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Speedometer - how to remove the front bezel & glass?

Posted: Sat Dec 28, 2013 12:35 pm
by Julian B
I would like to remove the front shiny metal bezel from the front of the speedometer so that I can have it re-annodised - it is currently looking a bit "tired". I have removed the speedo from the dash, and removed the rubber gasket that goes just behind the bezel to protect the dashboard. There does not seem to be any way to remove the front from the main speedo body - but there must be as otherwise the internal mechanism couldn't be inserted when new.

Does anyone know how I should proceed? TIA

Re: Speedometer - how to remove the front bezel & glass?

Posted: Sat Dec 28, 2013 3:54 pm
by heinkeljb
You won't like the answer!

The front "chromed" bezel is "rolled" shut around the back lip of the speedometer house after the mechanism and the glass are put in place.

The only way to take it off is to carefully put one of those watch makers screw drivers in from the back edge and slowly ease a bigger and bigger gap all the way round.

I think you might just want to opt for masking tape and and a spray can of "chrome" paint.....

John

Re: Speedometer - how to remove the front bezel & glass?

Posted: Sat Dec 28, 2013 6:10 pm
by Julian B
Thanks John - but as you say, that is not the answer that I was hoping for! I've never been very successful with silver (/chrome?) paint, so I think that I will just leave it as is ... with a nice "patina of age". A shame in a way, but I'd rather that than it look like a bodge job!

Re: Speedometer - how to remove the front bezel & glass?

Posted: Sat Dec 28, 2013 7:19 pm
by pathfinder700ap
Have you tried chrome polish? I think that should help if there aren't any large stains due to corrosion.


Kind regards,
C.

Re: Speedometer - how to remove the front bezel & glass?

Posted: Sat Dec 28, 2013 7:38 pm
by heinkeljb
There are places which rebuild gauges / Dials etc. They might be able to replace it with a new chromed bezel.
Some where like this?

http://www.speedograph-richfield.com/index.html

They are based in Nottingham.

You can but ask....

John

Re: Speedometer - how to remove the front bezel & glass?

Posted: Sun Dec 29, 2013 12:05 am
by walderse
Julian,
Removing the chrome ring is not difficult but does require patience if you plan to re-use the old ring. Fresh replacements are available. I suspect Dale at Haflinger Technik has them and you can see a photo at:
http://www.puch500.at/?action=instrumente
P/N: inp05 for EUR 14.00
Hope this helps.
Take care.

Jim Molloy
Waldersee Farm
http://www.northwestmogfest.com

Re: Speedometer - how to remove the front bezel & glass?

Posted: Sun Dec 29, 2013 8:36 am
by Julian B
Jim, thanks for that - very helpful. Knowing that replacement rings are available will mean that I will now go and try to see how easily I can remove the old one. Will check on stock levels first though!

Re: Speedometer - how to remove the front bezel & glass?

Posted: Sun Dec 29, 2013 9:39 pm
by Julian B
One thing that I forgot to mention was that having now seen the back of my speedo I think that it is most probably the original one, as it is marked "2 61". I'm not in my garage right now, but I think the mileage is ~15,000 miles; I had always thought that this must be too low, but now I am less sure.

Re: Speedometer - how to remove the front bezel & glass?

Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2016 7:44 am
by pureredcordial
An old thread...but were you successful in prying off and re-using the bezel ring? I want to swap the glass between two speedos I have.

thanks

Re: Speedometer - how to remove the front bezel & glass?

Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2016 8:10 am
by Julian B
I never did remove the bezel - my glass was OK and I managed to buff up the chrome to be "good enough".

Re: Speedometer - how to remove the front bezel & glass?

Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2016 8:56 am
by pureredcordial
I'll try buffing some more first - in my case I think the glass is pitted.

Re: Speedometer - how to remove the front bezel & glass?

Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2016 6:45 pm
by heinkeljb
You could always try polishing the glass to get rid of light scratches - biggest problem is that most people tend to spend most of their effort on the scratches resulting in the "Bulls eye" effect! I.E. they make a lens in their piece of glass and then can't get rid of that....

John

Re: Speedometer - how to remove the front bezel & glass?

Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2016 8:32 am
by mechanical horse
All I did was sat the gauge on its face and with a small bladed screw driver edge the back of the bezel away from the gauge body moving a few mm at a time around the bezel, I never moved it to much as you can crink the bevel which may show up when you are finished. I had to go around a couple of times before I could ease the bevel off. Putting it back together, get all the bits in place and then flatten out the back of the bevel, gently and a bit at a time and this locks the bevel, rubber, glass and speedo body together. I also did my hourmeter and while they were apart I wiped Armour All on the faces which makes them look like new, and painted the needles and put a red tip on each of them so now my gauges have matching faces. The dangerous part of the job is making sure you haven't left a big thumb print on the INSIDE of the glass when you re assemble it, as it might cost you a new speedo after throwing the old one over the horizon.
Regards Rick.

Re: Speedometer - how to remove the front bezel & glass?

Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2016 3:38 pm
by pureredcordial
Thanks. Round and round and round with a small screwdriver worked fine.

Re: Speedometer - how to remove the front bezel & glass?

Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2016 7:10 pm
by heinkeljb
The only problem with the small screwdriver method is that is leaves little kinks in the metal work. Better method if you can manage it is to push the lip up with one fluid motion by putting the gauge on turntable in holder and then getting your screw driver edge in under the first part, then rotating the gauge along the same lines as the way tyres are removed.

Same way to put the bezel back on, using a tool to just push the bezel back down, whilst turning the gauge round and round.

John

Re: Speedometer - how to remove the front bezel & glass?

Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2016 12:08 am
by pureredcordial
Agree! Once I got a little screw driver in there, I held it still and rotated the gauge around face down on some old carpet. Did that quite a few times to open it up enough to get the glass out.... and left no finger prints on the inside :)

Re: Speedometer - how to remove the front bezel & glass?

Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2016 4:14 pm
by Techmogogy
Thanks - on mine the white center plate fell off so I need to open it up to reattach it - this thread will help when the time comes
P1280431.JPG

Re: Speedometer - how to remove the front bezel & glass?

Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2016 4:43 pm
by pureredcordial
Mine came up pretty well in the end! I used some metal polish on the chrome bezel while it was apart. Go easy with the polishing - the bezel is pretty flimsy when not attached.

ImageIMG_20160618_174718 by pureredcordial, on Flickr

--matt

Re: Speedometer - how to remove the front bezel & glass?

Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2016 6:17 pm
by m wehrman
The controls are on the "wrong" side! :lol:
Mark

Re: Speedometer - how to remove the front bezel & glass?

Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2016 7:05 pm
by heinkeljb
Actually it looks good. Would do perfectly well in a right hand drive version or even a Polycab!


John