Speedometer question

[bill_face]

Hello I have a '79 GS550 on which the speedo is dead, and the rev-ometer very laggy.

I haven't tried a new drive unit, but Have tried a new cable. When I turn the wheel the drive in the cable turns so I presume it must be the speedo.

I've found a matching one on eBay, that allegedly works, but is missing the trip meter pin. Mine has a trip meter pin. What do you reckon my chances are of putting my pin into the other one?

[LAB3]

If the speedo is dead you have nothing to lose, so you might try this. Last summer my speedo needle would jump all over the place and a good shot of silicone into the hole in back would calm and quiet it down but only about 1,000 miles at a time. Looking for a solution I cut it in half, cleaned out the innards with rubbing alcohol and lubed it up with 3 in 1 oil. Then it was fastened back together with gorilla tape and remounted, has worked flawlessly and quiet ever since!

[Guest]

I think I have a spare speedo here. I'll be in the workshop later to check.

[Guest]

Bill,
Assuming you resolved the issue, how did you get the knob/pin out to put it in the replacement? I have to replace the glass on my 1984 GS 750 EF, but i can't budge the knob or pin.

Thanks, Rory

[Buffalo Bill]

If the speedo is dead you have nothing to lose, so you might try this. Last summer my speedo needle would jump all over the place and a good shot of silicone into the hole in back would calm and quiet it down but only about 1,000 miles at a time. Looking for a solution I cut it in half, cleaned out the innards with rubbing alcohol and lubed it up with 3 in 1 oil. Then it was fastened back together with gorilla tape and remounted, has worked flawlessly and quiet ever since!

2 things I wanna add for future reference:
You can carefully pry back the steel bezel around the perimeter so you can tap it back into shape after the repair.
You can snap off the 85MPH stop pin on the face, and paint new gradient marks so you can read your MPH all the way up to the bikes limit.

[Redman]

...... When I turn the wheel the drive in the cable turns so I presume it must be the speedo..........

Have you tried that, but with trying to hold it from spinning....? It may be stripped-broke but can turn with no load on it, but add a little load to it and see if that stopps it. Try this with the drive and/or the cable.

.

[LAB3]

2 things I wanna add for future reference:
You can carefully pry back the steel bezel around the perimeter so you can tap it back into shape after the repair.
You can snap off the 85MPH stop pin on the face, and paint new gradient marks so you can read your MPH all the way up to the bikes limit.

Tried to pry the ring but the body of the speedo is made of soft plastic, it tore up the plastic and never made a dent in the ring itself which is why I sawed it in half.