Speedo / Tach Parts and Restoration

[acbrock]

Ok so I will try the long story short.  Digging into my 230SL.  Just got back all the MBTex and Carpets from GAHH.  So I am working on that but wanted to get all the old stuff off and the wood panel under the windshield.   Read that I needed to take out het Speedo and everything to get to those parts, so I began the process and figured I would send out the parts to be cleaned up and checked if I could not do it.  Everything worked except the Odometer, so knew I would have to send it out for sure.  What I found when I pulled them out was pretty shocking, pictures are below.  The white stuff on the Odometer ended up being this foam crap that was sprayed all over.  No clue why anyone would do this.  I thought the car was pretty much untouched but now I am not so sure.  I am basically the 2nd owner. 1st owner bought it in 66 then sold after a year to the woman I bought it from.  She drove it in the early 70s and then put it in a garage when she got a Porsche.   He son drove it for a little while mid 80s and then it went back into storage until I bought it 2004.  The son put a new Radio in it so I guess that is when it was screwed around with... But why would the covers be missing from the back of the Speedo/Tach?  Think this was a mistake from the factory?
Regardless...

Any idea where I can find Covers to put on them when I put them back in?  I think I am going to take it all out to North Hollywood Speedo and see what they will charge to go over all of them and clean them up...

[BobH]

Most of the usual suppliers sell covers, usual silly prices.  Let's hope your gauges can be cleaned up ok, the mind boggles as to what someone sprayed them with, looks like expanding foam!

https://www.authenticclassics.com/Rubber-Cover-Mercedes-Tachometer-250SL-280SL-p/auth-008526.htm

https://www.authenticclassics.com/Rubber-Cover-Mercedes-Speedomer-230SL-250SL-280SL-p/auth-005466.htm

[Pawel66]

I think what you have there may as well be remains of original covers as well...

These instruments did not have a metal housing. In many other speedos and tachos form Mercedes you would find metal housings, but not in W113. 

[acbrock]

Wow really?  So the Can/Covers might not hav been removed they could have come out of the factory like this?  without anything covering them?

Then someone sprayed some foam into the dash (for who know what the reason could, maybe to stop some vibration?)?  Obviously I hope that is the case and these have not been messed with.  Everything works fine other than the Odometer which now I know why, the foam is all over it.  So hopefully if I clean them all up it will come back to life...

[dirkbalter]

I agree with Pawel, what you call foam might just be the remains of the covers. May be to much heat or a chemical reaction with something that got inside. 

[acbrock]

Ohhh! Now looking closer at the mess.  You guys think that foamy looking crap is the old cover that it was not metal but some other material that has melted away and left this mess!   Interesting.
I will begin my internet search about all of this.
Thanks!  I was really bummed to think something was sprayed in there.  This makes much more sense because I can see some of the material Under the metal Ring that was probably holding it on.

[Benz Dr.]

That white cover looks like it's melted. I think I can see some black soot on the metal parts on the back of the gauge. Could be from a small fire.

[BobH]

That would have been quite some fire to melt the rubber boots on both the speedo and the tacho, considering how far they are apart, and the instrument cluster is in between them, so that would have been affected, if not destroyed, bit of a mystery, i'm sure there must be evidence left behind the dash if there was a fire

[acbrock]

Yea I dont see any evidence of a fire in the dash.   Maybe just extreme heat in storage or something.  I will keep looking as parts come off.  The Instrument cluster was fine and not discolored at all. 

[DaveB]

Yeah that is how the original rubber covers degrade, though yours looks extreme.
Replacements are available but best let the repair shop do it because they will know the best suppliers.

[Pawel66]

Wow really?  So the Can/Covers might not hav been removed they could have come out of the factory like this?  without anything covering them?

Then someone sprayed some foam into the dash (for who know what the reason could, maybe to stop some vibration?)?  Obviously I hope that is the case and these have not been messed with.  Everything works fine other than the Odometer which now I know why, the foam is all over it.  So hopefully if I clean them all up it will come back to life...

They came from factory without metal housing, but with foam cover. See on the picture a new one and a bit degraded one.

[acbrock]

Awesome thanks for all the info!  I am cleaning them up now.  I took the glass off to try and clean out the odometer.  Any idea how to get the needle off?  Does it just pull off?  The metal cap came off but I dont see how to get the Needle off.  I will keep looking....
Thanks again.

[Pawel66]

You need to pry off the needle. It may be tricky not to damage it (bend it) while doing that and not to scratch the dial face. I fabricated a small puller to do that, but I am sure there are other ways. I think you need to come up with a way to pry on at least two sides simultaneously.

What I also did was to raise the tip of the needle gently and walk it below the peg. Let it settle while being below the peg and mark its position on the dial face. Then when you put it back, do it in the same orientation. Otherwise you may get wrong reading of speed later.

Use the search function of this forum keying in the key words, e.g. “speedo needle removal”. There should be many pieces of information there.

[acbrock]

Ok thanks for the info on the Pin.  I think I might just hold off on that for now.  I was working on it last night my eyes got tired and I decided to call it!  Something new I have been doing with this car.  10 years ago I would just keep going getting more and more annoyed until I broke something!

