Gauge Rbld Question

rwreed · Posted: May 29, 2009, 7:18 am Post subject: Gauge Rbld Question

I bought a used Tac and Speedo on ebay and they said it was from a "77 D" but my original gauges had a white backlighting and this tac has orange/amber backlighting.

Question: Are the face plates colored or are the bulbs colored? I want to use the face plates on the bought items to replace the ones in my original gauges.

Thanks,

oldbikenut · Posted: May 29, 2009, 8:49 am Post subject: Re: Gauge Rbld Question

I think the faceplates make the color as the bulbs in my bike are clear. I would really consider keeping your new guages the way they are as it is a real pain to take the gauges apart and put back together.

xsleo · Posted: May 29, 2009, 6:24 pm Post subject: Re: Gauge Rbld Question

Getting the needles off and back on with out damage will be the hard part. I would use them as they are.

gordo · Posted: May 29, 2009, 6:35 pm Post subject: Re: Gauge Rbld Question

You can take the needle's off, but putting them back on in the right position is the killer. What I did was marked the position of the drag cup's with a marker, I also got a puller made for just such a task. My dad was an instrument tech. at one time, he showed me how to do it . The puller is like one of those blade tool's used for removing car door panels.

pumps · Posted: May 29, 2009, 10:54 pm Post subject: Re: Gauge Rbld Question

I too have a 77 and had to replace my tach as it was smashed when I bought the bike. The inner color of the tach inside the housing is a bluish color. That is sort of the back light color at night , a bluish color. I bought one off ebay and it was a reddish orange back light. My solution was to buy another that was the blue color. The bulbs are clear and are friction fitted in their little rubber sockets in the gauges. If you ty to but the bulbs from the dealer be prepared to spend $$$ as I think my local Yamaha dealer was acting in the range of $6 A PIECE! I got them from a seller on ebay, $11 for 10 bulbs shipped. If you want his name I'll find it for you.

rwreed · Posted: May 31, 2009, 8:45 am Post subject: Re: Gauge Rbld Question

Hi Guys,
Thanks for the feedback. I had both Tach and Speedo apart yesterday and replaced the face on my Speedo and the lens was scratched on my Tac. I used the 4" Heat shrink method of securing the assembly.

I think they came out pretty well. The heat shrink doesn,t fit perfectly and may hold some water if rained on. I don't generally ride in the rain and she is kept inside(always).

Pumps, you are correct. The tac I bought was a white housing and mine are blueish. Also the needle was orange. Mine is white. I only used the lens from it.

Will try to post some pics later.

rwreed · Posted: June 24, 2009, 7:50 am Post subject: Re: Gauge Rbld Question

OK,
Sorry for no pics yet. My camera is at my brothers house. I will post pics ASAP.

Anyway, I have a serious question/problem. After reassembling everything and mounting on the bike, I took a ride yesterday and my Speedometer needle is not moving off the peg. The odometer is working so I know the cable is in correctly.

I had to remove the needle to replace the face plate and I should have locked the position if the magnetic ball behind the neele pin, but I didn't.
So I think I wound the spring too tight causing the needle to be inop.

Does anyone know the trick to properly winding the spring before putting the needle back on? I tried to make it as loose as possible by spinning the ball with my finger and watching how fast the needle returned to the peg.

Help!!!!!!!!!! Confused

rwreed · Posted: June 25, 2009, 9:09 pm Post subject: Re: Gauge Rbld Question

What? Nobody on here has done this or has access to the information to fix it? I'm shocked!!

I can keep playing with the spring wind but it would still have questionable accuracy.

Come on guys! Help me out here. Please Very Happy

highspeedhamish · Full Member Joined: Jun 25, 2009 Posts: 62

I took apart a few gauges in the day... my GS 500 was one, since it was smashed to bits.

I think the easiest thing to do is set the spring to minor tension. Place the needle at the bottom (0 mph) and swing it with your finger to the max speed. Let go, and if the needle returns to the 0 position on its own, Id say it should work.

