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Sticking speedo needle
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MartinC



Joined: 27 Jun 2009
Posts: 97

PostPosted: Wed Jul 29, 2009 9:28 am    Post subject: Sticking speedo needle Reply with quote

The needle on the circular Smiths speedometer in my newly aquired Ensign is sticking.

When driving, it's reluctant to rise, and goes up in stages as i knock on the glass. It's similarly reluctant to drop again, in fact, it claimed to be doing 40mph when parked on the driveway!

Any ideas?
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peter scott



Joined: 18 Dec 2007
Posts: 7113
Location: Edinburgh

PostPosted: Wed Jul 29, 2009 10:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The most likely explanation and the easist to fix is that the pointer is touching the glass or the numbered plate. I'm not sure how your glass is attached. Sometimes there is an outer ring that is retained by lugs in bayonet fashion so you can grip it and rotate to release it. Others have small brass countersunk screws retaining the ring.

Once inside it shouldn't be too difficult to bend the pointer away from what it's sticking on.

Peter
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Uncle Alec



Joined: 14 Jan 2008
Posts: 734
Location: Manchester

PostPosted: Wed Jul 29, 2009 10:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm no instrument technician, but I have re-energised countless Riley speedos by removing the mechanism from the case and then sparingly applying duck oil (via that little red tube that always goes missing) to the areas where the central spindle passes through the plates, then agitating gently so that the needle swings to & fro to spread the oil.
Why I don't just spray liberally through the illumination hole is that the WD40 stains the instrument face on some speedos.
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Bugly



Joined: 25 Jan 2009
Posts: 65
Location: Darwin, Australia

PostPosted: Fri Jul 31, 2009 12:34 pm    Post subject: Re: Sticking speedo needle Reply with quote

MartinC wrote:
... in fact, it claimed to be doing 40mph when parked on the driveway!

Any ideas?


Of course, the logical one is that the driveway could be doing 40mph in the other direction!

Cheers - Bugly Wink
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