I just bought an 84 [US model] and a couple times that I have ridden it sometimes I hear a loud howl coming from the front, up thru the cowling. I think it is the tachometer cable as it goes away under 1000 RPM at idle. I have not looked closely yet but these bikes have a tach cable? or is it electric?
Hey bb, nope not the tach, it's electric.
It's your speedometer. The death howl. Yes, you can lube your speedo cable but the howl is internal from the misaligned gears in the speedo.
I recall a place in San Diego that could rebuild the speedo gears but I can't find it. Perhaps someone can chime in?
Start looking on eBay for used '84/'85 cluster. The later speedo clusters fit (almost) to the '84's fairing. A small gap shows on the left and right side.
It's hard to see in my pict below. Here's a '89 speedo cluster in my '84:
(http://fjowners.com/gallery/49_13_12_09_9_13_36.jpeg)
Sorry, I wish I had better news...
OH NO! I had that same whine (when cold) and had hoped that lubing the cable would fix it. I haven't had a chance to try it out yet.
I hope the spare instrument cluster that came in the "spares box" is better.
Kurt
Hey Pat, I think I have that howl on my '93. Sounds like a wheel bearing grinding. I think I'll pull the speedo cable and see if that stops it.
Thanks for the tip
DavidR.
I was getting a loud intermittent howl myself, turned out to be front wheel bearings, even though they felt tight.
Very good advice David and Travis, bb disconnect the speedo cable and go for a ride and see if the noise goes away....
Front wheel bearings are a much easier fix than trying to find a decent low mileage speedo cluster. (and I'm on my third cluster)
I'll keep looking for info. on that speedo shop in San Diego that can rebuild our FJ speedos.....
Cheers!
If it turns out to be a speedo, I would like to rebuild mine. Putting in a clutch mc kit this weekend. Should get to test the bike out to see what is making that noise.
I've been getting a howl from the front since I put the 17" wheel on, I suspect I did something to the bearings when I installed them.... I doubt it's my speedo. Sounds more like it's coming from the wheel... :dash1:
After the clutch mc got fixed, I went for a ride and verified that the speedo was making the noise. I did it by going 25mph, putting in neutral, killing the engine and listening as the bike slowed down. The noise slowed down as the bike speed slowed,so that was enough proof for me it was the speedo. If you use the disconnect method, use the lower cable mount to disconnect as it is easier to get to, just secure the cable somehow. Pat, put on your cape (superhero status member) and help us to find that repair shop you mentioned.
Here ya go laddies...I searched thru several old Yahoo and forum posts to find 2 stateside locations. Feel free to add more as we discover more shops.
Cheers! http://www.fjowners.com/index.php?topic=5718.0 (http://www.fjowners.com/index.php?topic=5718.0)
Might this be worth the files section or vendor section or somewhere easy to locate in the future?
Another way to test that it is the speedo and not a bearing or something else is to disconnect the cable from the front wheel. If the noise is gone, you have your culprit.
Just a thought,
CraigO
Jeez, never mind. Should have read the whole post b4 commenting.
As you were...
Quote from: bugboy on January 16, 2012, 04:31:23 PM
Might this be worth the files section or vendor section or somewhere easy to locate in the future?
Yeppers, that's where I put it..... General Maintenance Files Section
I called both shops today [1-17-2012] Foreign Speedo was very nice and informative. FREE DIAGNOSIS from them. Creative Audio did not know what I was talking about and said they only do stereos. Call them yourself, as I did not ask for Scott, just talked to whomever answered.
ok, thanks I'll delete the audio store from the file. I wondered about that.... :dash2:
When I talked to Foreign Speedo in San Diego, the guy told me with their FREE DIAGNOSIS if the speedo only needs a lube to get rid of the howl [gears/parts are all working ok] they take apart the speedo and grease the gears and send it back. Well, I take stuff apart, can grease it and put it back together, so this afternoon I did just that. I needed to take off the fairing anyway to look at the damage to it, so I removed the fairing, then took out the light and speedo/tach/fuel cluster from the fairing, then removed the speedo from the cluster and looked at it. The gears are all right there and was not hard at all to add some grease and spin it a few times. I am waiting for a clutch master cylinder housing so I can do a test ride so next week. I will get back and let you know if the re-grease got rid of the howl. By the way, the speedo howl on my 84 is so loud as to almost drown out the engine.
Hate to revive a dead thread, but I figured I'd chime in from experience. I know this noise, and I had this exact problem. I put my speedo gear drive hub back on the front axle, and did not align the teeth in the speedo drive clutch ring with the notches in the gear drive unit. It's easily do-able. The howl is from the speedo gear drive hub spinning from friction against the clutch ring, but it's not happy about it because the little teeth on the ring are riding on the hub gears and forcing it to turn. Eventually results (I got about 500 miles like this without fixing it....i'm an idiot) before the clutch ring gives and falls apart. This in turn toasts your wheel bearing on the left side at least, destroys the gear drive hub, and grinds off the teeth on the drive ring.
Make double sure you meshed the teeth on the ring with the hub correctly! Or you'll be replacing wheel bearings & the hub, like I am right now.
-Evan
Quote from: fadingfastsd on April 11, 2012, 09:32:25 PM
Hate to revive a dead thread, but I figured I'd chime in from experience. I know this noise, and I had this exact problem. I put my speedo gear drive hub back on the front axle, and did not align the teeth in the speedo drive clutch ring with the notches in the gear drive unit. It's easily do-able. The howl is from the speedo gear drive hub spinning from friction against the clutch ring, but it's not happy about it because the little teeth on the ring are riding on the hub gears and forcing it to turn. Eventually results (I got about 500 miles like this without fixing it....i'm an idiot) before the clutch ring gives and falls apart. This in turn toasts your wheel bearing on the left side at least, destroys the gear drive hub, and grinds off the teeth on the drive ring.
Make double sure you meshed the teeth on the ring with the hub correctly! Or you'll be replacing wheel bearings & the hub, like I am right now.
-Evan
Good little nugget there... Thanks.
Pat, this seems like a candidate for the files section, no?
Sure! Glad to help, hope I save somebody the trouble and frustration I've had. It's really common sense, and anybody who takes their time and looks closely at it while reassembling shouldn't have much problem.
Of course, I was in a rush and overlooked it, so if i did it, I'm sure others have too.
Thanx for the reply Fading--I bought this bike like this and have not been riding it at all. Hopefully its not too late. So your saying someone had the front wheel off and and did not assemble it correctly and that is how the misalignment happens?
Yeppers Dan, I merged Evan's post into the speedo death howl file....thanks Evan!
http://www.fjowners.com/index.php?topic=5718.msg49881#msg49881 (http://www.fjowners.com/index.php?topic=5718.msg49881#msg49881)