The speedometer is notoriously known to be reading too high
figures. The same goes for the tacho as the main principals of the
speedometer and tachometer are essentially the same. Speeding too
fast is not so popular according to the law, so why don't you
check your speedo. Besides, imagine to drive with your 'spouse or
girlfriend at 140 kph with the speedo reading 110 kph! "Notice
how cool and calm I'm driving, eh?"
What about new tires? Check how your speed will change with a
different tire option. The new tires you're looking for might
perhaps have some great effects on your speedo reading. If it turns
out that you tire size will lead to miss calculating the speed, it
is quite easy to adjust a mechanical instrument. Just follow the
instructions below.
The Roundtail spiders have different final ratios like any
other Alfa Romeo. Check the table to find out your speed at 2.000
revs and then you may have to adjust your instrument. The figures
are approx. naturally, so use your common sense. The tires have
some influence too on the speed. The table shows the speed in 5th
gear with the standard wheels. However, this does not effect the
relationship between the engine revs and the speed.
Model
Final ratio
Final ratio, metric
Approx. kph at 2.000 revs
and 5th gear
Approx. mph at 2.000 revs
and 5th gear
Duetto
and 1600 GT
9 / 41
4,55
66 kph
41 Mph
1750 Spider Veloce
and GTV
10 / 41
4,10
70 kph
44 Mph
1300 Spider
and GT Junior
9 / 41
4,55
59 kph
37 Mph
2000 Spider
and GTV
10 / 41
4,10
70 kph
44 Mph
1750 and
2000 Berlina
10 / 43
4,30
68 kph
43 Mph
Assuming your tacho is reading correct, just cruse along at
2.000 revs in 5th gear and see if you need to increase or decrease
the speedometer. When you have verified the discrepancy, go back
to you garage and remove your speedo. There are two nuts to undo
at the back of the instrument before you take the whole unit out
from the dash.
This is how I do it. The procedure is for the Jaeger
instruments, common on AR Spiders. I have however not tried
this on Veglia Borlettis, but I assume that they are much alike.
Then just cool down and turn on some good music like Duane Eddy or
Jerry Lee Lewis.
Ready?
Take a thin bladed knife and carefully press around the rear
where the ring is crimped to seal. An ordinary screw driver
will do too. Do not press too hard, 'cuz you do not want to
stress the glass and crack it, oh no.
Once the ring is pried far enough all around, the ring and
glass will come off. Here's a photo of a dismantled
speedo.
Now comes the tricky part. Use a small screwdriver and undo
the screw holding the reset cable. This goes for the old
Jaeger speedometer, used on Duettos and early 1750 Veloces,
pre 1968. Use some detergent if the screw is stuck. On later
Jaeger speedos there is no screw, they made some improvements.
If you pull your reset knob, you have a screw, if you press
you have the "modern" type without. Good.
You need to remove the reset cable arrangement, otherwise
you won't get access to adjust the mechanism.
Time to get the mechanism out. Remove the two screws
supporting the mechanism to the case and remove the unit. Be
careful and work with clean hands so you don't end up
with fingerprints for the F.B.I. all over the gauge. It is
amazing how the sun makes every spot so visible.
Go out in the kitchen, yes, in the kitchen, and borrow a
suitable electric whisk. I got my hands on one with two
beaters, one of them was reversing. You may also use any
electric motor as long as it has constant revs and is
reversing.
Attach a flexible cable or hose between the motor and the
speedo cable connection.
Place the speedo in a vice grip or have your 'spouse to hold
it firm and start the motor. Check the speed at the certain
rev and remember it.
Now, time to calibrate. There is a screw, red dot, to
the left of the reset-cable connection. If you turn it clock-wise,
speed increases and anti-clockwise the speed will decrease.
This is how it works:
The crimping of the bearing supports the tachometer (rev
counter) needle.
This adjusts the distance of the aluminium disk from the
spinning magnet and hence the force by the eddy current.
As the bearing wears (or slips on the shaft), the distance
decreases, more torque, higher reading.
When the distance increases, less torque, lower reading
Start your electrical whisk at the same revs and check the
speed. Then re-adjust the screw until you're satisfied. My
first Jaeger started reading 55 kph and after two turns on the
screw it was reading 40 kph. The second Jaeger started at 50
kph and needed one turn to drop to 40 kph, so you may need to
do it by trial-and-error.
Since I had my instruments apart, I drilled a hole in the
case to get easier access to the adjusting screw. Do not use
the drill unless the instrument is dismantled.
Reassembly is the reverse of removal.
Now it's time to put the speed back again. Do not waist your
time at this stage, just connect the cable to the instrument,
start the engine and make a test drive. If everything is OK,
then connect the wiring etc. and tighten the nuts. If the
reading is still inaccurate, do it all over again.
It was not that
complicated, eh?
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