sticky speedometer

[beechfront]

i have a speedometer that works good, just a little slow to react.

example - if i stop fast it takes about 3 seconds for the needle to come back to zero.


anything i can do about this?

[randy]

WOW!

Good brakes!

Randy

[jetmechmarty]

Could the cable need some lube due to binding? My car did just that before the cable broke.

[skids]

I bought one from ebay like that. It was also slow to react on acceleration. I think it just needed exercising by riding the bike, 'cause it works fine now.

[hollywoodxs11sf]

Speedo Maladies

The speedo on my '79 Special was a little jumpy at times, and slow to react. Also, sometimes my trip odometer would seriously overexaggerate the number of miles I had travelled (i.e, the "miles" wheel would grab onto the "tens" wheel, so every mile I went, the thing would advance 11 miles.

Since the speedo is sealed, I decided to do something drastic. I cut all the way around the rear edge with a cutting disc on my dremel. I was able to open it up, lube it with some lightweight clock oil, clean out the dust and moisture (do this on a hot, dry day) and then I taped it back together with self-vulcanizing rubber tape. Speedo is now as smooth as ever, trip odometer is now accurate, and, with the chrome housing in place, nobody knows it's been opened up but me.

Of course, this would invalidate your odometer reading, but my Special has already clocked over 82,000 miles. Here in California, the mileage reading doesn't appear on the title if the vehicle is over a certain age (20 years, maybe?). In any case, I left the regular odometer reading alone.

[fxrer]

Regarding opening a speedometer, and/or tach, by cutting around with a dremel tool - I had read that technique in a previous post, by a reader who opened his tach that way. I had problems with my tach, caused by, believe it or not, a SPIDER that crawled inside and spun a web; I could see the silk strands between the glass and dial plate. It caused the tach needle became erratic, and jump wildly.

So, after learning that there was no “easy way” to remove the glass face, and wishing to avoid “cutting around the bezel” with a dremel, I experimented. Using a small, # 1, 1/8” flat blade screw driver, I carefully began to pry the bezel lip upwards from the tach body, in very small increments. After going 360 deg. around the bezel once, and raising the lip slightly, I was then able to use a toenail clipper (larger and heavier duty than a fingernail clipper) to gently grasp the slight raised lip, and continue around the bezel, prying it carefully towards 90 degrees vertical. Patience, care, and a light touch are needed, so as not to over bend any one section. After working it in this fashion, the bezel loosens from the main body and can be removed. Take care no to pry too hard, and break the glass.

Once inside, I cleaned out the cob webs, including removing the dial face plate and cleaning the webs underneath.

Then I replaced the glass, bezel, and carefully re-bent the edge all the way around with small jaw vice grips, to secure it. I put a small bead of silicone sealer around the bezel, and the
breather holes, not for adhesion, but to keep those damn spiders out! It is very solid, well sealed and looks nice.

This method should work for a speedometer, too. Good luck

[Czekus21]

I had a sticky/slow speedo a couple of years ago when I bought MIYAMI. I pulled the front wheel, pulled the speedo drive, cleaned out the 20 + year old factory lube, regreased, reassembled and still sticky/slow. Pulled it apart agian, cleaned all the new grease out and relubed with a very thin white, gun assembly grease/lube
Packed it pretty good so I wouldn't have to regrease for some time. Reassembled and works just fine. If the grease is too thick, the speedo will react slower then it's supposed to. Even if you use a good lithium grease, in the cold it will thickin up and hence, a slow speedo. Lubing the cable helps alot to. Pull the cable and hang it. spray some good penitrating oil, ( I use PB Blaster, avail. at almost any auto/hardware store) Spay a little bit at a time untill it starts to drip out of the other end. Spin the cable by hand to work the penitrating oil through the cable. When this is done and the cable is cleaned up. use a good spray lube or ( 3-in 1 oil ) DON'T USE WD-40 as it will evaporate. Hope this helps. The cable info is from first hand expierience in rejuvinating an old cable
cauz ya ain't got the $$$ to replace it.

[beechfront]

thanks for the advice everyone.