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Home   Via Veloce by Wille R.  www.veloce.se     On the Internet since November 1995 and still here.

dotNo wheel, no steal dotRims dotEngine removal     dotThe speedometer

Next First published 3 June 1997                              alfa romeo spares

The speedometer, happy reading or true speed?

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.

Enter your current tire size :
/ - R
Enter tire size :
/ - R
Enter your current speedometer reading: KM/H or MPH



True or happy reading?

When your speedometer indicates KM/H or MPH, you would be cruising at KM/H or MPH.

There are also some other car manufacturers that have steel rims and wheels that will fit your 105 Alfa Romeo. It's all here.

In order to check the tachometer, use an electronic one to confirm the discrepancy. Electronic tachos are inexpensive and easy to install. I use one in the engine bay when I tune the engine.

The final ratio and engine revs, Giulia 105-series.

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:Speedo adjustment
  • 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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