I Replaced odometer gear without removing speedometer needle and gauge plate.
06-17-2016, 12:19 AM
#46
Track Day
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Toronto Canada
Posts: 23
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My 97 is a 16t but I think you should open and check first. I would also order both gears at once. Earlier post I was having no success after changing a broken planetary gear ( my pod gear looked fine) but I ordered a new pod gear and all is working now. My gear arrived in 2 days from odometergears and I'm up in Canada so your down time will be minimal. I would disassemble everything and have it ready when the new gear comes the bezel is the trickiest take your time.
06-17-2016, 12:25 AM
#47
Drifting
My 97 is a 16t but I think you should open and check first. I would also order both gears at once. Earlier post I was having no success after changing a broken planetary gear ( my pod gear looked fine) but I ordered a new pod gear and all is working now. My gear arrived in 2 days from odometergears and I'm up in Canada so your down time will be minimal. I would disassemble everything and have it ready when the new gear comes the bezel is the trickiest take your time.
10-28-2016, 07:34 PM
#48
Drifting
About a week ago I reset my trip odometer when buying gas, and noticed a while later that the odometer was not working (still at 0.0). For some reason, I had stabbed the reset button this time, rather than gently pushing it in as I usually do. NOTE TO SELF AND OTHERS: Be gentle with the reset button, as our 20 year old plastic odometer gears are fragile!
A quick search on this forum turned up this thread, which reminded me once again how helpful this forum is! I ordered my new gears and installed them today using the technique described here where it isn't necessary to remove the needle or faceplate. After installation I road tested and found the trip odometer immediately started working again! But at .5 miles it stopped working again. So I took it apart, checked again for any broken pieces inside (there was one missing tooth on the old small planetary gear). Finding none, I reassembled and road tested again, and as before, it stopped at about 0.5 miles. So now I assume there has to be debris in there. I blew it out with compressed air, but it is hard to see inside where all the number cogs are, since they are behind the plastic housing. To get in there better I need to remove the needle and faceplate. Using the PDF instructions provided at the odometergears.com website, I tried rotating the needle counter-clockwise past its start position (at the 0 mph marking on the face), but it doesn't want to move, and didn't come free when I applied minor torque to it.
Has anyone here done this, and if so, does it take more torque than I felt comfortable with, given the warnings about not breaking the shaft? Or any other suggestions for how to address my odometer issue would be appreciated too.
A quick search on this forum turned up this thread, which reminded me once again how helpful this forum is! I ordered my new gears and installed them today using the technique described here where it isn't necessary to remove the needle or faceplate. After installation I road tested and found the trip odometer immediately started working again! But at .5 miles it stopped working again. So I took it apart, checked again for any broken pieces inside (there was one missing tooth on the old small planetary gear). Finding none, I reassembled and road tested again, and as before, it stopped at about 0.5 miles. So now I assume there has to be debris in there. I blew it out with compressed air, but it is hard to see inside where all the number cogs are, since they are behind the plastic housing. To get in there better I need to remove the needle and faceplate. Using the PDF instructions provided at the odometergears.com website, I tried rotating the needle counter-clockwise past its start position (at the 0 mph marking on the face), but it doesn't want to move, and didn't come free when I applied minor torque to it.
Has anyone here done this, and if so, does it take more torque than I felt comfortable with, given the warnings about not breaking the shaft? Or any other suggestions for how to address my odometer issue would be appreciated too.
10-28-2016, 08:09 PM
#49
Ken,
I replaced the trip odo gears a few months ago without removing the faceplate or needle. I carefully counted and retrieved all broken teeth. I also used a toothpick to lightly lube the new gears with Teflon grease. This was not my first gear replacement project although it was the first time on a Porsche.
When I road tested after reassembly, the trip odometer didn't move at all. I took it apart again and checked everything, then reassembled and tested again. Still no joy. I was out of ideas. On a whim, I decided to depress the reset lever and slide my finger off sideways so that the lever flipped back to the resting position. The trip odo has been working perfectly ever since. YMMV.
I replaced the trip odo gears a few months ago without removing the faceplate or needle. I carefully counted and retrieved all broken teeth. I also used a toothpick to lightly lube the new gears with Teflon grease. This was not my first gear replacement project although it was the first time on a Porsche.
When I road tested after reassembly, the trip odometer didn't move at all. I took it apart again and checked everything, then reassembled and tested again. Still no joy. I was out of ideas. On a whim, I decided to depress the reset lever and slide my finger off sideways so that the lever flipped back to the resting position. The trip odo has been working perfectly ever since. YMMV.
10-28-2016, 08:20 PM
#50
Drifting
Thanks Jim. I may do a temporary reassembly and try that method before I risk breaking the needle shaft ($$$$$).
Update: Just got back from another road test and it is working fine now. Don't know if it was your suggested trip odo reset, or my prior dose of compressed air that actually made the trip odo numbers spool up to about 90 miles, but either way, the problem appears to be solved. Thanks very much.
PS: I didn't re swage the front trim piece as I want to give it some more miles to be sure it is fully functional. Plus, I may get a glass lens to replace the plastic one.
