[T3] Speedometer needles

Know One knowonelse at sbcglobal.net
Sun Dec 4 16:45:03 PST 2011


> I thought people here had told me that the speedo needles removed easily, unlike the clock needles, but I couldn't get this one off. The shaft it fits on is about 1/2 mm in diameter and I'm pretty sure I'd twist off the shaft before the hub would come off. The one I just tried was from 1970. <
> 
> Has anyone ever taken one of these apart? If so, do you have any tricks to offer? <

I have managed to break the one on my original '67 speedo. I quickly glued on a matchstick (without ignition head) and it lasted 30 years that way adn was very accurate. No one ever spotted that it wasn't the original needle unless I told them.

I have not been able get that hub off the shaft of my original speedo, and the hub fits loosely on the newer one I bought and now have installed. 

During installation of the needle/hub (newer speedo), one has to install them pre-loaded which means that the needle is to the wrong side of the stop at some unspecified point. Once the hub/needle is placed into position, one has to move the needle to the correct location and to do that, the needle can lift off the hub on the long side. My needle lifts easily to clear the stop, but I haven't tried fully removing it.

The newer hub is loose on the shaft and I resorted to glue to hold it in place. I did, however, manage to do so without enough pre-load, so it is wildly inaccurate at the moment. I will have to pull it off somehow first.

I suspect that once the needle is lifted on the long side, it should slide out of the other side, but I haven't checked it. The hub is just pressed onto the shaft and there isn't any spline or other means of attachment. It's a press fit. The shaft appears to be tapered.

The problem I have is that to seat the needle/hub I have to push it into the face so much that it rubs against the beauty piece underneath. I haven't managed to remove that either. I want to explore how I can "adjust" that piece to allow proper fitting of the needle onto the shaft.

I just put the Sqbk into the garage to pull the engine to check the oil leaks. I need to pull the speedo anyway since it is way off, so I can shoot photos of the bare shaft and the needle pulled up part way from the hub.

Jeff '67 Sqbk



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