The spring should expand only slightly in order to return the needle to start.

xjwmx · Posted: June 25, 2009, 9:35 pm Post subject: Re: Gauge Rbld Question

I caused a similar problem when I had to fix a speedo indicator needle that was broken in two. First, I'd agree, set it to minor tension, so it will move. Then drive behind a friend going, say, 50 mph. Note the reading on your speedometer. Then take it apart again. Give or take away enough spring preload so that the reading would be rignt - in other words if you read 60 mph when he was going 50, and if there's 1/4" between increments of 10 mph on the dial, then preload it to 1/4" behind the peg then slip the needle over the peg. Or whatever you have to do to an xs speedo to do the equivalent.

rwreed · Posted: June 26, 2009, 1:29 pm Post subject: Re: Gauge Rbld Question

Thanks guys,
That is what I was looking for. I thught the same thing but needed re-inforcing I guess. I hate taking that thing apart thought. It's tough to get back together.

Thanks,

pamcopete · Posted: June 26, 2009, 1:43 pm Post subject: Re: Gauge Rbld Question

Well, I believe that the tach and speedo are the same as far as the needle position relative to the RPM's of the drive cable.

1. Any analog instrument should be calibrated at its mid point.

2. Spin the tach up to it's mid point, 5000 RPM with a reversable drill.

3. Lock the trigger on the drill to maintain this speed.

4. Unplug the drill to keep the speed setting.

5. Connect the speedo to the drill.

6. PLug the drill back in.

7. Adjust the speedo to it's mid point, like, 45 MPH for a '80 to ''83.

8. Reassemble the speedo using a strip of 4" heat shrink tubing as in this link: xs650temp.proboards.co...ge=1#39501

PS: Do not use a high speed Dremel for this procedure. It will spin the needle right off because it is too fast. Don't ask me how I know this.

pamcopete · Posted: June 26, 2009, 1:55 pm Post subject: Re: Gauge Rbld Question

When you have finished calibrating the speedo, then use this spread sheet to determine the MPH vs RPM's.

MPH vs RPM Spread Sheet

.

rwreed · Posted: July 1, 2009, 7:38 am Post subject: Re: Gauge Rbld Question

pamcopete,
Good idea. Think I'll try that this w.e.

Thanks,

crashcourse · Full Member Joined: May 01, 2009 Posts: 33 Location: Utah

Great thread, I figured someone had this problem; just need to know the best way to get the case opened. Someone mentioned a puller of some kind. Don't have one of those, so...can opener? the gauges are off an 81.

gordo · Posted: September 29, 2009, 7:42 pm Post subject: Re: Gauge Rbld Question

When I did mine,I used a flat blade screwdriver,1/4" .Just bend the lip enough all the way around to get the bezel off. Be careful of the glass that covers the gauge's, as it will break. Then either use the 4" shrink tube or the bezel if you didn't destroy it.I used 8" Channellocks to recrimp the bezel on mine.

jeepurz · Posted: September 29, 2009, 9:24 pm Post subject: Re: Gauge Rbld Question

gordo wrote:

When I did mine,I used a flat blade screwdriver,1/4" .Just bend the lip enough all the way around to get the bezel off. Be careful of the glass that covers the gauge's, as it will break. Then either use the 4" shrink tube or the bezel if you didn't destroy it.I used 8" Channellocks to recrimp the bezel on mine.

thats what I did, bend a small screwdriver, sharpen it. its not that bad, I never thought bout channellocks I used a peice of metal made a jig to hold it and tapped round it with the metal. Its not hard, but it takes some time & patients to get a method.

crashcourse · Full Member Joined: May 01, 2009 Posts: 33 Location: Utah

Got it apart, thanks guys.

gordo · Posted: September 30, 2009, 6:28 pm Post subject: Re: Gauge Rbld Question

Before you take off the pointer, mark the back cup with a Sharpey so you'll know where to put the pointer back on.

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