Update: Just got back from another road test and it is working fine now. Don't know if it was your suggested trip odo reset, or my prior dose of compressed air that actually made the trip odo numbers spool up to about 90 miles, but either way, the problem appears to be solved. Thanks very much.
PS: I didn't re swage the front trim piece as I want to give it some more miles to be sure it is fully functional. Plus, I may get a glass lens to replace the plastic one.
Last edited by KeninBlaine; 10-28-2016 at 08:57 PM.
02-19-2017, 11:30 PM
#51
Intermediate
Odometer repair gone wrong
Hi everyone, I'm hoping for some help.
Today I followed the steps in this video to repair my broken odometer and everything went fine until the test drive.
ODO ticked up ~1/20th of a mile on a 1/2 mile test drive and the speedometer, which worked before, no longer comes off the stop on startup. It does move, but reads ~10-15 MPH low. I only tested to about 35-40 MPH. My first thought was interference between the needle and the plastic cover, so I tested again with the bezel+plastic removed; no change. I've taken it apart again to confirm the odometer gears are seated, but, unless I'm misunderstanding the design, that gear has no influence on the speedometer reading itself.
Here's a photo.
Did I miss something? Any recommendations before I send it in for repair? Needle and gauge face were not removed.
Thanks!
-mb
EDIT: upon closer inspection, it looks like I ordered the wrong replacement gear. Tooth count is the same but the inner diameter is different, so I think it's free-wheeling. That should solve the odometer mess, any reason to think it'd cause the speedometer to misbehave?
Today I followed the steps in this video to repair my broken odometer and everything went fine until the test drive.
ODO ticked up ~1/20th of a mile on a 1/2 mile test drive and the speedometer, which worked before, no longer comes off the stop on startup. It does move, but reads ~10-15 MPH low. I only tested to about 35-40 MPH. My first thought was interference between the needle and the plastic cover, so I tested again with the bezel+plastic removed; no change. I've taken it apart again to confirm the odometer gears are seated, but, unless I'm misunderstanding the design, that gear has no influence on the speedometer reading itself.
Here's a photo.
Did I miss something? Any recommendations before I send it in for repair? Needle and gauge face were not removed.
Thanks!
-mb
EDIT: upon closer inspection, it looks like I ordered the wrong replacement gear. Tooth count is the same but the inner diameter is different, so I think it's free-wheeling. That should solve the odometer mess, any reason to think it'd cause the speedometer to misbehave?
02-20-2017, 06:32 PM
#52
Hi everyone, I'm hoping for some help.
Today I followed the steps in this video to repair my broken odometer and everything went fine until the test drive.
ODO ticked up ~1/20th of a mile on a 1/2 mile test drive and the speedometer, which worked before, no longer comes off the stop on startup. It does move, but reads ~10-15 MPH low. I only tested to about 35-40 MPH. My first thought was interference between the needle and the plastic cover, so I tested again with the bezel+plastic removed; no change. I've taken it apart again to confirm the odometer gears are seated, but, unless I'm misunderstanding the design, that gear has no influence on the speedometer reading itself.
Here's a photo.
Did I miss something? Any recommendations before I send it in for repair? Needle and gauge face were not removed.
Thanks!
-mb
EDIT: upon closer inspection, it looks like I ordered the wrong replacement gear. Tooth count is the same but the inner diameter is different, so I think it's free-wheeling. That should solve the odometer mess, any reason to think it'd cause the speedometer to misbehave?
Today I followed the steps in this video to repair my broken odometer and everything went fine until the test drive.
ODO ticked up ~1/20th of a mile on a 1/2 mile test drive and the speedometer, which worked before, no longer comes off the stop on startup. It does move, but reads ~10-15 MPH low. I only tested to about 35-40 MPH. My first thought was interference between the needle and the plastic cover, so I tested again with the bezel+plastic removed; no change. I've taken it apart again to confirm the odometer gears are seated, but, unless I'm misunderstanding the design, that gear has no influence on the speedometer reading itself.
Here's a photo.
Did I miss something? Any recommendations before I send it in for repair? Needle and gauge face were not removed.
Thanks!
-mb
EDIT: upon closer inspection, it looks like I ordered the wrong replacement gear. Tooth count is the same but the inner diameter is different, so I think it's free-wheeling. That should solve the odometer mess, any reason to think it'd cause the speedometer to misbehave?
02-19-2018, 08:53 PM
#54
1st Gear
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I was all ready to try and repair the Odo and risk taking the dial off as other posts have mentioned to do. I thought I would look around one more time and I found this post. LUCKY! Thank you for posting this, everything went smoothly. I have not driven the car yet to make sure it was successful but I feel better about it not having messed with the dial. Thanks again, love all the help out here on this site 
01-27-2024, 10:02 AM
#55
Rennlist Member
Too funny….Ive got new odo gears in hand, and am gonna do this today proactively as my Sapphire is at 102k and 29yrs 10mos old. I was kinda sweating messing with the needle, so I’m happy to find your post here, Marc. Here you are, still helping me out with the car, many moons later. 
