Odometer question

[vanover69]

Ok so I was considering (very low on my long list) swapping my KPH odometer for a MPH.
Ive seen several odometers for sale, but the miles are not close to mine

I was wondering if there was an easy way to adjust the replacement to match my current miles?
Ive checked around at some shops and there no one close that works of the old odometers in my area.

Any thoughts would be helpful

Thanks

[Yadkin]

Check Google or Ebay for a business that does a re-face/ recalibration. I just did this on my last project, an 81 Corvette. Back then the feds mandated speedos go no higher than 85 mph. It looked really dumb so I sent it off to a shop and got it back two weeks later. The "new" speedometer has the original odometer and the face matches the tach perfectly, and the readings are accurate.

[18Fiatsandcounting]

I was wondering if there was an easy way to adjust the replacement to match my current miles?

It can be done, but a few caveats:

1. It may be illegal to tamper with an odometer setting. Whether this would ever be a concern is anyone's guess, but there is a reason that the speedometer is sealed with a tamper indicator wire.

2. It's not super easy. Don't try to remove the needle, as these are fragile along with the shaft they are attached to. Fortunately, you can remove the odometer "barrel" without removing the needle.

3. I know you can reset the odometer to zero (I've done it), but I don't know how easy it would be to set the odometer to a specific mileage. I'm guessing it can be done.

By the way, along with an old/dirty speedometer cable, another cause of a jerky or noisy speedometer needle is dried up grease in the input gearing to the speedometer.

-Bryan

[Yadkin]

In most states a car over a certain age the mileage is no longer tracked upon title transfer.

[F16Waldo]

[/quote]
3. I know you can reset the odometer to zero (I've done it), but I don't know how easy it would be to set the odometer to a specific mileage. I'm guessing it can be done.[/quote]

As I recall from Ferris Bueller's day off, putting a GT Spider California (Ferrari replica) on a jack stand and letting the car run in reverse doesn't work on the odometer so that option is out. (interestingly enough, the windshield on that car is from a Fiat 124)

[bobplyler]

When I had my car for a year, it had 40000 miles (future wife lived 425 miles away, and Nashville was 70 miles away (for entertainment)). I was in my apartment one Sunday, and figured that was too many for one year. I took the speedometer out, clipped the seal, fiddled with it for about 1/2 hour, then it only had 14000 miles.

[18Fiatsandcounting]

As I recall from Ferris Bueller's day off, putting a GT Spider California (Ferrari replica) on a jack stand and letting the car run in reverse doesn't work on the odometer so that option is out

I didn't think this worked either, but I had a speedometer on my bench and so I connected it up to a drill and ran it in reverse. Lo and Behold, the odometer went backward. I didn't run it very long, so I'm not sure it would work to significantly reduce the mileage. Even with my 1500 rpm drill, the odometer was moving mighty slowly.... It would take hours to have any real effect on the mileage...

-Bryan

[vanover69]

Thanks for all the feedback. I think for now I will focus on the suspension and paint touch up. Once I run out of important task I will revisit

[WhistlerFiat]

Bought a ‘78 spider with 74ks. Enjoy driving it on the Coast Mountains highways of British Columbia. Instant celebrity status in a place like Whistler for classic wheels. Approaching 80k on the odometer the 8 turned early and I thought I might have just added 10,000ks on the history. Everything worked out fine and I have a pic at exactly 80,000k.