Replacement Gauges

New to the Forum but have had Nortons for some time. What I'm doing now is rebuilding a '72 but converting it to a Fastback and now I need new gauges. I could send the green dot tach and speedo out for rebuild but before I do, does anyone know if something like Triumph T140 gauges would work with the current Commando gauge holders ?? I've seen some replacement gauges I think are Veglia but not sure they would fit and then there's the issue of securing it to the holders. Some speedo gauges have the trip reset knob which won't work as far as I can tell. I'd be inerested in hearing your thoughts on this. Thanks !!

Welcome confused,

confused said:

does anyone know if something like Triumph T140 gauges would work with the current Commando gauge holders ??

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If they are Smiths type, (T120/T140/TR7 up to 1978/79 ) then those instruments will probably fit, and work, as the case dimensions, fitting stud arrangement, cable rotation and drive ratios should be identical to the Smiths Commando instruments?

confused said:

I've seen some replacement gauges I think are Veglia but not sure they would fit and then there's the issue of securing it to the holders.

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The Norton factory started using Veglia gauges as well as Smiths from 1973, so a Commando could have left the factory with a pair of either Smiths or Veglia 'green globe' instruments as standard from that time (or 'NVT' dial logo from '75), however the Veglia instruments had deeper bodies, which meant new deeper (black) instrument holders also had to be fitted which could house the Veglias as well as the shallower Smiths instruments (which required extension bolts to mount them in the deeper housings). The Triumph factory (Meriden) didn't start fitting Veglias until around 1978/79 and these are still available but would not fit the shallow alloy (pre-'73) holders?

What I think you are referring to are the various Smiths 'replica' instruments which I believe are made in the Far East somewhere, which do have a different trip knob arrangement coming out from the side of the case, and I think they are made to the same basic dimensions as the original Smiths instruments however I have no idea if they will fit the Commando instrument holders without modificaton, or removal of the trip knob?

I fitted a set of aftermarket guages to a Commando some time back. They didn't have the appropriate stud fittings to match the Norton instrument cups so I drilled a small hole under the mounting bracket tapped a thread and fitted a grub screw to hold everything in place. I suspect you would have to remove the trip meter screw, although it might be possible to modify the cup to accept this.