Hi!
My 1985 FJ1100 (100,000km) has started whinning(!). It appears to be coming from the speedo. I've seen some posts about this but I'm not clear if changing the speedo cable will stop this or if the problem is actually with the speedo itself. In which case a new cable won't help. There's no whinning when I take out the cable so I'm fairly certain it's that or something it's attached to!
Any suggestions?
Thanks
It's the speedo death howl. Unhook it asap, you might be able to send it in for a rebuild.
See the Files.
Quote from: Pat Conlon on January 18, 2014, 01:09:10 AM
It's the speedo death howl. Unhook it asap, you might be able to send it in for a rebuild.
See the Files.
X2!
When the canary dies it usually takes out the speedo cable too...damhik...
I've also seen a speedo gear box (at the wheel) that was stripped too - wonder if the canary took it out too?!
grease is the word
Quote from: andyoutandabout on January 18, 2014, 07:26:59 PM
grease is the word
Yea, that's the ticket...drill, tap and thread on a zerk fitting on the back....and pump it full of lithium... :dash2:
Oh you silly goose, no amount of grease will stop the death howl. The internal gears need to be replaced.
Thanks guys. Unhooked and all is quiet! No noise from the front wheel take off so it must be all in the speedo. Oh, well I've only got here for another five months! I'll use the sat nav until then.
My speedo on the87' only howls when it is cold outside. After about 5 minutes of riding it stops howling.
Fred
Hi Fred - certainly wasn't cold in Australia this last week!!
Quote from: aviationfred on January 19, 2014, 04:02:45 PM
My speedo on the87' only howls when it is cold outside. After about 5 minutes of riding it stops howling.
Fred
It will degrade and eventually not care about the cold. Consider sending it to San Diego for a rebuild. Or if you have any spares on the shelf then you can wait.
Quote from: pevers on January 18, 2014, 12:39:51 AMHi!
My 1985 FJ1100 (100,000km) has started whinning(!). It appears to be coming from the speedo. I've seen some posts about this but I'm not clear if changing the speedo cable will stop this or if the problem is actually with the speedo itself. In which case a new cable won't help. There's no whinning when I take out the cable so I'm fairly certain it's that or something it's attached to!
Any suggestions?
Thanks
Pevers,
Sometimes you can find a good instrument cluster on FleaBay, or in the Classifieds here. The 1984 and 1985 FJ1100 speedometers are the same part number.
When my FJ1100 speedometer started howling, at least in my case, it could be fixed. I took off the speedometer cable at the instrument and at the front wheel, and set it aside. I removed the air scoops, and bolts 8 & 14 on this Parts Page:
http://www.2wheelpros.com/oem-parts/1985-yamaha-fj1100n-fairing-1-assembly.html (http://www.2wheelpros.com/oem-parts/1985-yamaha-fj1100n-fairing-1-assembly.html)
You need to unbolt the headlight adjuster bracket, and enough of the hardware to pull the headlight/instrument cowling forward slightly. Flip the cowling inverted, tailend-over-headlight. I had to cut some cable ties, but did not unplug much, if any, of the wiring Support the cowling comfortably there somehow (I used straps to a stepladder), and re-install the speedometer cable to the instrument. Remove the center speedometer drive line from the housing, and shoot about a tablespoon (10cc) of LIQUID lubricant down the empty speedometer cable housing. I used ProLong (magic stuff in a spray can, from the automobile parts store) but probably any fine liquid petroleum lube would do the job. Do NOT try using grease, silicones, or WD-40 (which is
not a lubricant). Wait half an hour, then slide the speedometer drive line back into the speedometer drive cable housing.
Let everything sit for an hour, with the cowling inverted. Then, remove the entire speedometer drive cable (which may be a bit messy now) from the instrument. Flip the cowling upright, install the speedometer drive cable, re-assemble everything, and you should be good to go. Do not overdo the lubrication there, or it may spill into the face of the speedometer, and that mess would be fairly tricky, to clean up.
This repair did the job for me, and two years later, I still have an accurate speedometer and no howling.
Cheers,
Red
Quote from: red on January 19, 2014, 08:04:37 PM
I used ProLong (magic stuff in a spray can, from the automobile parts store) but probably any fine liquid petroleum lube would do the job.
