The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Speedo rebuild

I ordered a new speedo needle for my '53 GMC. When I pull the speedo, I'd like to do a simple rebuild on it. Right now what's left of the old needle bounces radicaly, and the speedo makes lots of noise. I will be replaceing the speedo cable, but can any one give me some pointers on rebuilding the unit? Thanks

Can't help with the rebuild but I can give you a word of warning. Don't toss your old speedo needle like I did. I didn't look close at the replacement needle I purchased. When I finally got around to working on the speedometer I found out the "replacement needle" was just a cover. You need to use the mounting parts from your original needle.
Chuck

I took my '54 GMC speedo apart when I refaced it. There was a brass plug covering an oiling hole. I removed the plug and the packing material and blew carb cleaner through it. After blowing the cleaner out of it I oiled it, put the packing back in and oiled it. I sealed the hole with silicone.

I also took the number wheels apart and refaced them. I took a scribe and marked a line on each wheel between the 0 and 9 for a guide to where to put the new numbers. When you clean them the old numbers will wash off leaving no indication where the 0 goes.

Cletis,

What sort of oil did you use, and how does the unit work on a chilly morning?

Mike

I used 3 and 1 oil. As far as how it works, it works great in a drill motor. I need to replace the drive unit in the tranny before I can see how it works on the highway.