Speedometer issues

[elwood]

I have some questions about the speedo in my '78 C-20 with an '85 cab.

First, the speedo is missing the odometer. Can I put in an odometer from a junkyard speedo, or do I have to swap out the whole speedo. If so, how do I go about switching odometers?

Second, how do I get the needles off the guages to paint them? Just a pull off affair? They are kind of faded and I'd like to spruce them up.

Thanks a bunch,

Elwood

[NeCrOmAnCeR]

When I paint needles, I just take some paper and slide it under the portion of the needle which I am painting at the time. I do this so I don't risk breaking the fragile plastic. As these things get old, the plastic gets very brittle. As for the odometer question, I would think you could get the missing parts of you're odo from a doner unit, but then again it may be easier to just replace the unit and roll the odo to match yours.

[elwood]

I need to take to needles off, how do I go about doing this? I'm doing a guage swap. Now I'm paranoid that I'm gonna break them! They are really that fragile?

I dont need to match my current odometer, because I dont have one. So rolling it wouldn't be an issue.

Thanks for the replies...keep 'em comming!

[NeCrOmAnCeR]

I would try to slip some sort of U shaped metal directly behind the needle, and gently pull straight away from the gauge. Luke a very small ignition wrench. The idea is not to put any pressure on the needle away from the mounting pin. If done carefully, you should be able to do it. Keep us informed about your success. may take a few tries to get the needle realligned, just be patient.

[jimfulco]

How about a fork (don't tell Mom)

[Russell]

I've never had a problem with just pulling em off myself, but mom's forks work real well when they start to hurt the fingers, lol

[elwood]

Nice! I never thought of the fork thing. Now what about the odometer?

[Russell]

The odometer is easy to swap, you just have to pull out the retaining clip, and pull it out. Just make sure that you don't break the little clip that holds all the numbers straight, if you do break it, take a couple of bagties and take the jacket off them and weave them around all the poles, and put one or two around the outside so you can be sure they won't move (leave enough of a gap to be able to get the odometer into the speedo though)

I am thinking that chances are its a problem with the speedo more than it is a problem with the odometer, doesn't seem like a likley part to have broken...