CJ3B Speedometer replacement

New to the boards and have a lot of questions which will come out as the project progresses. Quick background: Owner of CJ3B, pretty much all original with the exception of a crappy orange and black paint job done by previous owner (my living room walls have less texture!), koenig hardtop, needs new seats. Has original heater, came with pintle (?) hitch and original pizza cutter wheels. Also has fold down and tilting windshield. Currently the speedometer does not work. The turn signals are also not hooked up. My winter project will be re-wiring, adding 11 inch brakes, recovering the seats, and fixing the turn signals/speedometer. Am having a hard time finding a replacement speedometer that does not cost more than the jeep itself. Will a speedometer from a CJ5/CJ7 work? In looking at photos they appear to have the same number and location of wire posts on the rear.

thank you in advance for your help. I also belong to a cougar owners forum. I have found these forums to be an invaluable source of knowledge.

 

I think the only replacement speedometer you will find is Jeep PN 913373. The CJ-3B page says that's a Stewart-Warner type http://www.film.queensu.ca/cj3B/Specs.html AFAIK the all the large dial speedometer clusters are interchangeable. The later ones have more doodads on them (brake indicator, 4WD indicator, etc.) but they are all the same diameter and indicate the same speed for the input RPM.

Lots of places sell a 913373, or you could look for a used one. All the electrical bits are removable - replacement of the gauges is a separate issue from the speedo and dial.

You might try fiddling with your existing speedo. Clean it carefully and make sure the cable is actually turning the wheel. They are delicate, like a clock works, and you might get lucky and make it work with some cleaning. Put some solvent in a pump oiler and squirt it, and brush it with a soft artists brush to try and remove some gunk. The spring is delicate, so be careful there ... clean around the magnets and cup, and the bearings.

 

Thank you for the information. At this point I have not verified that the cable is actually spinning. I will make sure to do that before I go to the effort of a new speedometer. Will also try giving it a good cleaning. Would prefer to keep it as original as possible.