Doesn't sound like something from an "AUTOMOTIVE" store to me! :pardon:
Quote from: fj1289 on January 19, 2014, 09:47:04 PMQuote from: red on January 19, 2014, 08:04:37 PMI used ProLong (magic stuff in a spray can, from the automobile parts store) but probably any fine liquid petroleum lube would do the job.
Doesn't sound like something from an "AUTOMOTIVE" store to me! :pardon:
FJ1289,
You, sir, are going to grow up to be a Dirty Old Man. :yahoo:
Cheers,
Red
Quote from: FJmonkey on January 19, 2014, 07:42:59 PM
Quote from: aviationfred on January 19, 2014, 04:02:45 PM
My speedo on the87' only howls when it is cold outside. After about 5 minutes of riding it stops howling.
Fred
It will degrade and eventually not care about the cold. Consider sending it to San Diego for a rebuild. Or if you have any spares on the shelf then you can wait.
I do have a complete spare set of instruments,
Fred
Quote from: aviationfred on January 19, 2014, 09:58:42 PM
Quote from: FJmonkey on January 19, 2014, 07:42:59 PM
Quote from: aviationfred on January 19, 2014, 04:02:45 PM
My speedo on the87' only howls when it is cold outside. After about 5 minutes of riding it stops howling.
Fred
It will degrade and eventually not care about the cold. Consider sending it to San Diego for a rebuild. Or if you have any spares on the shelf then you can wait.
I do have a complete spare set of instruments,
Fred
You do mean FJ instruments right.... :shok: The topic seems altered a bit, I just want to be sure.... It might get awkward going forward....
When I bought the 87'. It came with a box of spare parts. A CBR600 shock, clutch pack, pressure plate and basket, Complete instrument cluster, complete wire harness, one OEM mirror and a few other items.
Fred
Quote from: aviationfred on January 19, 2014, 11:05:40 PM
When I bought the 87'. It came with a box of spare parts. A CBR600 shock, clutch pack, pressure plate and basket, Complete instrument cluster, complete wire harness, one OEM mirror and a few other items.
Fred
Ok, I will let it slide this time...
Quote from: aviationfred on January 19, 2014, 04:02:45 PM
My speedo on the87' only howls when it is cold outside. After about 5 minutes of riding it stops howling.
Fred
Exactly how mine started Fred. Letting the howl out of the speedo is like letting smoke out of electrics...
Quote from: fj1289 on January 20, 2014, 07:06:50 AM
Quote from: aviationfred on January 19, 2014, 04:02:45 PM
My speedo on the87' only howls when it is cold outside. After about 5 minutes of riding it stops howling.
Fred
Exactly how mine started Fred. Letting the howl out of the speedo is like letting smoke out of electrics...
Yeah, but I have yet to see a jar of 'replacement speedometer howl' on the store shelves... :biggrin:
(http://i643.photobucket.com/albums/uu159/rktmanfj/KGrHqJHJDkE63ZdY3VBO6dvFhgW60_1_zpsb08f121c.jpg)
Okay, that's funny. Especially since my last name just happens to be... (hold it...)
Lucas.
Yes, the Prince of Darkness, for those of you who may be fans of BSUEC (British Sporadically Unreliably Electrical Connection) -spec components. No known relational genealogy, but I'm denying any traceable relationship.
Sir Rossi
O. B. E. and a BMF, besides.
To avoid rebuilding the speedo internals I use a product called "Break Free CLP", you can find it at any Walmart in the sporting goods section where gun cleaning solution is sold. It is an excellent petoleum based product that will both clean and lubercate any machanical mechanism quiet well. It comes with a little red straw that attaches to the nozzle. Disconnect your speedo cable from the housing and squirt a little bit up inside, this product will clean and remove gritty grime and free up sticky, rusted or corroded mechanisims within the housing. This product works quiet well on other applications too. Otherwise, the dreaded "howl" will mean the end of your speedometer and replacement or rebuild will be in order.
Barry
Quote from: motogp52 on January 21, 2014, 04:35:02 PM
To avoid rebuilding the speedo internals I use a product called "Break Free CLP", you can find it at any Walmart in the sporting goods section where gun cleaning solution is sold. It is an excellent petoleum based product that will both clean and lubercate any machanical mechanism quiet well. It comes with a little red straw that attaches to the nozzle. Disconnect your speedo cable from the housing and squirt a little bit up inside, this product will clean and remove gritty grime and free up sticky, rusted or corroded mechanisims within the housing. This product works quiet well on other applications too. Otherwise, the dreaded "howl" will mean the end of your speedometer and replacement or rebuild will be in order.
