First off, I have to say BRICKBOARD ROCKS!!! Every time I started scratching my head on this repair, I was able to find an answer in the archives.

Background: '83 245 that I paid $700 for last month. It has all the typical 'Volvo' problems (OD not working, tailgate wiring was broken, blower motor is bad, etc). I have been working my way through these problems, and Brickboard has been invaluable.

This week I decided to tackle the odometer. Searching the archives produced this great guide:

http://www.hyperocity.com/volvo240/volvoodometer.htm

With a link to Dave Shannon's site for mechanical speedos:

http://www.homestead.com/volvo2/Odometer.html

I also read the Bentley section on removing the instrument cluster. Step 1 on both guides SHOULD be to remove the carpet panel under the steering wheel, then reach up behind the cluster and disconnect the speedo cable. This is where I had my first problem: I could not get the speedo cable to come off. I hit the archives and found that my speedo had a plastic lock ring on it to keep people from tampering with the speedo. This had to be snipped off, and then the speedo will unscrew from the back of the cluster. Once the speedo cable was off, I followed the guide and removed the cluster easily.

With the cluster on the bench inside, I started disassembly. The only tough part was getting the speed indicator needle off the shaft. Dave says to use a pencil as a fulcrum and pry at the bottom of the shaft with a small screwdriver. This was not working for me, so I used a very small pair of needle nose pliers to grab the shaft and pull the needle off (carefully! Put something under the pliers to avoid scratching the face). Once I got the speedo split, the plastic gear fell out in 2 pieces (split right in half, all the teeth look fine). I used epoxy to glue it back together, and let it set overnight. I then put a little epoxy on the shaft and pressed the gears back on. Once that set, I put everything back together. It works!

I hope the gear hold up. I contemplated buying a gear from this place:

http://www.odometergears.com/

But I figured I would save my $30 and give the epoxy a shot first. If the gear fails again, I will be buying one from these folks!

Tips: Test and replace any burned out instrument lights while you are in there. Also, make sure you clean fingerprints off everything (alcohol works great) before you put it back together.

Thanks Brickboard!

-Josh in Seattle