Skip to main content
Topic: How to change your buttstuffog odometer reading (lots of pics) (Read 32034 times) previous topic - next topic

How to change your buttstuffog odometer reading (lots of pics)


Hmmmm... I just got this new speedo, but the mileage is wrong.
I know I have to take it apart to change it, but where to start?
I guess I have to get the pointer off, so I just pull, right?



That usually pops off the cover, leaving the pointer behind.
I find it easier to gently lift while turning the pointer down
past zero, overcoming the friction holding the pointer on the needle.



There you go. The hollow tube fits over the tiny needle in the hole.



Take out 2 screws to remove the face. Try not to scratch it.



Take out 3 screws to get the odometer assembly off the speedo.



Flip it over, and there's the "works".
You'll need to get those little gears out of the way, and
since they're held in by a metal shaft, let's remove it.



Here's the shaft. The tripmeter has its own shaft. Ignore it.



Pop it out with something skinny. I used a mini screwdriver.



Don't go too far, just 1/8" or so until the splines are out.



The shaft is now free to pull out, releasing the gears.




Closeup of the gears. Note the "long" and "short" teeth.
Each gear engages the teeth of the wheel to its left.
The long teeth slide along the slight groove on the wheel
to the right, "bracing" the left wheel so it can't turn.
When the "notch" in the right wheel comes around (you can
just see it between the 5 and 6), the long tooth drops into
it, spinning the gear and the left wheel by one digit.



Whoops! I mean, I meant to do that!!!!!



Now you can flip the odo over and spin the wheels to set your
new mileage.



Flip it back, and note the other numbers are all 5 digits off,
so 298650 becomes 743105. However, the important numbers you'll
need in a few minutes are below those... >854216< .



Okay, here's the fiddly bit that takes all the time, and needs
good lighting and a steady hand. Slide the pin back in, putting
one gear on it at a time, remembering to get 2 of the "long"
teeth on the groove with a short tooth between. Tweezers are a
big help here. Make sure the digits all stay "in line".



Okay, gears are in, the mileage looks right, let's test-fit the face
and see the results of my wonderful job.



Ummm... heh, heh. I think I made a boo-boo.



Here's the gears installed the wrong way, so the shaft is over
the "gap" between digits. All you can do is pull the shaft out
and start all over. :(



Here's the proper way, with the gears covering the digits.



Ahhhhh, that's better.



Time to put the shaft all the way back in. Here's those splines again.



Give it a good push with something flat (my Torx driver is flat on
the end). You shouldn't need to hammer on it, it's only going into plastic.



Here's the odometer stepper motor that turns the worm gear that turns the drive gear that turns the idler gear that turns the digits that live in the house that Jack built. Oh, sorry... that's a different song.



Put the housing back on - 3 screws.



Put the face back on - 2 screws.



Place the pointer back on its needle. Don't worry about getting it
straight off the bat.



Here it is "slightly" out of line. No problem, it's a friction fit
and I haven't pushed it on all the way.



Gently nudge it down to exactly zero.



Give it a push with something flat to "set" it on the needle.
If it's not exactly where you want it, gently swing the pointer
around to "peg" it at one end of the scale or the other, then
push it just a bit more so it turns on the needle. Let it go
back to zero and see how close you are. Repeat as needed.



Put back the cap that you accidentally ripped off in step 2.



There it is, back in the cluster with the right mileage, and
the pointer right at zero. Isn't it pretty?
Death awaits you all with nasty, big, pointy teeth.

1988 5.0 Bird, mostly stock, partly not, now gone to T-Bird heaven.
1990 Volvo 740GL. 114 tire-shredding horsies, baby!

Re: How to change your buttstuffog odometer reading (lots of pics)

Reply #1
sweeeeeeeeeeeet! i got it. turns out i had the black gears facing the wrong direction. i sure do appreciate the help. :headbang:

this needs to be in the coolcats tech section. :D
1979 Ford Fairmont
[/B]
5.0L/4R70W/8.8"/5-lug/3" Exhuast


Re: How to change your buttstuffog odometer reading (lots of pics)

Reply #2
Sticky sticky sticky!!!!!!!
Temporarily Foxless? Ride the Bull...

Re: How to change your buttstuffog odometer reading (lots of pics)

Reply #3
Pain. In. The.  ASS.
-Jim
1987 Cougar LS 5.0


Re: How to change your buttstuffog odometer reading (lots of pics)

Reply #4
good advice but wheres the one that tells us how to change to 140 mph speedo? :D

Re: How to change your buttstuffog odometer reading (lots of pics)

Reply #5
now if only we had some kind of pictures to let us know what you were talking about....j/k good post. One of the Admins should sticky this
Quote from: jcassity
I honestly dont think you could exceed the cost of a new car buy installing new *stock* parts everywhere in your coug our tbird. Its just plain impossible. You could revamp the entire drivetrain/engine/suspenstion and still come out ahead.
Hooligans! 
1988 Crown Vic wagon. 120K California car. Wifes grocery getter. (junked)
1987 Ford Thunderbird LX. 5.0. s.o., sn-95 t-5 and an f-150 clutch. Driven daily and going strong.
1986 cougar.
lilsammywasapunkrocker@yahoo.com

Re: How to change your buttstuffog odometer reading (lots of pics)

