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 Posted: Jan 9, 2019 09:13AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Willie_B
I had several speedos that I took apart. There are several differences between early and later ones. Even took the odo completely apart to clean and reset. Used a drill to make sure it works, three tries later it did. Cleaned and ready, repainted the inside to try to get more light to the face. Got a digital tach off ebay to set drill speed at 1280 tpm so I know where to re-install the needle. All ready to go with new jewels, glass and chrome bezel.
Nice work Brad.

If in doubt, flat out. Colin Mc Rae MBE 1968-2007.

Give a car more power and it goes faster on the straights,
make a car lighter and it's faster everywhere. Colin Chapman.

 Posted: Jan 8, 2019 06:47PM
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Excellent.  I'm glad you had success.

Incidentally, I bought one of those reflective tachs also.  I used it at work for a while where I was very impressed with it.  It was as accurate as other tachs in the lab while being easier to aim.  It is a good tool for very little money.  

Doug L.
 Posted: Jan 8, 2019 04:01PM
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I had several speedos that I took apart. There are several differences between early and later ones. Even took the odo completely apart to clean and reset. Used a drill to make sure it works, three tries later it did. Cleaned and ready, repainted the inside to try to get more light to the face. Got a digital tach off ebay to set drill speed at 1280 tpm so I know where to re-install the needle. All ready to go with new jewels, glass and chrome bezel.

"How can anything bigger be mini?"

 Posted: Nov 10, 2018 06:07PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by onetim
There is a speedometer calibration gear box as used on Jaguars, price is $134.00 will need to cut cable and make ends to put it in line.
Those are "ratio adapters".  I have used them before and they are a great way to get a working speedometer to read correctly when changes are made to a car.  They are commonly used with older cars to match them to different speedometers.  They are also used frequently by people who significantly change the tire size used on their cars.  

I had Nichols Speedometer in Greensboro make one for me several years ago.  Today I would use the folks at APT (gaugeguys.com).  

Doug L.
 Posted: Nov 10, 2018 04:37PM
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There is a speedometer calibration gear box as used on Jaguars, price is $134.00 will need to cut cable and make ends to put it in line.

 Posted: Nov 10, 2018 07:56AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 1963SV2
The speedo itself is “adjustable”.  You don’t need to change any parts to accommodate a change from 3.44 to 3.1.  I don’t know how its done but have paid for the adjustment - and calibration - several times (different speedos ..Basically they alter the spacing between the drive and driven plates.  Can’t be too difficult because they don’t charge much.


The distance between the magnetic arms and the drag cup is altered or the arms are re-magnetized to a different level to change the calibration of the analog portion of the gauge.  The odometer is not so easy or inexpensive.

Odometers are gear driven using worm gears, offset drive pinions, and pawls.  It is necessary to replace some of those drive components to change the odometer calibration.  Shops like Nisonger can make those changes but I would inquire about the cost before going that route.  I don't think Smiths odometer regearing is inexpensive in the U.S.

For alternate speedometers tucked out of the way... you can buy a $30 GPS speedometer off eBay.  They work fine but they have no odometer, they can take a few moments to acquire satellites, and of course they are useless in tunnels or places where the satellite signal is blocked.  Prior to GPS speedometers the cheap work around was to mount a Sigma (brand) bicycle computer.  They are very accurate.  The biggest complaint I had using one of those was they have no built in continuous light.  You could push a button to see the speedo at night but that shortened battery life and was inconvenient.

Speedhut makes modern speedometers based on GPS technology.  They will also do custom faces with custom fonts and such.  You could have them make a Mini-like speedometer but I don't think they have any gauges as large in diameter as that used on the Mini.  

Doug L.
 Posted: Nov 9, 2018 02:14PM
 Edited:  Nov 9, 2018 02:15PM
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The speedo itself is “adjustable”.  You don’t need to change any parts to accommodate a change from 3.44 to 3.1.  I don’t know how its done but have paid for the adjustment - and calibration - several times (different speedos ..Basically they alter the spacing between the drive and driven plates.  Can’t be too difficult because they don’t charge much.

The easiest way is to just introduce a touch of mental arithmetic.  The change from 3.44 to 3.1 is roughly 10%..so just add 10% when you read the speedo.... if it says 50 then you’re doing 55.  Always assuming it was correctly calibrated before any change...

The odometer works on the same rule - just add 10%.  To make it read correctly you will need to change either the odo or the drive gears in the gearbox.  Someone like Speedy Cables in the UK (or probably a multitude on this website) will be able to tell you what gears you need.

Of course the easiest ,and probably cheapest solution, is a subtle GPS readout tucked somewhere inconspicuous...

