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The next job on my 745 Phaeton is to unstick the speedometer

The cable seems to be intact and connected at the bottom end, although the top end is twisted as it has jumped out of the socket on the speedo. It may end up being too short now we'll see.

The rotating magnet on the speedo doesnt.... Rotate that is!

After a good soak with WD40 I have managed to turn it by holding it in the vice but it is still too tight to turn by hand.

Is there a way of removing it from the casing so that I can clean it properly.

I've tried holding it and turning the socket pin with pliers but I'm worried I will snap it if I try too hard.

Thanks guys

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The pot metal frame may be distorted jamming the drive. New ones are available from this source. They are not cheap but are fully machined and fit and work perfectly. I have one in my 633 and your 745 probably is the same.
http://www.vintageandclassicreproductions.com/DOD-049.jpg

G'Day David

Have you fitted this new casting on yours?

If so, how did the spindle get fixed? Is it a two-part thing that screws together inside?

I need to get it out first to be sure that the fault is with the casting and not just years of muck inside.

Thanks for the link though

PB Blaster is a much better solution when trying to free stuck parts, whether rust or corrosion. WD40 is merely a Water Dispersal agent and not good at all for lubrication.
PB Blaster is also very good for lubricating rubber components.

Ken,
Good question but its so long ago that I fitted the new casting to my speedo I don't remember the details, hopefully someone else who has one on the bench can respond, those speedos fit other models and not just Packard. The pot metal was disintegrating on mine so it may simply have been a case of breaking it apart. I have 2 /633's one with the original pot metal frame and one with the repro aluminium frame, they are both working fine, that is a great car you have.
David

Curious, guys. Who was the manufacturer of those speedo units?

They are a North East Speedo.

Update......

I have managed to break the casting !! Hopefully I can stitch it back together considering the location of the break before I spend $450 on a new one from Australia!

However the spindle is still stuck incredibly tight so there's still chance of destroying it completely!

It seems that the magnet end is really tight up against the casting which makes me think that the spindle is, in effect, too short. I really need to have comfort that the spindle is in 2 halves, joined in the middle by a thread. If this was the case, I ought to be able to slacken off the thread and the spindle should rotate more freely. Its not inconceivable that when it was restored, the spindle was overtightened and it never worked thereafter.

However it is very difficult to get a grip on the brass end (where the cable goes in). I fully expect to either break the spindle or mash the brass end if I try too hard.

I think its best to wait patiently till I see how it actually works.

Have you considered sending it to one of the several companies that specialize in the repair of such units? I know it could be a bit of an ego-deflator for those of us who like to figure such things out ourselves, but in the end it might be the best action to take.

O-D, my ego is pumped up again. I fixed it!

I decided that it was going to be a disaster to employ the Irish Screwdriver (hammer) again or to try and twist the spindle out so instead I decided to drill out the rivet that holds the magnet on so that I could get into the spindle from the other end. How I thought I was going to reconnect it afterward is my business!!

I drilled the head of the rivet off and then gently started to drift the end of the spindle out with a punch.
I didnt need to remove it completely as the slight movement released the magnet from the casing and it now spins freely.

To secure the magnet again (it wasn't loose but just beginning to flex a bit) I applied some resin glue which has done the trick.

I'll post some more pics of the reassembly over the weekend

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