Reply #6
Quote from: 88turbo
good advice but wheres the one that tells us how to change to 140 mph speedo? :D

Right here:
http://www.foxtbirdcougarforums.com/showthread.php?t=3
2015 Mustang GT Premium - 5.0, 6-speed, Guard Green - too much awesome for one car

1988 5.0 Thunderbird :birdsmily: SOLD SEPT 11 2010: TC front clip/hood ♣ Body & paint completed Oct 2007 ♣ 3.55 TC rear end and front brakes ♣ TC interior ♣ CHE rear control arms (adjustable lowers) ♣ 2001 Bullitt springs ♣ Energy suspension poly busings ♣ Kenne Brown subframe connectors ♣ CWE engine mounts ♣ Thundercat sequential turn signals ♣ Explorer overhead console (temp/compass display) ♣ 2.25" off-road dual exhaust ♣ T-5 transmission swap completed Jan 2009 ♣

How to change your buttstuffog odometer reading (lots of pics)

Reply #7
master blaster is the man

How to change your buttstuffog odometer reading (lots of pics)

Reply #8
nice post man....did it awhile ago and it realy is a pain in the nutz.
:america: 1988 Thunderbird Sport, Former 4.6 DOHC T56 conversion project.

Rest of the country, Welcome to Massachusettes. Enjoy your stay.

 
Halfbreed... Mango Orange Y2K Mustang GT
FRPP complete 2000 Cobra engine swap, T56 n' junk...
~John~

How to change your buttstuffog odometer reading (lots of pics)

Reply #9
Quote from: jkirchman;45598
Pain. In. The.  ASS.


Yea I stuck my 140 in with 25K more showing than actually on the car... Pulled the 85 mph version apart to see how to set it(and did reset it to the milage on the 140). Decided it wasn't worth the effort to pull and reset the 140. Six years later, still 25K ahead...


BTW a thin piece of tape across the number wheels helps keep them in place during reassmbly...

How to change your buttstuffog odometer reading (lots of pics)

Reply #10
I know this is an old post, but it's way easier than this to change the odometer mileage.  You'll still have to take the needle and speedo face off, and disconect the odometer housing from the stepper motor as shown in MasterBlaster's pics (btw, congrats MasterBlaster on finally getting a digital camera), but once that's done, my method will allow you to change the odometer mileage in under a minute. 

With the front of the odometer housing facing you, grab the large black number wheel of the desired numeral you wish to change, and pull to the left.  You see, a spring on the left side of the odometer puts rightward pressure on the number wheels so that they stay intermeshed.  pulling to the left will disengage the number wheel from the tiny gears directly to the right, allowing you to free twirl the wheel to the desired numeral.  For the number wheels in the middle, you will have to not only disengage them from the tiny black gear on the right, but also from all the other number wheels to the left. There's enough travel in the spring to allow for this though.  It's best to change the numeral positions one at a time, so that you can make sure you're keeping the odometer numbers lined up correctly.

How to change your buttstuffog odometer reading (lots of pics)

Reply #11
Just a confirmation on "joefriday's" post, it is a breeze and it works well !!
1985 Thunderbird TC
2.3l .03 over,Ported and polished Head and E6 Manifold, LA3, T3/T4 Hybrid Turbo, Stinger FMIC, Forge BOV, Full 3" Exhaust, Essy Timing Gears & UDP's, BBK 255lph Fuel Pump, Kirban AFPR, Kirban Short Shifter, K&N Cone, Forced4 VC Vent Kit, PA Performance 3g Alternator, Energy Suspension Bushings throughout, CHE LCA's, SFC's [/LEFT]

How to change your buttstuffog odometer reading (lots of pics)

Reply #12
Yeah, I had to comment as well!  I've taken a few speedos apart to match new motors and all I ever did was pull the numbers apart and turn them to where they needed to be.  But I guess either way it beats the old "elec drill til it flips back around to zero" method I used to hear about from my dad!
1988 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe
'89 5.0 w/ ported intakes, Mallory Adjustable FPR, BBK shorties and H with 2.5" Flows, 130 amp 3G, 89 Mustang comp/wiring, Aluminum radiator w/ elec fan, T5 trans, King Cobra clutch, 3.55 gears, 13" Cobra brakes (front), Wilwood prop valve, Mustang A-arms, Front Coil-overs, MM CC plates, Silver 17x9 R's, 03 Cobra IRS, Aluminum DS, 2002 Mustang dash/console etc..., custom leather seats

How to change your buttstuffog odometer reading (lots of pics)

Reply #13
You're all wrong! Do it my way, or else!!!  :beatyoass: :raspberry
Death awaits you all with nasty, big, pointy teeth.

1988 5.0 Bird, mostly stock, partly not, now gone to T-Bird heaven.
1990 Volvo 740GL. 114 tire-shredding horsies, baby!

How to change your buttstuffog odometer reading (lots of pics)

Reply #14
--somewhat relevant--
I have the base cluster with the dig. speedo and the thing is WAY off. It shows about 15% slow. (shows 50 when I'm going 60. the gap is higher the faster I go). Obviously, it's also having quite an effect on my odometer. Does anyone know how to calibrate this? I know its not because of over/undersized tires.
--Steve
[thread=28690]1988 Cougar V6[/thread]
2012 F-150 3.7L
2011 Mustang 3.7L