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Options to repair or replace speedometer on 59 Bugeye?

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thriftymike

thriftymike

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The cable is connected but the needle is all over the place. Any way to calibrate this? Not sure replacing cable would do anything. But would like to keep original instruments if possible. Any suggestions?
 
with mine the squre cable end had rounded where it entered the transmission. I got a piece of square brass from a hobby shop and made a bit of a sleeve to square it up again.
 
Swap the Speedo and Rev Counter around, That will tell you if it is the Speedo or the Cable that is at fault. Both cables rotate at similar speeds, so you won't do any damage. If it the Speedo, then the flickering of the needle is due to wear and cannot be fixed by recalibration, I'm afraid you will need a speedo rebuild
 
JPSmit said:
with mine the squre cable end had rounded where it entered the transmission. I got a piece of square brass from a hobby shop and made a bit of a sleeve to square it up again.
Click to expand...
Thanks. I'll take a second look and see if that might be the problem.
 
DWP Industries I said:
Swap the Speedo and Rev Counter around, That will tell you if it is the Speedo or the Cable that is at fault. Both cables rotate at similar speeds, so you won't do any damage. If it the Speedo, then the flickering of the needle is due to wear and cannot be fixed by recalibration, I'm afraid you will need a speedo rebuild
Click to expand...
Thank you. I'll try it!
 
And I quit fooling with cables and instruments and speed matching boxes and went for reliability and accuracy and converted to Speedhut GPS Speedo and Matching Tach. I designed my own gauge faces with an Austin Healey Script plus I customized and added some additional lamps for turn signals, high beams, and alternator warning. They work everytime without fail and I actually know when Bugsy is travelling faster than he should be. Bugeye Guy has used these same gauges with a gauge face that looks a whole lot like the OEM Gauge Faces. By the time you get done getting obsolete gauges repaired, you could be well on the way to purchasing a modern, electronic gauge. $ and reliability. I don't want to get under the dash ever again.
 
I too got tired of messing with the speedo and went with Speedhut gauges. I got mine from Bugeyeguy .. Speedo, Tach and Gas Gauge.

Since I had done the Datsun 5 speed my cable needed to be metric on one end and Imperial system on the other. A different rear end (3.9) and tires only added to the inaccuracies. about 10% speedo and 15% odometer. Why the difference baffles me. Also my tach was ambient temperature variable. I had drilled a hole in the back of the tach housing so that I could adjust the tach based on the speedo on the fly with a tiny screwdriver.
The floats in the gas tank always failed so that I could have a working gas gauge for a few months before needing to drop the tank -again- so many times that the bung for the fuel line developed a leak around it from being tightened and loosened so often. So new tank, brass float, programmable gauge.

TLDR. Get a GPS speedo and be done. Forever.

Oh yeah, my speedo will sometimes drop to ZERO going under an underpass! Disconcerting the first couple of times.
 
Before wasting a bucket load of money disconnect the cable from the back of the Speedo and pull out the inner cable. Wash this thoroughly with any solvent (petrol, degreaser, kerosene etc) and then dry with a cloth. Using any sort of grease (wheel bearing, chassis etc) lightly grease the bottom two thirds of the cable. The key word here is lightly! Insert the inner cable back into the outer cable, you may have to pull it out a little bit, twist a bit and push in again. It can be a bit fiddly getting it to align and slip into the Speedo drive gear. Like most things Speedo cables benefit from some basic maintenance. Be warned over doing the grease can see the excess grease work its way into the Speedo head and then you will pay for an instrument overhaul!
 
Jim_Gruber said:
And I quit fooling with cables and instruments and speed matching boxes and went for reliability and accuracy and converted to Speedhut GPS Speedo and Matching Tach. I designed my own gauge faces with an Austin Healey Script plus I customized and added some additional lamps for turn signals, high beams, and alternator warning. They work everytime without fail and I actually know when Bugsy is travelling faster than he should be. Bugeye Guy has used these same gauges with a gauge face that looks a whole lot like the OEM Gauge Faces. By the time you get done getting obsolete gauges repaired, you could be well on the way to purchasing a modern, electronic gauge. $ and reliability. I don't want to get under the dash ever again.
Click to expand...
Thanks!
 
Pythias said:
I too got tired of messing with the speedo and went with Speedhut gauges. I got mine from Bugeyeguy .. Speedo, Tach and Gas Gauge.

Since I had done the Datsun 5 speed my cable needed to be metric on one end and Imperial system on the other. A different rear end (3.9) and tires only added to the inaccuracies. about 10% speedo and 15% odometer. Why the difference baffles me. Also my tach was ambient temperature variable. I had drilled a hole in the back of the tach housing so that I could adjust the tach based on the speedo on the fly with a tiny screwdriver.
The floats in the gas tank always failed so that I could have a working gas gauge for a few months before needing to drop the tank -again- so many times that the bung for the fuel line developed a leak around it from being tightened and loosened so often. So new tank, brass float, programmable gauge.

TLDR. Get a GPS speedo and be done. Forever.

Oh yeah, my speedo will sometimes drop to ZERO going under an underpass! Disconcerting the first couple of times.
Click to expand...
How do you like the Datsun 5 Speed? Why Datsun and not Ford T9?
 
thriftymike said:
How do you like the Datsun 5 Speed? Why Datsun and not Ford T9?
Click to expand...
Can't completely answer for Bill but Datsun is the go to for 1275 engines (and their ancestors). The T9 seems to be reserved for the 1500's. As well the T9 is unbelieveably rare on this side of the pond. The Datsuns are of course rare as well - but they weren't always.

Also there are a coujple of Datsun conversion kits readily available - the T9 bits are mostly in the UK.
 
Good to know! Thank you. I still have the original 943 , but considering an upgrade to 1275. Do you know where a Datsun Kit is available?
 
Rivergate has the kit https://www.rivergate5speed.com/spridget-kit/ But I think you need to supply the transmission

Moss does have a T9 Kit > Conversion Kit, 5-Speed Gearbox < but it is spendy

I think Moss uses the Frontline kit - which appears to be sold out

Select Car

shop.frontline-cars.co.uk shop.frontline-cars.co.uk

and barrett has a kit using a Suzuki Jimny (samurai) 5 speed
barrattengineering.co.uk

The wait is over!

We are delighted to announce the launch of our A-Series 5 speed gearbox kits for MG Midgets and Austin Healey Sprites, for £2200. The Suzuki Jimny gearbox provides synchromesh on all gears, a 5th g…
barrattengineering.co.uk barrattengineering.co.uk
 
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