Smith's kit help please

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If you have a new chrome bezel, don't crimp it. Just use a little dab or two of black silicone to hold it on there. Then, if need be, you can take it apart again. Nobody will notice. I did my Triumph speedo that way and it worked cherry. I don't go out in the rain so I have no water worries. You could do a bang up silicone job and be water tight. Try it.
 
If you have a lathe you can make up a spedo holder out of hardwood for the chuck and a hardwood tool for the cross slide and roll bend the bezel on.
 
If you have a lathe you can make up a spedo holder out of hardwood for the chuck and a hardwood tool for the cross slide and roll bend the bezel on.
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Or a ball bearing (6203?) on a piece of bar stock that will roll around the bezel?
 
Since I don't have a lathe or any idea what they are talking about a cross brace, I opted to press the crimp back on my Smith's. I've been fretting about this for about 5 years now, and have seen a couple of articles that mention just pressing it down with some sort of tool. I first used the end of the handle of a ratchet spanner, it worked but was a bit long. So I ended up using a short 1/2" extension with a socket on it for the palm. Pressed real hard with a rotational motion to get it to fold over with the face on a beer pad. Got it down pretty good, but there were still lumps in it, so I used a block of wood against the face and mashed the back down further with a pair of adjustable pliers. That worked pretty good, it got the back flat and down, took me all of maybe 1/2 hour. From the side and top you can't tell it from the original. Here is how it turned out with a picture of the tools I used. New bezel on the right one. Happy camper now.

Smith's kit help please


Dave
69S
 
I have a Mk2 with MK3 clocks. Is it possible to buy the globe smiths faces and the chrome bezels from somewhere to do it myself?. I have been quoted £260 to do both which is a lot of money?
Thanks
 
FastFred said:
I have a Mk2 with MK3 clocks. Is it possible to buy the globe smiths faces and the chrome bezels from somewhere to do it myself?. I have been quoted £260 to do both which is a lot of money?
Thanks
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I would think you could buy bezels and faces from one of the instrument repair guys, like Joel Levine. He repaired the Speedo on my Commando, and has both gauges for the Ranger for a complete redo (I should have them back next week).

I deal with him because my local Norton guy has a good relationship with him. He used to use another guy for instrument rebuilds, but got a batch of Triumph gauges with bad paint jobs on the dials. He's never had an issue with Joel.

http://www.joellevinecompany.com/
 
It took me a long time to find the bezel I needed. I found it at British parts Chicago, but I would never buy anything from him again, he tried to scam me out of a set of silencers and I had to get the Cook County Attorney General after him before he would credit my card, it took me almost 2 years. The bezels must be available somewhere. The instruments aren't that hard to work on, you just need to be real careful and the parts may be hard to find if you need any. There are a couple of online instructions and at least one book out. There is a book at lulu.com that is about repairing Smiths instruments, I think it is about $22USD. Walridge sells the 3 rubber gaskets and the screws, they are a bit pricey.

I was lucky, I just needed the bezel.

Dave
69S
 
I just emailed joel, but is there anywhere in the US to buy the glass and bezel for a smith tach? last time i went down the ground grabbed the tach and put a nice dent in my tank with it. The tach glass cracked from the impact and is starting to deteriorate further.

thanks in advance

john
 
jnstrong said:
I just emailed joel, but is there anywhere in the US to buy the glass and bezel for a smith tach? last time i went down the ground grabbed the tach and put a nice dent in my tank with it. The tach glass cracked from the impact and is starting to deteriorate further.

thanks in advance

john
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Joel is in the US, what more do you want?
 
I just talked to Joel today. After hearing different stories on installation and failures I decided not to attempt the self-crimp. I'm sending him my nice working tach for him to install a bezel and new/correct dial. ~$100US.
 
Joel is in the US, what more do you want?
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I would be happy if he would reply to my emails. I bought MK III clocks from him early last year. They look great but the trip meter in the speedo didn't work from the start. I have emailed him several times about getting it fixed (at my expense since there was a long delay in contacting him) and he hasn't even bothered to reply to tell me to go pound sand. FWIW.
 
I contacted Joel, $40 for the glass and bezel. It will be on the way soon and hopefully I can replace without any disasters.

-john
 
http://www.eurojamb.com/smiths-repair-k ... 97ddabe39e
http://www.guzzino.com/smbekitwse.html


At least there doesn't seem to be any problem getting hold of the Smiths bezels or glasses in the UK, as most good spares suppliers often keep them in stock.
Example:
http://www.thunderbirdspares.com/speedo ... -356-p.asp

http://www.burtonbikebits.net/Speedos.htm
Magnetic bezel, crimp on type.
06-9305A
(26670G) Speedo Bezel

Speedo Bezel Magnetic, crimp-on type with glass & sealing rubber.
Click to expand...

I think I got my last one from Gaggs of Nottingham: http://www.totalbikebits.com/tbb_classi ... dealer.htm
 
LAB,
Thanks for those links. I wish I had seen it before I installed my bezel, I could have had SS screws/nuts, grommets and new gaskets. It is done now and looks fine though the rubber is cracked.

Can anyone tell me what this special tool is that crimps the bezel on, how it works and what it looks like?

Dave
69S
 
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