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MG TD TF 1500 - Speedometer Calibration

After fitting a 5 speed box in the TF I "Recalibrated" my speedo using the GPS function on the I-Phone and remembering where the needle should beat 30 / 40 etc. The time clock has failed once again and the speedo is on the bench so I can adapt a quartz movement to fit. Whilst the speedo is out I am going to get it calibrated properly. Speedy Cables who made up a cable to mate the Ford gear box to the TF speedo do calibrating at a cost of £75. However is this something I can do myself. Is the calibration set by the finger return spring preload or is the magnetism in the spinner disc altered.

Regarding the time clock, with the original set up a long thin tube with a shaft running up the centre pokes through the dial and out of the rear of the speedo casing. It appears the face and the casing act as primative bearings so the tube can turn. The hour hand is fitted to the end of the tube at the dial side and the minute hand to the shaft. The end of the tube and shaft at the back of the dial connects to the clock mechanism. I propose to turn up a new tube and shaft to take the original hour and seconds hands at one end and to be a push fit over the output shafts of the quartz mechanism. A simple bracket will hold the quartz mechanism in the same place as the original movement.
Quartz movements cost about £2.50 and will run for years on a AAA battery. This would mean my battery master switch would isolate every bit of electrical circutry, the clock would tell the correct time, all the time and not just twice a day and it would be reliable.

Has anyone else tried this conversion?

Happy Hogmanay

Jan T
J Targosz

My TD came to me with no clock so I mounted an inexpensive Walmart quartz watch in the back of the speedo. Runs for years on the clock battery but of course you have to take it out twice a year to set daylight or standard time in.

John Quilter

I make replacement quartz clocks for the TD and I know a chap in Holland who makes an excellent replica of the original clock.
Regards
Declan

D Burns

Hi Declan,

My car is a TF and the dial for the clock is part of the speedo face. The clock movement is mounted to the rear of the speedo casing and the arbours for the hands are about 30mm long and pass through the casing and exit a hole in the dial itself.

Cheers

Jan
J Targosz

Declan,

My TD came with a decal instead of the clock! I am very interested in buying a replica since original clocks never appear for sale.
Can you please give me the adresses you mention?
Thanks!
C.M. groucho

C.M.
Send me your email address and I will send you a photo of what the Dutch guy's replica clocks look like. He also makes speedo and rev counter dials. There is a car jumble in Holland on Sunday week and I will most likely meet up with him there.

Regards
Declan
D Burns

I haven't given up hope on my original Smith's clock using the Clocks4Classics modification (http://www.clocks4classics.com/). The mod is pretty cool, unfortunately my clock keeps stopping after 10 minutes or so.

Plan B is to fit a new clock. This is a good source for alternative quartz clocks and miscellaneous clock stuff:

http://www.clockworks.com/


Jim
J Barry

I happen to know that Abingdon Spares just acquired a few instrument clocks, which are presumably for sale. Contact them - Martin@abingdonspares.com.

Tom Lange
MGT Repair
t lange

Declan,
My mail is vitriol@sunrise.ch
Thanks for your help.
Jim and Tom, I will check your sources. Thanks to you.

Claude
C.M. groucho

This thread was discussed between 27/12/2016 and 28/12/2016

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