Cheers, Ian

PS Oh dear ..are we being invaded ... top 12 queries are all Bini related

 Posted: Nov 9, 2018 09:47AM
 Edited:  Nov 9, 2018 09:49AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dr Mini
I would think that as long as you change the internals of a 90 mph speedo with a 1280 TPN number into the housing and face plate of a 90 mph speedo with a 1408 TPN that the speed and odometer would be correct. A 90 mph face will have the numbers in the same location on both faces.
If the scale of the donor gauge face doesn't match the scale on the new gauge face (MPH per degrees of sweep) the analog/speed portion of the gauge will not indicate accurately.  For the odometer to work accurately the final drive in the gearbox must match what the donor gauge was designed for.

See the two pictures linked below, one for a 90 MPH speedometer, the other for 130 MPH.  If you put the 1280 TPM works behind the 90 MPH face, the analog needle will not be at the "right" place at the right time.

www.leacyclassics.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/360x/1eb0f016ae51377728a4e772f71f785d/A/D/ADU2345_1.JPG

www.minispares.com/image.axd?type=product&picture=350/13H4442.jpg

Note that the needles of both gauges sweep through about 270 degrees across the face.  However, straight up at 12:00 one gauge displays 50 MPH while the other displays 70.

Doug L.
 Posted: Nov 9, 2018 08:55AM
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Where do you lubricate the mechanism? I had read you should only lube where the speedometer shaft passes through the brass bushing, and at the drive bushing where the cable attaches. What lube do you use, Teflon with an evaporating carrier?

 Posted: Nov 9, 2018 08:34AM
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I do have two 1280 speedometers and an older speedo that I am not sure is a MKI. The center part of the dial face has fine white lines around it. The dial spacing for the speed numbers appear to be the same for both. So I may just take apart and clean one of the 1280's and then just swap out the very center part of the dial that has the lines. Got the odo apart last night so I can clean and lube those parts and set it back to all zeros. I figure by the time the moke is built it will all be like new anyway.

"How can anything bigger be mini?"

 Posted: Nov 9, 2018 08:00AM
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I would think that as long as you change the internals of a 90 mph speedo with a 1280 TPN number into the housing and face plate of a 90 mph speedo with a 1408 TPN that the speed and odometer would be correct. A 90 mph face will have the numbers in the same location on both faces.

"Retired:  No Job, No Money, Wife and I!  Will travel anywhere for Minis"

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 Posted: Nov 9, 2018 07:36AM
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If you look on the gauge face you will find near the odometer window the gauge's model number.  You will also find a 3 or 4 digit number.  That number is the "turns per mile" (TPM) number.  The "miles" center speedo for the 3.44 FD with 10s will be marked 1280.  For some additional reading see the website linked below.
//www.guess-works.com/Tech/speedo.htm

Not all center speedos are the same.  If you fit a different TPM speedo behind a gauge face (i.e. if you fit a 1376 TPM speedo behind a 1280 TPM gauge face) neither the odometer or speedometer will read correctly.    

  

Doug L.
 Posted: Nov 9, 2018 07:34AM
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If you could find a 90 mph speedometer with the proper TPN number on it for a 3:44 diff you could swap the face or guts and it would work. I imagine that all little wheel Mokes had the 3:76 gears so that is what most black faced 90 mph speedos would have. They also used the black face 90 mph speedos in the Supers and the wagons, so perhaps you might get lucky and find one of those. Failing that, there's probably a Canadian or UK MKII type speedo with the proper guts and 90 mph face, but UGH, you certainly would want to change the face back to proper MKI style. Does anyone know the TPN for a 3:44 diff? That would be the first step in hunting for the correct unit.

"Retired:  No Job, No Money, Wife and I!  Will travel anywhere for Minis"

[email protected]

 Posted: Nov 8, 2018 03:55PM
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willie.b  I have couple centre binncale  speedo.. if you need one.. thanks for sending the carb. for the OZ moke... later bc

 Posted: Nov 8, 2018 02:31PM
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The new gearbox will be a magic wand hybrid, 4 syncro, 3.44 fd with cross pin diff and pot joint output. Should also have the correct speedo drive for the 3.44 and 10" wheels. I would like to swap the speedo/odo internal assy to work behind the old MKI face plate.

I did not know the scales were different. That looks to be the only problem.

I also hope to clean and lube the odo assy before use.

"How can anything bigger be mini?"

 Posted: Nov 8, 2018 12:40PM
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Yes and no.

If you are talking about the center mounted speedometer, you can move the guts from one housing to another.  However, do note that the scales are different and the odometers are different.

If you put the guts of speedo for a 3.1 final drive car behind the face of a speedometer for a 3.44 final drive... the needle is not going to point at the right place on the scale so the speed reading displayed will be "wrong".

Likewise, if you don't change the driving gears in the gearbox to match what the speedometer is calibrated for, neither the odometer nor speedometer will display correctly.

Give a few more details about what you have and what you are wanting to do and it might be possible to provide more specific answers.

Doug L.
 Posted: Nov 8, 2018 06:44AM
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I am upgrading my mokes trans to 3.44 FD. So I would like to change the speedo insides to a later model one that will work with that. Is it just as simple as changing the guts over from one to the other? Just wondering before I tear into it.

"How can anything bigger be mini?"