Howto - Trip odometer broke / 79 LeBaron

69-

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 13, 2020
Messages
364
Reaction score
241
Location
Germany
Folks, my trip odometer stopped working. What a catastrophy! o_O

This vehicle is one of the most service friendly, I used to use (just how boring - no need to remove the speedo-cable at the rear....) ;)
Unfortunately, this applies to the F and G only. IIRC, you'll need to disconnect the speedo cable on the other models.

8 black philips screws to remove the dash bezel. It's easier if you put the gear selector in D, 2 or 1.
2 more screws (silver, hex head, 1/4") upper left and lower right of the speedo/fuel gauge sub assembly.
Just pull the whole sub assembly off the carrier. Careful not to bend the gear selector needle (no need to remove, if you're careful).
Turn the sub assembly to "tetris"-it-out.

Remove the trip-odometre-knob, its threaded on the extension.
Two more (black) 1/4" hex screws for the face plate of the sub assembly.
4 plastic clips holding the housing. pinch them carefully on the rear, just enough to get them through the hole. They might break, if too old/dry. Replacemend could be a rivet, I guess. Mine were very good.

Take the whole thing aport and take a close look at the speedo. In my case, everything worked fine, except the pink gear was no properly straight and did not turn the odometer anymore.
The weels for the odometers can be removed after removing the locking special springs at both ends. be very careful and definitely note from all sides, how they have to be reassemble. Especially the latches between the single digits need to be fixed properly. If you're really in need to disassmble further, its mostly rivets, so have proper rivets handy and be able to mount them...

Reassembly is just the other way round. To get the subassembly back into the dash carrier, you might have to wiggle/move it a bit to get it into its correct location (fit speedo connector as well as connectors for fuel gauge.

_IMG_20210717_210144.jpg



It was quite tight today at home:

_IMG_20210717_204019.jpg

:cool:
 

Mr C

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 22, 2014
Messages
403
Reaction score
137
So what was the repair? Did you just straighten the pink gear and replace? Why did the pink gear move out of position? Was a repair needed to prevent this from recurring?
 

69-

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 13, 2020
Messages
364
Reaction score
241
Location
Germany
The repair was to remove the trip odometer rolls (as assembly) to put the pink gear back in place.
I have no idea why it moved out of position. Its axle is fixed only on one side (nylon), the other side is "T" like (is it called a puncheon?) and just leans to the case, no axle through the case.
Maybe the nylon side was kind of like worn out.
 

69-

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 13, 2020
Messages
364
Reaction score
241
Location
Germany
So, it failed again. As not hoped for but somehow expected.

Now I glued a little piece of plastic on the housing (the yellow piece), trying to avoid the above mentioned axle will get out of its place again. I added a small dab of white petroleum jelly to ease movement.

_IMG_20210801_112430.jpg
 

Mikes5thAve

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 3, 2020
Messages
1,419
Reaction score
574
Location
Canada
Seems like it would be best to start looking for another speedometer.
 

69-

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 13, 2020
Messages
364
Reaction score
241
Location
Germany
I would guess this is a really rare one - original with kph scale & odometer. My LeBaron is a europe export Version.

After just 15 miles the trip odometer stopped working again. Will evaluate other options, e.g. drilling a small hole and fixing with some tiny brass "axle"...

Just replacing would probably be much easier, but tinkering around - I love it. :)
 

Mr C

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 22, 2014
Messages
403
Reaction score
137
Any Canadian car would have the same speedo...so not as rare as you might think.
 

Aspen500

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 14, 2015
Messages
7,062
Reaction score
2,792
Location
Rib Mountain, WI
You're kind of like I am, wanting to see I can repair rather than replace, even if it means reengineering and/or fabricating. I inherited that from my dad. :cool: Of course, sometimes replace is the only option.
 

69-

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 13, 2020
Messages
364
Reaction score
241
Location
Germany
So, figuring options took almost a year. :eek:
:cool:

I figured, that drilling a hole through the case and the steel center of the trip-gear has just too many problems. Most likely I would have had to dis-assemble the case and all. Bad, its not screwed, but riveted.
Then I had a small stripe of brass in my hands. Maybe? Let's just try this. I bend and cut it to clip around the case and hold the trip gear in place.

So far, approx. 500 miles and it still works. :)

20220626222905-e7bfe452-me.jpg


20220626222904-348a8280-me.jpg
 
Back
Top