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MG MG Y Type - tacho problems: Y at warp speed..

Today on a short trip the recorded mileage on Y5888 was going from 09999 to 10000 miles (+ 99999 me thinks). I always try not to miss these milestones on a car so on watching it turn to 10000, I was very surprised to see that after ten seconds or so, the 10000 changed into 20000 and ten seconds later into 30000.
So today I set some records:
The longest non-stop drive in a Y ever,
The fastest speed ever attained by a Y: 3.6 million miles an hour! If that's not amazing, what is?

Maybe I'm being too superstitious, but I think a good start of solving the problem would be to ritually burn the Osprey book I bought second-hand LAST WEEK from a rather strange man. The title? "How to restore Body Decoration, Brightwork & Instruments" Scary, eh? I also bought the "How to restore Wooden Body Framing" from him, and was inspired by it to construct a Y ("Woody") Traveller but I think I'll pass....

Seriously: what causes this and what can be done about it? I'm afraid it wont do any good to the mechanism?
Willem van der Veer

Willem - Have you looked at the book regarding Body Decorations...etc. yet? In this day and age, it may not be refering to car bodies ;0. Seriously, it sounds like your problem is that the numeral disks are all hung up together. Perhaps someone can instruct you on how to correct that situation, if not I would suggest an instrument repair shop like
Vintage Restorations
THE OLD BAKERY
WINDMILL STREET
TUNBRIDGE WELLS
KENT TN2 4UU
ENGLAND
Tel: +44 1892 525899
Fax: +44 1892 525499
Good luck - Dave
David DuBois

Hi Willem

Personally I would use someone else to service your speedo as I have heard a couple of interesting stories - not serviced properly, someone else's instruments returned, long turn arounds etc.

There are a couple of others on the Links page I think to help you - even if they are in the UK. You are closer to them than I now!

Paul
Paul Barrow

I had the same problem in my '65 B. The problem was in the teeth of the rollers. I had the entire unit rebuilt while it was open and now it's perfect.
Steve Simmons

Willem - I would recommend that you definitely not have that speedometer repaired until you have Y5888 firmly recorded in the record books for the land speed record in a Y Type (or any vehicle for that matters).
Cheers - Dave
David DuBois

Willem,
Forget repairing it. Sell it to the Netherlands space agency. If they can work out how to keep the air in it, you could have a man on Mars in 63 days even if it is at the other side of the sun, and 10 days at its nearest to Earth.

Keep taking the tablets. The men in white coats are on their way.

Regards
michael nicholson

"the Netherlands space agency"? Some months ago they send a Dutchman into space to do all kinds of important experiments (like the one thought of by schoolchildren: in what direction does a plant grow if it's weightless....). I think all the experiments failed because of a failing fan or something, but who cares? It only cost a couple of million Euro's....
Willem van der Veer

I can thoroughly recommend the work of George Filbey, who can be located through Google with this name. He works in South London. He restored the instruments and clock on Y6814 for me in 1996, and they have worked perfectly since. Jaeger themselves would be impressed with the standard of his work.

But that land speed record should stand, I think ;-)
Tim Griggs

This thread was discussed between 16/06/2004 and 21/06/2004

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