Recently my NOS Veglia tach on my 73 Commando started squealing and going full scale frequently. After some quick troubleshooting it was easy to verify that the problem was in the tach, not the drive or the cable. This seemed odd because the tach only had ~10 hours on it.
After a little research I found that this is not uncommon in NOS instruments that sit on the shelf for many years. The factory lube apparently solidifies with time and no use.
Nisonger Instruments only does Smiths gauges, but they suggested I try Palo Alto Speedometer in California. I sent the unit to them for repair and got it back in around 3 weeks. I've just got a few hours on it now but so far it's working perfectly. The needle is very stable and no more squealing. Also, cosmetically the repair is as new. Not cheap though...it cost $195, but now I have a tach that matches the original speedo. I'm pleased enough with this repair that I'm thinking of sending my speedo out to them as well because the needle fluctuates +/- 5 mph at any speed.
After a little research I found that this is not uncommon in NOS instruments that sit on the shelf for many years. The factory lube apparently solidifies with time and no use.
Nisonger Instruments only does Smiths gauges, but they suggested I try Palo Alto Speedometer in California. I sent the unit to them for repair and got it back in around 3 weeks. I've just got a few hours on it now but so far it's working perfectly. The needle is very stable and no more squealing. Also, cosmetically the repair is as new. Not cheap though...it cost $195, but now I have a tach that matches the original speedo. I'm pleased enough with this repair that I'm thinking of sending my speedo out to them as well because the needle fluctuates +/- 5 mph at any speed.
