Speedo Needle not at 0

Guys,

Stupid problem I have been dealing with for the 15 years my Dart has been on the road! When at rest, my speedo needle is down below 0. So, when I am driving, my speed is off. It is a '70 Dart with a Ralleye dash.

I have the cluster out for changing some lights - and before I put it back in, I'd like to fix the speedo issue.

Anyone know how to get the needle to point at zero?

This is what I'm talking about.

When I refreshed the paint on the needle of my dad's 57 Chev, I just pulled it straight off and then installed at like 40, and twisted it back counterclockwise until it was at zero. It was just a slight press fit. I'd suspect that one should be about the same.

the magnetic gismo is delicate. I would at least eyeball the innards & see if anything obviously looks damaged. Sounds like yours is way off so either a stop or something will be visually off enough to tell or magnetically it is way off but I'd suspect the first one but I am speculating.

I'd pull the speedo head out and clean the mechanism to make sure the needle mechanism returns to the zero position stop. Sometimes the mechanism gets dirty and sticks at 5 mph, etc. Compressed air and a small paint brush can get into the pivot point places to remove dust and dirt, and a toothpick dipped in wd 40 can lube them. Go very sparingly if you decide to lube anything, a small drop is more than enough. Then as mentioned, you should be able to remove and reinstall the needle in the correct orientation. Don't touch the face of the gauge as any oils, etc. can easily smudge the 40+ year old paint.

Thanks guys. I will handle with caution.

The speedo works - the speed is just low by the same distance that it is off of zero! (around 10 mph)