Oldnuts here you go by the numbers. It took about a half hour. Ebay 5.00 Dodge pickup speedometer. Not quite as advertised. You have to take the screws out and take the back off. Carefully remove the clip holding the odometer in and watch what ever is on the other end. I'd suggest working on a big table or bench with nothing else on it at the time. You need to figure out which numbers were in the window in the face of the speedometer as that is where you want the chosen numbers to end up. Hold the first tang with your finger and turn the rest of the numbers so that it clicks the first number to the chosen one. then hold the first two tangs and repeat until you get the second number in place. then the third and so on. You don't need to pull the wheels apart just hold the tang of the one you want to set and keep moving down the line. It may take a few tries to get the numbers to come up right. Reassemble. I didn't show any photos but the tangs have to all sit on the bar that they go on and the clip has to go back on. Somewhat of a challenge with my smashed fingers but more nimble fingers shouldn't have a problem. After spinning the speedometer with a cordless drill running in reverse, here it is a crusty old speedometer showing .5 miles.
I couldn't even guess at how many odometers I've spun back/forward to match correct mileage......*not for fraud*
I don't think I would ever even assume that the miles on a car more than 47 years old were accurate. The things as old as I am fer gosh sakes and my mileage is tampered with as well. Most don't even have but a few original parts including engines trans everything. I don't think there's a lot of room in the prisons for the casual but yet notorious and public enemy number one "Speedo reseter hobbyist" If in doubt put Actual unknown, you're not lying in any way. I've done this. It flew.
that there is the secret I've fixed quite a few speedos and odometers on old chevys, I always set them to where they were. Except my 55 which was missing the speedo when I got it, so I set it to zero. As long as the title says "C" (an arizona thing meaning not original mileage) it's not a big deal what the odo says.
In general, on an antique automobile, no one really cares. Most of our customers are performing frame up restorations and request that their odometer reflect that process. Other customers want the mileage left as it came in. In either case, the condition of your vehicle is what a buyer is looking for and everyone knows that unless you have every mile documented from day one, there is no way to be sure of the actual mileage. The DMV has no interest in the mileage of any vehicle 10 years or older. I would also add that: running your speedometer on a drill is a horrible way to wear your speedometer out and disassembling a speedometer without proper tooling is a good way to break irreplaceable parts. Send your gauge to a professional and just tell them what mileage you want.
I used to have quite a collection of mattress and pillow tags. It started when I was wandering around on my motorcycle. Late one night in a flea bag motel that iIchecked into for a shower I was in a rather twisted state and got to reading the mattress tag (no television and almost no radio) and it said not to remove blah blah. So I pulled it off and giggled. After that I started pulling them from either a pillow or the mattress every time I checked in some place. 7 years on the road get me quite a few. I can only say this because I am sure that the statute of limitations has run out. I know it has nothing to do with the thread but I have always wanted to tell that story and the time seemed ripe.
Thanks everyone for posting these directions....... I had my speedo and tumblers all taken apart and couldnt get the numbers to line up. Your post helped me keep from throwing the all the parts across my shop floor.
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