In a message dated 10/30/00 11:10:46 PM Eastern Standard Time,
kchope@telocity.com writes:
<< My new baby, a 1960 Bugeye, has an annoying habit: The speedo will jump
and
swing wildly while in 4th. It will settle down for a few minutes, but then
go off again. Do I have a short? Has this happened to anyone else? >>
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Chances are very good that the speedo in a Bugeye is mechanical, not
electrical, so you don't have a short. (At least, not in the speedometer.)
There should be a cable coming out of the transmission housing that goes to
the back of the speedometer. Remove the cable from the back of the gauge and
squirt some speedo cable lube down in it. That may lube it and stop the
jerky motion. Speedo cable lube is a thin liquid with graphite in it, like
the stuff used for locks (which may also work).
Whilst you have it out, look at the end of the cable. It should be a square
drive end. If it is rounded, that may also cause the problem. The tranny
end could also be rounded. You might be able to clean it thoroughly and
build it up with epoxy, then re-form the square end to fit. (We tight!)
Some speedo cables must go thru an angle drive to get to the gauge. The
lubrication inside the angle drive gets hard after 40 years (can't imagine
why!) so it needs to be cleaned and re-lubed. If you have an angle drive and
can get it out of the car, squirt some carb cleaner into it to clean out the
old grease, and then try to squeeze some white lithium grease into it. That
should be good for another 40 years.
YMMV, as I have a 1977 Midget, not a Bugeye. If I missed anything, or gave
any bad advice, would other listers please correct me? I had a lot of
experience with this problem a few years ago in a Rover 2000TC, but a speedo
is a speedo, is a speedo.
Hope this helps. Now back to the guns!
Allen Hefner
SCCA Philly Region Rally Steward
'77 Midget
'92 Mitsubishi Expo LRV Sport
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