Just bought a new cluster, can I correct my odometer?

[OSUV]

I just bought a "newer" used cluster and want to roll the odometer forward to reflect my actual miles, which is higher than the miles that the replacement cluster's odometer reflects.

Can it be done and if so, can I do it myself or does my money hungry Ford dealer have to do it?

 

[toypaseo]

There is a guy in my town that can adjust mileage on clusters. He adjusted one of my co-workers who brought in a GM 1500 pickup cluster. He might be licensed to do it, or reconditions them, or something like that. I dunno if he is GM specific though.

If you cannot find someone to do it for you, PM me and I'll check into that guy.

 

[mrboyle]

I just did this on my '92 when I replaced the cluster and can tell you first hand it is a pain in the a$$! I do not recomend trying it unless you find someone that can do it for you. You basically have to disassemble the entire speedo unit (gears and all) and it is very difficult to do without screwing something up.

 

[Fredness]

On the older units, the speedo/odo is separate from the cluster as a replaceable section. I pulled the entire unit from the cluster and swapped straight across. If it is a matter of adding miles, a drill motor, VSS or cable could accomplish that pretty quick...

 

[dynamite196]

how many miles do you have to add? A drill certainly won't do it quickly however I would imagine a dremel would do the job pretty well as it turns at far higher rpms

 

[daffy]

Go to a dealer and ask if you can have one of the stickers that they place inside the driver door frame when they replace a speedo. 2 lines, mileage of replaced odometer, mileage of new odometer.

Fast, easy, more legal.

 

[Turdle]

how many miles do you have to add? A drill certainly won't do it quickly however I would imagine a dremel would do the job pretty well as it turns at far higher rpms

I took one out and tried this--15 minutes later it had racked on an amazing 1560 miles. By the time you get it where you need it to be, the little plastic bearings and gears would be toast--

 

[CDW6212R]

Wow Jon, 4000+MPH, that would scare Dale Earnhardt.
This is a tough task, I corrected the mileage on my rebuilt 99 recently. The 2nd gen. odometers are harder to change, and more delicate.

Do note that the speedometer needle must be pulled off. That will make the speedometer inaccurate, and it will need to be corrected later.

Drills are too slow to change 1000+ miles, way to slow, just like driving at racing speeds. I bought a unit with 73k or so, and my truck had 77,450 miles.

The entire gauge cluster has to be removed, all three sections, from the back. The speedometer center section comes out last. After removing the needle, you are looking at gently prying apart/out the tiny gears, an electrical connector, etc.

There is an extremely delicate plastic set of parts which run in a line across the back of the numbers, which must stay that way before during and after. With everything apart and numbers in hand(still together on shaft), one set of end numbers can be pulled slightly off(1/16"). That will be enough to allow the number to spin.

The numbers must be ligned up perfectly, along with the delicate plastic parts along the back side. The numbers can be located in several positions(increments) between two apparant number locations. Take lots of time in making the numbers line up perfectly. When done, it all goes back together very easily and quickly.

The speedometer should be off calibrated quite a bit. I read that others have driven the truck, and reattached the needle while driving with a chase car.

What I did was to retain the accuracy of my truck, the actual mileage, not to improve the condition or apparent condition. I do not support altering for fraudulent purposes. Good luck,