A few months ago, my speedometer needle started jumping around. I ignored it(bad move!)
A month or so later, the needle had stopped moving at all, and the inside of the glass was "dirty" or dusty.
I figured the drive cable had snapped, so I ignored it for another couple of months.
When I finally got around to investigating, I found the drive cable was fine. "Luckily" for me, someone had already taken this unit apart, and the bezel was already pried most of the way open, with just a few points re-crimped. So it was pretty easy to get the Bezel, Bezel Gasket, Glass Retainer, Glass, Glass Gasket, and in my case, the piece of the dial that stays with the bezel(the outer ring) off. I found once I got inside, that some of the "guts" were loose. Further investigation showed that the Field Plate had come loose from the Main Frame(the 3 screws were rattling around in the bottom of the Case).
Here is an illustration, which may help:
Further disassembly showed that the Hair Spring Pin was flopping around in the Rear Jewel Bracket. The Rear Jewel Bracket is supposed to contain 2 pieces of a very hard substance; one of them, which is flat, merely sits in the bottom of the hole in the bracket, taking the end thrust from the Hair Spring Pin, while the other one, which was completely gone in my speedometer, has a hole drilled through it, which the Hair Spring Pin passes through. These 2 "jewels" (which look like a ceramic or glass material to me) are the bearings for the rear of the Hair Spring Pin.
My first thought was to contact someone like Perry Ruiter who rebuilds these things, but my finances are not so great these days, and a quality rebuild was probably going to cost me more than I could afford to spend right now. So I started thinking about how to do the job myself, if only to just get the speedometer working again.
I spent quite a lot of time researching jewels for watches and clocks, and found that the type of jewel I needed, which provides both radial and thrust bearing surfaces, is called a "balance jewel", and it is the most delicate(and usually the smallest) jewel in a watch or clock mechanism. I needed one with a 1mm bore, and the largest I could find was about 0.12mm.
I also contacted the aforementioned Perry Ruiter, who was very helpful with advice, but could not tell me where to find a replacement jewel. He did mention that a friend of his had made a repair using a tiny ball-bearing, and he would ask his friend to contact me if I wished. I said, "Yes, Please!", but the friend was obviously not so inclined, so I started to look further into it.
I found a place that sold 1x3x1 ball bearings (that is 1mm bore, 3mm OD, and 1mm thick) at a reasonable price, so I ordered a few of them. When I got them, I was able to press one onto the rear of the Hair Spring Pin, with moderate finger pressure.
The problem I now had was that the hole in the Rear Jewel Bracket was ever-so-slightly larger than 3mm. I used a small drill bit to ream out the crimps in the hole in the Rear Jewel Bracket, and started pondering-If I had a very thin-walled tube, of 3mm ID, I could press it over the OD of the bearing, and then insert the whole assembly into the Bracket. I had no such metal tubing, but then I remembered that, being in the electronics business, I had quite an assortment of plastic insulating and heat-shrink tubing.
I found a piece of heat-shrink that fit snugly over the bearing OD. I cut a 1mm slice of it, put it over the bearing, and assembled the whole thing....and it works!
It remains to be seen how long it will last, but so far, i am pretty happy with my $10.00 repair.
This site uses cookies to maintain login information on FarmallCub.Com. Click the X in the banner upper right corner to close this notice. For more information on our privacy policy, visit this link: Privacy Policy
NEW REGISTERED MEMBERS: Be sure to check your SPAM/JUNK folders for the activation email.
Fixing my '52 FL Speedometer
Forum rules
Notice: For sale and wanted posts are not allowed in this forum. Please use our free classifieds or one of our site sponsors for your tractor and parts needs.
Notice: For sale and wanted posts are not allowed in this forum. Please use our free classifieds or one of our site sponsors for your tractor and parts needs.
- awander
- 10+ Years
- Posts: 1101
- Joined: Sun Oct 09, 2005 9:25 am
- Zip Code: 18972
- eBay ID: ohawiseguyeh
- Circle of Safety: Y
- Location: PA, Upper Black Eddy
Fixing my '52 FL Speedometer
Andy Wander
UBE, PA
'52 Farmall Cub "Wile E."
'72 Int'l Cub "Bugs Backhoe"
"Men are from Earth; Women are from Earth. Deal with it!" (attributed to George Carlin)
UBE, PA
'52 Farmall Cub "Wile E."
'72 Int'l Cub "Bugs Backhoe"
"Men are from Earth; Women are from Earth. Deal with it!" (attributed to George Carlin)
- awander
- 10+ Years
- Posts: 1101
- Joined: Sun Oct 09, 2005 9:25 am
- Zip Code: 18972
- eBay ID: ohawiseguyeh
- Circle of Safety: Y
- Location: PA, Upper Black Eddy
Re: Fixing my '52 FL Speedometer
OOPS!
Meant to post this on an antique motorcycle forum, not here.
Sorry, folks,
Meant to post this on an antique motorcycle forum, not here.
Sorry, folks,
Andy Wander
UBE, PA
'52 Farmall Cub "Wile E."
'72 Int'l Cub "Bugs Backhoe"
"Men are from Earth; Women are from Earth. Deal with it!" (attributed to George Carlin)
UBE, PA
'52 Farmall Cub "Wile E."
