It wasn't working properly any more but nothing was broken, just dirty.

Henk

email (option): ahum@quicknet.nl

What did you use to clean it with,i have attempted the same job,i knew not to touch the numbers on the face with solvent but tried cotton bud and water and the dail paint tried to smear,dabbed it but faded numbers now but it does work ok.
always on the look out for 85mph speedos,but recent ebay prices make my eyes water,£100 now looking cheap!stopped watching the last one at £285.

I know a chap who restores these and he says they often end up filthy, oily and stop working, like yours, not because of dirt or dust, but purely because well meaning people squirt WD40 all over the place to lubricate things and over time this residue just ends up gunking everything up and covering it all with 'Marmite'. Much better to just touch the parts that need oiling with a thin paintbrush dipped in light machine oil.

Hi,

I clean the clock work with what we in Holland call wasbenzine, a kind of lighter fluid I guess. I have a tiny little bottle of clock oil and lubricate it with that. This unit is only fixed the to body with one screw. I usually leave it in on piece and just clean and lubricate it.

Henk

email (option): ahum@quicknet.nl

good do thanks.

Henk, is that a Jaeger drive type ? It looks like the later movement (from memory) but has the yellow 30mph line. (I believe they discontinued the yellow line as all the airborne chappies thought the needle had to be there for the bike to be in balance... )

Has it been owned by a compulsive cable oiler ? I believe that professional help is available.

We also have 'wasbenzine' in Belgium. It doesn't smell like lighter fuel (used) to smell to me. I don't know of an equivalent UK product. It is sold in the supermarkets for getting grease and oil marks off of fabrics etc. The major point in its favour is that it doesn't seem to have any sort of solvent effect for paints.

email (option): 79x100@gmail.com

I swapped the late speedo face for an early speedo face during this clean up, and to be honest I didn't know there was a difference in movements. Any photos available about that? I just wanted it to look like a 1940 speedo.

Never to old to learn.

Henk

email (option): ahum@quicknet.nl

I haven't got any photos Henk. The later one looks more 'modern' Next time mine's out of the case, I'll photograph it.

email (option): 79x100@gmail.com

Good stuff to clean chronometric mechanism is electrical contact cleaner available in aerosol cans. You can blast all the crud off and cleaner will dry out leaving no trace of lubricants then use clock oil to finish (some makes of contact cleaner contains a lubricant) .But dont get it anywhere near clock face or mileage counter the only thing I have used on these parts are soft tissue and clean water be careful!!. I seem to remember smiths cable being fitted with a small felt washer speedo head end to stop grease/oil travelling into speedo. Dave

wasbenzine = dry-cleaning fluid

email (option): rpa@robvanmeel.nl

Henk, your post gave me the courage to break into a cheap broken smith's chrono that I got on ebay sometime back. Thank you!

It was very dirty and pretty rusty inside, but I got the speedo mechanism working... at least I think I did, I don't have a motorcycle to try it out on right now, but all the springs are engaging/disengaging, so something is better than it was. And if I spin the gear (that the drive would attach to) at different speeds, I can see it adjusting up and down.

What a fascinating mechanism! I had never seen inside one before. The 'Rocker' on mine was rusted in so solidly, that it wasn't until I saw a labeled a diagram that I understood it was supposed to rock at all. But now it's all freed up and apparently working (we'll see how accurate it is someday).

But now I have a couple questions:

1. The face of mine doesn't look exactly like Henk's. I don't have a picture to post now, but it has S.443M (or similar) on the face. Is this a postwar speedo? It looks like this one, I believe: http://simonsoldmotorcycleparts.com/?id=1136
2. On the odometer, there was a tiny spring that pulled a gear keeper back into place. This has rusted through. Has anyone just adapted a click-pen spring to use here, or is it so precise that I must have an original spring? The one I'm talking about can be seen in Henk's first picture, between the 0 and the gear.
3. What drives the odometer? I see the keeper I mentioned above here stops it from moving... but I can't figure out what makes it move in the first place... maybe I'm missing a piece...? The numbers on my odo are very hard to turn... is this normal, or not?

Thanks,
NT

email (option): nicktogATgmailDOTcom

Hi Nick,

I prove over and over not to be an expert on speedo's I am afraid. Some of the forum members know a lot more about them. I think you need to have the logo on the speedo face as on mine, the speedo face in your link is post war as far as I know.

