speedo and now rev counter not working

[wombat]

Last week I took the instrument panel off the Alfetta sedan (1984 GLC) to check one of the bulbs. That was OK but after replacing the panel the speedo was OK up to about 55Kpm but wouldn't go past that. Logically I assumed I had missed something when putting the panel back so took it off again but found nothing wrong. but now the rev counter wont work and the speedo seems to have stopped altogether.
can anybody shed any light on a possible solution?

[colcol]

If it has an electronic speedo as the 33's of that era did, then you may have crimped a wire that supplys power to the speedo and rev counter, if the Alfetta has a mechanical cable driven speedo, then the cable may have dislodged and not pushed far enough into the speedo head, Colin.

[wombat]

Ok, it's all working again. I found nothing wrong, no loose or damaged wires the speedo (electronic) was a bit sticky when I moved the needle so I just kept working it then put it all back together and both speedo and rev counter are working.
my conclusion: its an Alfa!! what did I expect!

[colcol]

I have found that if you push the speedo and rev counter needles in too far they tend to stick, and because the speedo works on low volts then any dodgy connection stops connecting the electricity, all the speedo related things that don't work on my 33 are usually Jaegar, and are made in France, Colin.

[drewster71]

My Tacho hasn't worked for years..... always been to concerned in pulling it out , 83 gtv 2lt, is it easy to remove and look at? im wondering if the needle is bent on mine to
Drew

[colcol]

If you have a bent needle, due to it warping in the hot Australian sun, go to a speedo repair place and get a replacement, if think for a Alfa 33, they are off some Commodore speedo, if you pull the instruments out just make sure the needles are free to turn by hand, otherwise they have been pushed down too far, on the spindle, Colin.

[Beatle]

Drew, from memory the instruments in the plastic GTVs are easy to remove.  I know they are an absolute cinch in the earlier split dash coupes.

Don't overtighten the screws on reinstallation.

[drewster71]

cool bananas Paul Cheers

[MD]

It's all been done before:

Check it out here:

http://alfagtv6.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2184&p=40042&hilit=speedo+pointer#p40042

Also possible to use commodore pointers but more tricky.

[colcol]

I used a Commodore Flouro red, as red needle against white numbers is easier to read than white needle against white numbers, tried staightening the original Jaegar, but they soon warped back and started dragging on the speedo and getting stuck, you imagine the Commodore needles would be better under the Aussie sun, Colin.

[mfroes]

any cheaper / good places on the gold coast ?
mine doesnt work until you give that eventual tapping, then it starts to work,
with the bent needles, it gets stuck on the back face from time to time.
the other day was going 60kph, when suddenly the speed trap flashed got my picture.
suddenly realised it wasnt just the tapping to start working problem.
my electric clock, the trip reset doesnt work. etc

[LukeC]

I used this for the needles:

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Evergreen-292-4-x-0-080-2-0-mm-High-x-14-355mm-Plastic-Angle-Section-New-/171063476291?pt=UK_ToysGames_ModelKits_ModelKits_JN&hash=item27d42d8043

It is a perfect match for the original needles (I have plenty of it left). Just snip the old ones off at the bezel and glue this on top.

And:

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/2mm-Clear-Acrylic-Perspex-Plastic-sheet-297-x-210-A4-/251013008252?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item3a718a8b7c

For the instument plastic. 2 hours work and they look like new.

[mfroes]

I used this for the needles:

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Evergreen-292-4-x-0-080-2-0-mm-High-x-14-355mm-Plastic-Angle-Section-New-/171063476291?pt=UK_ToysGames_ModelKits_ModelKits_JN&hash=item27d42d8043

It is a perfect match for the original needles (I have plenty of it left). Just snip the old ones off at the bezel and glue this on top.

And:

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/2mm-Clear-Acrylic-Perspex-Plastic-sheet-297-x-210-A4-/251013008252?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item3a718a8b7c

For the instument plastic. 2 hours work and they look like new.

how did you do the acrylic ? on mine they seem like they are courved/convex shape

[LukeC]

The clear perplex? The original is flat, but the with age and heat, can warp. The surround on the instruments also can warp. This can be alleviated somewhat with a heat gun. The surround just unclips, use the old face as a template and trace around onto the new perspex sheet. It is a bit fiddly, but I used a jigsaw and files to make the new faces (keep the protective film on as long as possible). Make sure it all fits nicely (will probably take some treaking) before final assembly.

The needle material was a perfect match for my old needles (taking into acount the poor state of the original needles). It took all of five minutes to trim the old needles off, make the new needles and glue them on.

Only two things are not perfect on my instruments: The clock needles are a bit yellow (particularly when compared to new speedo and tacho needles), and the redline area in the tach is a bit faded.

[ausalfista]

The clear perplex? The original is flat, but the with age and heat, can warp. The surround on the instruments also can warp. This can be alleviated somewhat with a heat gun. The surround just unclips, use the old face as a template and trace around onto the new perspex sheet. It is a bit fiddly, but I used a jigsaw and files to make the new faces (keep the protective film on as long as possible). Make sure it all fits nicely (will probably take some treaking) before final assembly.

The needle material was a perfect match for my old needles (taking into acount the poor state of the original needles). It took all of five minutes to trim the old needles off, make the new needles and glue them on.

Only two things are not perfect on my instruments: The clock needles are a bit yellow (particularly when compared to new speedo and tacho needles), and the redline area in the tach is a bit faded.

Sounds like good work Luke 
Any Pics?
(Before and After would be great!)