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High-pitch Squealing Sound from Front

  • Thread starter Thread starter natejelovich
  • Start date Start date
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natejelovich

Guest
Hi All,

Not sure if this is the correct place for this question, but figure it's a "tuning" question.

Anyway, when riding my '79 850, there is often a high-pitch squealing sound coming from the front end. I don't know where exactly (that's kind of my question) but it sounds like the front "dashboard" (if you call it that on a bike...).

My question is, is this common? And if not, any idea why, what, and where from this noise could be coming from?

It's really only when I'm riding (not idling) and get's louder the faster I go... but then will sometimes stop for a few seconds and then start back up again.

Not sure if something is loose, a cable is bad, or there is some other problem...

Any thoughts or where I might start in order to better diagnose the "problem" (if there is one) would be super appreciated!

Thanks all!


Nate
 
Sounds like maybe the tach or speedo cable is routed wrong and the core is rubbing hard against the inner sleeve?? Does it do it sitting still and does it get more with added RPMS???
 
No, doesn't do it when sitting still and yes, louder with added RPMS (but then will go quite sometimes).

I thought it was a cable issue too... could it be rubbing?

When I first bought the bike, the needle in my speedometer was jumping all over the place, so I used some graphite lubricant to grease it up (took out cable from sleeve and rubbed graphite on it).

I don't know if it's connected or not, but figured I'd mention it.

How would it be routed wrong? Or maybe the question is, how should they be routed?
 
It comes up from the backside of the tree and up to the speedo nut screw on point. Things is it just shouldnt be sharply bent when routed and it shouldnt pinch or kink when you turn the bars. I would take a red straw and bend it so you can squirt some lube up into the gear drive on the bottom of the speedo too. Also when your moving take your hand and touch diffeent things..head light, speedo and cable tach etc etc to see if it stops when you hit the right thing.
 
Dragging brakes will squeal. If you've had your front wheel off and didn't get it centered properly, that will cause a squeal, as will dry wheel bearings, or a dry speedometer drive on the front wheel.
 
DanTheMan said:
Dragging brakes will squeal. If you've had your front wheel off and didn't get it centered properly, that will cause a squeal, as will dry wheel bearings, or a dry speedometer drive on the front wheel.
Click to expand...

My guess is the front brakes, does the noise change with the speed of the motorcycle?
 
natejelovich said:
Yes, but not always. It sometimes get's higher and faster (quicker whine) when speeding up.
Click to expand...

What happens when you slow down?

Does it vary with the engine rpm?
There's got to be a way to pin it down.
Does it change at all when you squeeze the front brake lever.
Tire chaffing on the fender?
 
sedelen said:
What happens when you slow down?
Click to expand...
Whine decreases in pitch and "speed"

sedelen said:
Does it vary with the engine rpm?
Click to expand...
Yes

sedelen said:
Does it change at all when you squeeze the front brake lever.
Click to expand...
I'm trying to remember right now, but no I don't think so.

sedelen said:
Tire chaffing on the fender?
Click to expand...
Nah, tire seems totally clear/fine...

Tons of great things here from everyone. Thank you!! I love this forum.

I think I am going to try and grease up the tach and speedo cables.

Question, how do I grease/lubricate the actual speedometer? Spray inside the speedometer itself? I think that's what's been recommended, but want to make sure... Seems like a lot of electrical parts could get damaged.
 
Nothing electrical in there. Grease in between the inner part that the cable turns, and the outer part that it turns in. Easiest if you turn it all upside down first.
 
tkent02 said:
Nothing electrical in there. Grease in between the inner part that the cable turns, and the outer part that it turns in. Easiest if you turn it all upside down first.
Click to expand...

Ah ok, I think I got it. Just the places where the cables connect. Not inside the actual speedometer itself.
 
That's what squeals is the inner spinning part inside the outer part. There is no bearing, just the one part spinning inside the other. Grease will make it turn smoothly.

Tach and speedometer are the same.
 
Little red straw in the nozzle and turn it up toward the fittings. Thats spray white lithium grease is very good for the job and will last a long time in there.
 
Also, when i have the cables off for lubrication, i use a length of welder wire and a few pieces of rag ( like a gun cleaning kit operation) and drag it thru the cable housing and clean the crud out of there...then a good application of grease on the cable itself.
 
Following up from a few months ago...

I was able to deduce that the screeching sound was coming from the speedometer. I still don't know exactly why, but I'll try the grease inside the metal connector spot.

Question, will dry graphite grease do the trick?

Another question... Somehow while I was driving, I lost half of my speedometer needle (see pic), and it stopped working altogether (or will be extremely jumpy and create the screeching sound).

Is there a way to get the glass off so that I can put the other half of the needle on and inspect the gears inside?

I basically want to be able to pull the black part away from the orange part. Doable?


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524066_10101937502181998_455879965_n.jpg


525456_10101937502206948_1742250410_n.jpg
 
Fold up a bath towel a few layers thick.
Place the speedo glass down and press down firm ly to hold it good.
See the metal bezel is folded over right where it meets the plastic housing.
Take a small flat tip screw driver and go around that folded over crimp and gently pry it up
Go a little at a time and just go around and around until that crimp is all the way up and then remove the glass and bezel from the housing.


To recrimp, just have the wife or friend hold down on the speedo ( on the thick towel) and use a regular flat tip and small hammer to fold the crimp back down and TAP it tight to the lip on the plastic housing.

The folded over towel acts as a shock absorber so the glass doesnt break.
 
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NOTE....Just smear some light grease ( Vaseline has been used ) into the worm gears..dont try to move the number cogs if you can help it..they will only go in one direction and the little plastic things that they are joined together by can snap pretty easily.

Wipe the worm gears wih some Qtips to clean, relube...call it good enough.

AND AND AND as you lift the broken needle off the pin..be sure to very slowly and easily wiggle it STRAIGHT UP AND DONT GET IT KINKED!!!!!
The pin it is pressed onto snaps like glass if its tweeked or treated roughly. Cover the face plate with some painter tape to protect it as you do the removal.

Search thread about the subject or maybe PM Rustybronco and ask for pics of his removal tool. Get a good understanding BEFORE you go to it is all I am saying.

As for removal of the trip meter knob stem..It just screws on. Once the glass is off ( and obviously the broken needle ) you can remove the 2 face plate screws and lift off the face. Youll see where the shaft to the trip meter comes out and the trib knob is screwed on. grip the trip meter shaft with some small needle nose pliers and then unscrew the knob shaft. Now that everything is out of the way, the guts will come out of the housing easily. any questions..shoot me a PM and I will give you my number to talk it thru.
 
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Thanks Chuck!!

Worked like a charm for the most part. I was able to take the casing apart like like you suggested and used the fork trick I saw in another post to pull the speedo needle out.

The needle still jumps a bit, and I hear the screeching occasionally, but definitely not as often. So, I'm hoping once the grease gets in all the right spots, it will stop altogether.

Thanks again Chuck! Much appreciated!
 
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