So glad I did not keep going on the pin.  Reviewing it this morning I might not need to pull it if I can get the Numbers out.  I attached 2 pics of the the numbers where the rubber has melted onto them.  It looks to me that the pin holding the White pieces on the numbers is just a straight pin and should pull out?  I applied a little liquid wrench to it last night before shutting down, then also looks like the numbers pin should come out too pulling from the side with the gear on it.  I can't really see if there is anything else inside that is attached as long as the top is on but I will try and get a magnifying glass in there with some light. 

Any thoughts if these pins holding the White Clip and Numbers will just pull out if I can put some muscle into to or and I going to crack something.

[Pawel66]

In essence - yes. After taking pictures of the small gears (they are essential), their orientation and exact position. They make the meters work. But i would strongly encourage you to use resources you have before doing that:

Technical Manual:
https://www.sl113.org/wiki/Electrical/Speedo

Forum search, e.g. when you type in with parenthesis "odometer repair":
https://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=12367.msg83752#msg83752

youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2aBjXHISK4

[acbrock]

Cool thanks for the links.  I have not quite gotten a handle on the search option.  I guess I searched Speedo Repair or something.  But thank you!  Upon review with my morning eyes and glasses... It does appear to just be a pin that once it was installed they just pinched it off so that it would not come out.  Got it out and the white clips out now I am going to try and clean the numbers with out removing them...
Thanks again!
A

[acbrock]

oh one other thing.. Parts... where could find new numbers?  When ever I search the parts sites I dont get anything I need.  When I search for parts on the forum it shows me links that are not active anymore?

[acbrock]

hahah.  I am getting better at this but still suck!  Man I wish I had watched the video 5 minutes earlier.  Right before I watched it I pulled the white clips out.   So I guess I am going to need to figure out that puzzle now.

[Pawel66]

oh one other thing.. Parts... where could find new numbers?  When ever I search the parts sites I dont get anything I need.  When I search for parts on the forum it shows me links that are not active anymore?

I found it difficult. As much as parts such as glass, chrome rim, foam cover - you can find them in stores with parts for our cars. Drums with digits, I have no clue. I bought once a broken speedo for parts to make one out of two. I refreshed digits on drums with white permanent marker 0.8mm. A colleague from club gave me some cogs once... otherwise - no idea.

[acbrock]

Ok so after taking out the White Clips (which I knew the name) and not keep the order I pulled out the numbers too.  Dropped both pieces into a Jewelry cleaner and 99% of the crap just shook off.  Also a couple parts of a few numbers?  Anyone know the paint they use so I can maybe fill in the parts that fell off.  Probably a painting of all the numbers to make it match so might be too much to try....

But my next issue.  That that I have it all cleaned up I figured I needed to get down to all the gears to make sure they are not stripped so I took the bottom piece apart to get to the gear the gets turned by the speedo cable.  One of those videos the guys said you could spin it with a drill, not sure how that works so I am not going to try it.  But upon roving the housing I notice a tiny little piece of metal on the top that HOPEFULLY just sits in the the little hole in the piece in my had in the picture... or did I snap this little piece off when I opened it and I am now screwed?

Any thoughts would be helpful.  Really just know if I broke that piece or not, if broken I won't waste all the time re-assembling.  Thanks

[acbrock]

Thanks Pawel66.  I will grab one of those pens and clean them up.  Hopefully this thing survives!  If you have done this... I will search the internet but is there a system to putting the Numbers and Cogs (guessing that is the name for the think I keep calling white pieces). Or do I just line them up?  Obviously at this point the true mileage means nothing to me because it has not turned in 20 years.

[Pawel66]

How to put back the small cogs? I think I saw it on one of the videos on you tube, but you may also review the pictures that are on the Forum or in the internet. i am attaching what I have.

[acbrock]

Ok I am going to possible start the rebuilt... So should I put some White Lithium Grease on all the gears?  I have been cleaning off all the black grease that was in there because it had bits of that rubber and dirt in it.    So everything looked pretty good, I am a little confused.  All the gears seem fine except the one piece in the picture that is a little bent.  I will going to try and straighten it little with a hot screw driver.  But Since the Trip and Speedo worked I guess they should all be good.  I expected to find something broken since the ODO was stuck and not moving with all that rubber.  Maybe I am missing something but we will see...

Any way to test this once it is back together without putting it in a car?  I guess I could go to a Speedo Shop and see if they would test it...

Aaron

[Pawel66]

To test it you would need something that fits the shaft orifice and what you can turn by hand or with, for instance, a drill.

[acbrock]

ok thanks. I will check the Speedo cable and see what I need.

So morning eyes again I review the piece I thought I might have broke.  Must have been odd lighting yesterday today I see the the Pin aluminum or something but Silver in color.  The little whole in the small piece I took off is Brass/Copper so the pin must just have to sit in the hole.  So glad to see that so I will reassemble today and see how it all turns out.  Ordering the rubber backs today.  Hopefully they dont take too long.

Thanks for all the help, I will post back some pics and the results...

I searched around, seems like White Lithium grease I what I should use.  I am guess just the gears.  I dont think I should mess with putting anything on the pins that hold the numbers and cogs.