Barry
The howl from the speedo is not caused by dirt or debris. There is a bushing that spins from the cable, as the slip fit wears it becomes a gap, once the gap is large enough the bushing begins to bounce around as it is spinning. This bounce becomes a howl when the frequency becomes harmonic, hence the howl. Lubrication may help and buy your speedo some time, but the damage is done and the tolerances are too lose. It will degrade as all parts do when they slide against other parts. It is just the speed at which it degrades is in question.
Try this fun little blurb on speedos: http://auto.howstuffworks.com/car-driving-safety/safety-regulatory-devices/speedometer1.htm (http://auto.howstuffworks.com/car-driving-safety/safety-regulatory-devices/speedometer1.htm)
I am thinking of installing one of these as a solution.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/161157716110?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649 (http://www.ebay.com/itm/161157716110?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649)
(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o145/aviationfred/_58_zps1379c6e6.jpg) (http://s119.photobucket.com/user/aviationfred/media/_58_zps1379c6e6.jpg.html)
(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o145/aviationfred/_12_zps50359d2a.jpg) (http://s119.photobucket.com/user/aviationfred/media/_12_zps50359d2a.jpg.html)
Fred
Yes, the howl is caused by degrading internal parts of the speedometer. However, if a three dollar can of lubricant stops the howl and slows the degradation process of the internals then I would consider that a cost effective way to handle the problem as finding a replacement speedometer can be challenging and costly as many OEM Yamaha parts are no longer available and even cost prohibitive if they are still available. The only time I've experienced the "howl" is riding in 25 degree weather in which I really can't blame the "old speedo" in those types of cold conditions. If it weren't for keeping my bikes all stock I would consider Fred's idea. :good: That's a good article on speedometers too.
Quote from: motogp52 on January 21, 2014, 10:42:22 PM
Yes, the howl is caused by degrading internal parts of the speedometer. However, if a three dollar can of lubricant stops the howl and slows the degradation process of the internals then I would consider that a cost effective way to handle the problem as finding a replacement speedometer can be challenging and costly as many OEM Yamaha parts are no longer available and even cost prohibitive if they are still available. The only time I've experienced the "howl" is riding in 25 degree weather in which I really can't blame the "old speedo" in those types of cold conditions. If it weren't for keeping my bikes all stock I would consider Fred's idea. :good:
I was intending to point out that you can prolong the dying process, not stop it. There is a shop in San Diego that rebuilds these Jap speedos. Limp along as far as you can if on a budget, but you will need to pay the piper eventually. I have no intention of making the decision for you or any other, just information to help all make informed decisions...
Let us know the shop's name as that could be handy down the road. Barry
Quote from: motogp52 on January 21, 2014, 10:54:53 PM
Let us know the shop's name as that could be handy down the road. Barry
Should be in the files section, Father Pat added it a year or two ago. I found them when my speedo sounded like a strangled cat, but I also found and adopted an 84/85 speedo with less than 7K on it. Poor bike, to have so few miles before it donated its organs..... :empathy:
:good2: Thanks Fjmonkey! I found it on Father Pat's old thread:
Foreign Speedo Inc
2246 1/2 University Drive
San Diego, CA 92104
619-298-5278
I experienced the howl on my 87' I used to have a number of years ago. I will keep this info handy as I know this is a common issue for the FJ.
Quote from: motogp52 on January 21, 2014, 11:15:10 PM
:good2: Thanks Fjmonkey! I found it on Father Pat's old thread:
Foreign Speedo Inc
2246 1/2 University Drive
San Diego, CA 92104
619-298-5278
I experienced the howl on my 87' I used to have a number of years ago. I will keep this info handy as I know this is a common issue for the FJ.
Cool, that is the plan. To actually have one for when the howl turns into wild death throws and then sudden death... It is all about information. You provided info that has prolonged your speedo, that will help others not quite ready to ship it off to Kalifornia for repair. We all contribute by sharing. Kookaloo my friend...
Well, shoot. This explains the noise that just cropped up that I couldn't figure out. Guess I'm in for fixing that before it goes tits up.