Speedometer Housing Removal

[furthur69]

Folks, my Clymer's disappeared. I just read all of the speedometer postings. Am I truly to believe that I have to dremel off the housing to get at the speedomoter face - which has dropped both of it's screws and is now rotating as I drive?!!!

I've got every screw off of that thing as well as the rotating cable in the middle. How do you get the face off?

Thanks.

[furthur69]

Just found this:

If this is the only option I'll proceed unless someone else knows something better:

Thanks - James...


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Travis,

There are previous posts about opening a speedometer, and/or tach, by cutting around the rim with a dremel tool.

But, I once had problems with my tach, caused by, believe it or not, a SPIDER that crawled inside and spun a web, which caused the tach needle to become 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.

If you think you must open your speedometer, this technique will work.

Using a small, # 1, 1/8” flat blade screw driver, carefully pry the bezel lip upwards from the body, in very small increments. After going 360 deg. around the bezel once, and raising the lip slightly, use a toenail clipper (larger and heavier duty than a fingernail clipper) to gently grasp the slightly 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 not to pry too hard, and break the glass.

Once inside, clean and lube as required.

Then, replace the glass, bezel, and carefully re-bend the edge all the way around with small jaw vice grips, to secure it.

[fxrer]

That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it!

Honestly, the manner in which the tach & speedo are assembled, and "sealed", I don't know a better way.

Any other opinions?

[GNEPIG]

.. i have tried this very operation before and the end result was crap.. i mean it looked bad,
the best thing to do is to stake out ebay and take your chances there.. or contact andreaweise they seem to have alot of stuff

.. but hey give it a try anyway and see what happens, what have you got to loose. if you dont care what it looks like or if it rattles, use it, it's all good

[furthur69]

All right then. I'm going to pry open the bugger. I'll post the results. Thanks. James

[TopCatGr58]

Well,

I've got 2 tachs to work on, one with a broken needle, and another with a severely cracked glass, but both work otherwise. So...I'll be trying the DREMEL approach. The bezels are black. So..after removing, replacing, and sealing with first RTV to keep moisture....spiders....and such out, then I may also apply some JB Weld to the seam to smooth it out, then sand it smooth and repaint, shouldn't be visible at all!! Just some ideas!
T.C.

[furthur69]

I'm going DREMEL as well. I'll report back as it goes. Thanks for the affirmation. J.

[randy]

I did the small screwdriver trick and it worked fine. Just takes forever. You have to go slow so you don't crease the bezel. it went back fine, can't see the fold lines. I didn't crimp it down with a vise grip, though. Used a wooden dowel and a leather mallet.

[ccogswel]

Wait a minute!

I have done this more times then I have got fingers and toe's. The screw drive method works great, and yes its time consuming but it does work. The only different thing I do that I did not see listed is I use a good pair a pliers. First thing is to wrap each edge of the pliers with some good duct tape to prevent scratching of the bezel or if you slip and hit the glass it helps there as well. I also use a good thick shop rag with the pliers. I start at the middle and work my way to the edge and then I go the other way then do the curved ends last. Just make sure your hands are clean and the surface's are clean as well. I have done this many times and I have had no problem with any moisture getting behind the glass. Just done one for a friend two weeks ago as he had a spider make a nest in the Tach which caused it not to work and last week I had to put some grease in his Speedo as it was making noises. No scratches or dents and you can't tell I had been in it except for the marks on the back from using the screw driver.

[xs650mike]

If you don't have the patience for the screwdriver method (I don't), go to a hobby shop and buy a razor saw (Exacto makes one but there are others). This is a miniature backsaw like you use in a miter box. It will make an extremely fine straight cut and will slice through the plastic housing very quickly. It'll cut much neater than you could ever do with a Dremel which turns so fast it kind of melts the plastic and it's also hard to make a straight cut. With a razor saw when you glue the housing back together you'll hardly be able to tell it was cut. The saw will come in handy for other stuff too, it'll cut metal, wood and plastic just fine and unlike a jewelers saw (another handy tool) it makes a nice straight cut. You might pick up a miniature miter box to use with it for making small parts.

Speedometer repair shops charge an arm and a leg so forget them.

If you don't want to cut into your instruments get ahold of Yamaha 650 Society Director Don Lawson, he repairs these things at reasonable cost. URL for the Society is http://159.218.3.3/650.htm there'll be an email and mailing address for Don there.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey CCogswel,

I doubt that I have the patience, nor the gentle touch to both pry off and then press back on the bezel without putting lots of little dents and stuff, whereas I can cut, sand, and reglue and sand the seam with a bit more deft!

Another question for those that have been inside the tach and speedos! I'm wanting to take the faceplate off and redo it, either by scanning it into my computer, touching it up and reprinting it on a sticky CD lable or such. How does the needle come off of the shaft....is it a pressure fit?

