1983 trans am

HELP HELP HELP. 2 of my dash bulbs burned out. so i decided to replace them with LED's. my first alienation was removing the odometer reset screw (the serive manual doenst mention how to do this, only that you should), for that you push in a piece of wire and the odometer screw head popps off (duh, but took forever to figure out). lens cover then comes off (no problem), 3 right guages come off (no problem), 2 little screws off of speedometer guage and its free, but you have to remove the speedometer needle....as im trying to figure it out I BROKE IT IN HALF, then trying to deal with that i snapped it off completely from the guage!!!

one (where do i find a new speedometer needle assembly??)

two (what is the proper way to replace the speedometer needle in the guage face without busting my stuff up again!?!) i know i need the new delicate rod that connects the magnet on the back thru the speedometer/odometer readout thru the faceplate to the needle......how do i remove the magnet from the broken rod and replace? i know there is a wound up spring and a small retainer clip but what do i do???

 

Why didn't you pull the dash top off and get them from the back?

 

Thank you....that was very helpful to me and miraculously reparied my speedometer needle and also helped me to figure out how to remove the speedometer!!!!

 

You are VERY welcome!

Just scratching my head as to how you did the bulb replacement the HARD way thus damaging your speedo and god know what
else in doing a repair incorrectly.....................

I replaced the dash bulbs in my Z by removing the dash top ( just a few screws) and reaching down the back of the cluster. Done in no time
in a few hours.

All you need now is a new speedo as the needle only will be impossible to find.

Make sure you have the CORRECT tools to install your new speedo........A BIG hammer and a PRY bar also a sawsall would be of benefit also !

 

i apprecaite all of your help.

 

I'd start looking for a cluster and replace the thing. It will be easier. In either case you'll need to know how to remove the cluster correctly so that you can repair or replace the speedometer or replace the cluster. When you drop the new one in you can replace the light bulbs with LEDs if you wish.

Remove the dash pad. Next remove the dash bezel. Finally remove the six screws or however many hold the cluster in place. Do NOT remove the screws holding the clear plastic cover on the cluster. You'll need to angle your steering wheel down if you have a tilt column and then you just pull the cluster straight out. It may fight you a bit and you may need to flex the top of the dash frame/shell slightly to get it out. Do not angle the cluster too much while removing it or you may damage it further.

 

THANK YOU! I read in my service manual that the dash pad was unaffected. so i left it in. initially i did as instructed and left clear plastic cover on and only removed trim pieces and 6 screws for cluster, the right side was free, but couldnt move the speedometer out as that cable is EXTREMEMLY tight, so itd only move about an inch forward in the recess the cluster sits in, i could not get behind it from that point to remove the speedo cable from the rear. the manual then told me to remove odometer trip reset screw head and take off the plastic....being a rookie and not having a friggin clue.....well i screwed the pooch!!!

i will remove the dash pad and hopefully that gains my access to the rear of the speedometer. also, any clue how to set the odometer on my replacement speedo to the original???

 

Haha, i read this as, "you sir...are an azz." not god.

Also, time to look through a junkyard.

 

azz would be correct.....junkyard....ebay for me.

 

The easiest way to deal with the speedometer cable is to pull the panel off the bottom of the dash. Then with one hand try and pull the cluster free. You'll see the speedometer cable pulling underneath the dash. You'll need to pull just a little slack free and then you can reach your hand between the cluster and the dash itself (from the cluster side) then depress the speedometer disconnect tab. From there its easy to pull the cluster out as there are no more wires holding it in. As for setting the odometer, I've got no clue on that one.

 

True, I need to buy things through ebay. Is shipping expensive through there, and have you had any problems?

 

It varies a lot by seller and location.

 

shipping is ok, just bought a dash cluster for $40 and shipping $17....itll be in the mail today. as long as you watch the seller's feeback and experience you can make a safe purchase, just ask questions!!!

 

anyone know how to set the odometer???

