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Waving Speedometer Needle After Rebuild

Posted by mgageoff

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Waving Speedometer Needle After Rebuild #1
mgageoff Geoff Howard Ashburn, VA, USA 1958 MG MGA 1500	Posted: July 16, 2012 07:35AM Registered: 1 year ago Posts: 662

Just got my speedo back from Nisonger and was surprised to find the needle waving about 5mph. Is this normal?

Geoff Howard
http://mgaexperiment.blogspot.com
Now Playing on the Blog (1/6/2013): Sagging With Age

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Re: Waving Speedometer Needle After Rebuild #2
TeamEvil / / Gone, /, Kiribati	Posted: July 16, 2012 08:05AM Registered: 1 year ago Posts: 1,443

Not at all, did you attach the ends of the cable to the trans and speedo securely? Thoroughly grease the cable before re-connecting everything?

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Re: Waving Speedometer Needle After Rebuild #3
mgaex189 Giovanni Delicio Obrigheim, Rheinpfalz, Germany 1955 MG MGA 1500 "C2" 1955 MG MGA 1500 "C1" 1955 MG MGA 1500 1960 MG MGA 1600 Coupe 1961 MG MGA MkII	Posted: July 16, 2012 08:58AM Registered: 2 years ago Posts: 327

It seems that you have also a problem with your revcounter !
From the sound on the video, you never run 6000rpm !!!

Giovanni

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Re: Waving Speedometer Needle After Rebuild #4
barneymg Barney Gaylord Naperville, Illinois, USA 1958 MG MGA "MGA With An Attitude"	Posted: July 16, 2012 09:45AM Registered: 8 years ago Posts: 2,155

Yes, naughty tachometer, reading about double the actual engine speed.

You might try changing the speedometer cable, but I don't think it will fix this speedometer problem.Wavering of the needle seems to be exactly in harmony with action of the mechanical pawl that drives the odometer.

I know of three contributing causes to this problem.
1.) Excess Friction in the drive cable that varies with small changes if load torque.
Fix is to install a new speedometer cable.
2.) Odometer wheels mechanism may be dirty causing friction drag in the number wheels.
Fix is to clean the odometer wheel assembly.
3.) Excessive end play in the shaft carrying the magnetic armature.
Fix is to shim the input shaft to reduce end float.

The first item is not under control of the instrument re-builder, so you should try a new cable before you complain to the vendor.

Items 2 and 3 should be taken care if with any speedometer repair. They don't all ways fix the end float problem but if the instrument was tested after repair the wavering needle should have been obvious, and it should have been fixed before shipping.

If there is excess friction in the odometer wheel assembly, this can eventually lead to sheering of teeth on the phenolic odometer drive sprocket, in which case the odometer stops working. This is a fairly common problem with e main odometer, not so often with the trip meter. I've had it happen twice in a quarter million miles, and my speedometer needle is mow wavering again.

Find more information on internal workings of the instrument starting onlower part of page here: http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/dash/dash_1.htm

Barney Gaylord
1958 MGA with an attitude - http://MGAguru.com
Notice: - Do not leave a PM for me on the forum server. Send any private message to my personal e-mail address barneymg@mgaguru.com

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Re: Waving Speedometer Needle After Rebuild #5
MGARuss Russ Sharples New Jersey, USA 1960 MG MGA 1600 "Bonnie"	Posted: July 16, 2012 11:13AM Registered: 1 year ago Posts: 603

Geoff - I recently got my speedo rebuilt by Nisonger as well. I have noticed it waving at certain speeds but at others it is steady. I also recall that my needle doesn't have the steady bounce that your video shows. I had planned to check and repair or replace my speedo cable before bringing it up with Nisonger.

Russ

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Re: Waving Speedometer Needle After Rebuild #6
mgageoff Geoff Howard Ashburn, VA, USA 1958 MG MGA 1500	Posted: July 16, 2012 11:57AM Registered: 1 year ago Posts: 662

The speedo cable is new (Moss). Maybe there is a routing problem causing friction due to a tight bend - I'll check that. Should I have lubricated it somehow first?

Geoff Howard
http://mgaexperiment.blogspot.com
Now Playing on the Blog (1/6/2013): Sagging With Age

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Re: Waving Speedometer Needle After Rebuild #7
riley1489 Bruce Hopgood Montreal, Quebec, Canada 1973 MG MGB	Posted: July 16, 2012 01:20PM Registered: 1 year ago Posts: 749

A kink in the inner cable may cause this. Oh yeah, go buy some gas you will run out very soon smiling smiley

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Re: Waving Speedometer Needle After Rebuild #8
Gary E Gary Edwards Kernersville, ,N.C., USA 1962 MG MGA MkII 1974 MG MGB GT	Posted: July 16, 2012 02:27PM Registered: 6 years ago Posts: 5,221

You have the tach and speedometer swapped from normal. Maybe that is the cause of the bind.

