Mike (998cc), buddy any chance of you posting a few photos of your dash sounds like it would look quite nice, and am considering doing that to mine... cheer man..
p.s sorry bout late reply guys iv just got back from Ledge Point (bout an hr north of perth) bin on a short holiday up there..

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Drive it like you nicked it.

There is in fact a known zero point on all smiths speedo's.Previous posts assume that the point at which the pointer rested was correct in the first place and that tinkering has not caused the speedo to loose hairspring tension or magnetism!
A number of things bind in a smiths speedo causing it to waver.......
Most go beyond a quick squirt of crc or oil.......
In addition inner cables become elastic over time causing them to whip.You can check this by laying the inner on the ground grabbing one end between thumb and index finger and twisting.You will see the cable coil up and release if it is elastic.If a cable has any rust on it throw it out.If purchased new return it, it has been on the shelf too long.
Inner cable symptoms tend to improve as the car goes faster but usually don't go away altogether.

minijcar....you are right of course....however....they are so damn inaccurate anyway that returning to the last known good point at least does not make the thing read worse after taking off and replacing the pointer.

A rough calibration can easily be done if you are patient enough to temporarily remove and refit the speedo one or two times so you can check a few cardinal points over measured "miles" on the Freeway.

I have a real concern about your second statement though....a quick squirt of crc or oil should not go anywhere near the speedo head. The odometers once dissassembled can have tiny tiny smear of silicon grease and the shaft that drives the pawl (that turns over the odometer) is packed with a small amount of Molydenum Disulphide Grease.

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"Show me the Mini!"

9yatah,
My statement "most go beyond a quick squirt of crc or oil" refers to the method employed by most backyard mechanics to 'fix' a speedo not the methods that I employ..........
Contrary to your assertion it is possible to have an accurate smiths speedo.
Many 2005 model speedo's are more optimistic than a well serviced and calibrated smiths unit (at least the smiths one can be adjusted)
Your method of calibration on the freeway will only give you an indication of whether the odometer is accurate or not.Assuming that most mile marks have been removed from the nations highways it would be necessary to travel 8km on the highway for 5 miles on a speedo reading mph.There is a fixed relationship between the number of cable revolutions per mile or kilometre (printed on the dial of all smiths speedo's) and the odometer assuming that the pawl is not slipping or the drums seizing,worn eccentric gear etc.There cannot be an assumed correlation with the indicated speed as this relies on magnetism and hairspring tension pointer zero etc.
Rather than disassembling your car for the fun of it a number of times you could use a gps for an indication of the accuracy of the speed in conjunction with the distance check for distance.
To determine the extent of the distance inaccuracy you could do a roll test to determine the number of cable revoutions per mile or kilometre to see that the speedo is in fact correct for the diff, tyre and wheel rolling circumference and gearbox ( a vs a+).
The speed side can be calibrated if you have access to a speedo tester that simulates the number of cable revolutions that you determined in the above test otherwise you are stabbing in the dark.......
My underlying theme is to take care when trying to do it yourself or taking the advice of those who may not have indemnity insurance as a speeding fine is generally more costly than having the speedo attended to by a professional.

Did I let on that I did an Instrument Trades apprenticeship in the 1960s and worked as a tradesman for a few years

All that you have said is good stuff...and I have suggested the use of GPS in other threads....

There are still quite a few measured Km sections around Oz and a few speed read-outs (Waterfall NSW??) eg just past Albury when you hit the freeway to MEL.

Indicated speed (as opposed distance travelled on the odometer) can be fairly accurately observed by travelling at say an indicated 60MPH...and timing how long it takes to cover a few of the measured kilometres around the place....then doing the maths

My post was aimed at assisting the average Joe to get their speedos adjusted a little better.... or to check their accuracy.

Please also remember that a lot of Ausminiers have swapped around speedos, engines, wheels and gearboxes which brings a whole new set of problems..and they have also been discussed at length in previous threads.

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"Show me the Mini!"

9yatah,
The australian open begins in a few weeks..... as a preview a game of speedometer ping pong.

"Did I let on that I did an Instrument Trades apprenticeship in the 1960s and worked as a tradesman for a few years"
Did I let on that I am an Instrument Maker in 2006 having been around them all of my life. My father started (still going) repairing smiths speedo's in the early 60's including being appointed a smiths service agent soon after I was born in 1967 .
nb: you can read a mine is bigger than yours moment into this if you wish viewers.

"
There are still quite a few measured Km sections around Oz and a few speed read-outs (Waterfall NSW??) eg just past Albury when you hit the freeway to MEL."

didnt suggest there were not any km posts but can you give me an example of any miles posts! Speed readouts are another matter, did you notice a few years ago when the signs leading up to them were changed to include the word 'indication'. One might question their accuracy.......


" My post was aimed at assisting the average Joe to get their speedos adjusted a little better...."

Publish your contact details so that if you advise the average joe incorrectly they know where to come when the stab in the dark you advised them to undertake proves to be inaccurate.

"Please also remember that a lot of Ausminiers have swapped around speedos, engines, wheels and gearboxes which brings a whole new set of problems.."

I know the score given the situations i face at work every day along with the fact that I have a number of different mini's and a collection of over 100 different mini speedo's many of which look the same except for the calibration factor.This issue was covered in the cable revolution section of my last post.

Regards

Yep....you can certainly sling it better than me mate....I sincerely hope you and your Dad are here to advise Ausmini people in the spirit of forum....that is, helping out one another...bagging out people is so yesterday

Where were you over the past couple of years when the forum had to muddle through many Speedo/Tacho problems

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"Show me the Mini!"

There is a distinct difference between bagging people and stating or refuting the facts as presented......
I am happy to offer advice to the point where (some) people realise that it sensible to have the whole job done, much the same as going to the doctor.
Would be happy to look through a historical or future list of posts on speedometers tachometers gauges cable and sender units for mini's but not gynacology.... I like fiddling around with my wifes private parts but in the end some things should be left to the experts.

get ready folks....here comes the commercial pitch bullshit....how dissapointing

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"Show me the Mini!"

ok you two stop it now or i will put you both over my knee and spank you two
..... anymore of this and i will be forced to use god power ....
and mike i dont think he got narky till you poked him in the ribs
makka

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Anonymous moderation means the agro that is built up towards the mods isn't aimed at an individual (fewer "Makk" attacks). Less stress for mods means less moderator "retirements".

OK, I hope I'm not hijacking the thread, but can someone tell me where to get a new speedo cable for a 74 Clubby. Mine seems to have spat it's bikkies a couple of days ago.

I finally got round to pulling the dash out again, since I had to fix the fuel guage, temp gauge, and a couple of instrument lights LOL. Since the speedo's broken now, I cant even tell how many k's of fuel I have left

The cable is definitely sheared. If anyone can help with price and availability, it would be appreciated

EDIT.......... i SEE kARCRAFT HAVE TWO FOR A CLUBBY. One has "clip-on" next to it. does this refer to the instrument end of the cable? coz mine is screwed on and off

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"He's always been a dickhead, He always is a dickhead, He will always be a dickhead. So stop complaining when he acts like one."

Yes it refers to the speedo end of the cable. Later clubbies, 75-78, had clip on type connections. There's a couple on ebay but they've got 6 days to go and roughly the same price as in karcraft catalogue

Thanks. I'ill give em a call, along with some other stuff I need

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"He's always been a dickhead, He always is a dickhead, He will always be a dickhead. So stop complaining when he acts like one."

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"Show me the Mini!"