The odometer in my friend's 1987 944 stopped working. The speedometer still works but the odometer doesn't. He called pelican and they said that he should send them the instrument cluster and they would repair it for around $200 instead of replacing it with a new one which costs around $750. Has this happened to anyone else? If so, what did you guys do to fix it. Any idea how hard it is to remove the instrument cluster? Does it require removal of the dash?

 

$30 plastic gear that is worth about $0.80. Do it yourself. No dash removal required.

This starts at having the gauge cluster already removed. All that takes is 3 screws in the trim around it, a few screws around the cluster once that's off, and the connectors in the back. Same thing you'll have to do to send it somewhere anyway. Then you do this:

http://www.klaindustries.net/gearinstr/gear-instr-1.htm

 

He is right there is a how to on clarks-garage. or on here can't remember where.

 

that how to is better lol. the one my other cousin Daryl posted.

 

If you replace the gear, clean clean and clean again the entire gear train before putting it back together. My old unit I had to replace the odometer motor too, because it had burned out when trying to overpower a jammed gearset.

 

patrat, love the quote

 

200$ sounds about right from pelican parts. bodymotion in NJ will actually send it out to VDO in California and they will maintain it properly to running order. they will basically fix everything with it for 140$ but you pay for shipping back and forth from NJ to CA. t

hat tutorial is something i will try it sounds easy to do but it is easier said than done =)

 

What do you recommend to use to clean the gear train?

 

Thanks again for the advice for my friend. He is doing everything himself but is having trouble getting the speedometer needle back on. Did anyone else have difficulty with that? Is there a trick to get it back on?

 

Depends on what he did to get it off in the first place. I broke one off because it was stuck on there and basically all that was left was the tiny needle size stick coming through the faceplate. What should be visible is the small silver serrated end that the black needle fits on. If only the needle sized part is there then it broke off in the end of the indicating needle. I had to replace the speedometer with a used one because I broke mine. I had soldered the silver end on for a short time and it worked but I didnt trust that it would hold up.

 

I used a fine bristle brush, dental floss, and tooth picks to pick clean every gear tooth. You have to operate the odometer by hand to get to all the crevices.

 

http://www.rennbay.com/944-mph-odometer-gear-p-51.html