Hi All,
I know a few people are interested in seeing what is involved to fit the stainless steel dial kit so here is the instructions, any further questions then just ask.
Stainless Steel Dial Kit
Please Note: Care must be taken when fitting this kit, follow the instructions provided taking care not to damage your Speedo assembly or dash trim. I am not held responsible for any damage that may occur if you choose to fit this kit yourself. If you do not feel confident in fitting the kit yourself then I can do it for you, however this will involve you sending your Speedo assembly to me and I will send it back when the kit is installed.
Tools needed to fit Stainless Dials:
• Medium size cross point screwdriver
• Small size cross point screwdriver
• Clean Lint Free Cloth
• Small amount of Lighter Fluid
• Small piece of scrap paper
1. Begin by removing the screw at the top in the piece of plastic trim under the steering column (as shown in picture). When this has been removed the trim piece can be carefully pulled forward, this will unclip it at the top from the dash.
2. Remove the two screws that hold the Speedo trim in place (located on the underside of the top, as shown in picture). When these have been removed carefully pull the trim towards you to release the clips.
3. Unclip the wiring to the dimmer switch to the left of the Speedo trim. When this is unclipped the Speedo can be pulled up and removed completely from the dash.
4. Now remove the three screws that hold the Speedo assembly in place and slide forward. You should now be able to unclip the Speedo assembly from the wires on left side of the unit. The Speedo assembly can now be removed from the car.
5. Now its time to dismantle the Speedo unit and fit the new dials! It is best to fit the dials in a dust free clean environment so that no dust/dirt can get on the inside of the assembly. This will save cleaning time later.
Begin with removing the small screw at the top of the Speedo unit. When this is removed work around the unit removing the clips that hold it together, its best to start at the top and when this side is done the bottom should just unclip.
6. Now you will have access to the dial faces. Begin with cleaning the dial faces with a lint free cloth and a small amount of lighter fluid. This will ensure that they are clean and free from any grease. Leave it for about two or three minutes for the excess lighter fluid to evaporate and then its time to begin.
7. The centre dial is probably the easiest of the three pieces to fit so it makes sense to start with this one. It's very easy to scratch off the red coating on the underside of the needles so car must be taken when fitting the new stainless dials. Get a small piece of scrap paper roughly 2cm square, fold it in half and then in half again so you end up with something that looks similar to the picture below. This will be used to prevent the needles from getting damaged.
8. Holding the centre dial at the edges, carefully remove the backing from the small pieces of adhesive tape. Do NOT remove the large tab yet; this will be done when the dials have been placed over the needle. Now place the small piece of paper over the central hole as shown in the picture below.
9. Carefully turn the needle so that it is pointing upwards (around the 80mph mark) and feed the stainless dial over the end of the needle. Make sure that the stainless dial is turned 90 degrees clockwise from where it will finally sit. This will make it easier to slide over the needle.
10. Now extreme care must be taken as you slide the new stainless dials over the needles. The small piece of paper will protect the red underside of the needle but the silver line along the top can still scratch off easily unless you are careful. As you slide the stainless dial over the needle make sure that you bend it slightly so that the stainless part does not scrape along the top and damage the finish at the same time making sure that the adhesive part does not touch any part of the dial.
11. When you have placed the stainless dial over the needle and into the centre you can turn it 90 degrees anticlockwise to align with the original face of the dial underneath. Now carefully remove the small piece of paper and slowly lower the piece over the needle rest.
12. Now carefully pull the tab out so that all the adhesive backing is exposed and ready to stick down. Carefully lower into place, this piece should be a near on perfect fit so should easily line up with the dial face. When loosely placed in position use a soft cloth to press down firmly in place, this will ensure no finger prints are left on the dials.
13. When this is fully pressed down the needle should be able to move fully round the dial without coming into contact with the new dial face. Now its time to fit the other two side dials. Begin with removing the two needle rests, these should just be able to be pulled off, they may require a bit of force but should come off ok. If you are having trouble getting them to come off then use a pair of long nosed pliers. Leave these to the side to refit later.
14. The fuel gauge dial is fitted in the same manner as before, using a small piece of paper in the centre hole to protect the underside of the needle. This time however none of the adhesive backing paper is removed first. Begin by moving the needle to around the quarter way mark on the fuel gauge. Carefully slide the new stainless piece over the top making sure not to scratch the top silver surface.
15. When the new piece has been placed over the needle remove the small piece of paper and line up the dial as best possible, you will have to slide the new stainless piece under the centre dial by lifting the edge slightly to create a bit more room.
16. When the dial is lined up as best possible carefully lift the edges up and pull the adhesive backing tabs out one by one. Carefully lower the dial into place and when loosely in the correct position place the dial rest back in its hole, making sure the needle is the correct side of the rest.
17. As the dial has not been pressed down fully you will be able to move it very slightly to get a perfect alignment. When happy press down firmly with a soft clean cloth, and that's two done! Now for the third and final one, again use a small piece of paper placed in the central hole to protect the underside of the needle. Place the needle around the 3000 rpm mark and carefully slide the stainless piece over without scratching the top surface of the needle.
18. As you slide the stainless piece remember to be careful not to scratch off the silver line on the top. As you get to the centre part of the needle you may need to push the needle slightly to the left to allow the stainless part to fit over. Now remove the small piece of paper and align with the standard dial face.
19. As with the previous dial you will need to lift up the centre part slightly to slide the new stainless piece slightly under it. When you are happy with the alignment then remove the adhesive backing tabs one by one and replace the needle rest making sure the needle is on the correct side. Then press down firmly using a soft cloth to fix the stainless dials in place.
20. Now all three pieces have been fitted have one final check to ensure the needles can move smoothly across the range of each gauge. If there are any fingerprints, dust or marks on the dials then now is the time to clean them off. Use a small bit of lighter fluid on a clean cloth and rub gently to remove the marks. Also have a quick clean on the inside of the cover, this will remove any dust or marks. Now clip the cover back on, be sure to line up the trip button (long thin button on front) in the hole then make sure all the clips are secured and replace the small screw in the top. Now you are ready to refit into the car.
21. Refit the dials into the car by first attaching the wire clips together, and screwing in the three screws to hold the Speedo assembly in place. Now add the Speedo trim back on, connect the wire clip on the left and push gently into place so the clips attach to the dash. Refit the two screws at the top of the Speedo trim and tighten these up. Finally push the lower trim piece into place and refit the final screw.
That's it, Job done!
There you go peeps
Jason