And I realize the OEM faceplate is moderately transparent for the WHITE numbers and sections, I just checked my lables, they are translucent so the gauge lights should shine thru easily at night! I just don't think I have the steady enough hands to try to repaint the OEM faceplate....never could stay within the lines with my Crayolas!!

Any other ideas!? T.C.

[skids]

Well if you dremmel it, you might want to just cut off the corner and fold-up the middles (I haven't tried that yet). I think there is a rubber seal in there that you could ruin, so be careful. About removing the needle...good luck getting it back on right. It rests on the peg at zero, meaning it would actually be in the negetives without the peg being there.

Originally posted by TopCatGr58
Hey CCogswel,

I doubt that I have the patience, nor the gentle touch to both pry off and then press back on the bezel without putting lots of little dents and stuff, whereas I can cut, sand, and reglue and sand the seam with a bit more deft!

Another question for those that have been inside the tach and speedos! I'm wanting to take the faceplate off and redo it, either by scanning it into my computer, touching it up and reprinting it on a sticky CD lable or such. How does the needle come off of the shaft....is it a pressure fit?

And I realize the OEM faceplate is moderately transparent for the WHITE numbers and sections, I just checked my lables, they are translucent so the gauge lights should shine thru easily at night! I just don't think I have the steady enough hands to try to repaint the OEM faceplate....never could stay within the lines with my Crayolas!!

Any other ideas!? T.C.

[ccogswel]

Hi T.C.

I can understand about not having the patience's to do it. I have done it so many times that to me it only seems like minutes any more.

As far as the needles go all I can say is from all the ones I have seen they just pull off. But be very very careful as the stud it sits on bends real easy. Try to pull the needle off square.

Look and see if the stop is where the needle hits which would be on the outside of the face plate or if it has a little tab on the bottom side under the face plate. If it is under the face plate, great! Pull the needle off. Just remember where the needle pointed at. Maybe take a picture before you start so you will know where to put the needle back or your speed will read wrong.

But if not and it is on the top side of the face plate you will have to be careful as when you pull the needle off, the stud will move just a bit cause the needle is what stopped it when it sits at zero. You will have to mark where the point is at. If you will look on the bottom side of the face plate all I can tell you is if you look close and I'll try to describe this as the best I can as I'm not an expert. If you will look at the bottom side of your Speedo face plate you will see a round drum. The needle is attached to this drum. If you move the needle you will see the drum turn too. Now on the outside of the drum is this thing. I don't know what you would call it, all I know is this is the part that turns by the cable. Its flat and it has two edges that come up over the side of the drum. When this piece turns it creates a centrifugal force that spins the drum which in turn moves the needle.

Now back to what I was going to say. In order to keep the needle accurate if you have a Speedo that the stop tab is on the top is to take a marker and make a line down to the frame and the round drum. That way when you pull the needle the stud and drum will move so when put the needle back on all you have to do is line up the marks and put the needle back on.

If you don't your speed will be off a little. I don't mean to add any more to this thread, but if you look at the bottom side of the Speedo plate you will see this small thin flat coil spring wire that is attached to the frame and the needle shaft. If you look close at the needle shaft where the coil spring wire is attached you will see a gap. If you move this gap clockwise or counterclockwise it will also cause the Speedo to read wrong as well.

T.C. You said something about wanting to redo your face plates as they are faded. That's a good idea about using a cd sticker for a reprint. Another thought is if you have a sign and graphics store near, you may be able to get them to print that out and they may be able to use some sort of ink that will glow in the light. Just a thought. I know that there is a company that does stuff like that, but they are pricey.

To T.C. and all the others that will read this I want to say be careful doing this kind of stuff. I'm not an expert at this. I just have done this many times with motorcycles and with cars and all I can say is this is from my experiences so if I say something wrong or forgot to mention something please don't be mad. I'm just trying to offer some advice.

Good Luck!

[xs650mike]

TC...

Just make a hole in the middle of your label (paper punch) and then make a cut with a razor blade along the radius line to the edge of your circular clockface label and you'll be able to work it around the needle and shaft. Do a couple of trial runs before you remove the backing paper, you'll need to make a small hole for the stop pins too. Bet you already thought of this since your post!

[xs650mike]

TC...Thought of a couple of other things after my post about mounting those stickers without removing needles. Sticker stock is available at the stationery or art supply store in both paper and vinyl. Since inkjet printer ink is not waterproof it would be a good idea to use some spray varnish or lacquer on them before you apply them. The stationer or an art supply will have a lacquer called "spray fixative" in aerosol cans, comes in gloss or matte and should do the trick. I've used it in the past to waterproof all sorts of graphics and art work. You might also look into whether fade resistant ink cartridges are available for your printer.