Reading the mileage on a vintage odometer?
Discussion
Roy C said:
Just a guess: 38.2 miles (trip) & 3040.7 miles (odometer).
Yes, mine is slightly earlier, in nickel and has a reset lever on the top for the trip.So yes it rolls over every 10,000 miles, which could make any MOT interesting.
Although most of the service/grease points need attention every 1000, 2000 and 3000miles
davepen said:
Roy C said:
Just a guess: 38.2 miles (trip) & 3040.7 miles (odometer).
Yes, mine is slightly earlier, in nickel and has a reset lever on the top for the trip.So yes it rolls over every 10,000 miles, which could make any MOT interesting.
Although most of the service/grease points need attention every 1000, 2000 and 3000miles
If you feel underneath or the back there should be some way of resetting the odometer.
MOT irrelevant as it's pre 1960. Even when the MOT was required mine never worked properly so it had the same mileage for about 12 years!
A Cooper Stewart speedo circa 1930
Other than showing 1 mph stationary, it works fine and more accurate than quite a few modern ones as I recalibrated it as part of getting it working again.
Yes, the rev counter is a bit modern, but I didn't have much of a choice, I'm deaf and vintage rev counters are not widely available. This one is meant for a light aircraft.
Other than showing 1 mph stationary, it works fine and more accurate than quite a few modern ones as I recalibrated it as part of getting it working again.
Yes, the rev counter is a bit modern, but I didn't have much of a choice, I'm deaf and vintage rev counters are not widely available. This one is meant for a light aircraft.
Edited by Slidingpillar on Monday 7th December 14:17
LordBretSinclair said:
austin said:
......... my guess is that this isn't the right dial for that dash?
All the dials look different, The Lucas one looks very 50s/60s 
p.s. I've never heard of audible rev-counters
V6Pushfit said:
Slidingpillar said:
I didn't have much of a choice, I'm deaf and vintage rev counters are not widely available
Are modern ones audible then?Two cylinder engine magnetos for a British four stroke engine spark once every revolution but one spark is positive volts, the next, negative. I'd assume the firm has only sold a handful of magneto operated units and due to the fact they sell them with a divide the reading by two fitted and a bit of luck, had never encountered this problem before. Was all put right but with two extra lots of shipping to pay, I cannot imagine much profit was made.
Slidingpillar said:
Don't know and don't care! As a rule, vintage rev counters are fed by a fitment to the engine and consequently, one needs both the dash unit, the drive gear and a cable. The engine on that car, a 1930 Morgan is magneto ignition, and the only electronic dash units one can get these days that can be wired into a magneto are aeroplane units. That one is American and even though they were told what it was for, the firm still supplied one that read half what the engine was doing. Had to be returned to the states, to be corrected.
Two cylinder engine magnetos for a British four stroke engine spark once every revolution but one spark is positive volts, the next, negative. I'd assume the firm has only sold a handful of magneto operated units and due to the fact they sell them with a divide the reading by two fitted and bit of luck, had never encountered this problem before. Was all put right but with two extra lots of shipping to pay, I cannot imagine much profit was made.
If you get stuck again just ring Speedycables they can do whats needed or supply a 1930's unit to suit. Or just run one off the dynamo or alternator its more simple.Two cylinder engine magnetos for a British four stroke engine spark once every revolution but one spark is positive volts, the next, negative. I'd assume the firm has only sold a handful of magneto operated units and due to the fact they sell them with a divide the reading by two fitted and bit of luck, had never encountered this problem before. Was all put right but with two extra lots of shipping to pay, I cannot imagine much profit was made.
RichB said:
I think you'll find it was a joke. 
Not a problem, I just thought the tale might be interesting.V6Pushfit said:
If you get stuck again just ring Speedycables they can do whats needed or supply a 1930's unit to suit. Or just run one off the dynamo or alternator its more simple.
Perhaps, and perhaps I'll win the lottery. The only way to get the needed bits would be to pay to get them made, the needed cable is easy. (Speedy cables made me a speedo cable, but I still had to supply one of the ends they used, only one was in their stock).Dynamos produce DC, so I don't see how you'd ever use that as a rev counter. My electrical charging machine, which is an alternator (I did a conversion) though is disconnected from the engine every time one pushes the clutch to change gear, precisely the moment when one wants a rev counter to work with dog engaged gears and no syncromesh. Would be fun getting one to read true too, the alternator rotates at 0.75 engine revs.
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