traditional-tools
Diamond
- Joined
- Aug 10, 2007
- Location
- West Coast
I've asked on this forum in the past on having my tachometer rebuilt, but nobody knew of a place specific to do such a job. As one other person suggested, I tried a local watchmaker, but he didn't have any clue...so I went to Palo Alto Speedometer as was also suggested (and where I had been planning to check), and took my tachometer with me. When the tech at Palo Alto Speedometer saw the Rivett tach, he asked, "what does that old piece go on?", "that's really an antique"...he went and got another tech that knew about John Wolf & Co.
::JOHN WOLF & CO.INC ::Willioghby, restoration of speedometer, tachometer, Automobiles ,Aircraft ,Boats ,Custom Instrumentation Gas Tank Sending Units, Mechanical Temperature Gauges
I haven't contacted them yet, I just found out about them a couple days ago. I will probably have them rebuild my tachometer if they are not too expensive. If they are expensive, I will open it once again and see if I can repair and/or straighten out the needle and adjust the face plate so that the needle can move freely...then if I break it I can send it to John Wolf & Co...
Seriously, that looks like a great place to get gauges and instrumentation rebuilt.
If I talk to them and/or decide to sent my tachometer there, I'll update with more info about their service and pricing. I figure it depends on what you want done, if you want the face plate repainted, etc...
EDIT: rustytool, I just opened up the gauge, it is EXACTLY what happened to your gauge. The round springy coil is broken off the portion that goes to the needle. I just used magnify lenses to look at it and I can see clearly that the coil portion is separated from the end that is soldered to one of the legs which controls the needle. I vaguely remember you saying that you soldered that to make your gauge work. I don't totally understand how it comes apart, but it seems there's a small nut that needs to come off to lift all of that off to get to the copper coil and end soldered on leg. Hopefully that makes sense, I think it will. The nut must lock the screw which loosens all of that. Ah, and the way you calibrate it must be to move that little tongue plate left and right, it seems to allow for the calibration of the mechanism...best I can tell...it looks like a clock to me. That little spring must be something a clockmaker would do...that $#!T is small...I can clearly see with tweezers that I can grab the coil portion which is separated from the end.
Wait a second, if that is electrical the coil does something else, and mainly needs to be connected. Does that coil act as a spring? It must expand and contract with the current? 
Cheers,
Alan
::JOHN WOLF & CO.INC ::Willioghby, restoration of speedometer, tachometer, Automobiles ,Aircraft ,Boats ,Custom Instrumentation Gas Tank Sending Units, Mechanical Temperature Gauges
I haven't contacted them yet, I just found out about them a couple days ago. I will probably have them rebuild my tachometer if they are not too expensive. If they are expensive, I will open it once again and see if I can repair and/or straighten out the needle and adjust the face plate so that the needle can move freely...then if I break it I can send it to John Wolf & Co...
Seriously, that looks like a great place to get gauges and instrumentation rebuilt.
If I talk to them and/or decide to sent my tachometer there, I'll update with more info about their service and pricing. I figure it depends on what you want done, if you want the face plate repainted, etc...
EDIT: rustytool, I just opened up the gauge, it is EXACTLY what happened to your gauge. The round springy coil is broken off the portion that goes to the needle. I just used magnify lenses to look at it and I can see clearly that the coil portion is separated from the end that is soldered to one of the legs which controls the needle. I vaguely remember you saying that you soldered that to make your gauge work. I don't totally understand how it comes apart, but it seems there's a small nut that needs to come off to lift all of that off to get to the copper coil and end soldered on leg. Hopefully that makes sense, I think it will. The nut must lock the screw which loosens all of that. Ah, and the way you calibrate it must be to move that little tongue plate left and right, it seems to allow for the calibration of the mechanism...best I can tell...it looks like a clock to me. That little spring must be something a clockmaker would do...that $#!T is small...I can clearly see with tweezers that I can grab the coil portion which is separated from the end.
Wait a second, if that is electrical the coil does something else, and mainly needs to be connected. Does that coil act as a spring? It must expand and contract with the current? Cheers,
Alan
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