage was of 170K. It now reads over 420K, so I guess it worked)

Also, the turn light indicator was never orange when new, it was red! (up through model year 61) It's kind of ironic that both that original plastic insert would sun-bake-fade to a yellowish orange on such models, and often to kind of similar, but odd yellow on the 62/up models.

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Andy T.

"What is Glutamodo, Horror of Toyko, besides total, fiendish, quality-a-you brain!"

[Bug-nut]

In case this helps anyone who might be suffering from the same problem, my 3-59 speedometer has been working beautifully, but the odometer had stopped turning over. I noticed that in the cold winter months it would work for a short while before the car warmed up then it would stop again. In the spring, summer, and fall it would never work. I suspected a broken plastic gear, however I was pleasantly surprised that instead it was the little metal wheel on the right of the odometer wheels. It was slipping on the internal shaft. I was able to (carefully) press the shaft out and then used a small flathead screwdriver to semi-knurl/scratch the inside diameter of the wheel, then I reassembled it with a small drop of blue loctite to lock it permanately in place. I also used this opportunity to reset the odometer to 0. I tested it and now it works fantastically. I’ll reassemble it tomorrow after I’ve given the loctite plenty of time to cure. (And yes the gels are somewhat new, I replaced them a while back but at that time was too nervous to attempt to repair the odometer. And yes the turn signal was originally orange, however I like green better so that’s what I changed it to.)

This is the slipping wheel.

Reassembled without the wheel to test fit the odometer wheels.

I guesss this was normally just a press fit? I saw no remnants of glue of any kind and also the shaft and the inside of the wheel was perfectly smooth. Interesting.

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1959 Fjord Blue Volkswagen Beetle
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6...highlight=

1962 Austin-Healey Sprite

[Thompson2]

[rellison959]

HELP!
I need the 3 rubber seals for Glass and chrome bezel. My Speedo is from a 66 Bug. Took it apart to clean and lube and only broken bits were the seals being dry and cracked.

Do we have a source for those seals or a specific material that works as substitute?

I know WW only has the Speedo to body seal, which I may or may not use... mine was like liquid nails when I pulled the speedo. This FL heat did some work on it over the years.

Thanks for any links or help finding seals!

[scottyrocks]

So I pulled the speedo out of the car today and did a clean and lube of the back end.

It wasn't very difficult. I think the toughest part was lining up the twist tabs on the bracket for the magnet/shaft to get it back in. It just didn't want to go. I finally removed the magnet/shaft from the bracket and adjusted the tabs until the bracket would just drop in with no pushing. Then it was cake.

I cleaned and lubricated the magnet shaft and the housing. Cleaned with WD-40, Q-tips, paper towels, and an old toothbrush. Lubed sparingly with blue wheel bearing grease.

While I was in there I checked the main speedo needle shaft bearing for lack of smoothness. I rotated the needle from the back via the magnet cup. Everything was smooth so I let it be.

One thing I noticed is that the black plastic gear shaft that runs back to front had a short part of its worm gear abraided. I cleaned it as best as I could with the toothbrush and WD-40, then used my fingernail to make sure that the grooves had no debris in them.

While working, my finger inadvertantly put a hole in the directional acetate so I guess I'll just redo all of them when I have time next.
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“If you care for a thing long enough, it takes on a life of its own, doesn't it? Mending old things, preserving them, looking after them – on some level there's no rational grounds for it.”
– D. Tartt, 'The Goldfinch'

[scottyrocks]

Since it's a spare speedo, i figured what the heck, and kept prying at it. The shaft came out and then I poked the gear out with a jewelers screwdriver.

Whether or not the speedo that is actually in my car is the same as this one or the ones in Andy's photos, I now feel confident enough to take it down to this point, clean and relube it.

Thanks!
_________________
“If you care for a thing long enough, it takes on a life of its own, doesn't it? Mending old things, preserving them, looking after them – on some level there's no rational grounds for it.”
– D. Tartt, 'The Goldfinch'

[scottyrocks]

[tomsbuggered]

This really was a great help in outlining how to disasseble the speedometer, and some of the pitfalls in the process.

I was able to fix my odometer with confidence; the gears had pulled out of the housing enough when the spindle shaft pulled out.

My fix was to spot weld a little material on the end of the shaft to prevent it from dislodging. Odometer works like a charm.

Thanks
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June 1956 VW Oval Beetle

[heimlich]

This was a very nice writeup. I was taking apart my speedometer and this reference allowed me to see parts before I took them apart. I removed all my numbers and put grease in between.

If you are going to reset your numbers to 0 this can be quite tricky getting them lined up with the gears. This is probably the most difficult part.

[jessiejames]

thanks Glutamodo used your pics and info to zero out my odometer it works I did have all my gears fly all over though lol thank you

[DrKeck]

Thanks for the information, did this to mine today. One issue i wanted to bring up was, if you are going to use multi layers of dividers and using super glue they do not turn out perfectly. Im not sure what a better method would be but just wanted to give my input. Also wondering what people did on the chrome ring on the outside case or if you just ordered a new one?

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1966 Beetle
1600cc 50bhp
Daily Driver

[glutamodo]

Sorry I missed this question when you posted it. I've never had one not want to pop on there again, but I only pry them out "just enough" so that I can slip them off. They may not be extremely tight fitting, but they hold OK, more than enough to install into the car.

-Andy
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Andy T.

"What is Glutamodo, Horror of Toyko, besides total, fiendish, quality-a-you brain!"

[Tim Emmons]

Can't seem to get the body crimped back on. I tryed pushing it down and slipping one side in and running a small scewdriver around it and the othe side pops out, tried to clamp it and it did the same thing. tried it about 10 times. Help

[Aynthm]

Needles on the samba.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1691249

[umphorever]

The car is a 63...The speedo is from 1/67...I didn't know that about the turn signals!! What color should a 63 be?

EDIT: apparently they're supposed to be green. Well, when i replace the needle, I will replace the "gel"

[glutamodo]

That's a pretty big needle!

So... a red "gel" for the turn signal arrow? What year? (the last model year to have a red arrow was 1961)
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Andy T.

"What is Glutamodo, Horror of Toyko, besides total, fiendish, quality-a-you brain!"

[umphorever]

Here it is with my fabbed needle that is too heavy. It looked good but is just way too heavy.[img]

[/img]

[sportin-wood]