SpeedHut Cobra speedometer

[Pirate]

I found this on speedhut and like that the turn and highbeam indicators are on the gauge. Has anyone used this setup before? Also a question, it says it will work with all speedometer sensors/senders/transmissions 0.5 - 200 volt signals. I can not find in the manual which sending unit comes with the kit. And what the heck does this mean? •Programmable from 500 - 200K pulses per mile. I think it has to do with the odometer but am not to sure. I am getting my kit hopefully right after Thanksgiving so I am just trying to get all my stuff ready so I can crank this baby out.

Thanks,

Chris

23420

[edwardb]

I found this on speedhut and like that the turn and highbeam indicators are on the gauge. Has anyone used this setup before? Also a question, it says it will work with all speedometer sensors/senders/transmissions 0.5 - 200 volt signals. I can not find in the manual which sending unit comes with the kit. And what the heck does this mean? •Programmable from 500 - 200K pulses per mile. I think it has to do with the odometer but am not to sure. I am getting my kit hopefully right after Thanksgiving so I am just trying to get all my stuff ready so I can crank this baby out. Thanks, Chris
23420

That's not the speedo unit that FFR supplies (e.g. with the build-in indicators) but I seem to recall some have used it, and also I think used by Kirkham. Regarding the sensor/sender: It is not included with the gauge. Only an electric hook-up cable is provided. Some years ago speedos were gear driven affairs with a mechanical cable turning the gears, which in turn moved the needle and turned the odometer. (OK, I know I'm really dating myself.) Fast forward to today when speedos (and most instruments actually) have their needles driven by small stepper motors and a sensor on the car sending an electronic impulse when the driveline is turning. Most speed sensors are on the final drive shaft of the transmission. The pulses per distance driven varies depending on type of sensor, final drive, tire size, etc. For a T5, the sensor is a separate piece plugged into the side of the transmission. TKO's can use this same sensor, but also have one built in. You can use either. Once you have the pulse signal being received by the speedo, there is a calibration process to match the pulses to the speed indicated. It all works quite well.

[Pirate]

No this speedo is actually from SpeedHut. I am thinking about doing custom gauges for the car. I just didn't know if this speedo would work or not. So the complete kit doesn't come with the sender? You would think if the gauges come in the kit the sender would be there also. Oh well.

Chris

[edwardb]

No this speedo is actually from SpeedHut.

Right. The one you asked about from Speedhut isn't the one FFR sells. FFR sells two different gauge sets, one of them also from Speedhut. http://www.factoryfiveparts.com/factory-five-racing-electric-gauge-set/


So the complete kit doesn't come with the sender? You would think if the gauges come in the kit the sender would be there also. Oh well. Chris

Sorry, I meant the sender doesn't come with the gauge from Speedhut. I don't know if the sender comes with the complete kit from FFR. I suspect not. It's part of the transmission, which isn't part of the kit, and varies depending on the transmission used. Probably the same reason Speedhut doesn't supply one. Like I said, a TKO comes with a sensor already built in. The sensor for a T5 is $20 - $30 and a pretty normal parts store item, e.g. NAPA.

[bwwooster]

I've got one of their speedos in my Sprite and it works great. There are a couple of ways to get a signal for the gauge and it mainly comes down to the type of transmission you're using. The way you calibrate it makes the gauge really adaptable-- I was able to fit the GM sensor to a Nissan 5-speed (which is bolted to the back of the BMC engine...) and it's all good. All the trans has to do is spin the core of the sender to generate the pulses and all you have to do is measure out a two-mile stretch of road to calibrate the gauge.

[Jeff Kleiner]

...So the complete kit doesn't come with the sender? You would think if the gauges come in the kit the sender would be there also...

Yes, the complete kit DOES include a compatible sender and a drive gear. The number of teeth on the gear is not important for this setup because as mentioned earlier you will go through a procedure that includes driving over a measured 2 mile distance to calibrate the speedometer and odometer.

Jeff

[Olli]

Since you are buying a new speedo from SpeedHut anyway, why not just get the GPS version and not even have to think about what sender to use?

Olli