'72 Int'l Cub "Bugs Backhoe"
"Men are from Earth; Women are from Earth. Deal with it!" (attributed to George Carlin)
-
- 10+ Years
- Posts: 3034
- Joined: Wed May 31, 2006 12:09 pm
- Zip Code: 74070
- Circle of Safety: Y
- Location: OK, Skiatook
Re: Fixing my '52 FL Speedometer
awander wrote:OOPS!
Meant to post this on an antique motorcycle forum, not here.
Sorry, folks,
No apologies necessary--great story and magnificent ingenuity Wish I had a '52FL. As it is, mine are '93 and '97 and bet neither have any "Jewels" in them
- dirtyred
- 10+ Years
- Posts: 1414
- Joined: Sun Aug 02, 2009 11:52 am
- Zip Code: 31648
- Tractors Owned: 1949 farmall cub (tinkerbell) 1949 allis chalmers(ole bess) 1949-50 ?john deere model a
- Location: statenville ga
Re: Fixing my '52 FL Speedometer
what does fl stand for?
He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread: Proverbs 12:11
- Barnyard
- Team Cub
- Posts: 24271
- Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2007 3:39 pm
- Zip Code: 45030
- Tractors Owned: At This Time
40 Farmall Cubs (Round Hood)
2 Farmall Cub (Square Hood)
2 IH Cubs (Square Hood)
5 Lo-Boys (Round Hood)
2 Lo-Boys (Square Hood)
2 Farmall 404's
1 Farmall H
1 Ferguson 20
1 Cub Cadet 125
1 Kubota B-7100 - Circle of Safety: Y
- Location: OH, New Haven (Hamilton County)
- Contact:
Re: Fixing my '52 FL Speedometer
dirtyred wrote:what does fl stand for?
FL is a model designation for a Harley Davidson. Just like C or M, etc is a model designation for a Farmall.
There are two ways to get enough Cubs. One is to continue to accumulate more and more. The other is to desire less.
- awander
- 10+ Years
- Posts: 1101
- Joined: Sun Oct 09, 2005 9:25 am
- Zip Code: 18972
- eBay ID: ohawiseguyeh
- Circle of Safety: Y
- Location: PA, Upper Black Eddy
Re: Fixing my '52 FL Speedometer
Yes, my bike is the F engine(74 CI OHV), which in 1952 was a Panhead, and the L indicates a high-compression version.
Andy Wander
UBE, PA
'52 Farmall Cub "Wile E."
'72 Int'l Cub "Bugs Backhoe"
"Men are from Earth; Women are from Earth. Deal with it!" (attributed to George Carlin)
UBE, PA
'52 Farmall Cub "Wile E."
'72 Int'l Cub "Bugs Backhoe"
"Men are from Earth; Women are from Earth. Deal with it!" (attributed to George Carlin)
-
- 10+ Years
- Posts: 3034
- Joined: Wed May 31, 2006 12:09 pm
- Zip Code: 74070
- Circle of Safety: Y
- Location: OK, Skiatook
Re: Fixing my '52 FL Speedometer
SWEET bike
- Tezell
- 10+ Years
- Posts: 2253
- Joined: Fri Sep 10, 2010 5:23 pm
- Zip Code: 39861
- Tractors Owned: 76 Cub Denim Springs
49 Cub Denim Springs
51 Cub Uncle Harvey
"Jacksonville" 53 Cub
"Jackson" 76 Cub
"Louie" 64 Cub Fast Hitch
"Paw Paw"71 Cub Fast
Hitch
"Alvin" 72 Cub
"Ugly" 75 Cub
76 Cub Val
Mr. Kirkland" 77 Red Cub
77 Cub "Russell
76 Cub w/fast hitch "Edgar"
76 - 185 Cub Lo Boy
John Deere 2003 - 5320
Kubota 7060
Kubota 5400
Kubota 2680
John Deere 445
TO20 Ferguson - Circle of Safety: Y
- Location: Jakin Georgia
- Contact:
Re: Fixing my '52 FL Speedometer
"I ain't believing this!"
- twotone
- 10+ Years
- Posts: 1189
- Joined: Sat May 14, 2011 6:09 pm
- Zip Code: 15132
- Tractors Owned: 53 F Cub
73 F Cub
53 Super A With Snow/Grader Blade
193 Plow With Colter And Jointer
144 Cultivators
22 Mower - Circle of Safety: Y
- Location: Versailles,Pa.
Re: Fixing my '52 FL Speedometer
Nice Panhead! I've got a 1994 FLSTN
Know Your Cub, And Your Cub Will Know You.
Tom
Tom
- awander
- 10+ Years
- Posts: 1101
- Joined: Sun Oct 09, 2005 9:25 am
- Zip Code: 18972
- eBay ID: ohawiseguyeh
- Circle of Safety: Y
- Location: PA, Upper Black Eddy
Re: Fixing my '52 FL Speedometer
twotone wrote:Nice Panhead! I've got a 1994 FLSTN
Yeah-my bike is like a 3/4 size version of yours (kind of like a Cub to an A)....
Andy Wander
UBE, PA
'52 Farmall Cub "Wile E."
'72 Int'l Cub "Bugs Backhoe"
"Men are from Earth; Women are from Earth. Deal with it!" (attributed to George Carlin)
UBE, PA
'52 Farmall Cub "Wile E."
'72 Int'l Cub "Bugs Backhoe"
"Men are from Earth; Women are from Earth. Deal with it!" (attributed to George Carlin)
Return to “Other Tractors and Machinery”
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 17 guests