If you have to replace parts like that little spring, take care to get a spring with the same characteristic as the original one.

I am not sure what you mean with what drives the speedo?

These numbers interlocked and can only be rotated at a specific moment, they can feel quite stiff and will still work ok.


Henk

email (option): ahum@quicknet.nl

Hi Henk,
Thanks for the response. I understand now what I was asking... I couldn't figure out what made the odometer go. I see know, that what I thought was just a ratcheting 'keeper' also drives it. Again, I love this little machine. I think I can just adapt a small spring for in there, but like you said, I will do my best to keep the tension original.

I found this replacement face on ebay, from Argentina: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Smiths-3-Chronometric-Speedo-Dial-Face-80-miles-1-/111063527047?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item19dbe6ee87&vxp=mtr

Anybody have any experience with these?
Thanks again!
nt

email (option): nicktogATgmailDOTcom

Hi Guys
The speedo i have is in a sad state but i have managed to free it up and get it working.found a new face and even found some good odometer wheels. At least it was until i dropped it. Unfortunatly the little brass balance wheel broke. So i am looking for a speedo that i could rob some parts from.Can any one help?

email (option): wpgarage@xtra.co.nz

That speedo face on ebay looks pretty nice, not sure but are these new? For a while there were speedo face stickers for sale here in Holland and once put in place they looked good.

Henk

email (option): ahum@quicknet.nl

Hi Henk, yes I believe it is new. I'd rather have an old one, but I don't see any available through the normal means I use.

Hi Phil, I nearly dropped mine too! Sorry to hear that...

Thanks again,
nt

email (option): nicktogATgmailDOTcom

I have spare balance wheels, but there are different thicknesses and diameter. Got a vernier to measure yours?

I would like to take the top off the speedo to see if mine needs cleaned. I know people say if it is not broken leave it alone but better to check and add a little light oil to the mechanism but being a cautious bloke I need someone to tell me how to take the glass surround off to get at it. Advice always welcome.

email (option): araine11@hotmail.com

I stripped mine apart but realised that the mechanism was a little intricate and decided to send it to chronometer if speedo repairs in Nottingham, hope to have it back next week all reconditioned.

Julian

email (option): 79Aust@sky.com

Arthu,
Mine unscrewed relatively easily. I believe there are some posts on the forum on this topic, but I couldn't find them.

I did run across this site: http://velobanjogent.blogspot.com/2011/12/removal-of-smiths-chronometric-speedo.html

which explains how one guy does it when it gets really difficult. Also, I believe some have a rivet locking it in place... mine did not have this. I don't know much about these speedo's as I'm just getting into them, someone on this forum can correct or clarify my thoughts.

NT

email (option): nicktogATgmailDOTcom

I used a belt wrench which was a bit fiddly, but gripped the brass bevel sufficiently and allowed it to unscrew. The thread is very fine pitch, so go with ease.

email (option): 79Aust@sky.com

A dedicated instrument oil like Kano's Microil will keep the moving parts cleaner. I bought a quart of the stuff and have used about 1ml in 10 years.

Jeff

email (option): jjbandoo@aol.com

Just got a new (fake) speedo face for my recently-made-functional chrono from ebay. It is a full face, not a sticker. I think I am very happy with it. The photo is a bit blurred... the white paint is crisper than this photo looks, and I wish that the line was yellow. There are two bumps near the odo hole that look like a little overspray... but you can barely see them... and the rest of the speedo is pretty beat up... so I'll just call it bullt-in patina.

Now I need some glass. Can someone tell me the correct glass thickness?
Thanks,
nt

email (option): nicktogATgmailDOTcom

That speedo face looks good, is it on aluminium? I think that speedo's with these 3 numbers on it it shouldn't have a yellow line.

Henk

email (option): ahum@quicknet.nl

could you use one of these speedo faces to cover up a trip counter on a later speedo

email (option): roger.beck@node6.com

I always cut glass to 74mm either 2 or 3 mm will do. Roger I have used these faces on trip type speedos just remove the complete roller or just fit face over them. Dave

Thanks Dave!
Hi Henk, yes I think it is aluminum, it does not react to a magnet.
nt

email (option): nicktogATgmailDOTcom