Boost Gauge and Tach Needle Removal - Also, who is Brian?

[Rainbow83]

Hi folks,

I'm currently following Anglin's guide to repairing my tachometer, and I'm at the step of removing the needles for the boost and Tach gauges, but I'm having a lot of difficulty. I attempted to pull the needles straight off, but there is a LOT of resistance. It isn't clear to me how they are supposed to be removed though, and I'm wondering if there is something else I need to do. Could someone who has done this tachometer repair following Anglin's write-up please weigh in about their experience removing the tech and boost gauge needles? Normally I'd just go for it, but I really don't want to mess anything up and break something that's gonna make me need a whole new cluster.

Also, mostly (probably?) unrelated to removing those needles, the back of my gauge cluster has the name Brian written on it in Sharpie with no other notes. I know this is a long shot, but does anyone have a clue why this might be?

Advice regarding removal of the two needles is most appreciated, but knowledge and/or radical speculation on the nature of Brian is appreciated as well.

[Rainbow83]

Well, what would you know, I went to bed after posting this question last night, had breakfast this morning, and tried it again, and the needles both popped right off with no fuss at all. When I opened up the tach, I did find a couple of solder joints broken as described in various places on the forum, and resoldering them was a pretty short affair. Things went back together smoothly from their, and my tach works once again! It feels like a real luxury to be able to see rpms when driving a manual, haha

[Ed Lijewski]

A bowl of Wheaties will do that

YMMV

[my8950]

Take photos and post them!

[andyofcolumbusmerkur]

Bryan was a orphan, who was born to a Mother with only one leg. I know this doesn't apply to the question exactly, but you must understand why he always felt so strongly about speedometers and also smaller analog gauges. Anyway he was always deeply ashamed about this fact regarding his Mother. He would go town to town fixing things for people which some may say was to fill a void. Others may say it was because he would hit up the folks for a cold one. Either way he fixed some things. Lots of things. Old Grandfather clocks, school gymnasium clocks that hadn't worked singe the 1950's whatever. He fixed them. Of course he would always sign his name on the back in case he came across something he already come across already if that makes any sense. It makes perfect sense to me. It also makes perfect sense to me that he drove a Merkur.

[Ed Lijewski]

Brian was Sorta Banksy-like.

YMMV