Gary

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Re: Waving Speedometer Needle After Rebuild #9
59mgaguy John Terschak Kill Devil Hills, NC, USA 1930 Ford Model A "Jenny" 1959 MG 14/28 "Jessie" 1974 MG MGB "Oooops"	Posted: July 16, 2012 03:13PM Registered: 2 years ago Posts: 885

Take the cable out,clean it, then lube it with Graphite Grease. Also make sure there are no kinks.

John

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Re: Waving Speedometer Needle After Rebuild #10
mgageoff Geoff Howard Ashburn, VA, USA 1958 MG MGA 1500	Posted: July 16, 2012 06:36PM Registered: 1 year ago Posts: 662

Ok, I realize I forgot to copy my disclaimer about my tachometer into the post from the YouTube description. Yes, it's wildly off. It used to be consistent but has now stopped going below 3000RPM even with the engine off. It's an MGB electrical tach. The reason we included it in the picture was to show when I was travelling constant speed.

I'm still unclear about lube of the cable. The inner cable doesn't seem to withdraw more than an inch from the housing on either end making lubrication seem unfeasible. Lube on the square drive ends seems futile since it is not meant to slip in place. Is that really recommended?

Geoff Howard
http://mgaexperiment.blogspot.com
Now Playing on the Blog (1/6/2013): Sagging With Age

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Re: Waving Speedometer Needle After Rebuild #11
bikermga Peter Tilbury Surrey, BC, Canada 1956 MG MGA 1958 MG MGA coupe	Posted: July 16, 2012 07:06PM Registered: 4 years ago Posts: 513

Geoff,
Every where I have read about speedo cable lubrication says: (1) remove the inner cable and wipe it off (2) put some light oil on its full length (light oil in England used to be called sewing machine oil)(3) reinsert the inner cable (4) clean off the oil on the first 2 inches approx of the inner cable(this is to prevent oil getting up into the instrument).
Also check that the outer cable has a smooth routing between the gearbox and the fire wall. Any tight bends will make the speedo needle bounce.
Peter.

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Re: Waving Speedometer Needle After Rebuild #12
JimNH Jim Mail Nashua, New Hampshire, USA 1957 MG MGA "Camilla (the Other Woman)"	Posted: July 16, 2012 07:29PM Registered: 3 years ago Posts: 2,657

You should be able to pull the inner speedo cable out of the outer sheath from underneath the dash with no trouble - if you can't then check the cable routing down near the gearbox - too tight a bend somewhere I think.

JIM in NH

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Re: Waving Speedometer Needle After Rebuild #13
59mgaguy John Terschak Kill Devil Hills, NC, USA 1930 Ford Model A "Jenny" 1959 MG 14/28 "Jessie" 1974 MG MGB "Oooops"	Posted: July 17, 2012 08:14AM Registered: 2 years ago Posts: 885

The inner cable should pull right out with no problems. I would try to disconnect both ends and pull it out. If it is stuck I would say you have the outside cable kinked somewhere. When you do get it out check to make sure the length is correct. Speedometer cables will break in two. If your real good you can braze it back together but buying a new one is easier. All you need is the inside cable not the whole thing.

Once you get your speedometer cable straighten out may I suggest you take your speedometer out and see if anyone with a MGA will let you hook it up on their car or switch speedometers to see if it still jumps. If it does then you know where the problem lays.

Sorry I did make one mistake when I told you about the lube. I should have typed graphite oil instead of grease. A small tube from Snyder's Antique Auto Parts in New Springfield, Ohio will cost you $2.95 plus shipping. Part number A-17260-L. But you should be able to pick it up local at any parts store.

John

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Re: Waving Speedometer Needle After Rebuild #14
TeamEvil / / Gone, /, Kiribati	Posted: July 17, 2012 12:03PM Registered: 1 year ago Posts: 1,443

If you really can't easily remove the speedo cable from it's sheath, you ought to replace it and be done with it. Easy Peasy, problem solved forever. Pull the new one apart and grease according to the manual and you'll be dead before you need to replace it again.

Kinda comforting, huh?

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Re: Waving Speedometer Needle After Rebuild #15
mgageoff Geoff Howard Ashburn, VA, USA 1958 MG MGA 1500	Posted: July 17, 2012 12:20PM Registered: 1 year ago Posts: 662

My attempt to pull the inner cable out was on my old cable and without pliers or gloves, so maybe I'll have better luck with the new one. Come to think of it the old one had the transmission end snap off when the odometer jammed before rebuild (very lucky the phenolic drive gear seems ok).

Oh, and for those still concerned I might be running out of gas, this was filmed on the way to the gas station...

Geoff Howard
http://mgaexperiment.blogspot.com
Now Playing on the Blog (1/6/2013): Sagging With Age

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