Tachometer needle gone haywire

After several instances of the tachometer on my New Holland TC29DA reading all sorts of strange numbers, I discovered the plastic barrel backing that presses onto the tach shaft was split open.  The plastic is so darn small and thin, a glue-job to reassemble it was unsuccessful.

The whole instrument cluster comes out with two Philips screws, detach the multi-pin connector from the rear, and take in the gauge cluster to the bench.   Remove the Philips screws around the perimeter and separate the cover glass and bezel from the gauges.  Slide off the old needle (mine literally fell off when the gauge was inverted) and grind or sand the old plastic barrel flush.

I prepped a new backing with a 4mm wide brass strip and 2mm OD x 0.45mm wall tubing (about $6 from a local hobby store) that was soldered together to form a new base and barrel to attach to the tach shaft.  Epoxy the new brass base onto the needle and let it cure.  With a pair of diagonal cutters, put a slight crimp in the tube to give it a light press-fit onto the 1mm tach shaft.  BEFORE, you push it on, go back to the tractor and connect the instrument cluster, and turn on the ignition (without starting), this will set the tach shaft at 0 RPM.  Align the needle and press it on.

Turn off the ignition.  Disconnect the the gauge, and reassemble the cluster housing, bezel, and cover glass.  make sure the needle doesn't fall low and end up below the stop inside the bezel.  Put it all back together, turn on the ignition and the tach should come to 0, start the engine and set to idle and it should be at about 600 RPM.

Beats $670 for a whole new instrument cluster... NH doesn't sell just a replacement needle.... go figure.

New brass coupling fabricated out of some 4mm wide brass strip
 and 2mmODx0.45mm wall tubing