Adjusting speedometer
 

Is there an easy way to adjust a speedometer on a 1982 Bayliner 1950 Capri,
It shows my top speed at 35 but a radar gun is showing 42. I have a 125
Volvo IO. This is a putt around the lake boat and being an old boat there
are a lot of things I would rather put money into than this but if there is
an easy adjustment that would be great.
Kirk

Adjusting speedometer
 

Buy a dash mount for your hand held GPS (if you have one; if you don't buy
one) and then you'll have an accurate speedo.

Other than that, you could try changing the pitot tube (the plastic prong
shaped thing on the transom that connects by a tube to the speedo) and the
tubing going up to the gauge. It might be partially plugged. Also, a new
speedo, itself, is not all that expensive, and is easy to install, assuming
you can find a dial style that meets your needs. But, typical boat speedos
are notoriously inaccurate. It sounds like yours is more than 20 percent
off, which is kind of bad, but in my limited experience, that's not all that
surprising or super unusual.

Thus, my GPS suggestion is really made seriously. Once someone clued me
into that, I've never used a regular boat speedo. I had a handheld GPS and
it cost me about $30 to buy the bracket and power converter. It's as
accurate as you can get plus gives you all sorts of other features (the only
one I use is actual distance traveled, but I wish I could integrate it into
a fuel flow meter like some can).

Good luck.

Grissy.


"Kirk Davison" wrote in message
news:kO5cc.190432$po.1008776@attbi_s52...
Is there an easy way to adjust a speedometer on a 1982 Bayliner 1950
Capri,
It shows my top speed at 35 but a radar gun is showing 42. I have a 125
Volvo IO. This is a putt around the lake boat and being an old boat there
are a lot of things I would rather put money into than this but if there
is
an easy adjustment that would be great.
Kirk

Adjusting speedometer
 

Also Sprach Kirk Davison :
Is there an easy way to adjust a speedometer on a 1982 Bayliner 1950 Capri,
It shows my top speed at 35 but a radar gun is showing 42. I have a 125
Volvo IO. This is a putt around the lake boat and being an old boat there
are a lot of things I would rather put money into than this but if there is
an easy adjustment that would be great.
Kirk

Before you spend any money chasing this problem, make sure that the
speedometer and radar gun are reading the same units. If the speedometer
is in knots and the radar is in MPH, then your readings are pretty close
already. 35 knots == 40.25 MPH.

Dan



--
The Apocalypse is INVISCID!

-- Gary Yngve

(on modeling nuclear explosions with the Navier-Stokes equations.)

Adjusting speedometer
 

"Marshall Banana" wrote
It shows my top speed at 35 but a radar gun is showing 42.
35 knots == 40.25 MPH.

There's your elegant solution: scratch out "MPH" on the instrument face,
scrawl in "knots," and viola: she's recalibrated ...

Adjusting speedometer
 

LOL I like it!!
"Joe Blizzard" wrote in message
...
"Marshall Banana" wrote
It shows my top speed at 35 but a radar gun is showing 42.
35 knots == 40.25 MPH.

There's your elegant solution: scratch out "MPH" on the instrument face,
scrawl in "knots," and viola: she's recalibrated ...

Adjusting speedometer
 

Both are set at MPH
Thanks
Kirk
"Joe Blizzard" wrote in message
...
"Marshall Banana" wrote
It shows my top speed at 35 but a radar gun is showing 42.
35 knots == 40.25 MPH.

There's your elegant solution: scratch out "MPH" on the instrument face,
scrawl in "knots," and viola: she's recalibrated ...

Adjusting speedometer
 

As others have mentioned, get a GPS and forget it. There is no way to
adjust without taking it apart and bending the expansion tube in the back.
This will make it read correct on top end but not at other speeds.
I highly recommend the Garmin emap. Easy to use. Great for in the car as
it has full maps and info on what is at every exit on the Interstate. Also
shows you where the rest areas are at. Has full map of most all lakes and
rivers. Don't worry about the memory card and extra maps. You probably
will never use them. Just get the base unit and a cig adapter cord.
You will also now know exactly how far you have traveled and know exactly
how far you can travel for a full tank of fuel.
Check ebay for a decent price. Should be able to pick one up for $100 to
$125.
I don't recommend saving the money and getting one without maps. You will
love the map feature once you use it.

--
Tony
my boats at http://t.thomas.home.mchsi.com



"Kirk Davison" wrote in message
news:kO5cc.190432$po.1008776@attbi_s52...
Is there an easy way to adjust a speedometer on a 1982 Bayliner 1950
Capri,
It shows my top speed at 35 but a radar gun is showing 42. I have a 125
Volvo IO. This is a putt around the lake boat and being an old boat there
are a lot of things I would rather put money into than this but if there
is
an easy adjustment that would be great.
Kirk