 

others have said to remove dash pad and associated plastic trim on top, but ive taken off the dash pad, you cant see under the plasic lip that the guage cluster screws to up there at the top....so i will try your way.

 

however, i have taken off the dash pad recently and under it is the trim that the cluster screws to and it overhange the cluster by several inches, so ill have to remove more trim at the top as well to get to seeing the back of the guage cluster???

 

See DUM DUM.............You had to take the dash top off anyway !
What else you gonna break ?

Spell check time..................APPRECIATE........REPAIRED

 

Figured it out. Here is what I did and it worked very well, almost makes me cringe how easy it should have been! Guess I enjoy learning things the hard way sometimes!!!

1. remove lower dash trim to left and right of steering wheel right below the guage cluster.
2. remove the 6 screws that hold the cluster on.
3. open hood
4. lightly shake cluster to find speedometer cable going through firewall and where it hooks to under the hood
-as there are many things in the way on my car, i could not see where the cable comes thru the firewall...however i did see the moving cable
-the junction where the speedometer cable is screwed into, and then a secondary cable goes down to the tranny, was very easy to see. located immediately behind the windshield washer fluid reservoir.
5. unscrew speedometer cable end under hood from junction (round cap that screws on and cable runs through)...may need a pliers to grab this but mine moved fairly easily without much torque
6. push the now unhooked speedometer cable through the firewall several inches so that the cluster simple comes forward far enough to reach behind speedometer
7. push the tab you can see and twist speedomter cable end connecting to back of speedometer, to unhook the cable

not necessary to remove dash pad
not necessary to remove lower trim panels

total time....20 min.

 

sonjaab....from NY....rag head id assume from your name and attitude....you are clueless.

 

Baiting, insulting, and bypassing the language filter is against TGO rules. Take it down a notch.

JamesC

 

yea, that really is no way to get help around here man

 

thank you for that addition. i think you meant to say, "that is no way to get help or to help around here" either way it was over 2 days ago.

 

I know this is a very old thread. But it seems to me that NOBODY ever actually answered the original question of HOW TO REPAIR A BROKEN SPEEDO NEEDLE. Since I just broker mine as well I have discovered now to do it. If your problem as like mine, I didn't actually break the needle itself. I broker the super tiny little shaft that it attaches to. So you need a new shaft and you might as well harvest the new needle too.

1. First, you'll need to go to a junkyard and get a new speedo. ANY third gen speedo will work since all you want is the needle and the shaft that it attaches to.

2. Pull the entire cluster out - Plenty of instructions for that above

3. Turn the cluster over and remove the screws that hold the Speedometer assembly into the carrier. There are two, plus one smaller one holding a wire connector. Remove the assembly and be very careful with it.

4. There is a very tiny little shaft the needle pushes on to. It will probably not want to come off very easily and that shaft is so small and fragile that you have to be uber careful with this part. Use a very small set of needle nose pliers and grab the shaft under the needle and above the face plate. DONT pull just yet. Now with one hand holding the pliers use your free hand to very gently twist the needle back and forth a little on the shaft to loosen it up. Dont do this too many times because the needle seats on the shaft via knurling and you can wear it out and when you put the needle back on it wont stay. Once you have the needle a little loose from the shaft gently pull it straight upward. Pull it crooked and you will snap that tiny shaft. Now you have the needle free of the shaft.

5. Two screws hold the face plate on. remove them. Now you have the needle removed and the face plate off.

6. Under the coil spring there is a small slide clip retainer. With your little pliers pull it out. Now the shaft is connected in the back to the magnetic pick/receiver. Its a round semi hollow wheel looking thing. At this point the shaft is still attached to the spring on the front. Just gently pull on the round pick up wheel and it should disengage form the coil spring and slide out the back of the entire assembly. I had to use the small needle nose pliers to pry on it a bit.

Now you should have a good needle, your original speedometer gears and wheels and an unbroken shaft. Just reassemble in the reverse order. Make sure you use the coil spring from your original assembly as I believe there are different tension rates for different speedometers such as an 85MPH vs 145MPH.

Good Luck