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Triumph TR6 - Removeing the Speedo and Tacho

Gents.
I want to take my Speedo and Tacho and have them restored/serviced
I don;t think they have ever been out of the TR.
What the best way to get them out.
Undo the cables and nuts etc at the rear and I assume
they will fall forward & come out easily, ie come out the front
Comments would be appreciated
thanks Kevin
Kevin Farley

yes thats about right. The little rubber gasket may get stuck to the hole.
skikir

Kevin- This is a Triumph. Nothing is EASY.
Don
DON KELLY

Kevin:

Look for some threads on dash replacement on this site if this doesn't help. If you decide to take out all the gauges, carefully mark all wires with masking tape & a marker. I finished mine about two weeks ago and had marked with different color Post-It tabs. They stick great to paper but don't stick worth a da*n wrapped around a wire if it gets cold out. Most of mine fell off. Used a Haynes manual & Dan Masters' diagram to get all hooked up & working. To get at the speedo & tach reach in behind and remove the two knurled nuts that hold the brackets on each instrument and pop the gauges out of the holes after releasing the cables. I unscrewed the single screw holding the voltage stabilizer to the speedo and left it there with the wires on rather than dealing with more loose wires. Need a stubby flat head screwdriver for that. Note where your ignition & brake warning light wires go and mark them too. The illumination bulbs for the big gauges are pretty easy. All four are red/white two-wire. Replacement rubber sealing and mounting rings are available for all the gauges. You'll find them on the TR CD if you have it. All the small gauges have a single knurled nut except the oil prss gauge which has two. Now you've gone this far, mark the wires for your headlight switch, remove the wiper control & refinish your dash!

Cheers,
Bob
76-6
Bob Evans

Bob-Removing the seat and the steering wheel (quick&easy) provides more room. Getting the bulbs in the proper place on the speedo&tach is a little slow the first few times, until you memorize the wiring code. I predict this won't be the last time the instruments will be removed.
Berry Price
BTP Price

Berry:

Funny you should mention removing the wheel & seats. My car is being stripped this weekend for paint but I was anxious to get out for a spin so put the dash back in a couple of weeks ago. The very next day, all the new gauge o-rings arrived in the mail so it looks like the job will get done again, this time with the seats & wheel out. You need to be skinny or Houdini to get at things with them in. Lucky I'm skinny! After paint & before reassembly I will be dropping the diff again to have a look at that carrier bearing. I figure 2-3 years for my dream TR but I'll get there. Gives me something to do besides golf - another ridiculously expensive hobby.

Cheers,
Bob
Bob Evans

Thanks everybody for you comments. I haven't started on removing them yet, Bobs extra comment will come in very handy, so I don't stuff thinks up.
I put a new cable on the tacho a few ago after the needle was swinging around, and it steady'd the needle, but it starting making a grinding sound. So I though the best steep is to get them both re-conditioned. I would think there are dry as a bone and never been serviced since new. All the rest of the gausges are fine so only need to remove the tacho and the speedo. The only other thing that doesn't work on the dash is the dashlight dinmmer. But I'm not concerned about this as there is a bit of light there for night driving which is enough to get by.
Kevin Farley
KG Farley

Kevin
Just bypass the dimmer. The lights are so dim anyway you will never use it. As well they are a fire hazard.
Doug Campbell

KG, if the grinding sound on your tach started when you replaced the cable, I'd suspect a dry or defective cable, not the gauge. If you don't mind spending the money for an experienced rebuild and cleaning, that's great. You just might not need it. If the indicating needles are not responding accuately (sticking), I'd say go for it

I don't know if the same dimmer is used on the TR4, but I just sprayed contact cleaner in mine (and worked it back and forth to clean the wiper and windings) and it's worked for years now. Don't come cryin' to me if your car burns up, tho.

On the subject of new O rings, can't you just loosen the gauges and stretch the O rings a bit to get them behind the lip of the gauge?
Tom

Couple of good points Tom. I'll check the cables over the weekend. Any suggestions as to what lub I should use WD40 or oil/grease based product.
As to the dimmer might leave as is no harm in leaving it dim - so the cops cannot see what speed I'm doing of a night time.
Kevin
KG Farley

I don't think WD40 would last very long. I'd use motor oil or some graphite lube. I have used gear oil, but I almost hate to open a bottle of that stuff, it stinks.

LOL, maybe the cop would let you off on that one. I think they stop me just to look at the car. It is "arrest me red". Too much resistance from corrosion might cause heat in the dash light control, clean it out.
Tom

Kevin
WD40 is a big no no. It is not a lubricant.
Get a squirt can, fill with 10W30, hand the cable from the work bench, drip the oil in one end and when it comes out the other, you are done.

Also, Doug spells it out clearly....I repeat his comment...do yourself a favor and bypass the dimmer...it is a fire hazard waiting to happen.
Rick C
Rick Crawford

Doug/Rick...I'm a bit concerned about the dimmer switch, where is it likely to go up in smoke, in the switch itself or in the actual lights. Whats the best course of action that should be taken to reduce the hazed. My switch is 36 years old so that now a worry. I can easily get from the Healey Factory here in Melbourne which service Triumphs and carry all the spare parts. (just for your interest, actually there are about 7 Triumph ourlets for parts etc so we are not just a southern outpost)
regards Kevin Farley
KG Farley

Kevin,

Just connect the 2 wires from the switch together and leave the dimmer out. The Dash lights will brighten up more and most of the time the dimmer is set to the max anyway, to get any light on your gauges at night.

Eric
Eric de Lange

Thanks for the remind Eric...I missed reading Doug Campbells comments 24 May where he suggested "bypas" the dimmer. Simple solution. Silly me ! Will attend ASAP, and thanks to all.
Kevin.
KG Farley

Kevin
To be specific on answering your question...the dimmer switch (rheostat) is the potential fire hazard. It is a large variable resistor and as you turn the dimmer (increase the resistance) to dim the gauge illumination then you also increase the temp of the rheostat as you are giving "resistance" to current flow. Being a 36 year old rheostat...do you really want to trust it? Like everyone says, it is set at 100% brightness anyway so why not just bypass it. Yup, simply connect the wire together and wrap with electrical tape.
OOPPSS...My last post should read "hang" the cable.

Kevin, that is a lot of choice for parts...you should be able to keep your 6 on the road for a long time:)
Rick C
Rick Crawford

This thread was discussed between 19/05/2005 and 30/05/2005

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