Wes Duenkel October 3, 2017

Keeping track of mileage, like birthdays, after a certain age is perhaps too depressing to document. As the years tick by with increasing velocity, it’s human nature to look fondly on past. So while it might seem attractive to continue claiming one’s age as twenty-nine well beyond that mark, it’s rather inconvenient when the odometer on your 1994-1998 Mustang stops spinning.

The odometer on our 1995 Mustang GT gave up the ghost at after two decades and 110,515 miles of service. Luckily for us, Late Model Restoration offers an inexpensive way to get those odometers back into action: their Odometer Repair kit. While we had the gauge cluster out, we added LMR’s White Face Gauge kit and Diode Dynamics LED bulb set to our much-loved SN95’s gauges a, uh, “facelift.”

In the end, we not only got our odometer function back, but our gauges gained a brighter, modern look—during night and day.

1. The odometer on our 1995 Mustang GT gave up the ghost at after two decades and 110,515 miles of service.

2. Luckily for us, Late Model Restoration offers an inexpensive way to get those odometers back into action: their Odometer Repair kit. While we had the gauge cluster out, we added LMR’s White Face Gauge kit and Diode Dynamics LED bulb set to our much-loved SN95’s gauges a, uh, “facelift.”

3. We began the procedure by removing the light switch knob using a small screwdriver to release the clip holding it onto the headlight switch shaft.

4. After removing the two T20 Torx screws at the top of the bezel, we removed the bezel by pulling gently around its perimeter to release the retaining clips.

5. Next, we removed the instrument cluster’s four mounting screws with a T20 socket.

6. With the gauge cluster free, we unplugged the two harness connectors leading to the cluster.

7. Next, we removed the screws retaining the gauge cluster cover and set the cover aside.

8. The cover hides this last screw, so we removed it as well.

9. We used a plastic prying tool to free the gauges from the backing plate.

10. Then, we removed all three gauge panels from the backing plate.

11. With the speedometer flipped over, we then removed the odometer motor from the housing.

12. With the motor removed, we used a pliers to pull the black plastic driven gear from the housing.

13. It’s not a mystery why our odometer stopped working. The driven gear’s plastic was soft, brittle, and missing teeth. This is why our odometer stopped working.

14. After pulling off the OEM worm gear from the motor, we pushed on the new gear from Late Model Restoration Supply.

15. Next, next, we installed the new odometer gear into the speedometer housing and remounted the motor.

16. With the odometer gear replacement task complete, we prepped the gauge faces for the white decals. First, we removed the gauge needle pins from the gauge face.

17. Since we had the cluster removed from the car, we used a flashlight to ease alignment of the white face decals with the translucent areas of the gauges.

18. We peeled a white face gauge decal from its backing and sprayed it with mild soapy water.

19. Next, we carefully threaded the needle through the decal’s hole and around the needlbe base.

20. After carefully aligning the transparent areas of the decals with the translucent areas of the gauges, we used an old credit card to squeegee the soapy water out from under the decal.

21. After the decals dried, we replaced the gauge cluster cover.

22. Before reinstalling the gauge cluster, we removed the dim incandescent bulbs so we could replace them with LED bulbs.

23. The bulbs click into the receptacles just like the OEM pieces, but are much brighter.

24. With the gauge cluster clean and refreshed, we reinstalled it into our much-loved 1995 GT.

25. Not only does our odometer work properly (it moved a mile!) the white face gauge kit and LED bulbs gave our instruments a brighter, modern look.